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Today is International Literacy Day . . .
Have you seen the Frank and Ernest cartoon with the patient  stretched out on a couch? He laments, "I have an irrational fear of words like and, or, but, and if!" Frank, the all-knowing psychiatrist, responds, "Ah, conjunctivitis!"
Another cartoon shows Frank and his pal involved in a 150th Anniversary Civil War Reenactment. "We're not big history buffs," Frank explains, "we just like saying sesquicentennial!"
Words are fun! Entrepreneur Jim Rohn once said, "Words do two major things: They provide food for the mind and create light for understanding and awareness." For Christians they do even more--God's Word is the bedrock of our faith.
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But when it comes to the written word, more than 36 million Americans are missing out, struggling to get by with a 3rd grade, or lower, level of literacy proficiency. Worldwide, nearly 800 million people--one-fifth of the adult population--do not know how to read or write. International Literacy Day, first observed in 1967, reminds us that literacy is a human right and the foundation of learning.
 At Literacy Connexus every day is Literacy Day. How many family reading fair stories have we shared, with the intent of spurring further projects? And what about TEX? We hope we've thoroughly acquainted you with Teaching English with Excellence, our training program for volunteer adult ESL teachers. (See our website for three more TEX training opportunities this month!)
As we continue these efforts--along with advocating for families, churches, and programs--we are beginning a new chapter in this ministry. We're moving our office to Agape Baptist Church in Fort Worth to share building space with the Tarrant Literacy Coalition and The Learning Center of North Texas. The three-way collaboration will give us the opportunity to support adult literacy ministries through a working model, and work with individuals on basic literacy skills and GED preparation.
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Our goal is to impact Texas in a big way. Over four million adults in this state have low literacy skills affecting their ability to fill out applications, help their children with homework, read their Bibles, and put food on the table. Connecting with Adult programs will give us new avenues to reach individuals and families. Read about Literacy Texas Volunteer of the Year, H.D. White of Amarillo, to understand what inspires us, and the impact we hope to make.
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Myrtle and H.D. White
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Not surprisingly, our cartoon friend Frank is not silent on the subject of literacy collaborations. "If we serve alphabet soup," he suggests, "we can count it as a lunch program and a literacy program!"
We think we'll stick with H.D. White for inspiration.
(Thank you, ProLiteracy, for providing the data on international and U.S. literacy rates.)
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North Texas Giving Day . . .
September 18th is the day to remember, from 6 a.m. until midnight. Look for Literacy Connexus listed among more than 1,600 nonprofits. Donations of $25 and above will be amplified by $2 million in bonus funds and prizes.
Click on North Texas Giving Day to learn more, and mark your calendar to give!
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Last chance to sign up . . .
To Reserve Your Place
Contact Waco Regional Baptist Association
director@wacobaptists.org or 254-753-2408
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Lester Meriwether, Executive Director
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Trivia Challenge
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1. Croquembouche, first written about in France in the late 1700s, is a:
a) dessert made by stacking cream puffs in a conical shape and cementing them together with a toffee
b) small flowering perennial that emerges through the late snows of early spring c) virus that affects the nose and throat
d) type of pottery from Northern France, adorned with a fleur-de-lis design
2. Which of the following words is of Chinese origin:
a) cotton
b) ketchup
c) cuisine
d) kitchen
3. Spanish speakers, at the end of letters and business correspondence, still often include the abbreviation S.S.S.Q.B.S.M., which stands for Su seguro servidor que besa su mano. In English, this means:
a) Your faithful servant who kisses your hand
b) Your humble servant who bows before you
c) Your honored servant who blesses you
d) Your friendly servant who wishes you well
Problem accessing the answers? Reply to this email and we'll shoot them your way.
These instructional links may help:
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