Vacation Bible school for the Deaf gives children chance to focus on
religion
Pastor Mark Seeger discusses biblical stories in sign langage.
By Claire Osborn
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF
Monday, September 01, 2008
The girls sat still for a minute or two as Pastor Mark Seeger
repeated the story from the Bible of the prophet Daniel who was saved
from lions by an angel. Then came the questions.
“How will God protect me?” asked 12-year-old Amelia Hamilton. Seeger
assured her that he doubted she would be attacked.
“There are not any lions’ dens in the U.S.,” he said — not out
loud, but with his hands.
In fluent sign language, the pastor for Jesus Lutheran Church of the
Deaf in South Austin was teaching a weeklong vacation Bible school in
August for deaf children. Seven 11- and 12-year-old girls surrounded
Seeger in the classroom at Christ Lutheran Church, where the Bible
school was held because it has more space than Seeger’s church.
The girls quickly turned the discussion to the story of Adam and Eve
in the Bible. If the couple in the Bible had not sinned, then people
would not have to die, said 11-year-old Emma Crawford. Then she
switched to another observation.
“Every eight seconds a baby is born in this world,” Emma signed to
the class. Seeger, who is not deaf, laughed and then signed, “Boy, she
learns stuff.”
Fifty children ages 3 to 12 attended the Bible school, he said. It
has been held since 2000 and includes activities such as arts and
crafts, singing — in sign language — and a class about setting
boundaries in relationships, conducted by volunteers from SafePlace.
This year’s theme was “Walking with Jesus,” said Jennifer Ceyanes, one
of the school’s directors.
“I love doing this,” said Ceyanes, who is deaf and also teaches at
the school. “I get to know the kids.”
Meanwhile, 8-year-old Genevieve Cox jumped rope nearby. Genevieve has
attended the vacation Bible school for several years and called it
“awesome.”
Amelia, the girl who worried about lions, said she liked hanging out
with her friends at the school. “I learned about Jesus and how he
walks beside me, in front of me and above me,” she said.
June Nasukiewicz, a parent who is deaf, stood nearby helping children
glue together construction paper representations of Daniel in the
lions’ den. “I like to see the kids learning,” she said.
The class was held during the third week of August to help parents
working at the Texas School for the Deaf who had in-service training
that week, Seeger said. He finished the day’s activities in the chapel
by signing a prayer for all the children who were sitting in the pews.
Anne Schindehette came to pick up her grandchild. “This is
wonderful,” she said. “It gives the basics on Christianity.”
[email protected]
; 445-3871
Sources:
http://www.statesman.com/news/content/news/stories/local/09/01/0901deaf.html
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