At HOPE, we have an amazing team of board members who not only work hard to promote our organization’s mission, but also do incredible things outside of the organization. Board Chair James Ochuka is husband to Caroline, father to three children, a part-time pastor, and nurse practitioner at TotalCare. If that weren’t enough, medical missions are one of the things Dr. Ochuka truly enjoys and has a passion for. He has been involved in medical missions since 2009, and over the

Edlyne teaching English at Agape Baptist Church in 2011 We’d like to introduce you to a longtime volunteer who has served with us since the beginnings of our organization: Edlyne Dickson. Edlyne comes from humble beginnings and a way of life that few of us today have experienced. Born in rural Tennessee, she grew up on her family’s farm, selling fruits and vegetables to make a living. In 1950, Edlyne attended Belmont College in Tennessee, then later felt the call to attend

Did you know that getting a job or better employment is one of the main reasons students come back to your ESL class week after week? How is your ESL program or classroom preparing your students for the workplace and reaching their goals? Here at HOPE Literacy, our mission is to “help other people excel (HOPE) in life by sharing the gospel through ESL and literacy programs.” Adding some workplace correlations may be a great next step to helping your students excel in their

Site director becomes board member...

Are you or your students looking for a place to continue classes for the summer? We have you covered! The following HOPE sites will offer classes during the summer: Citylight Church, Fort Worth. June 24 - July 29, 6-8pm. Study from the Gospel of Mark. Saturn Road Church of Christ, Garland. Contact for more information. See locations page below. Southcliff Baptist Church, Fort Worth will host a six-week ESL/Conversation Corner at the Ryan YMCA: 8250 McCart Ave, Fort Worth,

HOPE Literacy has officially expanded its international reach with a new site in Cordoba, Argentina! Director Jorge Piñero, who will be graduating with his doctorate degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary next semester, is pastor at St. Paul Anglican Church in Cordoba, where he started English classes using the study of the book of Mark from NAMB this March. It’s not everyday that you find a Baptist pastor of an Anglican church. An older church in the city, i

The TELL Basic Hybrid training is HOPE Literacy's foundational course. All directors and teachers of HOPE sites are encouraged to take it, but it is open to anyone volunteering in a ministry-based ESL program. The interactive, self-paced online portion will be open from May 1-31, 2026. This portion takes approximately 15 hours to complete. The in-person portion will be on June 20 from 10am - 3:30pm at Masterpiece Church, 3420 Brown Trail, Bedford TX. Some topics that are co

We are excited to announce one of the newest members of our board, Chris Hopper. Chris currently serves as Director of Business Development for WJ Holdings. He brings a diverse set of skills and experience to the HOPE team. With over 20 years of experience as a student and missions pastor, Chris Hopper has dedicated his career to impacting local and global communities through a dual commitment to spiritual leadership and strategic business development. His extensive backgr

We are delighted to announce that three generous donors stepped forward to support this year’s Metroplex Literacy Conference on its 20th anniversary, donating $2,250 in total. The MLC was started by HOPE Literacy and its partners to provide better training to volunteers serving in church-based ESL programs. That quickly expanded to include a wider audience of teachers serving in ISDs and federally-funded programs. The conference attracts over 100 adult literacy program vol

Eder and his daughter Sofia The last two years, we've had the privilege of having a student from one of our sites serve as the photographer at our fundraising events. Eder lives in North Richland Hills with his daugher and is a student at Cross Church North Richland Hills ESL. He later started attending the church services and his life was changed forever. He has also gained an excellent command of English as you can see from his own words of how God has used HOPE Literacy

In July, Dr. Walid (Wes) Saade announced his resignation from the HOPE Literacy Board of Directors after 10 years of faithful service. His leadership and wisdom will be greatly missed. Dr. Saade joined the HOPE Literacy Board in 2015 when HOPE had only seven ESL sites. Now, ten years later, and in part thanks to Wes's leadership and the grace of God, HOPE now has twenty sites including programs in Dallas County, Colorado, and internationally in Nicaragua. Wes played a key

Did you miss this summer's Hybrid training? Here's another opportunity! The TELL Basic Hybrid training is HOPE Literacy's foundational course. All directors and teachers of HOPE sites are encouraged to take it, but it is open to anyone volunteering in a ministry-based ESL program. The interactive, self-paced online portion will be open from August 1-31, 2025. This portion takes approximately 15 hours to complete. The in-person portion will be on September 13 2025 (tentati

This is HOPE Literacy's foundational course and all directors and teachers of HOPE sites are encouraged to take it. The interactive, self-paced online portion will be open from July 1-31, 2025. The in-person portion August 16, 2025, from 10am - 3:30pm at Masterpiece Church, 3420 Brown Trail, Bedford TX. Some topics that are covered: How to recruit and retain students ESL as ministry How to share your faith in an ESL program Teaching approaches 4 Components of an ESL Ministry

We had a blast at this year's Volunteer Appreciation Dinner! Sixty attendees enjoyed delicious Mexican food provided by Scott Carroll and Perfect Pair catering. One of our newest sites, Citylight Church Spanish Congregation in north Fort Worth led us in bilingual worship. Board chair and former immigrant from Kenya James Ochuka encouraged us with a message from the story of the Good Samaritan and spoke on the importance of continuing to serve our neighbors, even at our own

On Easte r weekend, our dear friend and b rother, John Spear, went to be with the Lord. John Spear became the director of one of HOPE Literacy's first and foundational ESL sites. For 25 years, our brother John faithfully served hundreds of refugees and immigrants who came through the doors of Southcliff to learn ESL. Southcliff's ministry quickly became a model for other churches wanting to reach out to the international community. John with one of his students and f riend

"It's amazing how God works when you're available," says Citylight English School director Josefina Chavez. When Josefina and her late husband, Jaime Puente, arrived at Connell Baptist Church (now Citylight) 20 years ago, the congregation had just started an after school tutoring program for the kids. "The parents wouldn't leave - they would just hang out waiting for the kids. The church said, 'What do we do with the parents?'" The church leaders proposed to Josefina and he

For one man, learning English was the next step in a radical life transformation... At this year’s Growing HOPE dinner in November, we had the privilege of hearing from Yamuragiye Cyprien, a refugee from Rwanda who attends one of our HOPE sites, Southcliff Baptist Church. Please enjoy an excerpt from his speech. “ While born in Rwanda, in Africa, I am now a citizen of the United States of America, but most importantly I rejoice in being a citizen of heaven... I was born in

Are you or someone you know looking for English classes? HOPE Literacy sites all over Dallas-Fort Worth and beyond are gearing up for a new semester! Jan 6 - Masterpiece Jan 7 - Hubbard Heights Jan 8 - Citylight Church Fort Worth - (registration) - NEW HOPE MEMBER, Southcliff Jan 9 - Iglesia Bautista Genesis (registration) - NEW START, Southcliff Jan 10 - King of Kings Jan 13 - Blanco, Global TLU Jan 14 - Times Square Apartments Jan 15 - Cross Church NRH For more informati

"But as it is written: 'Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor have entered into the heart of man the things which God has prepared for those who love Him'” 1 Cor. 2:9 As each year comes to a close and a new one arrives, we each reflect on the challenges and blessings we have experienced. We arrive in the new year with a fresh start, hope, and expectations for the year to come. It is a wonderful time to reflect on where God has brought us and where we want to go or do for the

This is HOPE Literacy's foundational course and all directors and teachers of HOPE sites are encouraged to take it. The interactive, self-paced online portion will be open from Feb 1 - Mar 2, 2025. The in-person portion March 15, 2025, from 10am - 3:30pm at Masterpiece Church, 3420 Brown Trail, Bedford TX. Some topics that are covered: How to recruit and retain students ESL as ministry How to share your faith in an ESL program Teaching approaches 4 Components of an ESL Minis