India Camp

Last week i had the privaledge to interpret for three days at something called India Camp. It was for children who were born in India and adopted by American parents. They taught them all about Indian culture and they got to be in a room full of other Indian Kids for a change. It was very sobering.

The little girl I was interpreting for has only lived in the states for 4 years. She is 16 ( or that is the age they gave her).

Her mother had adopted 6 Deaf Kids from all around the world. 5 years ago her husband suddenly died. After a year of trying to figure things out God called her to adopt a much older, damaged child from India. She obeyed. She went over there... found this little girl and adopted her. Except it was a little more complicated than that (it always is.) This little girl had no name, no language, no sense of time, didn't understand what was happening to her. All of the sudden a White woman was trying to take her on an airplane, something she had no concept of. I can't imagine all that she had gone through. But to make on the streets of India for at least a decade and be alive, I would say she is pretty strong.

Despite the fact that she has only started learning about 4 years ago Taylie is a genious. Her mom said that she saw somthing different in her... A brilliance she never saw with her other childeren. As the interpreters, we never had to change out of ASL, she completely understood what was happening at all times, her favorite things are a calander and a watch... because she can litterally see time and know when things are going to happen. She has a future.

The thing that really got me. We were playing Indian Bingo. One leader would ask a question about India and the children would all try to find the answer on their Bingo card and cross it off. Each time i would finish the question Taylie would look down at her paper and search until she found the answer. EVERY time she got the CORRECT answer! I was very impressed. I knew that her mom had spent a lot of time teaching her Deaf culture. But she knew the capital was New Delhi (and she spelt it right) she knew the nations bird, color of the flag, also one of the questions that was asked was, What was given to the Indians on August 14th 1947. Earlier in the week I had told her about how Britian controled India for almost 100 years but then India was free in 1947. She looked up at me and signed... INDEPENDENCE with a big smile on her face. I was SO proud. I never used that sign with her but she completely understood the concept of what happened during that time. Later I told her mom I was impressed with how much she knew about India and i told her what happened. She broke into tears and said that she has never once told her anything about India becuase she doesn't know anyting. She has spent most of the time on Deaf Culture. this was the first exposure to Indian Culture. She said that she thinks Taylie knows how much i was believing in her... and that is when her brilliance shines.

I made some great contacts to Deaf areas all around the world through this woman... and she is a Christian, so... God is Good.

wanting to adopt a Deaf child of my own some day,

toni