melbrennan.com» Church

Auslan

Melinda — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 10:52:00 +0000

Australian Sign Language. I’ve just started studying it at CIT (Canberra Institute of Technology). It’s a six year course, six hours per week, to receive a diploma and be a qualified Auslan interpreter. I’ve been interpreting for two deaf men in our church for four years before we moved last year, and am doing it again now we’re back. Just think, if I’d started the course back when I first started signing then I’d be nearly finished!

The church has said that they will pay my fees for the course, which is great! Not so much for the money but more for the recognition that I’m doing this for them. I’m a happy girl!

Saying Goodbye is so hard

Melinda — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 06:48:00 +0000

As I mentioned in my previous post I finished work at the school. I was in tears as I walked out to the car park, and had a huge cry and meltdown later at home. We had our last sunday in church last week. I was a bit teary to start with, then one of the guys handed me a card as a thank you for the work I did in the office earlier in the year and I totally lost it. Sat down and cried throughout the whole service!

We had a picnic lunch today with the ladies from the Connect group that I led for a few months earlier this year. They gave me a candle holder and a card with the most lovely comments on it! And of course I cried…

We gave the chookies away today, to some friends here. Yeah, I cried a little. I know they’ll be looked after, but I really didn’t want to see them go.

We’ve been truly welcomed here, and I really love the people at my church and the school. Why does it have to be so heartbreaking so often? It’s times like this that I wish I was an introvert and didn’t make friends. Life would be so much easier at times like these if I were an antisocial hermit.

Leading a Connect Group again

Melinda — Mon, 21 May 2007 12:01:00 +0000

It’s been a few years since I led a Connect Group for my (old) church in Canberra. I’ve been going to a Women’s Group on monday nights since we moved here and loving it! Today the Group Leader rang me with a terrible headcold (she really sounded awful!) and asked if I could lead the discussion tonight. Ummm, sure… but I wasn’t in church on sunday as I was sick all weekend, so I have no idea what the discussion is about! Luckily there are discussion notes posted for the leaders, so I could grab those and rely on the other ladies who were in church! It went really well, there were only four of us there, and we finished earlier than usual. The discussion went great, we all learned from it and I was so blessed not to be nervous at the thought of leading again! In fact, it felt pretty good!