Zapatos!!

We plied into the big red bus at 9am chilled by the morning fog and breeze and we were off to Ensenada. All the kids so excited to finally get new pairs of shoes: one nice black pair for school and a pair for church. Their feet were just about pushing out of the old shoes. Today is extra special for the kids since the shoes are free for them. A group from the states comes once at the beginning of the school year every year and bless the kids with this opportunity.
I am so thankful that God has provided this group to faithfully come every year no matter what is going on. They are always able to support the ranch and have money for the shoes. The group gets money donated for this day every year. Such a blessing! It really is great! If you think about it that is a lot of shoes and a lot of money!
We split up into boys and girls. The boys got off the bus first and went into the shoe store. While us girls, Eddie and a man from the group went to park the bus. We did a little detour and went to the park. Eddie knew the boys would take a while... So the girls played for a bit. After being here for about 43 years Eddie knows the best ice cream/yummy Gelato. The man from the group bought us all some! So so so good! So then we walked a few blocks back to  the store.
Then we got into groups and picked out the shoes they wanted. Any kind. Only rules were that one pair for church and one closed toe black pair for school. Mexico has some different shoes here... they are made differently and just not what we have in the states. Then again we are very spoiled in the states. The kids were so excited for their new shoes. They all had the perfect size for their feet!
The people from the states told Olivia and I that we could even get our own pair. So we picked out some. It was very very fun day! A great experience for everyone!

When we got back to the ranch and had lunch. Enchiladas yum yum! Thanks Juanita!
Awesome day!

Wow Lord Your are teaching me so much. Teaching me to walk with You along paths of trust. As soon as i am wandering from my trust path i am learning to look to You and whisper "I trust You, Jesus."

I am enjoying the warmth of Your Presence shining upon me.Feeling my face tingle as i bask in Your Love Light. You have made me realize and relax in the assurance of Your perfect Love.

You are my best Friend, as well as my King. I am all for walking hand in hand with You through my life.Together we will face what each day brings: pleasures, hardships, adventures, disappointments. Nothing is wasted when shared with You.

Thank you God for equipping me to stay conscious of You while walking along dusty, earthbound paths.

unique mixture

For dinner tonight the girls at my table liked to mix macaroni and cheese with salsa, ketchup, and mayo.... first time for everything I guess.

tenting

This morning i woke up to see a tent set up outside on the lawn. Because of the black out it was too hot for some of teachers to sleep inside....it was cooler outside. Awesome

black out

Yesterday around 4pm there was a total black out here at the ranch. It was a very interesting experience. Actually we found out that even in San Diego it was out and Palm Springs. During dinner in the chow hall it was hard to see the conversations with it being dark. Luckily lots of staff have flash lights. I happened to have many many candles which lit up my whole living room, so fun!

One downer I think i have mentioned before... it is hot here in Mexico. Hot hot hot. At night with no fans its a sweaty night sleep. Many of us staffers were tempted to sleep outside, and i would of if the bugs and mosquito we not so bad at night. Actually 2 of the female teachers set up a tent and camped outside on the gressy lawn. It feels much much better at night outside then it does inside, but you suffer with the bites in the morning!

Oh and my freezer melted... water was dripping all inside melting. So i out a trash bag underneath the freezer part of the fridge. It was very interesting. Olivia and I went to check out the girls dorm it was pitch black and they were sitting huddled together watching a cartoon movie on a laptop, so fun.

It was a great night to stargaze, well every night here is a great night to stare gaze, and dance around in the grass. Perfect time to spend alone with my Creator and seeing examples of how much He loves us by the awesome art He made just so we can enjoy the starry nights.
Waking up to find my lights working was an amazing feeling. I thought how not fun school would of been for us teachers and the kids sitting in a stuffy hot room with smelly kids. I'm so thankful the power came back on this morning. We now have working fans and swamp coolers. Praise God!

The kids today in our class were full of energy, full of goofiness! No fights broke out. Unlike yesterday one boy gave another  boy a bloody nose. :( not fun. Today was finally a good  experience. OH and while going on our normal bano trip we found a scorpion!  A little guy. The boys loved it! And we caught it and out it into a jar for the classroom. By the time we got to the classroom Yahir was holding it and so excited, we showed some of the other classes. Then we held up the jar to find it on its back haha probably was shook to death.

ABC 123

First day of school came and went, second day came and went, and now the third day of the kids school is finished. The first day I had no idea what to expect... I thought oh yeah it might be hard but its going to be so much fun and the kids are going to want to learn! Well I didn't think about what would or could really happen. I came in wanting and hoping to see the students excited to learn and thinking they would be easy to teach. Boy was I wrong. I was a bit scared the first day. In our kindergarten class the first day there were only 5 students... and that was overwhelming!  Then yesterday we got another boy, more to come but the first month or two they still trickle in. We are suppose to get 7 or 8 more.


So far we have Esmeralda ( the only girl at the moment) this is her second year in the class. She is a funny one kind of shy. Mario, this is his first time at RSM he is mute. He hears and sort of understands Spanish and is learning LSM with all the other kids. He is a very very sweet kid. Mario likes to learn and it helps that he knows the Spanish language. Saul, who came yesterday, he started here last year for the first time and is back! He's really smart and knows a lot of signs. He like to help the other boys and show them the right answers. He acts tough sometimes but is a softy.  Then there is Mr. Yahir bossy boss. He is the cutest 5 yr old I've seen! So lovable, he is so stinkin smart! If only he would not get distracted so easy by everything, but I guess that's a 5yr old. He is the youngest of the class , but feels the need to tell everyone else what to do. I think this is his second year in the class and here at the ranch. Its a love hate relationship with little Yahir. He is adorable but is a loud hyper one and totally dramatic and acts like a prince. Sometimes he teaches the other students and acts like the teacher, very funny. Then there is Jesus Daniel. I think has had a stroke or something a few years back. It made an effect on half of his body which isn't the same as the other and does not work as well but Jesus Daniel also is smart. He loves to finish each activity and finish it well. He does not like to get up and leave while he is working on something. And when he has to he gets very upset and sometimes cry and sometimes is difficult.  He is sensitive about a lot especially when Emiliano the 6th student is picking on him. Emiliano is also a very smart kid. He actually might move up out of the kindergarten class and into Olivia's class. Both Emiliano and Jesus never stop fighting. The first day wasn't too bad the the second and third were very bad. Jesus got pretty upset being teased and laughed at by Emiliano.

WOW they are all so different and all have different needs, but they all need to learn their language and learn about life just like any other kid except they are deaf/mute and much much much much much more easily distracted! Let me tell ya! Some of the kids in the class will just zone out on one person. That person happens to be me a lot of the time. I look over at them and when they should be paying attention to Amber the teacher they are staring. You cant just snap at them or wave a hand in front of their eyes, ha it doesn't always work.
One boy, Emiliano ,  loves to see the other kids get into trouble and seems to love everything else but paying attention to me or Amber. The first day I felt like it was impossible to communicate with him. And remember these kids are not used to being told directions or discipline. Some are treated badly so that is a big part of why they act badly.   Its hard to explain unless your here or see it for yourself.  Yes Emiliano does have to be in the corner a few times because of flipping kids off, he does have to sit apart from the other kids because if he didnt then he would break out into a fight, he does need one on one time to focus on one subject, he does have a bad attitude towards anything he doesn't know how to do or towards people telling him what to do and seeing him act like this makes me so sad.  BUT he also needs to be loved.All of the kids here at the ranch need it. Loved so so so stinkin badly.

"There is a love hidden inside your borders just waiting to be free, there is a hope waiting to be realized." Us as staff, family, & friends need to be praying for those who are lost and have not seen the truth. Part of me just wants to give up on him if he really doesn't care and its only day 3. That is sad.  That is the opposite of what he needs. Im sure many people have given up on him and others already and that is the last thing they need. If we gave up on the people who need God then they would never know love. Aren't we here to share His love-" And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the gospel to the whole creation.." Mark 16:15 When I cant give out love I find myself praying for God to and also teach them what I cannot. And I know what he does. He loves us more than we know!

I was wrong thinking that they would right away be fine with us showing them the right signs, words, rules, and what life is about why we are here. I was wrong to think for a second that they would be perfect angels. No one is and as these sinful beings we all need the love that Jesus freely gives. He will give us strength when we are weak. We gotta rely on Him for everything. Desiring to act independently springs from the root of pride. John 15: 5 "Apart from Me, you can do nothing"... that is, nothing of eternal value. We are His image bearers!! What a privilege.

.“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declared the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11).

Grapes, Figs, & Pomegranate

We had our first church service today! It was so great, Johnny ( the principle) and his wife Amber ( kindergarten teacher im working with ) lead the worship. Worship at the ranch and well deaf culture praise worship in general is very different than at a hearing service. We sign the songs with the music still playing and no one is singing. It is awesome...  he signing to songs. It always reminds me of a dance. To show the music and the speed and whatever else you have to sign different. I don't know how to explain it really but its beautiful. I love being able to use my hands to worship and express.  At first it may feel weird and not normal for most but its just feels like you can express more with your hands. I don't know if im making any sense but I love the church service here.

Also Johnny taught the message for the kiddos, some parents that are here with their kids, and us teachers. It was on Numbers 13 when the LORD tells Moses to send men into the land that He has promised. After being in the dry desert land God wanted them to check out the awesome promised land. The men who went  found water, trees, and many fruits... they even brought back grapes to show how wonderful it is. But once they got back from Canaan to their Israelite community and they were describing the land and all that was in it ten of the men said :     
"We went into the land to which you sent us, and it does flow with milk and honey! Here is its fruit. ²⁸ But the people who live there are powerful, and the cities are fortified and very large." They were scared to go into the land because they did not trust God and what he promised. Only two men of the twelve that went into the land Caleb and Joshua said they should go and take possession of the land. Caleb and Joshua believed God was on their side and nothing can stand in His way. 

So they had to walk in the wilderness for 40 years as their punishment for not obeying the LORD.
Are we going to trust in God and have faith for what He has for us now? Or are we going to rebel and think we are right and disobey. Maybe just maybe we should stop and think that the One that created this earth and us knows what he is doing and maybe we are just getting in the way when we do not trust Him with everything. I don't want to doubt Him, if he knows the big picture then why do we question Him so often? And put Him below us like we know everything...