January 2006 Volume 1 Issue 3
CLASSROOM VISITS
One of the services provided by Helping Hands Braille Ministries is the presentation of age appropriate programs to school children and other local organizations. The purpose of these demonstrations is to show what it is like to read and write in Braille, as well as
to increase awareness of some of the coping skills that are used by blind people.
A typical classroom presentation involves dividing the class into several stations, where they can have hands-on experience operating a Braille writer, as well as have practice writing the Braille alphabet with a slate and stylus.
Often Christina Oakes, who has been blind since birth, participates in the demonstration by reading from a Braille book. It always amazes the students when the roles are reversed and Christina can "read" when they can't "see" any words on the page at all!
These demonstrations take much time away from the daily work of HHBM, but perhaps Christina articulated the best reason for doing them: "Oftentimes when someone is different, it's easiest to ignore them," she said. "I want them to reach out. Facing a disability is not the end; it's a
new beginning."
Contact John Hemphill if your organization would like to arrange a Braille demonstration: 957-4943
NEW SERVICE WILL PROVIDE DEVOTIONAL MATERIAL TO BRAILLE READERS
Helping Hands Braille Ministries has just received the go-ahead to begin transcribing the Radio Bible Class (RBC) daily devotional Our Daily Bread into braille. This is a quarterly publication that is supplied by RBC in print, at no cost to the reader, and HHBM will transcribe it into braille and distribute it to braille readers at no cost as well.
Helping Hands has been in contact with Keith Reedy at Bibles For the Blind, where Our Daily Bread was previously transcribed. When they discontinued publication several years ago, there were about 110 braille readers receiving the devotional. The Board is thankful to the Lord for the opportunity to take on this project, as it fits the Helping Hands' purpose statement to supply Christian literature to braille readers for the same cost that the sighted reader pays. It will be interesting to see just how the Lord supplies for this added ministry, as He always has done in the past.
LETTERS
Dear Mr. Hemphill,
Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you!!! Thanks so much for all of the knowledge and feature items that I could use. The judges really liked them, so I did very well. Please accept this donation because I could not have gone past the district level without your help.
Thank you again,
Marissa
Note: John provided several items about Braille and blindness to Marissa for a class research project.
CLARIFICATION
The November issue of The Eyeline stated that HHBM is able to provide Braille hymnals at no cost to the recipient. It should be clarified that a Braille hymnal is given at no cost to the original requestor only. This is in exchange for the print copy used by the volunteer transcribers. Braille hymnals reprinted for additional users are invoiced at the bookstore price of the print version, which is substantially less than the actual cost of producing the Braille document.
Please contact John Hemphill at Helping Hands Braille Ministries (616-957-4943) if you are in need of a Braille hymnal.
"QUOTATIONS"
Helen Keller...
"Braille has been a most precious aid to me in many ways. It made my going to college possible--it was the only method by which I could take notes of lectures. All my examination papers were copied
for me in this system. I use Braille as a spider uses its web-to catch thoughts that flit across my mind for speeches, messages and manuscripts."
BLINDNESS AND SOCIETY - from a series of meditations by Rev. Howard Bolthouse
John 9
This entire chapter is devoted to one sightless individual who well could represent us all in any form of illness.
I. ASSUMPTIONS:
1. Blindness is the result of sinfulness. (False)
"Who did sin...that he was born blind?" v.2
2. Blindness, because of sin, can be transmitted from parent to child. (False) "...this man or his parents?" v.2
The people considered GUILT the reason for blindness rather than any genetic factor or accident.
II. ANSWERS:
1. All illness and disease is the result of the original sin of Adam and Eve.
Genesis 3:17-19; Romans 8:20,22-23
All the consequences of Adam's sin have been passed along to mankind.
2. No illness is transmitted simply as a PENALTY because of personal sin.
3. Man is not accountable for the ills he has inherited.
III. ATTITUDES:
Note how John 9 prepares us for chapter 10, the "Good Shepherd" chapter.
1. Allow the Lord to do His work in His way. vv.4,6-7 (See lesson in next issue!)
2. Testify honestly of God's goodness. vv.11,24-25
3. Be willing to suffer for His Name. v.34
NEW HHBM GRADUATE
Congratulations to Daryl Recker, the most recent HHBM-sponsored graduate of the Library of Congress Literary Braille transcription course. After beginning in March, Daryl completed his nineteen lessons, mentored by Irene Bolthouse, and sent his final 35-page transcription project to The Library of Congress in November.
Daryl, a 911 dispatcher for the City of Grand Rapids, had originally planned to be finished with the nineteen lessons even sooner, inspired by the record course time of Shailaja Shah (Eyeline, July ?05). But, he says, studying simply had to be put on hold for awhile due to the birth of his second daughter, Emily, and the corresponding sleep deprivation!
Currently, Daryl is waiting to hear if he will receive the Library of Congress certification on his "first try."
SPOTLIGHT ON...
Amelia Witte & Aurelia Savage
By John Hemphill
These twin sisters have more in common than just their looks and the fact that they share a birthday. Amelia Witte and Aurelia Savage are both married to Southern Baptist Preachers, both work for WalMart, and both have children that are recently married. But most important for Helping Hands, they are both volunteer typists, helping us to produce our ever-growing number of hymnals.
Amelia's husband, Kenneth, was the pastor of the small Baptist church in Marissa, IL where I (John) was attending in the early 1990's. She did much of the typing of the first hymnal for Volunteer Braille Services, the forerunner of Helping Hands Braille Ministries.
During the first year that I taught braille in the Marissa High School, Amelia sat in on the class and began the lessons for Library of Congress Braille Certification. Much to the delight of some of the girls in the class, she brought her new baby with her on several occasions. Unfortunately, her family duties made it impossible for her to complete the class, but she did get a good background in braille.
I did not meet Aurelia right away, as her husband was a military chaplain and constantly on the move. However, she did do some typing on the Southern Baptist
Hymnal for VBS.
WalMart has a program to encourage their employees to do volunteer work for not-for-profit organizations. Upon completion of a specified amount of volunteer hours, WalMart will send a check for
$250.00 to the charity of the employee's choice. Both Amelia and Aurelia have chosen VBS, and now Helping Hands, to receive the checks, and they are working on the next set of hours. Our heart-felt
thanks to both of these volunteers.
Interestingly, the store manager in Colorado Springs was hesitant to make the donation to an organization in Michigan, since it would not benefit the local area. However, he did agree when he was informed that the school that has received the greatest number of braille books from Helping Hands is the Colorado School for the Deaf and Blind, located in Colorado Springs.
Now these sisters live almost 1,000 miles apart-Amelia in Miami Oklahoma and Aurelia in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
HELPING HANDS BRAILLE MINISTRIES
HHBM's mission is to supply Christian materials in Braille at a cost not to exceed the retail value of such materials.
HHBM also accepts transcription requests from students and educators who need their textbooks transcribed into Braille
HHBM is available for demonstrations and presentations at local schools and various civic organizations within the Grand Rapids Community.
HHBM will mentor (at no cost) individuals who are studying to become certified transcribers.
Because the Board's mission is to transcribe Christian materials at low cost, its other activities are secondary. Payment received for the other work and donations help to offset the costs associated with producing the Christian materials.
HHBM BOARD MEMBERS
John Hemphill, Chairman
Irene Bolthouse, Secretary
Nancy Recker, Treasurer
Christine Behrens
Howard Bolthouse
Paul Recker
Christina Oakes, Advisor
RECENTLY COMPLETED
Holt Science and Technology 2005
Forces Motion & Energy
Introduction to Matter
Interaction of Matter
Inside Restless Earth
Earth's Changing Surface
Astronomy
Human Body Systems
Cells, Heredity and Classification
Reading Horizons
Practice Book 3.2
History Alive Text
History Alive Workbook
Grand Rapids and Its People
Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee
Integrated Theme Tests Levels 3.1 and 3.2
Sunday School Lessons (Fall)
Slate & Style Summer 05
Seventh Day Adventist Hymnal
Write Source I & II
Left Behind-The Kids 33-38
If you wish to receive this publication in Braille, please contact John Hemphill - hhms1@juno.com.
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