One down, one to go

We think we may have a place for the deaf school. We've been talking with the Dept. of Education here, and they say they are willing to help. They took us around to several possibilities. Most of the places were way too small, and in a location too far from our current students. But there was one that we thought would be okay.

It is very third-worldish, you might say, with a zinc roof that made the classroom hot, and this is the cool time of the year. But there was more space than we've had, and the promise of being able to switch to a full day schedule next year, which is important to us. Mornings there is some electricity there, but usually none in the afternoon.

The classrooms look like they haven't had a paint job for quite some time. In fact the whole place could use renovating. If all the final details get worked out, CCES will probably go ahead and move over there this year. The school in Sabana Perdida has a less urgent need to move, and will finish out the school year and move in the fall.

I do remember the saying "Don't count your chickens before they hatch." A lot can happen. The people in charge are regularly replaced, so if you get help from one, you have to hope s/he stays in "power" till you get what you were promised!

The Dept. of Ed. is also offering us another location in a nearby city to start yet another deaf class. They are trying to work it out for us to do some teacher workshops for a local college so that some teachers will graduate with at least basic Sign Language skills and some understanding of what it is to teach deaf children. It is really a good opportunity, if it works out. In fact, another dept. in the government is also asking us to contribute to their own teacher-training post grad class.

More trained teachers means more deaf people who will learn a language, and get educated. Without language, deaf people don't have access to the gospel. Without education, they don't have language. That's the major driving force in the mission here: providing that opportunity for deaf people. And for those who become Christians, wouldn't it be nice if they could read their Bibles?