A Publication of Literacy & Evangelism International Issue # 2Summer 2012

From the Executive Director From the Media DirectorLEVERAGING OUR LEGACY with DIGITAL TRAINING

Literacy and Evangelism International (LEI) has a 45-year-old rich and productive heritage. Our mission equips the worldwide church to share the message of Jesus Christ through the gift of reading. Th e number of Bible-content

literacy primers (basic readers) continues to increase with 228 languages already available. We have digitally archived 139 primers on our website which can be freely downloaded, at no charge, anywhere in the world. Now, we are taking our “brick and mortar” training events to a digital format to expand our training eff orts nationally and internationally. We continue to host the fi ve-week cross-

cultural International Literacy Training Institute on our Tulsa campus each summer. Th is year this included fourteen missionaries from eight diff erent nations. Yet, procuring visas and the cost of airfare are huge obstacles for those interested in attending our US training. One answer to these challenges is found in hosting Regional Literacy Training Institutes. However, the ultimate answer is to take our training to digital platforms. Part of our training institute is already available online, giving us entré into “closed countries” and expanding the LEI teaching and training methodology globally. By God’s grace and with your continued partnership,

we will move further into the digital world for the sake of God’s people, advancing his Kingdom.

Your brother in Christ,

Reverend Sid Rice

What do we mean when we say that we are taking our training “digital?” Th at is a great question, and it is important to start by saying the idea of digital training is constantly evolving. With that as the foundation, let us begin by answering another question, “Why?” Why do we need digital training? First and foremost, this gives

the opportunity to expand and leverage the ministry of LEI. God has given us an

incredible mission and a wonderful set of tools to accomplish that mission. We need to steward our resources and opportunities for the glory of God’s Kingdom. Th e second compelling reason for a digital version of LEI’s training is access. Over the past few years it has become increasingly diffi cult for individuals to

travel globally, not just in terms of Christian workers from distant lands coming to the US, but even for US missionaries to travel to other parts of the world. It is diffi cult in terms of fi nances and the availability of visas. Digital training represents “low hanging fruit”. It is a

relatively cheap production and distribution process. With the right equipment, editing videos can be accomplished almost instantaneously, making the training videos ready for immediate distribution. When it comes to distribution, access via the Internet is the most cost-eff ective and effi cient medium. Not everyone has access to the Internet, especially an Internet connection that would allow for the streaming of hours of video. Transferring the videos to DVDs and sending them out worldwide is much faster and cheaper than assembling a team, arranging and organizing a training event, and carrying out the plan. (continued on page 5)

LEI takes “brick and mortar” trainingevents to digital

formats to expand training eff orts nationally and internationally.

Literacy & Evangelism International

MESSENGERTHE

Th e Worldwide Training Edition

Kenyon Gerbrandt

Th e LEI staff prepares all year long for the annual fi ve-week International Literacy Training Institute (ILTI), USA, which happens at Tutor Place (the Tulsa campus training facility) every summer. ILTI consists of two modules. In Module I, students are introduced to the concept of literacy evangelism. Th ey complete English Language Ministry training using Passport to the World of English (PWE) or Using Everyday English (UEE). Th is training is used to teach English to those for whom

English is not a primary language.

Another signifi cant piece of Module I is called the Literacy Tutor Training Workshop. In this class, the LEI Firm Foundations literacy materials are explored. Firm Foundations is primarily used with adults who already know and understand English, though it has been used at times for teaching children, those with reading disabilities, and those who speak other native languages. Th ese materials contain lessons packed with Bible content which is consistent with the evangelism aspect of the LEI program. Within this module, students also learn how to lead a small group Inductive Bible Study (a church-planting tool), and they are introduced to cross-cultural communication. For some students, this is their fi rst visit to the United States. Because students live in community at Tutor Place, they are instructed in how to serve one another in love through community chores and fellowship times. Several come to Tulsa for only this fi rst

Module of training.

Th e LEI Messenger: Worldwide Training Edition 2012

International Literacy Training Institute USA

page 2

Michelle (USA) watches and learns from the Using Everyday

English demonstration.

Ted (USA) demonstrates one of the steps in Using Everyday

English.

Helena (Ghana, Africa) and Pat (USA) look over the Firm Foundations series of books.Faith (Kenya, Africa) and

Tania (Bulgaria) practice using word cards.

Funlola (South Africa), and Rosanne (USA), memorize the

Firm Foundations script.

Phil Truesdale, a teacher during Module I, presents Erin (USA)

with her certifi cate of completion.

MODULE I

Th e LEI Messenger: Worldwide Training Edition 2012 page 3

International Literacy Training Institute USA Module II

ILTI graduating class of 2012, Modules I and II, represent the USA and seven other countries from around the world.

International Literacy Training Institute USA

Tania learns to teach the Overseas Literacy Method using a poster she created

in her native language, Bulgarian.

Emmanuel (Ghana, Africa) leads his fi rst

TTW.

MODULE IIModule II begins with the third week of ILTI. Students learn how

to develop and expand their outreach through an eff ective literacy ministry and methods for developing literacy materials. Th e fi rst part of the training consists of instruction in how to lead a Teacher-Training Workshop (TTW). At the end of this third week, students prepare and conduct a workshop, training volunteers from the community in the LEI method used with international languages overseas. In the fourth week, students are trained in the development of leadership skills. Project management for literacy includes initiating and supervising literacy classes, reporting progress made, and working within a ministry team. And fi nally, introduction to Primer Construction explores the philosophy behind and the detailed steps necessary to create a Literacy Evangelism primer. Once students complete ILTI, they are ready to take materials back to their home countries and begin a literacy program. In this way they can promote the mission statement of LEI:

David (Togo, Africa) takes notes during class

instruction.

Harold (Columbia) carefully letters his

instruction poster in Spanish.

“Literacy & Evangelism International (LEI) equips the Church to share the message of Jesus Christ through the gift of reading. We develop Bible-content materials to teach basic reading in local languages and conversational English. We train church leaders and missionaries to use LEI materials for evangelism, discipleship, and church planting.”

Th e LEI Messenger: Worldwide Training Edition 2012 page 4

East Africa: An international literacy Teacher Training Workshop (TTW) was hosted by PALM (our partners in Nairobi, Kenya) in July 2012 with eight participants from three countries (Kenya, Uganda, and USA). Joseph Matheka, the TTW leader, concluded, “What emerged from the workshop was the eff ectiveness of the Bible-based literacy materials in teaching literacy. One of the organizations represented - Caris Foundation - is already using the ‘each one teach one’ strategy, producing on average 57 newly literate women each month.” PALM plans to have another training next year.

Regional Literacy Training Institutes

India: Some Teacher Training Workshops, like those of our missionary Chrystella Walchli in northern India, have to be relocated at the last minute to safer places due to terrorist groups intent on kidnapping and killing foreigners for media attention. Most recently, Chrystella traveled for a month, as she put it, “by a variety of transport, plane, bus, train, open jeep, ‘share taxi’ four-wheel-drive, auto rickshaws” with a lot of walking. Excessive heat, students with minimal education, undependable electricity, and overcrowded transportation

Our newsletter has a new name and a new look. Th e title, Th e Messenger, was inspired by the defi nition of the word “messenger.” A messenger is a bearer of news. Angels are God’s divine messengers and the word “angel” can be found hidden in our ministry’s name, Literacy & Evangelism. At Jesus’ birth, an angel announced to the shepherds in the fi elds, “I bring you good news that will cause great joy for all the people.” (Luke 2:10, NIV) With our newsletter, we bring you good and joyful news. We tell the stories of missionaries around the world who actively tell the good news of the message of Jesus, while sharing the gift of reading with those who are illiterate.

Th ank you for being a part of this Great Commission work.

TTW Kenya Literacy trainer Jonathan demonstrates the teaching steps on a lesson

chart.

Literacy missionaries in Olkoroi, Kenya, travel to their

class on foot because local roads became impassable due

to rains and fl ooding.

Latin America: “When training literacy workers, we oft en tell them that ‘Satan doesn’t want people to read because God wrote a book.’ Th is book has forever changed my life, and I want it to do the same for others all over the world,” says Tedd Lodes, LEI Latin America Director. “For a decade, I’ve been traveling around the world to train volunteers to become literacy teachers in their own languages. My wife Emily and I are convinced that it’s time to identify faithful national workers to teach people how to read as a service to God and to their fellow brothers and sisters.” Th is is the heart of developing Regional Literacy Training Institutes. (You can read more at http://teddlodes.blogspot.com).

Tedd Lodes stands with the “LAMP” team - LEI’s newest

strategic partner organization in Guatemala.

West Africa: With the Mende and Th emne primer launches in Sierra Leone last year, Pastors Gregory and Agnes Bangura have led four Teacher Training Workshops since February 2012 and have prepared 56 Literacy Champions to teach others. Th irty have been trained in Gbendembu and twenty-six in Lungi, Sierra Leone. Th is is just one example of the worldwide training potential. Th e Banguras will conduct an International Literacy Training Institute in Sierra Leone in 2013. (See page 6 for information.)

are just a few of the challenges literacy missionaries face. Yet sometimes the work is easy to carry out as it was for Chrystella in Ziro, India, where she was treated like family as she worked with Apatani and Nepali Christians. She confi des, regarding a trip in April 2012, “Th e greatest joy is that one Hindu lady has become a follower of Jesus Christ and is now a very ardent believer and witness to her neighbors. Hallelujah!”

Central Africa: Pastor Nzongo Sila-Ndunda, LEI missionary in DR Congo, reports that a trip was postponed “because of a new rebellion in Goma.” Sila trained teachers in 40 churches and communities, but because of post electoral events, many activities were paralyzed because centers were nonoperational for three months in Kinshasa, Bandundu and Bas-Congo. Now, literacy programs are revitalized. Sila writes, “Do We Know the Price of a Soul?...LET’S LOOK FOR THEM! With this in mind, we go everywhere and make people His disciples teaching them fi rst to read and write.”

New Look and Name

Literacy workers from DR Congo cross Mai-

Ndombe Lake to deliver literacy materials.

Over 120 people were trained for English Language Ministry in Ghana, Africa, Sept. 1-21, 2011. Don Edic, LEI’s English Language Ministries Curriculum Development Director, and Lori Martin, ESL Director LEI-Canada, teamed up with volunteers and national literacy champions to conduct two ESL Training Institutes in Abokobi and Takoradi. Th e fi rst training held in Abokobi included pastors from the

Presbyterian Church of Ghana. Th ese leaders have returned to their churches to train people to tutor others with Using Everyday English (UEE) written by Don Edic. One participant, Helena, owns an international literacy school where she has already begun using UEE. (Helena came to Tulsa this summer to receive further training at ILTI-USA) Due to the curriculum’s great success, a colleague of hers will be using the curriculum in Asia. Another participant will introduce UEE, with its Bible content, into the educational programs in the prison system with the full knowledge and blessing of his superiors.

Rev. Innocent, an Anglican priest and church planter, attended the training. He plans to have an inter-denominational conference to introduce church leaders to the ministry of LEI and Bible-based Literacy Evangelism. Rev. Innocent also attended ILTI-USA this summer.

Students expressed their sincere appreciation for the new tool they have to share the Gospel as they

teach English.“It is easy to forget, when we are

involved in Literacy work – whether Adult Literacy or English as a Second Language – that it is ‘front line ministry’. Th e battle on our mission fi eld is fi erce. Praise be to God, the charge He gave us to ‘train and equip’, was carried out successfully.” ~Lori Martin, LEI-Canada

Th e LEI Messenger: World Wide Training Edition 2012

(Continued from page 1.) Does this mean that LEI is going to move away from conducting “live” in-person training? Th at has never been a part of the goal or vision. Having just completed another International Literacy Training Institute (ILTI), there will always be tremendous value in

conducting this type of training (see articles on pages 2 and 3). Our annual ILTI training in Tulsa, regional ILTIs, or smaller Teacher Training Workshops (TTWs) will continue to be planned, off ered and, God willing, conducted all around the world. Digital training will fi ll in the gap, allowing LEI to train more trainers and teachers so that we can share the gift of reading AND the message of Jesus Christ!~Kenyon GerbandtLEI Media Director

page 5

Pictured above, Jeanie teaches one of the classes established from the

Bloomington training.

English Language Ministry Training Institutes

Th e previous story is just one example of the many LEI workshops that go on around the world. Th is year, Don Edic trained a group of 14 in Louisville, Kentucky, where a Chinese-speaking church is teaming up with the English-speaking church to provide classes for both the Chinese folks as well as immigrants from Myanmar who live nearby. Don also led a training in Derby, England, with a total

of thirty-four trainees and seven students. Classes are being off ered to Roma-speaking gypsies from Slovakia. “Th ere’s a fairly large gypsy congregation, and we are told that about 100 members want to learn conversational English,” Don reports.

LEI missionaries Dr. Nancy Sue Laminack and Rev. Bob Biederman also led training in Bloomington, Illinois. Th ey plan to do another with LEI Missionary Phil Truesdale in Kansas City this fall.

LEI Digital Training

Lori Martin

Don Edic

Helena speaks at ILTI - USA graduation

and encourages her classmates. She also

attended UEE training in Ghana.

Rev. Innocent from Cote d’Ivoire, demonstrates a step of Using Everyday

English for his classmates.

Rev. Don Edic

Kenyon Gerbrandt

Th e LEI Messenger: Worldwide Training Edition 2012 page 6

MONDAY: Please pray for the work, progress, and partnerships needed to take our LEI literacy training program to a digital platform. Please pray for Kenyon as he leads this initiative. TUESDAY: Please pray for the fourteen students from eight countries who graduated from our summer US Inter-national Literacy Training Institute. Pray that the literacy programs they plan in their home countries will prosper.WEDNESDAY: Please pray for the success of International Literacy Training and Teacher Training Workshops in Africa (March 2013), Asia, Europe, Latin America, and North America (October and November 2012).THURSDAY: Please pray for all those who are learning to read, so they can read the precious Word of God for themselves in their own languages. FRIDAY: Please pray for Tutor Training Workshop teachers, that God will keep them safe from all harm, and that they will come up with eff ective ways to address challenges.WEEKENDS: Please thank our LORD for his gift of saving grace and for his gift of literacy.

PRAYER REQUESTS

Bible Verse: Psalm 119: 16 “I delight in your decrees; I will not neglect your word.” (NIV)

Th e Messenger: Literacy & Evangelism Internationalis published tri-annually in Tulsa, Oklahoma, by Literacy & Evangelism International

Th e Reverend Sid V. Rice, Executive Director1800 South Jackson Avenue, Tulsa, OK 74107-1897

Phone (918) 585-3826 FAX (918) 585-3224E-mail: info@LiteracyInternational.net • Website: www.LiteracyEvangelism.org

Would your church like someone to make a mission presentation?Please contact our Executive Director: SidRice@LiteracyInternational.net

NORTH AMERICABasic Literacy Tutor Training Workshop

October 23, 25, 27, 2012Tulsa, Oklahoma

Contact: BobBiederman@literacyinternational.net

ESL Tutor Training Workshop (Passport to the World of English)

November 15, 16, 17Kansas City

Contact: PhilTruesdale@literacyinternational.net

SIERRA LEONE, WEST AFRICAInternational Literacy Training Institute 2013

March 11-22, 2013Contact: gregory@literacyinternational.net

For more detailed information about Literacy Trainings and Digital Resources, please see our website.

https://www.literacyevangelism.org/resources/training

Find LEI Digitally on the Worldwide Web LEI Website Home Page

https://www.literacyevangelism.org

Find the Online Literacy Training Videoshttps://www.literacyevangelism.org/resources/training

Download Materialshttps://www.literacyevangelism.org/resources/materials

Follow on our Blogshttps://www.literacyevangelism.org/mission/blogs

Follow us on facebookhttp://www.facebook.com/LEIUSA

Follow us on twitter www.twitter.com/LEIUSA

Interested in trying something new this Christmas? Please consider blessing an illiterate person with the gift of reading in honor of someone you love. LEI Christmas cards that say, “A gift has been made in your behalf,” are available to be given in lieu of a Christmas gift . Th e suggested donation is $10.00 per card. Please contact info@literacyinternational.net for more information.