|
Advocacy, Books, & Community Ministry. . .
Fall has arrived! Take an open window peek at some of the activities we're involved in at Literacy Connexus, through Advocacy, Books, and Community ministry.
Yesterday we participated in the Texas Association of Business Pre-Kindergarten Conference in Austin. This was a meeting of educators, policy makers, and others committed to raising the bar in preparing our state's youngest residents for school and, ultimately, to become meaningful, effective members of society.
Did you know that 60 percent of Texas children reside in disadvantaged homes? Research shows that low-income children are exposed to 30 million fewer words than their middle-income peers by the age of three. Since the brain undergoes unparalleled growth during this period, all of those words--and the interaction that goes with them--are an irreplaceable component of infancy and early childhood. This is why we encourage and equip parents to read to their babies and children through our Books for the Border and Beyond project, and why we advocate for families every chance we get.
This summer, we gave away books by the thousands through lunchtime feeding programs and back-to-school fairs in north Texas. Later, we had the opportunity to send books to the southernmost portion of the state.
|
|
You've heard about the 150,000 immigrants crossing our southern border in the past 12 months. The influx of unaccompanied minors has been much publicized, but there has also been a surge of mothers arriving with children to escape terrifying conditions in Guatemala, Honduras, and El Salvador. Many of these end up at the Sacred Heart Relief/Refugee Center in McAllen.
 | |
Sacred Heart Relief/Refugee Center, McAllen, TX
|
Earlier this month, Richard Ray, Director of Missions of the Tri-Rivers Baptist Area, delivered supplies collected by churches from around the state. "It was eye opening," he said of touring the facility that blesses bedraggled newcomers with essentials like food, water, showers, clean clothes, and the opportunity to sleep in an air-conditioned tent. He added that families often arrive with shoes still wet from their border crossing.
Among the supplies delivered were 220 children's books in Spanish, contributed by Literacy Connexus and funded by a donor with a heart for immigrant children. "When they opened those boxes, it was like Christmas," Richard said.
|
The 2015 fall TEX ESL teacher trainings came to a close last weekend. In all, 292 volunteers received instruction in 13 locations across the state, through weekend workshops during August and September.
TEX trainings lead to exciting ministry opportunities. In Midland, for instance, one pastor attended with the intention of applying his new skills to working with other pastors to teach English to Chinese restaurant workers after hours.
 In Texas, the number of non-English speakers is expected to reach 3.3 million by 2040. These 292 newly trained individuals literally have the world at their doorstep. ESL is a ministry suited to every community in Texas; those already involved know what a blessing it is to serve others in this way.
Whether through advocacy, books, or in the community, we invite you to fall into ministry with us!
|
|
See you in Waco . . .
 Stop by and visit our display! |
|
North Texas Giving Day . . .
Thank you for your overwhelming generosity!
|
|
Lester Meriwether, Executive Director
Mailing address:
3020 S. Cherry Lane, #123168
Fort Worth, TX 76121-3168
817-696-9898
www.literacyconnexus.org
 
Pam Moore, Editor
|
|
|
|
Trivia Challenge
|
1. The Portuguese expression, Tenho um pepino para descascar, is a way of saying, "I have a problem," in Brazil. Word-for-word, it means:
a) I have an egg to boil
b) I have a chicken to pluck c) I have a hill to climb d) I have a cucumber to peel
2. Of British origin, this multi-tasker of a noun refers to a thick gruel, mud hole, assistant to a ship's surgeon, and pine tree with long needles:
a) kincob
b) jejunum
c) peewit
d) loblolly
3.In the Zulu language, when one hits his thumb with a hammer or stubs his toe, the oath likely to come out of his mouth is Dade wetu! The English translation is:
a) Black egrets!
b) Grandfather!
c) My sister!
d) Yellow figs!
Problem accessing the answers? Reply to this email and we'll shoot them your way.
These instructional links may help:
|
|
