Asking for prayers

Hi everyone, I know that this does not directly pertain to my internship but I thought that this is just one way to get more people's attention. My family in Goshen is having some troubles now and I would like to ask everyone to pray for them. Especially their daughter Amber. I know many of you have heard me talk about her. She was pregnant, supposed to be due next month with her first child, and the family's first grandbaby. Today, well yesterday since its now past midnight, she fell on the ice and broke her ankle in three places. At the emergency room they decided she needed to have surgery right away. But she was pregnant so how were they going to anesthize her. They decided on an epidural and when they gave it to her both her and baby started to crash. We almost lost both of them there. The doctors did an emergency c-section and found that the baby's placenta had pulled away and they didn't know how long the baby had been without oxygen. Amber is stable now, but when baby came out they thought he was having seizures. He has been rushed to South Bend where they are going to do brain scans on him. I am not sure what else has happened since I last spoke with my family, but I am worried and upset that I can't be there for them. Please please please pray for Amber and her baby.

Almost halfway through

Things are getting better out here definitely. We found out yesterday that if you're not on the approved list of visitors you can't get into prison. So I guess its a good thing it is not that easy to get into prison. Haha. I had to stay out and wait for my mentor to finish the assignment. Afterwards when we discussed what she did, I was very glad that I didn't get to go inside with her. I was starting to feel very defensive and upset for the deaf client and that would have been bad for me in there. Even 24 hours later, I am still feeling very defensive for the deaf client. I feel like all of their rights to communication have been taken away, and that really bothers me.

Still without my computer. The agency that I am at has told me to bring it in and see if the IT guys can fix it for me. So its here with me today. Hopefully they can, I would love to have it working again.

I am starting to look for places that my car can sit at when I am gone. I don't want to have to pay tons of money to the airport for my car to be there for almost 2 weeks. I was going to ask the family that I am staying with if my car could sit there for that time but I am getting the feeling that I need to get out of there as soon as I can. Maybe I am just misinterpreting what they are saying to me. Who knows? I will try and figure out what they mean when I feel brave enough to ask them to clarify.

So I guess that is all.

Happy Valentine's Day!

To all of you lovebirds out there-happy valentines day! I actually had a pretty good day. I got to see Lynda and Melissa today at the ICRID board meeting. It was great to see them. I really miss everyone on campus. You know you all can call, or write or you know something. But anyways, we all went out to applebees with my mentor and another interpreter. They caught me up on stuff happening back on campus, and let me tell ya, I feel sorry for you all. Ok not really that sorry because you're not out here in our shoes, you're safe on campus. But it does sound like some things are kind of sucking on campus. No worries though, we'll be back on campus in no time.

After lunch, my mentor took me to see a broadway production. You know I think I could get used to some of these interpreting perks. She got two comp tickets to see moving out, because she is interpreting it tomorrow. And she picked me to go. Wahoo! It was really good, and we even got lost downtown. Hehe.

I'm still counting down the days until I get leave this place, but you know its starting to get better. I found that I can ask my mentor to clarify what she means when she says something and also that there are people here who want to see me succeed. I know that I hated my first few weeks here and that will never change. I am also learning to keep my mouth shut about some things. However, life is getting easier for me here.

Tomorrow I will be heading off to church to watch the interpreter and fulfill one more requirement for my independent study. I also get to meet a deaf boy and his family. This is the boy that I am supposed to be babysitting in exchange for me staying here. So we'll see how that goes.

Oh and the great news, I am now a size 16 in pants! Yay! For those of you who knew me when I first came to Goshen, I was wearing a size 22. This is definitely a huge improvement. My total weight loss is 50 pounds! I am still shooting for more and I am not giving up on my goal of fitting into a size 12 for graduation. But I am succeeding! I am very proud of myself, and kickboxing is not kicking my butt anymore, I'm doing better at it and not leaving like I am gonna puke.

Now if only I could finish the socks for my little brother....

Until next time~

Running on auto pilot

So I had the opportunity to work with a different person for a couple of days. And it was a blast, she had so much information and advice and didnt' mind answering any of my questions. I really enjoyed working with her. I get to work with her a couple of more times then my mentor said no more. She won't allow it. She says she needs me and can't spare me. I don't understand her, she has another intern which she is supposed to devote her afternoons to. So doesn't that mean that she could spare me in the afternoons as well? Since it would not be fair for her to have to divide her attention to two people at the same time? Instead of calling Julie, instead of saying anything to my mentor at all I have just decided to keep going, keep on going through the motions. Eventually something will give, right?

I keep telling myself I will get to go home soon. I mean geez, 3 weeks are done and apparently it is getting better for me. I mean I am finally doing hands in the air interpreting, I did get some money coming in so I don't have to worry too much about my bills, I've lost 7 pounds since I've been here, I am starting to make friends, I found a place to do kickboxing and if I ever get bored, there seems to be something I could go and do everyday here. Gotta love the big cities!

When things seem to look up

Gee, I'm beginning to sound so negative. LOL! However my issue today has nothing to do with my internship! Which is great. I am glad I called Julie, things are really looking better for me on that end. However, I came back to Goshen to work at Walgreens. I know I am glutton for punishment. Somehow, on the way up here and and in the last couple of days I have misplaced my debit card! EEEK! I am not exactly sure what to do, I am frantically looking for it. I have spent the last two hours scouring my car and the rooms I was last in, but nothing so far. I am hoping to find it, but I know even if I can't find it, there will be ways for me to get money. I have a check book, so worst case possible, I write a check to myself and find a bank to cash it. Or ask a friend if they would mind taking a check and giving me cash for it. I wish gas stations would take checks, but oh well. It happens. Maybe, just when I give up, I will find it. I'm trying to be optimistic.

I'm getting pretty much

to the point of not wanting to be here anymore. I mean come on, how much is one person supposed to be subjected to. I know I am here for the experience and let me tell you, it is definitely been an experience. I am ready to put my stuff in my car and just drive home. I have come to the conclusion that I can't trust my mentor, that she says one thing and then changes it. I can't put up with that anymore. I really can't.

How many people have been offered a job, told that they would be paid for something and then have it taken away from them in less than 12 hours? Seriously... I mean, geez! Okay, so my mentor has absolutely no faith in me is what I have come to believe. She offers me a paid job interpreting for BIS, but then decides to have one of her staff members take the day off and take the job. She sends me to interpret an on the job training assignment. And sure I would've probably been less hurt if the person who took this away from me was certified, but she's not. Maybe I would have been less hurt if this was the first time my mentor has turned her words around. Maybe not.

I don't know what will happen. I try to tell myself that things will get better. I really do. Honest! I keep repeating to myself, tomorrow will be a better day. I hate the fact that I am having a horrible time here. There is so much greatness in this city that I can be enjoying. There really are some great opportunities here and I am praying that tomorrow will be better.

Tattle-tell!

Ok, I admit it, I tattled. I just got so darn frustrated. I am getting all kinds of mixed answers from my mentor. I really debated calling Julie today. I actually got ready to call her twice and then changed my mind. But I am glad I did it. I have only done 2.5 hours of interpreting-actual hands in the air. Yet I have done tons of observation, mentor feedback-which is wierd since the feedback is not based on my interpreting but on issues in the field and stuff like that, I even got a jump of my professional development. My mentor hurt my feelings yesterday when I was observing her interpret a meeting. Now granted, there were doctors and professionals there, and yes big giant words were used and acronyms that I was unfamiliar with. But when I asked her if she thought I could interpret for some of the meeting, she told me that she didn't believe that I could interpret it. It probably would be really difficult for me, but it really hurt my feelings. I also am pretty frustrated that she hasn't really watched me interpret either, so how is she to evaluate my skills? The only people who are able to evaluate me are both deaf and sure they can, but they don't hear my voicing at all. So, I told on her. I got tired of it. I want to make sure that I am successful on this internship and don't want to fail. I am praying things improve. Julie said they will and I am sure that they are supposed to.