Our son, Isaac, is 16 years old and is finishing his eleventh grade year with PA Leadership Charter School. He is a bright, creative young man. He plays the drums and loves to create works of art. The Lord has given him a special love for people with special needs. For the past three years he has served as a "caregiver in training" for Ability Tree an organization, directed by Joe and Jen Butler, that exists to reach out to families impacted by disability through recreation, education, support and training (R.E.S.T.). This summer he would again like to work for Ability Tree as a caregiver. This is a missions trip so he needs $400 of missions support in order to serve with Ability Tree. He has his own page describing in more detail last summer's experiences 2011, on "Isaac in Missions".  For more information about Ability Tree visit their website at  http://abilitytree.org/ .If you would like to support him by giving online, through Philly Deaf, please go to https://e-giving.org/PhillyDeaf:
1. Sign in as a guest
2. Make your contribution under "Special Giving Opportunities" - Isaac- Ability Tree.

If you would like to give in the traditional manner please make your check payable to: Ability Tree NJ
Send to:
Ability Tree NJ, 
C/O Phil Calise
4 Sutfield Rd.
 Jackson, NJ 08527

This week I am blessed to host a dear friend and college roommate, Nancy Raatz. I am encouraged by her God given wisdom and the sense of awe for God and his power that she emits. I am challenged to pray more deeply, more specifically and more faithfully. I appreciate her gracious example of love, humility and faithfulness. She is a missionary to Moldova, Eastern Europe. The Raatz family serves the Moldovan churches and oversees a home for trafficked women in this formerly communist country. 
To learn more about them:  http://www.harvestmoldova.com/

David spent this past weekend 5/18-5/20/2012 at the Deaf Pastors' Retreat. It was a time of refreshing and reconnecting with friends and co-laborers in Christ. 

The HONOR Club is a resource from the National Center for Biblical Parenting. Over the next 13 weeks the kids will be going through a study of how to HONOR others, especially our family. 
HONOR is:
Treating people as special.
Doing more than what's expected.
Having a good attitude.  
Each week the kids are given tools and ideas from God's word to help them apply these principles at home. I pray that these lessons will contribute to strong, loving, happy Christian Deaf families.

I have a prayer request! We have a wonderful problem at Philly Deaf... lots of kids!!! Recently we have been averaging 10 kids on Sunday nights, mostly Hearing kids with Deaf parents. That is a wonderful problem because that means young families are attending Philly Deaf.  One Deaf child attends Philly Deaf every week. She joins the Hearing class for play time and activities but she has her own teacher for the Bible story in American Sign Language. I currently have teachers for two Sundays each month, but I need to cover all four Sundays. Please pray with me that I will have enough teachers.  Thanks! Barbara