Sunday the 4th

Today on our way to Orange Walk, we stopped in Ladyville. A couple who used to be in sign language were here and they gave us the names of some deaf that still lived in the area. 

We struck out, looking first for a deaf woman. We asked at several houses but no one seemed to know the deaf woman we were talking about. Instead they did know of a deaf man that lived in the area. So we called on him, he was one of the contacts on our list. 

N

The guys had a nice chat with him and then we struck off again to look for the deaf woman. After several more tries we found her! Nate and I got out at a house and I called out a greeting. A woman came to the door but was pointing to her ears. We started signing with her and had a nice conversation. We asked her if she knew of any deaf and she told us that there were three that lived near the police station.

E

We next drove to the police station, however we missed the turn. Horace decided to stop and park the car in front of a grocery store. We then got out and walked. However the police station was a few blocks over, so we took our time and asked a few people along the way. No one seemed to know of any deaf. We got to a few houses across the street from the police station and Reymona asked a woman if she knew of any deaf in the area. The woman told her about a deaf man on a bicycle. 

Just then at the house next door to the woman, a red truck pulled up and a man got out. As Reymona was walking back to the group, she also asked the man if he knew any deaf. He seemed quite hesitant to answer the question, perhaps because there were four people staring expectantly at him. So before he could really answer, Reymona mentioned the lead about the man on the bicycle. He relaxed visibly and then proceeded to tell her exactly where that man lived, letting us know the street and the color of the house. At the end of the conversation Reymona happened to ask him if he knew any more deaf and he asked… do you mean the woman that lives with me?! A woman had gotten out of the truck but none of us had made eye contact with her and she had gone inside the house. He went in after her to bring her outside and we all looked at each other astonished. 

(So, if we had not missed our turn, if Horace hadn't parked the car instead of us just turning around, if we hadn't walked and canvassed on our way to the house, if the neighbor lady hadn't been in her yard so that we asked her first, then we might have not been standing right next door when the man in the red truck drove home! We had goosebumps thinking about how the angels were assisting us today!)

The woman came out and we had a nice chat with her. We asked her if she knew any deaf but she herself was hesitant to give us her contact information, let alone tell us about anyone else. 

S

Just then as we were wrapping up with that conversation a man walked across the street and came over to us. He was deaf! He was not the deaf man on the bicycle but he didn’t know and confirmed where he lived. After talking with both and getting their contact information, we set out to find the deaf man on the bicycle. We tried several houses but we’re only able to confirm where he was not. So then we drove on to Orange Walk.

We were welcomed by a very nice Witness family. They lovingly and hospitably opened their home to us for the week.