Drum roll please...

For those of you who read my blog about my recent mission trip to France (trishasfrancetrip.blogspot.com), you may recall that I posted a teaser at the end of my last post about finding out more about my next adventure soon... and I am happy to say, the time has finally come to reveal what that adventure is!!! If any of you are my Facebook friends or have seen me in person recently, this is old news, and I'm sorry it's not more exciting... but for anyone who doesn't know, I recently received an email informing me that I have been accepted onto the Rancho Sordo Mundo (RSM) staff for this upcoming year!!! Yes, this is the same place that I ranted about in the last two posts. I am going to be a missionary there for the next two years, minimum, starting in September! :D There's my big announcement! Now for some frequently asked questions...

Q: When do you leave for Mexico?
A: August 30th

Q: Where exactly is this place?
A: It's near Ensenada, in the Guadalupe Valley. There are lots of vineyards surrounding the ranch, so it's one of the more upper class areas of Mexico (i.e. perfectly safe).

Q: Do you need to pay for rent or anything?
A: YES. As this is a missionary gig, I'm going to be relying on donors for my upkeep. It costs about $450 dollars a month for room and board, internet/phone/PO Box use, etc.

Q: Can I support you?
A: Yes please! Of course, prayer is my primary request. If you would put Rancho Sordo Mundo and myself on your prayer list, that would be fantastic. If you can though, financial support would also really help. Any donations to support me can be send to the address below. Checks are the best way to send me support (so we can keep track easier), and all donations should be made out to Berea Baptist Mission. (And hey, if ninety of you donate only $5 a month, my expenses should be covered!)

Janet Grobstein

PO Box 340
Tecate, CA 91980

Q: How long will you be there? 

A: The position requires a minimum of two years. If God wants me to stay for longer, that's cool too... we'll see what He says when the time comes. :) As it is a school, I will be living and working at the ranch from September to early June, but I should be home for the summer months. 

Q: How many/how old/from where/what kind of kids are there?

A: There are typically 30-40 students between the ages of 5 and 18. All except for the few staff's children are either deaf or hard of hearing. As there are very few resources in Mexico for the deaf, many children come from all the way across the country to attend RSM. 

Q: What will you be doing?

A: My official position is assistant teacher. I will be living in the girls' dorm during the first semester for sign language immersion purposes. Also, one of the staff directors there mentioned the possibility of my either helping with or heading up a sort of drama club, so that the kids could learn pantomime dramas like the Lifehouse "Everything" skit! 

Q: Do you already know sign language?

A: Nope! I know a few words and phrases in ASL, but not nearly enough to hold a conversation. In addition, the children there are using Mexican Sign Language, so it's completely different from whatever I learned in the past. I have been studying MSL training videos though, so I do know several signs by now. The rest I will learn simply by being around the kids full time. 

Q: Do you know Spanish?

A: Yup! I'm not totally fluent, but I can converse with very little difficulty. I took four years of Spanish in high school, including an honors course, and I got to brush up on my skills during VISION's trip to Spain last year. Regardless, all of the staff speak English, so it won't really be necessary in everyday life. Although they did mention possibly sending me to a local youth group to increase my fluency... :)

Q: Will I be able to contact you while you're in Mexico?

Yes! I will still have internet (although I've been told that it's agonizingly slow), or you can send mail to the PO Box listed earlier. I will also be posting about my adventures occasionally, either on here or on a new blog which I may or may not create specifically about RSM. Haven't decided on that yet, but I will let you know when the time comes. 

Q: Where can I learn more about RSM?

A: Click HERE to go to their official website! You can also read about the adventures of one of the current staff members at jasonatrancho.blogspot.com. 

Q: What if I have a question that you haven't addressed?

A: Please post any questions or comments below! I would be more than happy to answer any questions you have. :D

Thanks so much for reading! And I'm really sorry it's been so long in between postings, haha. I'll try to update more often... no, really, I already have one post in the works! So, tune in next time for a word on mercy! And remember, God made you special and He loves you very much. :)