Frank Laubach — The Missionary to the Illiterates
Frank Laubach had a goal, to teach everybody in the Philippines how to read. Why? So that they could read the Scriptures. By the end of his life, he had accomplished this great task and now if you go the Philippines today and mention his name, most people will know who you’re talking about. This godly drive to spread the gospel, especially to the illiterate is something that sets Frank apart from most missionaries — where most come across a village that does not speak their languages, dust off their feet and go to the next village. Frank saw the whole country of the Philippines and developed the “Each One Teach One” literacy program which has been used to teach about 60 million people to read in their own language.1
Even though one of his great goals was to teach all of the Philippines to read, his greatest goals (according to his diary) was to live one day without any interruptions in his thought life in regard to Christ. That his entire day — every waking moment, would be set on Christ. This is something surely to reflect on in our own lives.
References
Medary, Marjorie. Each one teach one : Frank Laubach , friend to millions. (New York: David McKay, 1966, c1954). ↩︎