Before Emma became a partner with DeafBridge, she was part of a translation team, helping to translate portions of the Bible into Romanian Sign Language. She remains a strong advocate for the Deaf being able to access resources in their heart language and takes the opportunity to share sign language stories with others whenever possible. She has shared at various conferences, at a Training Program for the Deaf in Romania, and even on a local news channel.
Through her experience in sign language translation, Emma realized that just having access wasn’t enough. Emma is passionate about reaching youth (late teens to early 30s) and spurring them on for something greater.
Now as a partner with DeafBridge, Emma’s “team” is no longer in a translation studio office but scattered across the world. However, national and international conferences that she looked forward to are canceled this year. Our plans to go to Romania for most of the summer to provide hands-on training, encouragement, and fellowship have been postponed due to the Coronavirus and the resulting travel restrictions.
Disappointed and feeling even more alone in her work, Emma has continued to press on. She recently completed her Bachelor’s degree in Cultural Anthropology, which she plans to use to help her in her work among the Deaf. We are looking for alternate training plans, perhaps later in the fall or possibly through another source. It’s hard not to be able to make any concrete plans or encourage one another in person.
Below is just a sample of highlights from Emma’s teaching and outreach this past year:
Would you like to do more? If you are interested in supporting Emma and her work in Romania, use the following link to give online: https://www.myegiving.com/app/giving/Deaf9999200