Hello, hello and Happy November from Literacy Connexus everyone. We hope that this blog post finds you safe, healthy, and happy.

Today, I don’t have any of my normal content planned – instead I wanted to show a little transparency. You may have noticed that towards the end of October, the blog posts got a little spotty and not quite timely. We didn’t abandon our posts, but, here in the office, we were experiencing quite a bit of loss in our families and our personal lives. In fact, my wonderful brother in law Joey passed away leaving behind a wife and 5 beautiful children last month.

Mourning Joey’s passing got me thinking about the loss the world has suffered in the last two years due to the pandemic. That prompted me to think about the loss that the refugees we serve have also suffered, and not just human loss like with the loss of my brother, but the loss of their homes and the lives they left behind in search of a new start as well.

And just as families band together to support each other after the loss of a loved one, it’s important that we do the same in our communities and band together to support each other as well – through prayer, love, and our ministries. Because if I’ve learned anything in the past two years, it has definitely been the power of prayer.

“I used to believe that prayer changes things. But now I know that prayer changes us, and we change things.”

— Mother Teresa

May God use this liturgy to change our hearts and guide us to sacrificially serve the most vulnerable among us and each other.

I came across a beautiful prayer from the Cooperative Baptist Fellowship’s Ministry with Immigrants and Refugees this morning and I wanted to share it with you all here today. I hope that it fills your heart, the way it filled mine.

Until next time, blessings and happy teaching!