Bronke December 2023

He danced along the dingy days,
And this bequest of wings
Was but a book. What liberty
A loosened spirit brings!
—Emily Dickinson “Bequest of Wings”

The above poem can be found printed in a book entitled Honey for a Child’s Heart. Our early childhood (preschool) teachers taking Rafiki Institute of Classical Education (RICE) courses read this book in their literature course this term. It speaks about the wonder and joy of introducing good books—and The Good Book—to young children. The teachers also studied grammar and writing composition, and I was blessed to spend many afternoons discussing punctuation marks and parts of speech with them.

One of the teachers’ assignments was to read Dickinson’s poem and ponder over what she means by “bequest of wings.” As the first term of a new school year is ending, I would like to share with you how good books have become a lasting legacy in the lives of our Rafiki teachers.

Increasingly, modern Western culture is becoming a “non-reading culture,” and the same is true here in Ghana. Smart phones and social media are easy to come by, but good books can be difficult to find. My one prayer this term was that our teachers would enjoy reading more once they had completed the course. Join me in praising God for these examples of the “bequest of wings:”

• One teacher, whose son attends the school, started reading books to him on their commute to and from the Village.
• That same teacher shared that she and her husband were starting a family library and have “banned” TV time in their house.
• Our head early childhood teacher shared that her daughter picked up the novel she was reading for the course (The Secret Garden) and asked her to read it to her.
• The teachers now have a list of well-loved books thanks to the course reading list, including Because of Winn Dixie and Where the Wild Things Are.

Lord, may their love for your Word and good books continue to grow!

• The teachers’ read aloud times with their students are joyful and informative. I have observed many sweet moments this term and many pleas for the teacher to keep reading when the time is up.

An early childhood teacher with her class of book lovers.

• After reading about the importance of family devotions, many of the teachers are committed to reading God’s Word with their families or future families.
• We all sighed when we finished our teacher read aloud book—Charlotte’s Web—and had a lovely discussion about its themes of friendship, loyalty, and growing up.

Who knows? Perhaps the teachers and students of the Rafiki Christian Classical School in Ghana will be responsible for a new reading culture. Imagine the influence these teachers will continue to have not only on their own children but also the children in their classes. They can help spark a love for reading in their students that will only grow as the students do.

This Christmas, as you gather with family and young ones, consider taking a child on your lap and reading to him or her a Christmas story. After you do, please say a prayer for our teachers as they help raise up the next generation of readers who love what is true, good, beautiful, and holy. To God be the glory!

A grade one student building his reading foundation.

I am including you as I count my blessings this Christmas. Thank you for your continued support and prayers over these years I have been serving in Ghana. Thank you for reading this newsletter, praying for the Rafiki Village Ghana, and giving.

To give online:

• Go to www.RafikiFoundation.org.
• Select “Support a Missionary” from the dropdown menu in the upper right.
• Find my photo and enter the amount that you would like to give. (You can make a one-time donation or a recurring donation.) Thank you!

To donate by check:

• Send your check to the Rafiki Home Office at PO Box 1988, Eustis, FL 32727 with my name and missionary number (#249) in the memo line.

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