Shelly Reeves
Teacher to the Deaf & Interpreter at New Life Christian School
How long have you served with NLAI?
Eight years.
What is your favorite thing time of year at NLCH?
My favorite time of year at NLCH is Christmas. The traditions, the grown-up kids coming "home" for the holidays, the food, the fireworks, the teamwork involved to make Christmas for 50+ kids happen, and the joy reflected on the face of each child makes the celebration incomparable.
Tell us about a story of transformation:
One of my Deaf students from New Life Christian School was brought to live at NLCH at the age of 12. I had known him and worked with him since he was 9 years old, and while there was a notable change in his attitude/ behavior after he accepted Christ, he continued to be a very angry child who struggled to make friends and learn.
During the year he spent at NLCH, the change in his disposition was radical and his spiritual growth was undeniable. Almost every night, we would pray together. In the beginning, he preferred I pray, but with time, that changed. Soon, he was leading the majority of our prayers.
One day, I told him that I would be out during the evening hours and might not be back in time for prayers. He assured me it was fine, that he could pray on his own. I happened to return right at bedtime and when I walked into his bedroom, I found him doing that - praying the most heart-felt prayer in sign language.
At his last court hearing, the judge asked if he wanted to live at NLCH or with his family, and he told the judge that the decision was in God's hands.
While it was hard to see him go, there was such peace in knowing that God had done a transformational work in him during the year he resided with us at NLCH, and he had been able to surrender his future to the Lord.
Tell me about your family:
I come from a military family. My dad was active-duty Air Force, and my grandfathers, aunts, uncles, cousins, and brother have all served in the military. I have no doubt the Lord used my mobile upbringing to prepare me for a life overseas. My dad has retired from active-duty, but now works a civilian position on a base in Southern, Illinois, where my brother is also stationed working in the base command post. My mom is a church secretary, and my sister is a computer teacher at an elementary school in Kentucky. I have one niece, who is a year-and-a-half old, and I love her to bits and pieces.
How can we pray for you?
Pray for wisdom and guidance in teaching my students; each one has experienced trauma of some sort, which means they each need a very special kind of love and care in order to learn. Also, pray against the spiritual warfare that has been strong in the Deaf community as of late, bringing discouragement to myself and other interpreters, and making it hard to advance the Kingdom.
|
