Vacation Bible school for the Deaf gives children chance to focus on
\nreligion <\/p>\n
Pastor Mark Seeger discusses biblical stories in sign langage. <\/p>\n
By Claire Osborn <\/p>\n
AMERICAN-STATESMAN STAFF <\/p>\n
Monday, September 01, 2008 <\/p>\n
The girls sat still for a minute or two as Pastor Mark Seeger
\nrepeated the story from the Bible of the prophet Daniel who was saved
\nfrom lions by an angel. Then came the questions. <\/p>\n
“How will God protect me?” asked 12-year-old Amelia Hamilton. Seeger
\nassured her that he doubted she would be attacked. <\/p>\n
“There are not any lions’ dens in the U.S.,” he said \u2014 not out
\nloud, but with his hands. <\/p>\n
In fluent sign language, the pastor for Jesus Lutheran Church of the
\nDeaf in South Austin was teaching a weeklong vacation Bible school in
\nAugust for deaf children. Seven 11- and 12-year-old girls surrounded
\nSeeger in the classroom at Christ Lutheran Church, where the Bible
\nschool was held because it has more space than Seeger’s church. <\/p>\n
The girls quickly turned the discussion to the story of Adam and Eve
\nin the Bible. If the couple in the Bible had not sinned, then people
\nwould not have to die, said 11-year-old Emma Crawford. Then she
\nswitched to another observation. <\/p>\n
“Every eight seconds a baby is born in this world,” Emma signed to
\nthe class. Seeger, who is not deaf, laughed and then signed, “Boy, she
\nlearns stuff.” <\/p>\n
Fifty children ages 3 to 12 attended the Bible school, he said. It
\nhas been held since 2000 and includes activities such as arts and
\ncrafts, singing \u2014 in sign language \u2014 and a class about setting
\nboundaries in relationships, conducted by volunteers from SafePlace.
\nThis year’s theme was “Walking with Jesus,” said Jennifer Ceyanes, one
\nof the school’s directors. <\/p>\n
“I love doing this,” said Ceyanes, who is deaf and also teaches at
\nthe school. “I get to know the kids.” <\/p>\n
Meanwhile, 8-year-old Genevieve Cox jumped rope nearby. Genevieve has
\nattended the vacation Bible school for several years and called it
\n“awesome.” <\/p>\n
Amelia, the girl who worried about lions, said she liked hanging out
\nwith her friends at the school. “I learned about Jesus and how he
\nwalks beside me, in front of me and above me,” she said. <\/p>\n
June Nasukiewicz, a parent who is deaf, stood nearby helping children
\nglue together construction paper representations of Daniel in the
\nlions’ den. “I like to see the kids learning,” she said. <\/p>\n
The class was held during the third week of August to help parents
\nworking at the Texas School for the Deaf who had in-service training
\nthat week, Seeger said. He finished the day’s activities in the chapel
\nby signing a prayer for all the children who were sitting in the pews.<\/p>\n
Anne Schindehette came to pick up her grandchild. “This is
\nwonderful,” she said. “It gives the basics on Christianity.” <\/p>\n
cosborn@statesman.com
\n; 445-3871 <\/p>\n
Sources:
\nhttp:\/\/www.statesman.com\/news\/content\/news\/stories\/local\/09\/01\/0901deaf.html<\/p>\n
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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…<\/p>\n