Last month we were located in Pune, India. We worked at a deaf school called MFD.
I was very hesitant at first because I didn’t know any sign language and I also didn’t know what it meant to work at a school.
But this month was full of joy. Joy from smiles of the precious kids, to joy from being about to teach the older students how to cook western food.
When we arrived at the school the students had no arrived yet, the compound was quiet and still. Our contact Tara said even when the kids did arrive it would still be quiet but there would be a lot of movement. But after the kids did arrive, it wasn’t quiet. There was laughter. Lots of laughter.
We were told that most of these kids could not communicate with their parents or anybody really outside of the school. But that didn’t stop them from trying. They would spell on their arms, they would point to things, they would try anything just to communicate with you. But in the end they would laugh, and laugh at the language barrier instead of getting upset.
One of my favorite days this month of the washing of the feet. We got the opportunity to wash the students feet and give them a lesson on it. For some of the girls it was constant laughter because they have never experienced this, and for others they were tense because they didn’t know how to react. But there was one thing that none of them were missing and it was a smile.
This month was a great reminder to choose joy. Many of these children have so many reasons to choose anger, or sadness but there were many times they were so joyful. They choose joy and so should I!
Please pray for MFD. Pray for the students and that they will be receptive to the gospel that is being shared with them. Pray for Tara & Arvind the directors of the school. And also pray for funding for the school.
