I don't know about you, but I grew up with my nose buried in a book. I lived in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, in the '60s and '70s, and we didn't have TV—so I was blessed to learn the joy of reading.  Traveling the world without ever leaving my couch - I couldn't get enough of it!

It was my dream from the start that the kids at the orphanage would experience that joy as well. With your help we built a wonderful library and reading area.  The kids were ecstatic when we opened the doors, and the library was always full.

But we soon realized something: the children weren't really reading. They were picking up picture books and simply looking at the images. Very few of them could actually read.

In poorer communities, the value of reading is often set aside in the face of simply putting food on the table. And unfortunately, the school system tends to push children on to the next grade level regardless of whether they've actually mastered the skills.

Okay. No worries. We enjoy a challenge. So we prayed and we got to work.  Little did we know how long it would take.

Well, I am thrilled to report that after nine years of trying different methods,  it is finally happening! Thanks in part to our friend Becky, who showed us how to use audiobooks alongside reading, and countless team members who have visited and given their time to help build reading skills, we now have three young ladies who are almost through their first book in the Chronicles of Narnia! We've also hired a teacher who comes in four nights a week to work with the little ones on the basics, and we're rolling out an expanded reading program built around audiobooks. Children who finish their homework earn time in the audio library.  

Thank you all, so very much, for your support over the years. Real, lasting change takes time—there are no shortcuts. We're in it for the long haul, and we thank you for being in it with us!  You are helping to change the trajectory of lives for generations to come!

May your day be filled to overflowing with God's blessings,

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