And then the Lord said, "READ!?"

So, I know that I have blogged a bit about reading.  The more I think about it, the more I get fired up about it.  For the last month and for the next three weeks, we have been and will continue to test kids here to see where they are.  Since starting these tests, I constantly find myself wondering what the requirement is for kids to pass here.  

In the last few weeks, it has become blatantly obvious that reading is a huge problem.  (Math is also a problem, but reading is even bigger.) Most kids that attend Emanuel House cannot read.  Kids range from ages 4 to 16, with the grand majority being in the 6-10 age range.  Many have not been to school before, are far behind, may never have the chance to be schooled, or have parents who do not have an education beyond elementary school.

Every day when we give the tests, I have to make a choice.  I can either become extremely depressed or I can continue to pray to the Lord about how to help.

I've chosen to pray.

And I think He's answered.

Where I live, I have found out recently, these kids are faced with serious spiritual difficulty.  Voodoo is rampant.  One of the kids that I work with every Saturday also attends voodoo sacrifices with her mom because that's what she knows.  The importance of being able to read the Word and understand it for herself is so important in a place where one neighbor may be preaching about God and the other neighbor teaching her to worship the devil.  Who knows?  God could reveal the truth to her through her own ability to read or maybe He could strengthen her faith one day because of her ability to read His Word.

Can you imagine having grown up in a place where your parents did not read to you at night?  Where your whole house only had 1-5 books if any?  Where there was no neighborhood library?

Can you imagine not reading now nor as a child?  Think about what your imagination would be like if you didn't have books.

Can you imagine living in a place where your mom or grandmother or father or whoever takes care of you does not have a steady job?  This is the reality that many of these kids live in. They are uneducated, come from uneducated families, and truly cannot read.

We've tested kids 5-13 years old who cannot even recognize their letters nor their numbers, nevertheless read a passage and answer questions.

Can you imagine what a difference being able to read would make in their lives?

I think about the joy that I get from reading, the ease with which I do it, and I think about how long I have been doing it.

I think about the love that I have for a really good book, what I learn about myself and history.  Then, I think about how my relationship with and appreciation for God has increased because of my time spent reading His Word.  I think about what job I can have because of my reading ability, and the jobs that I wouldn't be able to have if I couldn't read.

I also think about what a phonetic language Spanish is and how much easier it would be to teach a kid to read in Spanish than in my native tongue.

Where would I be if no one had taught me to read?

Mirqueya has written a new, more specific, vision for Emanuel House, where reading will be a major focus.  What if we could truly change the lives of the poorest kids in Quisqueya?  In addition to providing for them physically by feeding them and spiritually by sharing the gospel with them, what if we could teach them to read?  What long-term effect could that truly have on a kid?

Yesterday, I hesitantly told Mirqueya that I would like to collect books and build a library for the kids at the school.  Honestly, that's to the extent that I have thought it out, but I am so convinced that having a library could really make a difference.

She of course loved the idea... So, now that it is out there, I need help! I need books! 

There is no way that we could collect too many!  Remember, most of these kids have less than 5 books, if any at all, at their homes.

I have been researching and Scholastic has a wonderful website and guided reading program which separates books into levels.  I imagine that eventually, it would be great to have all levels, but for now, levels 1-6 would probably be the place to start for the kids to learn and levels 7-12 would be books that the teachers could use to read to the kids.

Please visit the website and spread the word!  This could truly change the lives (emotionally, spiritually and physically) of not only the 150 kids that we serve at Emanuel House, but on the whole community!

Where can books be sent to?  I haven't figured that out yet.  I will post it when I do.

Thanks for considering!

SCHOLASTIC WEBSITE:

http://teacher.scholastic.com/products/guidedreading/espanol.htm

Already have some Spanish books at home that you would like to share or have access or a love of a different website, no problem!  Any lower-level Spanish books would be great to start building the library!