Parkwood Baptist Church Internship Journal:

May 12, 2013: Today I went to the church and really got a feel for how the services run and got to meet some of the people I will be working with this summer. It really was nothing too spectacular, but it was good to see Mrs. Glenda and get some dates from here and really get to touch base and begin the process of starting off the summer on a good note. I am very excited to see what the Lord has planned and what I will get to learn this summer from these children and youth.

May 15, 2013: Tonight I got to help with the after school program. I started off riding to go get the kids from the school, since most them have not met me yet, I introduced myself and showed them my sign name. From then on it was a blur, I went from talking with a lot of the kids to helping them with homework. By the way, I had to play a math game and explain it to Sam, one of the middle school boys who is learning Sign Language. Have I mentioned that I dont like math?? Then to make things even better, Ive got to tell you. Professor Moore, you made us learn the body systems in 302. I was hoping to never be required to use that knowledge... but fate saw it differently. I had to help Megan study for her Biology test she has on Friday. Ill just say that I was extremely happy that I pay attention in class and can convey things appropriately in ASL. Then Brandon got to talking to me, and quickly opened up that he wanted to have a girlfriend but wasnt sure how to get one. I told him to wait on Gods timing, since it seems to always work out better that way. After that slightly awkward conversation, we had dinner. That went well as I got to learn more about Ms. Betty and how she became

involved with the Deaf ministry at Parkwood. Finally, the night ended with practicing for the KY mission trip. I helped keep the kids focused as Ms. Cathy presented the story of Moses, with the point that the Bible comes from God- something that will be emphasized when we are doing the Rainbow Express in KY. Overall, it was a great night. It was long, but it was a good experience. I feel like most of the kids welcomed me openly, and it will be good to build those relationships. However, some of the children will definitely keep me on my toes this summer. At any rate, I am excited and eager to see what is ahead with these kids and to really be able to invest in their lives.

May 19, 2013: Today I got to observe how some voice interpreters worked to interpret Professor Moores service. It was very interesting, and I was really impressed with how well they teamed and with how they caught basically everything that Professor Moore said. It was really good, slightly on the feminine side, as far as word choices and inflection were however; they are women so it is to be expected. Later in the day, I went to a prayer meeting for the mission trip to KY, which was nice to meet some of the people that I will be spending the week with on the trip as well as learning more about what we will be doing. Following the KY meeting, which was super informative, we had Bible Study. For me, it was nice to see how the smaller group works and to learn more from Professor Moore, as I have never seen him preach before. It was refreshing and I really enjoyed his preaching style. His messages got me thinking in a different way about passages I have known for a while. I am very excited to be working with the church and for how the Lord will use me this summer and for what I will be learning.

May 22, 2013: Tonight when I arrived at the church I was able to get to know some of the women and help them do the last bit of prepping for snack time. Once the younger children arrived, I rode along to go to the middle school to get the older children. Once back at the church, I got to know some of the children better, learning more about then. After a while, I helped Hannah make a flipbook for the story we were practicing for the KY mission trip. Once we finished the book, we grabbed dinner and had a small group leader meeting, where we learned more about what is expected of us as well as who will be helping us with the children. Finally, the night ended with Hannah practicing the story, and all of the small group leaders getting a feel for how the story will flow and the ways to improve this story.

May 29, 2013: Tonight I was able to show up a little early and help get some materials together for the childrens Bible Study and set up the area for dinner and games for the youth. Once that was over, I was able to practice the Day 3 Jesus Story before dinner. Once dinner was over, I went to the youth and was able to sign the Jesus Story with a voice interpreter. I must admit that it was a strange feeling to have someone voice what I was saying rather than voicing for someone. The interpreter did very well overall, and I really enjoyed how she got several whole concepts and did not miss a lot of information and was quick to correct herself and fix problems. Overall it was a great night with a lot of learning experience. On a more personal note, two children accepted Christ as their Savior tonight, which simply makes my heart happy and shows me that God is going to do great things this summer.

June 1, 2013: I went to Pastor Bos and Mrs. Glendas tonight for a cookout with the youth group. I arrived a little before everyone else to help them set up. It was fun to get to interact with the youth a little more and learn some older signs from Ms. Betty. We had hamburgers and homemade ice cream along with my homemade cookies and just had a time of fun and fellowship. Mrs. Glenda and I worked out the order for the songs to be interpreted in the morning, and she decided that she would take the hymns, and I would take what the praise team did. It will be exciting to be able to interpret the songs for my first official Sunday at Parkwood Baptist Church.

June 2, 2013: This morning I went to the Youth Sunday School as we went ahead and started talking about what we will be discussing the next few weeks over the summer and how to share a testimony/ why it is so important to be able to share our testimony. It was a good lesson with little issues from the youth. Then we went up to the Hearing worship service, for youth /graduation Sunday. I was able to observe Ms. Betty a little and I noticed that she is wonderful at getting full concepts out and really has some great mouth morphemes. Then it was my turn, I was able to interpret the worship songs. I was nervous but I was able to properly interpret the songs and afterward was told that I was clear and did a great job. One Deaf woman told me that I am a beautiful signer and I almost made her cry... I am hoping that is a compliment. In the evening, I was able to interpret the hymn sung before the business meeting took place. I had about two minuets to prepare, and it was quite difficult, however I believe that overall I got the point across and conveyed the message accurately. For the rest of the meeting, I was able to observe

Pastor Bo and Mrs. Glenda interpret and I really enjoyed how well they got every concept and were able to keep track of all the numbers, it was quite impressive.

June 5, 2013: This afternoon I went to the church early to help get things set up for that evening. After getting all sorts of things done in the office, it was off to the church to work with the youth for a bit before getting the last mission trip lesson ready. Once the lesson was ready, it was time to socialize at dinner. Once dinner was over, it was in to the lesson, which I was able to deliver in ASL, however a simple concept did become complicated, which was interesting to deal with. I learned that I have some improving to do with some story telling concepts, while I can usually get my point across clearly, I am in no way perfect and would like to see more improvement in this area over the summer.

June 14, 2013: Tonight I went to the church early for a meeting about the things needed for the upcoming KY mission trip, thing I will be putting together and making over the next week in order for the team to be fully prepared for the trip. Once the meeting was over, it was off to socialize and help get things set up for dinner. We ate pizza and talked, before we started playing games with the children and youth. It was good practice for the KY mission trip, and simply a lot of fun. Once the fun and games were over, we sat down and watched/ listened to some testimonies. For me, I found that when the first interpreter went, they used simpler language, but accurately conveyed the message of the signer. However, when the second interpreter voiced, they got almost everything but used much more adult language. I am not sure which approach was better, since both interpreters did

a great job overall, but I must admit that I appreciated the word choices of the second interpreter. Once everything was over, I helped clean up and then left for the night.

June 16, 2013: Today I went back to the church for Sunday school and the service. It was a great experience in Sunday school to help the children think and understand the Bible a little more in depth. Currently, we are working through a book called Following Jesus, which is a Bible study for the youth. It was a really good discussion and I feel that the youth got a lot out of it. Once that was over, it was time for church. In church I observed that the two voice interpreters. I noticed that the one that did the announcements wore black, and was dressed appropriately for the occasion as well as the fact that she spoke really well and did a wonderful job at voice interpreting, while the second interpreter wore like a cream color (despite being Caucasian) and spoke a little more simpler. Both interpreters got the main points across, but personally I found that I liked the style of the first interpreter.

June 17, 2013: Today I went into the office and was able to accomplish a TON of prep for the KY mission trip (we leave on Friday!). I was able to make copies of all the materials well need on the trip for the kids at Rainbow Express, as well as almost finish the flip-books the small group leaders will need to tell the stories at Rainbow Express. Overall, it was a great day and I have realized there is a lot more to mission trips than people realize.

June 18, 2013: Today I was back in the office, getting things together for the mission trip. I never would have thought that it would take so much work to get things together for a trip, but it is all coming together beautifully. Also today, I got to meet a new Deaf man who was fun to talk to. Come to find out, he knows my old Deaf pastor, Darryl Millsaps. Overall it was a very productive day.

June 19, 2013: I didnt go into the office until 1:30pm since I would be at church till later in the evening. Once I got there, I was able to get some things done before Katie; one of the youth girls came to give me a hand. Between the two of us we had fun signing, and putting things together for the mission trip. Once we got everything put together, we went to dinner with Pastor Bo and Mrs. Glenda. We had a lot of fun and it was nice to get to know her better. Then it was back to the church to get things loaded into the trailer (which took NO time whatsoever!) and then to youth group. It was a good talk with the youth about what we expect out of them during the trip. During this time, Mrs. Glenda and I voice interpreted for the youth so the Mrs. Myra (Who is Hearing but going on the mission trip with the Deaf and has yet to learn ASL) and then as we ended with testimonies, Mrs. Glenda voice interpreted very quietly for Mrs. Myra on my behalf so I could simply focus on signing. It was a lot of fun and I was really happy to get the practice. I noticed that I was more confident than I have been in the past, and it was almost as if I was less nervous and more of a I can do this well, which was a nice change. I am excited for the upcoming mission trip, as it will give me a great opportunity to get to know the youth better.

June 21, 2013: Today we loaded up the vans, and traveled to the Ohio/Kentucky boarder to go to the creation museum. It was a ton of fun at the museum, but getting there was long. I have to admit, I have never had such a quiet long car ride I guess I forget that it is OK to listen to music and things around Deaf people, but I just kept waiting for someone to turn the radio on, and nobody ever didit was strange. Then again, only Mrs. Glenda and I were hearing, the rest were Deaf. It was a really great experience though and I really enjoyed it. Ordering food at the restaurants was interesting. I had some experience interpreting and I also found that it was really cool how some Deaf people were super independent and did a great job communicating what they wanted. When we finally arrived at the museum, it was great to have an interpreter there volunteering. However, I learned a little something, it is a good idea to have ones hangs pinned back so that they are not in your face. Overall, it was a great experience and by the end I was exhausted.

June 22, 2013: Today we got to walk around the museum more. It was fun! Once that was over, it was back into the cars, to head off to a restaurant to meet the rest of the church and get our food for the week. Once we finally go to the restaurant, I got to have some more great conversations with some Deaf people (I did a TON of signing during the whole trip) and it was fun to get to know them better. They are some really great people and I really enjoy them. Finally, we got to Wheelwright, KY and unloaded. We did not get to bed till late and we worn out.

June 23, 2013: When we woke up today, we all quickly ate and then got ready for church. I was able to observe the interpreters, and enjoyed seeing how they rephrased and rearranged things. It was really nice. Then the two teams split up, the men to look at the construction and the women and youth to go set up the sign and distribute door hangers about VBS. It was a nice day, and it felt like the calm before the storm.

June 24, 2013: Today was our first day doing mission work. It was interesting trying to help facilitate communication a bit. However, while the day was hectic, we got a lot done and it was good overall. So much happened that it is somewhat a blur, but it was nice to get a feel for the area where we are working, and it was good experience overall.

June 25, 2013: Today was basically the same as yesterday, busy with some interpreting duties, but a ton of conversations. However, tonight we went to a sportsmans banquet where I got to interpret blue grass music (might I add, that I have only heard blue grass like three times in my whole life interesting to say the least). I did pretty well. I knew the first two songs (Amazing Grace, and Ill Fly Away- which the latter does not translate easily) and from there I was making up as I went along going with the concept of the song. It did not help that the music was hard to understand, and then when I finally did understand something, a man- an older man- spoke at such a rate giving a narrative in the middle of the song that I wondered if he ever would stop to take a breathe. As if blue grass was not hard enough, I then had one of the most interesting things to interpret so far in my young experience. I, had to attempt to keep myself together, as I interpreted the turkey call contest. Now, it is bad enough that it is boring and awkward and semi-weird

for hearing people (like myself) who are not used to this, but I can tell you it was worse to interpret. Seriously, I felt like an idiot as I did the very best I could to sign TURKEY and show it gobbling. Then it did not help one bit that I looked up, some people were smiling and giggling, (causing me to start to tear up from holding in my laughter) but THEN I looked up again. Oh how I wish I had never looked up again. To my horror, there were about five or six cameras pointed my direction, most of which had the lovely little red light shining, meaning they were recorded. When all was said and done and they were giving out awards, one woman yelled out to me You deserve an award. I think I handled it the best I could, but it was positively humiliating.

June 26, 2013: Today we got up, and got to go distribute food to some of the locals. It was a really great experience, and I was able to interpret some for the distributions. We didnt go to the Senior Citizens center because they were having an event today, and we were almost done. So well finish that tomorrow. Once we were done, we went to the VBS, and today I got to tell the Jesus story while Ms. Betty interpreted for me. It was really good and a lot of fun. Then we had church. I got to observe some of the interpreters with us. I noticed that some of them like to mouth the words a lot, and I am not sure if that is normal, or if it shouldnt be done, or what the deal is really, but they got the point across and the Deaf seemed to understand the message. After church, we had dinner with everyone from the church. It was a good experience and I had the opportunity to interpret a conversation for probably over an hour. It got difficult, especially since the one party involved was extremely off point and jumped around- making him hard to understand. Overall, it was another great day.

June 27, 2013: Today was our last day for everything. We finished up the Senior Center and we had our last day at VBS. It was a really good day and I enjoyed being able to do some more interpreting. I was so tired by the end of the day; I think that the rest of the week is finally starting to catch up with me. Anyway, I got some more great conversations in and it has been fun to get to know some more of the people in my group a little bit better.

June 28, 2013: I cant believe it is Friday already, we got a lot of things loaded into the vans last night, so this morning we just loaded up our suitcases, and lunch before we listened to one last word from the local pastor as to what our work accomplished. Then before long, we were off to NC again. On the trip, it was nice to be able to sign with some of the girls, and enjoy their company on the way back. Once we finally got back to the church, I got help generally put things up before heading home.

June 30, 2013: So this morning was different at church. It was the God Bless America Sunday. Walking in, I wasnt sure what to expect. I just knew that it was going to be different, and I had the music (which I got the chance to prep for earlier). It was a very well done service. Yet, it was hard emotionally (especially since my boyfriend, Dan is in the service so I know the sacrifice first hand). However, I feel that I did a good job, and everyone understood me. Then I got the opportunity to watch some of the other interpreters. It was interesting to see how they changed the sentences in order to make the concepts fit. However, we did have one challenge. We had to work around the flags. We

ended up being on the floor instead of the stage like normal. It wasnt bad, just different. It was a good experience and good practice for me to keep my composure and keep myself together whilst attempting to interpret something so touching.

July 2, 2013: Today I did some light office work (moving boxes, and getting things back to normal after the KY trip) followed by some visitation. It was really interesting to see how some of our Deaf children live. It was a humble reminder that one does not need to travel super far to find those in need. Overall it was a good day, and I enjoyed meeting Jose, a young boy (about 16 and probably, ok he was taller than me) whom I have never met. I really enjoyed talking with some of the Deaf children and meeting their families for the first time.

July 5, 2013: We went for a pool party today. Ok, so I had to go in early to help make some lemonade and get some drinks together before we left, but we went for a pool party! It was different to be reminded that some of these kids have C.I.s and have to take them off to go swimming (something I knew, but again just dont think much of). At the pool, I got to talk and fellowship with some both Deaf and Hearing adults. It was an interesting social, and I even had to do some interpreting. Including some voice interpreting for Daniel, who was in town for the 4th of July. It was a lot of fun to be ale to be involved in as well as help facilitate some of those conversations. I felt that it was a good learning experience (similar to KY) of how to incorporate Hearing with Deaf as best as possible.

July 7, 2013: Tonight we watched a slide show of the KY mission trip that Jackie had made. It was really neat to see the lovely photos that she took. Then we shared testimonies for a while telling of our experiences and how we saw God work in and through our team. It was really an encouraging time.

July 9, 2013: Today I had a meeting with both Deaf and Hearing to discuss the upcoming Day Camp. The way it seems is that there will be a lot of good things planned for that week and we have some amazing Deaf leaders. So my day was spent mostly in that meeting then working to get some administrative work done so that we can start preparing for the Day Camp. It will be really exciting, and I must admit it was nice to have a somewhat relaxing day at the office, or at least one where I didnt feel like I had to get everything done immediately.

July 10, 2013: Tonight I went into church and simply got to socialize and observe signing styles. It was really interesting how most of the older Deaf tended to sign in a more English register while the middle aged to younger Deaf signed more toward an ASL register. I really enjoyed that there was no interpreting tonight, but instead I was able to enjoy the beauty of my second language for what it is. I really enjoyed these differences and have found an appreciation for all types of signing.

July 11, 2013: This morning I met Mrs. Glenda at the church and then we went out on visitations. The first place we stopped at, they were not home. However, when we stopped at the next apartment complex, we first rang the wrong doorbell. The woman

who answered was Deaf but wasnt very kind. It was a strange experience. Finally, we found the woman we were looking for, and I found it interesting that while she was Deaf and her son was Hearing that the communication wasnt very good. I always thought that if your parents were Deaf (or at least one was Deaf) that you would automatically learn ASL, but apparently that is not the case. It is possible for CODAs to have a hard time communicating with their parents. Anyway, once we were done there, we went on to lunch and then back to the church. Once back at the church, I worked on putting coloring booklets together for day camp (to fill in dead time) before heading home for the day. Overall it was a really interesting day and I really enjoyed it.

July 14, 2013: This morning I had an interesting experience. I was able to interpret the announcements for Sunday school (which was good practice for later). Once the announcement was done, it was time for everyone to go to their respective classes. Today I stayed in Elizas class to be more exposed to more sings. Mrs. Amy Talbot interpreted for my friend Brittany who wanted to experience Deaf culture. Once Sunday school was over, it was time for church. I was able to interpret the announcements and prayer requests before the service. Overall I dead really well, though when I was unsure my voice got a little quieter and I noticed a question in my voice once when there shouldnt have been one. I can say that overall I am proud of my performance. I was especially nervous since it was my first time working with a microphone to voice interpret; but I was sure to remember to point it away from my mouth when checking with my team on a word. It was a good feeling to know that I was accurate in my interpretation. Tonight I

was able to observe the interpreters work as people gave testimonies of what happened on the mission trip in KY. Overall, it was a great day.

July 16, 2013: Today I went in for the regular staff meeting at 9am, then I had another meeting for day camp. The meeting for day camp lasted about two hours. However, it was good to meet with everyone (or most everyone) who will be involved with the children in any way this summer. It was interesting since some people do not know sign language very well and thus we had to simcom and voice for the Deaf. Overall, the meeting went very well and we enjoyed talking and giving ideas. Once the meeting was over, a large group of us went to CiCis for lunch. It was really fun to sit around signing and interpreting, and just enjoying everyones company. While we were eating, one of the youth girls, Miranda, came in with her grandmother. They came and joined us and Miranda and I got to talk for a while. She mentioned to me how she can be very lonely since her family does not sign well and she goes to a public hearing school in which there is only two other Deaf students and one hard of hearing student. It broke my heart a little to hear how she doesnt feel like she has friends. However, I was able to encourage her by informing her of how most of the Deaf people I knew from school had a good group of friends who knew how to sign. Before long, I was back at the office and I finished almost everything for day camp. All I have left to do is make some extra copies of a few things, put all the copies in cubbies for each group with some construction paper, and everything is ready to go for day camp. It is getting exciting knowing that day camp is right around the corner.

July 17, 2013: Tonight I was able to interpret for Hannah Winn. I voiced while she signed. It was an interesting experience since she is hearing and would occasionally use SimCom instead of allowing me to interpret. However, it was a nice non-threatening environment for me to practice. I feel that it is harder to interpret from sign to voice simply because I am more aware of the language and how it sounds. While I am fluent in ASL, I am still much more likely to encounter a grammatical or structural error than I would if I were speaking in English. It is just somewhat weird to be voicing rather than doing the signing, but it is an important skill that I look forward to continue to develop and improve.

July 21, 2013: This morning, I had the opportunity to teach Sunday school. The lesson was on loving difficult people. Before I began, I asked my kids (yes, I have grown attached to these kids this summer and yes, they are mine) if they wanted me to sign only, but they said they wanted me to SimCom, a request that is not quite common. Overall it went well, and I feel that the kids understood what I felt that the Lord wanted to get through to them. After Sunday School was church, where I got to observe on interpreter, who did a good job (I recently found out that shes newer to profession). I noticed that her voice inflection was well done, but did not have a lot of fluctuation. I was able to help feed a bit, but for the most part she did not need my help. Before long, church was over, and it was time to head home to change clothes before evening service. Once it was time for evening service, I was able to do the music. It wasnt too awful except for I never feel like I do hymns justice, and while I got to listen to the three songs before the service, the last song was difficult to hear, which in turn, made it almost

impossible to interpret. Then the service started, Dr. Johnny Presley had to mention my turkey call interpretation to the whole church (joy), which was interesting to see the other interpreter try to duplicate. Through the service, I noticed that her register was more toward English, and that she did use mouthing. However, for the most part she got the point across (which can be hard, Dr. Johnny speaks like a million miles a minute). Overall, it was a great day and a good start the week.

July 22, 2013: Today was my first day in the office without Pastor Bo around. He and a group went to SBCD. I wanted to go, but it worked out better that I stayed (and much cheaper for me). I was able to get some work around the office and some last minuet prep work done for Day camp next week. I also got to help out the other secretaries with some of their office work. Overall it was a productive day.

July 23, 2013: Today I had to go into the office a little early (it is Tuesday, and we always have our staff meetings on Tuesday). The meeting went well, and then it was immediately to work. I got to working on some things for Mrs. Natalie, when in walked Mrs. Claudia, who gave me about five things to work on for her for Day camp (have I mentioned, they are almost all cutting things out Im AWFUL at cutting things out I can ever cut on the lines). Once I got done everything for Mrs. Natalie, I began working on the copying, tracing, and cutting for Mrs. Claudia for Day camp missions emphasis. It was a ton of work, and LOTS of cutting. But, I got a lot done, so I cant complain. Hopefully tomorrow will be a little less stressful.

July 24, 2013: Today in the office was so boring. I answered the videophone twice, which was fun and I really enjoyed learning the new technology (yes, it is new to me). I noticed that it was harder for me to understand peoples signing (sometimes due to where the camera was for them) because of the fact that they are on a screen. The other things I got to do today were prep for Sunday school and help the childrens pastor with nametags for VBS. I told you, it was a boring day.

July 25, 2013: Today I was rented out to Pastor Michael Stewart, the childrens minister to be extra eyes and hands as we took the kids to Hickory Dickory Dock in Hickory, NC. It was a fun but crazy time with the kids running around everywhere but I am glad that I went, it was a good experience.

July 28, 2013: Today I went into church, and was excited to see everyone after their trip to SBCD. It was great, though everyone was definitely tired. Once Sunday School was over, I got to go to church, where I voice interpreted for the announcements and prayer requests. Overall, I did well, however I noticed that I had some issues getting words out and following some concepts. However, I have noticed that my confidence in voicing has increased greatly, and I have enjoyed the practice. Church ended and I went home, only to come back early and set up for day camp (which begins tomorrow!). And then I went and participated in Bible Study (where I learned a sign for orientation thank you Caitlyn Cullen). Overall it was a good day and I look forward to the craziness of the week ahead.

July 29, 2013: Today was the first day of day camp at church. It was really crazy but a l enjoyed my 4 and 5 year olds. Theyre adorable. One little girl, Natalie is absolutely precious! Her entire family is Deaf, and so shes very independent and a ton of fun. I noticed that a lot of these children from Deaf families or somehow connected to Deaf do not communicate well in Sign Language, which really surprised me, I always thought that those related to Deaf in some way could sign, guess I was wrong. Anyway, it was a good day, just long and busy. Luckily for me I have 4 more days with these children. I cant wait to see what they teach me this week.

July 30, 2013: Today I got to see my kids again (theyre with me for the week Im the leader, I claim them, they are mine- dont judge). It was a crazy day, I feel like they were better behaved yesterday than they were today but it was still a pretty good day. I did notice that some of the kids were starting to sign more, which I really believe Natalie appreciated. It was also fun to watch Sofia and Natalie hit it off and Sofia began learning to sign so that she can play and enjoy a friendship with Natalie, it was a really beautiful experience to watch these two become friends and figure out how to communicate with each other. I also noticed that Natalie is a very strong young girl, and she is great at communicating to the other kids that they need to sign because she cant hear them. It really was an interesting day overall.

July 31, 2013: Today was extremely long. I had my four and five year olds today, and they seemed tired today (yay for wearing them out!). However, it was still exhausting. IT seemed like after lunch, the kids got more energy than ever before. I seriously wan to

know where they get all this energy; I mean really, theyre putting ME to the test on this. Anyway, I realized that I do not like to SimCom at all! Yet, it seems like I have to do that with my kids for everyone to understand. Im amazed that some CODAs do not know how to sign. I just dont get it, how can you be exposed to Sign Language your whole life and not know sign language?! Once camp was over I went out with some of the Deaf youth, Daniel, and Caitlyn to CiCis for dinner. It was a lot of fun. Before long, we were back at the church for Bible Study, I got thrown into teaching tonight- even though I had nothing prepared. I managed to talk to the kids about faith and how/why we need to live by it. Caitlyn and Daniel did a great job helping me out, and overall it was a great day.

August 1, 2013: Today was the last day of normal day camp- since tomorrow we go to the pool all day. I have to admit, I have become more accustomed to the craziness of my four and five year olds, and today wasnt too bad. Overall, my kids were well behaved and they were getting better about signing. It was the typical day, though, I must admit, at points, some of my teach (or all of them) seemed to disappear, leaving me with 7 kids between the ages of 4 and 5 alone. Im proud of myself for handling the kids well, but I will tell you- I dont want to handle a lot of kids often- theyre a LOT of work. Anyway, it was a good day, and I really enjoyed signing with Natalie. She is a great signer and Im glad that I can easily understand her signing. Im excited for tomorrow as we take the kids to the pool, hopefully it will be a good experience for all.

August 2, 2013: Today at Day Camp we took the kids to the Kannapolis Recreation Park. It was a fun, but stressful day. You have to understand that for me, kids plus a pool,

equals total stress. I was a lifeguard for the past three years (my certification just ran out in June) and I have lost a dear friend of mine in a swimming accident where the lifeguard didnt do their job (6 years ago tomorrow), so today was difficult for me. I watched over my area like a hawk, even noticing that I didnt trust the lifeguards to do their jobs. While it was easy to sign with everyone, and even fun, I noticed peoples looks, and chuckled to myself. Another thing I learned is that one of our kids, Sam, who recently was adapted from China, is not familiar with the language. Thus, it is hard for me to effectively communicate. Ive always known language is important, but it really was emphasized to me today. Once we got back to the church, I felt much better knowing that everyone was safe and had a good time. All in all, it was a great way to end day camp.

August 4, 2013: Today was an extremely long day at the church. I started off by going to Sunday school and Church (where I was able to voice the announcements, which wasnt bad at all). Once that was over, I went to Pastor Bo and Mrs. Glendas house for lunch and to plan VBS with Daniel, Caitlyn, and Hannah. We talked for a few hours before heading back to the church to set up for VBS> Once we were back and had gotten everything together, it wasnt long before the youth began to arrive. WE had a blast going through the Bible Story (which we acted out), playing games, learning a song in Sign Language, and making a bookmark and eating a snack. Overall it was a really good day, just really super long. I really enjoyed my time with the youth.

August 5, 2013: Tonight went really smoothly. We started by playing games outside where the busses are usually parked, and even had snack and did our Bible Story out

there as well. The Bible Story went really well, I dare say, even better since we were outside and were able to use some elements that werent inside. Since it was getting dark once we finished the Bible story, we packed up and headed inside to practice the song we are working on. By the time we finished practicing, we had about twenty minuets left for the kids/ teens to do their craft- tile painting. It didnt take long till we were cleaning up, going through the song one last time, and then saying goodbye for the evening. Overall, it was a really good day at VBS.

August 6, 2013: Tonight was another evening of VBS. So while it was busy, it was still good. Caitlyn and I were outside playing games with the youth before we practiced the song, had snack and finally settled down for the story. Tonight was different because when Caitlyn and I were ready to practice the story, we realized that between the two of us, there were not enough people to perform a drama of the Bible Story has we had been doing. Luckily, Ms. Betty and Mrs. Glenda were happy to help, and while we had no practice time, everything went super smoothly. After the story, we went inside to paint boxes for children overseas who live in childrens homes so that they can have a place to but things of their own. Although I noticed some major attitude problems (particularly with one kid in our group) it was overall a really great night. I cant believe we only have one more night of VBS ahead of us.

August 7, 2013: Tonight was extremely difficult. The kids did not want to listen at all. To be honest, Im elated that it was the last night for VBS, because by this point in the week, they do not care anymore nor do they want to respect us (particularly me). Considering

how crazy they were tonight things still went fairly smoothly. Though, by the end of the night I was really spent. I had one kid push me to my limits and then I when I reacted (by walking toward him with the desk that he knew I needed to put away) he then retaliated by slamming me into the desk that I moved. Needless to say, I was really grateful for the end of the night.

August 8, 2013: Tonight started off crazy, we were with the hearing group tonight before the family fun would begin and for that, I got thrown into a drama and some music in which there was no way to truly prepare for, but I did my best and received no complaints. Once I started to feel comfortable and was looking forward to interpreting the message, Mrs. Betty wanted to switch and interpret that. I was a little disappointed but I allowed her to take over and made sure to feed her when needed. Once the program was over, I was able to mingle with the Deaf youth a bit and interpret when needed. It was a really laid back evening and I was able to enjoy my time, which was really nice.

August 11, 2013: Today was my last day as the intern at Parkwood Baptist church. It was a really easygoing type of day; I was able to observe the interpreters as we went through the homecoming service. They did a great job, even if they were a bit on the English side of the signing scale. I realized that I had learned so much from everyone through the summer and I will miss working with them so closely, but it is a great feeling knowing that the people I have come to love so much are now my church family. I really am glad that I had the time and experience I did this summer working with the Deaf.