Oh the Memories....

Since I returned last June, from the moment my mom picked me up, I talked endlessly of all we had done and seen. It was after mid-night when we got home from the airport and, with mom struggling to stay awake, I stayed up until three-thirty am, chattering on and on about Betsy and the kids, all the things we'd done, how I couldn't wait to return and how much I loved/missed them all! 
     So for the past eight and a half months, I have talked about Puerto Rico daily, and I'm beginning to think that I might be annoying people just a little-- If the phrase, "Yes, you've told me this story at least three times," is any indication. But regardless of how often I talk about them (or don't), I think about them constantly. I fall asleep every night thinking about them.
     So many amazing things happened during my week and a half in Puerto Rico and it seemed to pass in a blur of excitement. But there are so many fun, sweet memories that I know I will never forget...I wouldn't be able to sum them all up, but here are a few!
    
Take for instance, this beautiful little girl who was my shadow during the week of VBS. I remember the exact moment I met her....We were in the library, and I was preoccupied with sorting through craft supplies and trying to explaining what we were doing. My head was spinning as I tried to focus on the many silent conversations that were simultaneously going on around me. How should I be helping?  What should I be doing? Am I in the way here?  Suddenly, I felt a tugging on the hem of my t-shirt. I paused and looked down into the sweet face of this little girl. "Come," she motioned to me as she spread out her paints. I couldn't keep the smile off my face. "You need help?" I signed back, forgetting my nervousness. "Yes, you come, help me!" So I knelt on the floor next to her chair and together we painted and decorated her bandanna. Her sister, seated beside her, patted my shoulder. "Need help, too." I nodded and reached over to pour her some paint. "No!" the first girl signed emphatically, "She helping me now!" She turns towards her sister, "Go away, she help me!" When she leaned over and clung to my arm, I knew from that moment that I had a new friend. So for the course of the next week, she was either standing at my side, sitting on my lap, or being held in my arms. One evening while we were watching a movie, I looked down and realized that she was falling asleep on my lap! And she was so sweet and patient, too--if she used a sign I didn't recognize or a phrase I didn't understand, she would repeat it over and over again until I understood.

Another experience I will never forget was one night in chapel, when I walked in with my team:  Music was playing and we all paused in the doorway, watching as students, teachers, and several parents all stood worshipping together in Sign Language. It was so beautiful! Kevin, one of the oldest students, was standing on stage, and waved to me. I waved back and searched for an empty seat. The song ended and I looked up in surprise when he called my name and saw him motioning me up to the stage. The whole audience turned and all eyes watched me as I shyly shook my head. Was he crazy? There was no way I was going to help interpret a song I didn't know! But he was insistent. "Come," he pointed beside him, "please." My team laughed and cheered, "Oh, go on, you'll be fine!" I rolled my eyes at them and taking a deep breath, I steeled my nerve and walked to the front of the room where I took my place beside him. The music began to play and I panicked. "I don't think I know this song," I signed frantically. He simply laughed, "You will be fine--Just watch me," he signed.  Ha-ha, funny guy, I thought as the song began. I couldn't keep up with him...I was terrible. We both laughed at my mistakes and before I knew it, the song ended. Time to escape! I took a step but he stopped me, "Another song, stay." The next song immediately followed and I had no choice but to remain onstage. Wait a second, I knew this song. "Forever God is Faithful" was a song I'd worshipped to in church many times before.
I gave him a thumbs-up...I could do this! Suddenly, my nervousness vanished. I gazed out over the crowd of wonderful deaf students and teachers, each signing along with the song. The beauty of the moment took my breath away! Then, like never before, I felt the sweet presence of the Lord! I cannot even put the feelings into words, but suffice it to say that I was overwhelmed by His love! I forgot about signing, I forgot about the dozens of eyes watching me--I was having a precious moment with my Savior. That moment has been forever imprinted in my memory and it's one of the things I most look forward to this summer: Worshipping in the chapel with the students/teachers at ESD!

And there's always that trip into town with 'the boys'. The team was in need of several items for that evening, so several of us decided to make a trip into town to buy the said supplies--and we took along the guys. First we stopped at a little store where, in spite of Kevin and Daniel's incessant teasing, I bought two machetes. This was where things began going down hill...because after signing all week long, I didn't think a thing of it when I signed "thank you" to the clerk who rang up my order. After a bout of laughter from the boys, I corrected my thanks to English before finally blurting out, "Gracias!" Needless to say, the poor clerk was baffled and the boy's were having a blast at my expense.
Finally, while Pastor Dave and Cameron went in search of the materials, Ashley, Amanda, Rosa and I took the boys for ice cream. Oh what an adventure. It took us what seemed like forever to order our ice cream and by the time I'd finally gotten mine, several of the boys had already finished theirs! We stayed and "talked" for a while over our ice cream--which is harder to do than you think--before going back to the store to find Pastor Dave and Cameron. We chatted while we walked, which I soon discovered was a very bad idea. I can scarcely walk a straight line as it is, much less while signing and watching another's hands. Thus, clumsy as I am, I nearly walked into a stop sign before I accidentally tripped over the uneven pavement and somehow managed to push Kevin off the sidewalk--which nearly got him killed when a car came flying down the lane! Yeah, blame it all on the crazy drivers! But seriously, who knew having a conversation with me could be a matter of life and death?! Needless to say, I told him we would continue our conversation once we got safely into the store where our lives were no longer in jeopardy!