Changes to Eastern Idaho Units

We made some changes to two Eastern Idaho units today:

• Pocatello Deaf Group (Alameda 6th Ward)
• Idaho Falls 32nd Deaf Branch

We took a trip to Idaho this last weekend and could not find the Idaho Falls Deaf Branch anywhere in Idaho Falls. The listing seems to have been taken off the lds.org Stakes and Wards listing for Deaf units. If anyone knows any information about the branch or and Deaf members in Idaho Falls, please contact deaflds.org.

Also, we happened to run into an interpreter from the Pocatello Deaf Group who told us about the six Deaf members and four to five interpreters who are part of the Alameda 6th Ward in Pocatello. We hope to hear from them again soon too.

Three New Units Added

We're proud to announce the addition of three new Deaf units to deaflds.org:

• Cottonwood Ward (Cottonwood Deaf Group), Anderson, CA
• Kamloops 2nd Ward (Kamloops Deaf Group), Kamloops, BC
• Olympia 4th Ward (Olympia Deaf Group), Olympia, WA

Thanks for your emails. Keep your information coming.

2009 Regional Stake Conferences To Be ASL Interpreted

According to the ASL Division of the Church's Translation Department, all North American regional stake conferences will be ASL interpreted in 2009. Here's the known schedule:

• Northern California: Feb 21–22
• Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico: Feb 28–Mar 1
• Nevada: Mar 7–8
• Midwest: Apr 11–12
• Western Idaho: April 18–19
• Eastern: May 2–3
• New England: May 16–17
• Washington, Alaska: Sep 12–13

Please tell other Deaf LDS members in your area. Also, the ASL translation division would like to know or get feedback if any of you are watching these stake conferences. A lot of money and time is sacrificed to interpret and satellite broadcast these meeting; email them or us and let us know where you watched stake conference.

ASL Video Seminary and Institute of Religion Classes

NEW Seminary and Institute of Religion classes on your videophone for the Deaf/Hard of Hearing! Classes begin on January 12, 2009.

If you are interested in applying for any of these classes, please go to www.ldsces.org/asl-pilot. Classes are ongoing, so there is no “closed” registration (unless classes are full), but there are a limited number of spaces available. For students in the metro Salt Lake City area, you may attend the classes at those times at the Granite Seminary Building, 3328 South 500 East (map) in Salt Lake City.

Seminary classes (ages 14–18)

1. New Testament; Tuesday/Thursday (6:00–7:00 am MST)
2. New Testament; Tuesday/Thursday (4:00–5:00 pm MST)
3. New Testament; Wednesday (3:30–5:00 pm MST)

(All classes begin at the times listed above on Mountain Standard Time. Be aware of your time zone.)

Institute of Religion classes (ages 18 and up)

1. Scripture Study: The Power of the Word; Wed (7:00–8:30 pm MST)
2. Book of Mormon; Thursday (7:00 - 8:30 pm MST)
3. Book of Mormon: Tuesday (7:00 - 8:30 pm MST; class located at the Logan UT Institute)
4. New Testament: Tuesday (5:00 - 6:00 pm MST; class located at the NYC Institute)

(All classes begin at the times listed above on Mountain Standard Time. Be aware of your time zone.)

Spread the word! For more information, contact Nathan Van De Graaff, Coordinator of Seminaries and Institutes for the Deaf, at 1-866-671-7778 VP/VRS or vandegraaffn@ldschurch.org. Confirmation of your enrollment will be emailed to you.

The New deaflds.org

Welcome back!

We’re sorry this took a long time to get the site back up again. There’s only a few of us working on the site and between family, jobs, callings, and all the other stuff, sometimes there doesn't seem to be enough time.

But we researched and listened and watched how past users were using deaflds.org and found out some interesting things. Most of you look at the Directory and want to know where other Deaf members are. You also came to deaflds.org to find out about events in the community. So we redesigned deaflds.org around the Deaf Unit Directory and gave you a map to find exactly where Deaf units are around the world. We hope you’ll email us and talk to us about where you are and where you know other Deaf members are—just one or a whole Deaf ward, it doesn’t matter.

We also learned that many Deaf members are using Facebook to contact each other so we've included links to Facebook groups for Deaf LDS members.

And finally, we’ve added this blog to make it easier to write stories and make announcements and for you to make comments about these events. Please come back often.

So, what else would you like to see?