We had a great time this year at our annual Teacher Appreciation Dinner. You can check out more pictures here.

 

One of the most inspiring moments of the night was getting to hear testimonies from STUDENTS. Especially here at HOPE Literacy, we don't always get to see the impact that is being made in lives first hand.

 

Maria was taking classes at a local church in Fort Worth. She wanted to learn English, but "didn't want to hear about God." Still, the teachers were faithful to share about their faith their weekly meetings. Maria was drawn back week after week by the warmth and kindness she felt from the volunteers. Eventually, her heart was also won over by Jesus. Today, her whole family attends church together and they have been transformed "for generations". Maria had a special message for our volunteers, "Don't stop sharing the message."

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Ivan* (not actual name) was also impacted by the love and kindness that he received by the people he met when he arrived in this country. He felt acceptance that he hadn't even felt in his home country. He went on to serve proudly in the U.S. military, got his education, and he and his wife went on to become American citizens. "I love America because America loved me."

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An ESL volunteer, who also paints as a hobby, prepared a painting of a feather to be given out as a prize to a students at her ESL program. She became a little impatient when she saw that her gift still had not been given out after several months, but God had another plan. God had prepared it for a specific student for whom that image had a special message. It was just the encouragement that student needed to keep going.

 

So if you wonder if your faithful service week in and week out makes a difference, it does. You might never know when one small act of kindness or a word might make someone's day, change someone's life, or even make an impact for eternity...

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