“Faith is taking the first step even when you don’t see the whole staircase.” By Dr. Martin L. King, Jr.
Dr. Martin L. King, Jr. Honored
I have taken a bold step in my effort to pay tribute to Dr. King this year. A presentation has been prepared to share with the public regarding one of the
more exciting stories related to Dr. King and his most famous speech “I Have a Dream.” The story is true and documented in the book “Behind The Dream” written by Dr. King’s personal lawyer and speech writer, Clarence Jones.
Most people are unaware of what took place as Dr. King delivered his speech during the March on Washington in 1963. That unexpected event resulted in Dr. King’s “I Have A Dream” message becoming one of our nation’s most highly regarded speeches.
Fortunately, several area groups and organizations have expressed an interest in my presentation and I am off sharing the news. I hope this story will inspire us to continue honoring Dr. King, the messenger. And, I sincerely hope this will also inspire us to focus on the message of hope for a better country as Dr. King expressed in his dream.
2023 Booklet of Posts
She has done it again! Bev Eads provided the 2023 booklet of Posts. Each year she compiles the on line Posts and transforms them into hard copies and delivers the booklet to me. This is our 10th Annual Friends of Copey booklet. She donates her time and resources and I am truly appreciative. There are 489 Posts contained in those ten binders. For you math whiz types, there is a Post for 94% of the weeks covered for ten years. This is a whole lot of writing!
And, it is “pure joy” having evidence that demonstrates the length of time, the variety of efforts untaken, the widespread support Friends of Copey has provided for ten years to the Copey Learning Center.
These binders are very handy to read and to share with others when a computer is not available. I seldom travel anywhere without the latest edition by my side. Should a conversation about education come up, I start talking about Copey and I bring out the binder. If someone wants to know something interesting about my life, I start talking about Copey and I bring out my binder. If there is ever any doubt just how committed we are, I start talking and I bring out the binder. So, many thanks to you Bev for being such a dedicated and invaluable supporter of this project.
One day, if it is God’s will, I plan to select two or three Posts from each binder to make up a special edition. This special edition would amount to about 30 or more short stories with some added commentary to help the reader fully understand how one idea has reached so many people, garnered so much voluntary support, and possibly improved lives.
Also, it has been suggested that I also select the most colorful comments and make a special edition of these as well. I do receive some very heartwarming and encouraging comments from friends. I would enjoy sharing them with others.
Visit with Emma Terry
Last weekend I had the pleasure of visiting with Emma Terry during her visit with her grandparents who live nearby. Emma volunteered for two
semesters at the Copey Learning Center and now she continues her teaching experience in a different community in Costa Rica. We had a great time talking about the Copey community, the students, and even the future. It is wonderful that she continues her love for the Copey community and still wants to continue finding ways to support the Copey students and their educational pursuits.
Meeting with Catalina
There is a lot of energy at the Copey Learning Center. Catalina who has been supporting the Copey Learning Center as a board member 
for several years and is a three time chaperone escorting students to the states under the Pathway Project, is now in charge of the center’s day to day operations. She is an excellent fit for the job. We can expect a year of significant progress with her experienced leadership.
Catalina and I are already working closely together as we are preparing for school to start in early March. Heavy enrollment is expected and the new volunteer teacher will be arriving in Copey in a few weeks. Tara, our new volunteer teacher, is from Canada and has had her bags packed for several months now. We are all eager to go and get started on our second decade of support.
Fund Raising Alert Notice
Soon, we will officially start the fund raising campaign for the scholarship support and the director’s salary support. I have already heard from several Friends wanting to make their donations. It is wonderful knowing we can do this one more time. So, stand by and watch for the announcement. This is the first year of our second decade in support of the Copey Learning Center.
There is much to be proud of when looking back at our history. And, now we stand facing the challenges of 2024. Let us go meet these challenges together as “Friends.”