First impressions of the Ranch

I have finished my first week here at the Ranch and have had so many blessings happen! These kids are each amazing kids and to see them interact with the smiles that they have just gives me this great joy! Much of the week so far has been observing the kids in action! Being that the location of the Ranch is in Mexico working with Mexican deaf children, there are several languages that I am trying to learn in order to get by which is a pretty gnarly challenge. I have had the opportunity to learn more about the children by playing with them, eating meals along side them, and also tiding up the school yard in work teams with them. If you want to have full immersion, this is the best way to go! I even had the chance to go to Ensenada a few times and interact with some of the people there to learn my Spanish. The culture here is different though then what I am accustomed to in the States such as an hour long carwash and how people earn their money, but I see many hard workers and people striving to make a living. As this week unfolds here at the Ranch, I will be observing the classes that we provide so that I can learn more about LSM (Mexican Sign Language) and learn how these kids respond to the subjects being taught. God has been really good and I certainly feel blessed to have this opportunity to be involved in such a wonderful Deaf ministry as Rancho Sordo Mudo.

Written by Peter Boklund
Intern at Rancho Sordo Mudo