Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Literacy Opens Doors

This is Rosibel.  She spends six days a week walking the streets of Rio Blanco, selling food to help provide for her family.  She's 13 years old and has never been to school.

When we started a literacy class in Paiwa, a small poor neighborhood outside of the city, Rosibel was the most eager student we had from the very start.  She rarely missed class and always came with her homework.  Once she caught on to the method, she began reading ahead in the book in her spare time.  By the time we were 1/2 way through the second book, Rosibel told me she'd already read the whole thing at home.  She was on fire to read!
The week of our graduation ceremony, I (Emily) was waiting for the bus in the city to take me out to Paiwa so I could meet up with Tedd for class.  Rosibel had stopped by our house earlier that day to sell food, and there we agreed to meet at the bus stop and ride to Paiwa together.  As we sat on the bus, she told me something that made my heart leap for joy - now that she could read, she was going to sign up for school!!

Reading opens doors for young ladies like Rosibel.  She has a chance to step out of the cycle of poverty and to educate herself and pass on knowledge to the generations after her.

On the night of their graduation, the students were given easy-to-read New Testament Bibles, and Tedd shared a heart-felt message about the importance of reading God's Word.  Before Rosibel even left for home, she was already eagerly flipping through the pages and moving her mouth as she read from the Bible.  She's so hungry for learning and I feel certain that the Lord will bless her as she digs into His Word.

3 comments:

  1. This is awesome! Thanks for sharing.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous4:43 PM

    Wow! That's so great. It's a blessing to know how the Lord is using that!
    -Emily W.

    ReplyDelete
  3. Really great story!!! Her life, and her families lives will be forever changed!! Thanks for you and Tedd's sacrifices.

    ReplyDelete

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