In our digital age, it is rare to find someone reading a book in public. I sometimes miss the familiar smell of books, reflecting the hours I spent in the library as a child. As we have heard many times, “Readers are Leaders.” It is a familiar saying because it is true.
At Hope Haven Rwanda, we have invested for years in high-quality books. Many have been hand-delivered by volunteers from around the world. Based on feedback from our Rwandan team, we also recently purchased hundreds of books published in Africa.
Last summer, we installed a new library with the help of Marnie Crabdree, Gigi Garramone, Kimberly Peters and many others. This library is one of the best equipped in the country, with a children’s section rivaling the Kigali Public Library. Textbooks and workbooks from McGraw-Hill join decades of National Geographic issues to broaden the perspectives of young learners. Each class has dedicated “library time” where they explore and grow in their understanding of the world that God has created.
This expanded library is also filled with books designed to deepen faith. Jesus is at the center of everything we do at Hope Haven Rwanda. God has led prophets, apostles and others to share His Revelation since the earliest days of our faith. These words, inspired by the Holy Spirit, are life-giving and have ultimate significance.
I remember the story in Nehemiah 8:3, where Ezra read from earlier prophets for several hours. “He read it aloud from daybreak till noon as he faced the square…And all the people listened attentively to the Book of the Law.”
The people of Israel longed for a word from God and they stood for hours listening to it. Do we share this spiritual thirst? Is there an inspirational book or a dusty Bible on your shelf that you need to get back into this week? God has life-giving words waiting for you!