Bronke September 2023

“And those who know your name put their trust in you, for you, O Lord, have not forsaken those who seek you” (Psalm 9:10).

If you have Psalm 9:10 memorized, then you have that in common with the teachers and students at the Rafiki School Ghana. We have been studying the Psalter in the Rafiki Bible Study and memorized this verse this week. As we study, we are diving into the riches of the Psalms, appreciating them as both rich poetry and the heart cries of a man not unlike ourselves. If you do not have this verse memorized, would you join us in hiding this treasure in your heart?

I want to thank you for your continued support and for praying for the Rafiki Village Ghana. In my last newsletter you may remember that I asked for prayer for the start of our Rafiki Institute of Classical Education (RICE). God has since answered this prayer. When I typed that prayer, I did not imagine that I would be part of the start-up, but God had His plans for me! I am now working as the acting Dean of the RICE Program in Ghana. My fellow missionary Anica Pederson and I are training our early childhood teachers every day after they teach in the morning. Typically, the RICE Program takes applicants from the community and trains them to be teachers. In our modified version, we are giving extra training to our Rafiki teachers! 

One of our early childhood teachers and her son (also a Rafiki student!)

 Our teachers took three courses this past term: one about John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress, one about their early childhood curriculum, and one about their music curriculum. Anica has been leading their music classes, equipping the teachers to joyfully teach their students music. The Pilgrim’s Progress course has been a favorite among the teachers. They often reference the book during Bible study. When sharing something true, good, or beautiful they learned one week, one teacher spoke about the encouragement it had been to her, “I’ve never read another book like it.” I am thankful to the Lord that we get to introduce such wonderful literature to our teachers. 

Early childhood teachers in the RICE Program discussing The Road Not Taken by Robert Frost

In the early childhood curriculum course, each week students were challenged to look at a piece of art or a famous poem. The works travel through the stages of life—from infancy to old age. After we had done a couple discussions, I drew names for the teachers to begin to lead. In our short discussion time, I enjoyed hearing how deeply the teachers were beginning to think about the pieces. Before I knew it, many voices were jumping in to contribute. One teacher said when she started to prepare to lead she did not know how she was going to accomplish it, but after leading a thoughtful discussion, she remarked that God saw her through.

 

That is exactly what God has been doing—seeing us through. He has seen us through the growing pains of starting a program, and He is seeing the teachers through as they take on new challenges and tasks. Will you pray for our teachers as they adjust to the course load and continue to grow in their love of learning?

You might have guessed this, but I will be staying in Ghana for another academic year. I would be grateful if you would consider continuing to support me. And when you think of us, pray for our teachers and students as we strive to make this school one of love, excellence, and joy.

To donate 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, Florida 32727 with my name and missionary number (#249) in the memo line.

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