Perspectives from the Bronx

News from Dirk and Karen Martin

Dear friends at Eaton Community Church,

Greeting from The Bronx where we plan to be through the end of the current school year in June. Karen has completed the geometry course with the juniors, reviewed with them for SAT/college entrance exams, and will now move on to a trigonometry unit for the last six weeks of school. She is also reviewing math with someone studying for the GED.

Dirk continues to be encouraged by and thankful for the opportunities God provides for him to further his understanding of assistive technology and ways that he can adapt it for use in Haiti when we return. Since Dirk has age-related macular degeneration (AMD), he has been accepted as a member of Bookshare, an online library that provides books in various digital formats to people who are blind or have visual impairments in the United States and internationally. Books can be downloaded as audio files for listening or as Braille ready files for reading on Braille displays like the “Orbit 20 Plus” that Dirk plans to introduce in Haiti. Learning to use these services will not only be of benefit to him personally, but also to those with blindness and low vision in Haiti.

Please keep praying for Dirk as he tries to work out some kinks in the Orbit. He is setting the devices up to operate in both French and Haitian Kreyol. If they are set up in French, then they can be used in Kreyol with some adjustments. Dirk is so thankful for the tech support guy who is just an email or phone call away and usually gets back to him fairly quickly all the way from India.

Recently, Dirk has been communicating with a blind Haitian colleague in Florida about Talkback, an accessibility feature in Android smart phones that allows people who are blind and low vision to use the phone with touch and vocal feedback. Dirk is hoping to return to Florida in May to continue working with him, introducing him to new concepts in adaptive Braille education for Haiti.

We are overwhelmed with gratitude for the blessing of so many people praying for and encouraging us. Please continue praying for God’s solution to the problems in Haiti as a new Transitional Council has been installed and given the task of organizing elections. Please also pray for God’s direction for us as we plan for the coming months. We hope to spend at least a few weeks in Eaton this summer and look forward to seeing you on Sundays and on other occasions as time permits. This letter has been adapted from our Easter newsletter. Please email us at dirkandkaren@yahoo.com if you would like to receive our updates regularly.

In Christ,

Dirk and Karen