May 31, 2006

Africa University Yea!

This morning we woke up bright and early and headed to Africa University. Kirk preached at the chapel service and there was a certain flavor of reverance in the air that is hard to describe. Also ironically enough, Kirk chose the same scripture passage that the Deaf preacher chose on Monday, 1 Peter 2:9-10. He talked about being chosen by God. He idn't know he had chosen the same scripture because Monday was the night the electricity was cut and we were trying to watch the Zim sign language through one candle.

After the Service a young man came up to me and asked me if I was from Indiana; there was a VIM group from Indiana there also. I explained to him that I was actually from Michigan and his eyes lit up. he said "really? I lived there!" So I said "WOW! no way! small world! Where?" assuming that his answer would either be Detroit or someplace I didn't frequent. "Boyne Falls" my jaw hit the floor. I grew up on Lake Louise. That has been the only constant place I have ever been able to call home. It turned out that he had been a camp counselor at camp Kinawind on Lake Louise. Now this small world of mine has turned int a small petree dish sized world. Praise God for connectionalism.

After I picked my jaw up off the ground we went to meet the Vice Chanciler of Vice President of the university and butter him up about the idea of Deaf ministry courses. Then we did the same with the director of education. One thing led to another and Kirk got a job. He will be teaching the first ever Deaf ministry course at Africa University.

Thank you Jesus, Amen
(a shona song sung by the Hilltop Deaf)

Africa University is in the process of preparing for their first blind student. All the higher ups expressed a desire to have AU be recognized as a school that specializes in special education. It was a mind blowing experience to be invited in on conversations about how to best set that up. It felt to me like that first sip of Vernors on a hot summer day. All the bubbles travel up into my brian and tickle the insides of my cheekbones.

After the second meeting a man led us into a small room where Laurel and I got to read a few passages of a text book into a tape recorder so it can be given to the blind student in August. And wouldn't you now it, I read the roman numerials wrong. That is one of those things that I am sure I said "When am I ever going to need to know Roman Numerials?" ... Well there you go. Today in Zimbabwe, at Africa Univesity, I did.

I must admitt that the biggest frustration on this trip, which is a minor frustration, is the language complications. I am still learning ASL, I have yet to take my last ASL class. I get to Zimbabwe and I am now trying to switch back and forth between Zim Sign and ASL depending on whether or not there is a Zimbabwian Deaf person in eyesite. I am also trafing back and forth between two spoken languages, English and Shona. I have obviously not picked up a lot of Shona but I have learned "See you tomorrow" "Jesus Loves you" "Hello" "thank you" and "I Love you" and.. that is it.

Our evening Deaf week services are crazy, tonight Kirk who uses ASL as his native language was Signing Zim sign, Carol was voicing in English and the Pastor Dzobo was then translating into Shona. It was a little bit like this:

Kirk: Sign, Sign Sign.. Wait
Carol: Voice, Voice, Voice ... wait
Pastor Dzobo: Shona, Shona, Shona... THEN the congregation would laugh. or atleast the hearing people would laugh.

so actually I guess it was more like this

Kirk: Sign, Sign, Sign...wait
Zim Deaf: Laugh
Carol: Voice, Voice, Voice... wait
Laurel and I: Laugh
Pastor Dzobo: Shona Shona, Shona... then everyone else would laugh. and the whole process would start over with the next phrase.

Thank you lord for making us different and Thank you for making it possible for us to communicate wiht one another. I will never understand it. I am so grateful I didn't have to create a universe. I can't even draw stick people. Amen.