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>Recent
(Aug 2005) |
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Mr.
Noah Butler |
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| NAOBI:
Tell me about Noah Butler, circa August 2005. Freelancer,
or agency-based? I know from your June 2005 NAOBI
workshop that you are a skilled presenter, and that
you are very involved in the Deaf Ministry at your
church. Elaborate, please. |
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NOAH:
Well, I'm an educational
interpreter as well as freelancer. I've worked with
a couple of agencies, but most of my work comes
through my organization, Al Yadav Ministries, Inc.
or through contacts I've made over the years.
Thank you for that compliment. You are so generous.
I love teaching and presenting. I guess you might
say I love sharing. God has placed so much in me
and I love sharing what I have. One might say I'm
a workshop and conference "junkie." I
feel I can learn from anyone, even the novice. One
of the huge lessons I've learned in church is that
you can learn what to do and you can learn what
NOT to do. I've always encouraged my students as
well as colleagues to attend conferences and workshops
to see how others do what we do. Its also a large
part of Al Yadav as well…
As for being involved
in deaf ministry, it's my divine calling. I love
the Lord and it took years to find my purpose. Now
that I have, I want to walk worthy of the vocation
to which I have been called. I serve as Lead Interpreter
at my church, Franklin Avenue Baptist Church in
New Orleans, LA under Pastor Fred Luter, Jr. I'm
also a trainer for the ministry. I'm so glad you
worded it "Deaf Ministry." It's really
crucial and has been my goal to explain and demonstrate
the difference between "church interpreting"
and "Deaf Ministry." There is such a big
difference. I was sharing with my pastor, while
in Arkansas, the importance of our deaf ministry
being not just effective, but significant! In these
times, its vital. |
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NAOBI:
Noah, it seemed that all of NAOBI and most of
the national interpreting community were tracking
your whereabouts after Katrina! Our InBoxes were
blowing up with concern for you and your peers.
So we have a documented 'Noah Trail' on email
and bulletin board. But that's just a surface
view. Please share as much (or as little) of your
story as you are comfortable with.
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NOAH:
Wow! It has been a journey for us all, I'm sure.
It's impossible to speak for everyone; however,
I can speak for myself. I'm glad I know and love
the Lord. I've heard people say they can't even
phantom what we're going through. I can't and I've
been through it.
I was one of the blessed ones. Unlike Anthony,
I didn't have to be rescued or sit on the interstate
hoping and praying for assistance. I did however
have family members to go through it. I have suffered
great loss and the emotional roller coaster of the
Katrina/Rita drama.
Since that time, all of my immediate family has
been accounted for and most of my distant family.
We've suffered one loss, my aunt (grandmother's
sister). She was evacuated for Katrina to Lake Charles.
She was then evacuated out of Lake Charles for Hurricane
Rita and while being evacuated, her feeding tube
came out and she didn't make it. That's the only
death we've encountered. As for property loss, we've
had too much to count. The one good thing is we
have our health and that with God is enough to start
over again. |
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| NAOBI:
And what is Noah Butler doing now? I believe you
were in Texas after hurricane Katrina. Are you headed
back there to work, or do you have other plans for
the future? |
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| NOAH:
Correct. I am in Dallas (McKinney), Texas. I've
done a little agency work but most of my work has
been on the road. September 23-25, I did a music
festival in Austin. I had some gigs lined up with
Al Yadav before Katrina and God has provided me
the means to continue on His mission. Most of my
travel will be over after Impartation [Annual religious
interpreting workshop. See http://www.naobi.org/html/in_religion2.htm
-NAOBI]. I've applied at several of the colleges
and agencies in Dallas. The only problem is most
of the assignments are on the other side of Dallas
and it takes about an hour and twenty-forty minutes
to get there. By the time you travel, you've only
worked for the gas. I've moved into an apartment
here not knowing it was so far away from all of
the work. I've been able to maintain by the love
gifts sent from interpreters across the country.
God has ANGELS everywhere. |
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| NAOBI:
This is your toughest question, Noah: What specific
things can NAOBIans do for people affected by hurricanes
Katrina and Rita? Yes, I am asking you to generalize
for many people. And I am asking you to list discrete
tasks that individual NAOBIans can do. But what
we are seeing three weeks later is a great deal
of pent-up good will, without clear channels to
utilize it. By now, there are so many help organizations
and programs that people are dreading doing the
'homework' to find the program that meets their
individual objectives. Yet, Gulf Coast people still
have many unmet needs. You would do a great favor
if you would speak with authority on exactly how
each of us can make a difference. |
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NOAH:
That is a tough one… Each person will
have specific needs based on their loss. What I
can say in general for everyone is that I know we
all need finances to obtain those needs. I've been
so blessed to get gift cards for places like WalMart
and Target. I've gotten checks and money orders
from friends. Those things always seem to come when
you need them the most. Never in a million years
did I think I would have to buy a starter set of
flatware or plates again. Remember the glassware
at WalMart of $4.88. It's been since the early 80's
that I've had to do that. The love and support from
those interpreters who've come out of pocket and
blessed me with those gifts can never be repaid.
It was not equal giving but equal sacrifice, so
you can't put a number on it. The fact that people
are willing is a blessing in and of itself. God
is so good and knows how to pull His people together.
Now that he has our attention, where will we go
from here?
As for finding those organizations to support, I
can't say much about them. To date, I've not
received any assistance from FEMA or American
Red Cross. I've donated to American Red Cross since
I was a private in the army and it's disappointing
to see them not helping our people. In addition,
a lot of people were giving to these large church
groups. Nothing has been put in place for those
monies to reach the hands of the people. Not naming
any names but some churches have collected hundreds
of thousands of dollars and the assistance they
provide is directing people to other agencies. That's
why is so great to see us helping each other. You
see where your dollar is going.
Thank you NAOBI for being your brother and sister's
keeper. Thank you for showing us what unity is all
about. Thank you for stepping up to the plate and
Making Things Happen. You don't see a lot of other
agencies stepping up to help US… Thanks for
restoring the hope and faith of this organization.
Special thanks to all of my brothers and sisters
who were willing (some able/some not) to help and
make a difference. God knows your heart. He will
bless you indeed! |
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