When Learning to Read becomes Learning to Live

May 2025

Dear Friends,

For 26 years now, our Post-Literacy Program has helped thousands of people strengthen their reading and writing skills, using the Bible as textbook. I’d like to share two encouraging stories of changed lives, transformed by literacy grounded in God’s Word.

Martha’s Story: A New Life Through Literacy

Whenever Martha saw books or pencils, or heard people talking about reading, she would retreat. The fear of exposing her weaknesses - and the shame that came with it - kept her in the shadows. She withdrew from church and distanced herself from her children’s schooling, feeling helpless and frustrated when they asked for homework help she couldn’t give. This struggle wore on her confidence and even her personality. “I became harsh,” she said. “I was angry with myself for not knowing.”

But everything changed when Martha made the brave decision to join the literacy program at her church. Determined to make a change, she studied hard, working diligently. Before long, she was leading the class, and gaining confidence. Martha began attending church regularly and eagerly joined every Bible quiz and competition she could find, making up for lost time. “It’s like I was dead and now I have life!” she said. “I have a new life! I want to tell everybody that I’ve learned!”

Now, Martha not only attends church faithfully but is actively involved in her children’s education. She helps her youngest child with school work, something that once felt impossible. She says the literacy program didn’t just teach her how to read and write - it transformed her entire life and personality.

Miriam’s Story: Finding Faith and Community Through Literacy

When Miriam moved from Cairo to Upper Egypt with her husband, she felt isolated and too shy to talk to anyone. But through the post-literacy classes at church, she found a welcoming community. “They treated me like a sister, not a stranger,” she says. “They teased me about my Cairene dialect, but always encouraged me to keep going.”

Miriam, who had only completed third grade, went on to finish all five levels of the program. As she learned to read with confidence, she also grew personally and spiritually. “I used to avoid talking to people, but now I can talk to everyone. I’m not shy anymore,” she shares. The program also impacted her family life. “I was impatient with my kids, but Ms. Phoebe taught me to be kind and not to hit them for everything.”

Before, Miriam could barely read and rarely attended church. “I didn’t know anything about the Bible. I didn’t feel like a Christian. But the Lord gave me this class so I could come back to church. Now I’ve learned how to pray.” Through this class, Miriam not only gained literacy but reconnected with her faith and found her place in a supportive community.

More Than Reading

Stories like Martha’s and Miriam’s are reminders that learning to read is more than a skill it’s a path to dignity and faith. Many women in rural areas, cannot write a sentence or understand the numbers at the market. When a mother cannot read a medicine label or check change after a purchase, the whole family is affected.

Martha and Miriam are just two examples of one of the most powerful outcomes of our program: once people can read, they are able - and eager - to fully participate in church life. A key component of our Post-Literacy Program is the practical application of Biblical principles from the texts studied. Literacy is about so much more than reading. It opens the door to church participation, personal growth, spiritual understanding, and community belonging. 

Your prayers and partnership make it possible for people like Martha and Miriam to not only learn to read - but to rediscover their value, grow in faith, and positively impact their families, churches, and communities.

Thank you for your prayers and support of the Bible Work in Egypt.

With gratitude,
Amir Elhamy