Fore Jun 2019

Rafiki Village Uganda at Yeen-Lan’s Farewell Party

The Rafiki residents were trickling out of the gardens—arms full of pumpkins, matoke, and banana leaves harvested for tomorrow’s lunch. David was left alone in a field of dark, leafy greens. Golden hour light streamed through the trees as I approached him. “Hi David. What are you picking?” “Oh, just some gobe leaves.” The birds sang and nested in the trees above, and I watched David for a few moments. David piped up, “No one likes to do this job.” “Really? why?” “Because you have to pick one small leaf at a time. It is hard work.” I smiled, “Seems like a good analogy for life.”

Walking away from David I thought how true that has been of my service with Rafiki. Waking up each day and simply doing the next right thing: so to speak—picking the next gobe leaf, and then the next, and then the next.

God has given me different fields to harvest over the years. When I first arrived in Africa, He sent me to teach Primary Two at the Rafiki Christian Classical School of Rwanda. A couple years later I was given the role of Headmaster. In 2017 God moved me to work a larger field, leading the Rafiki Christian Classical School of Uganda. Now God has brought me to a place of serving as the Village Administrator for the Rafiki Village Uganda.

As the Village Administrator I am responsible for overseeing the entire operation of Rafiki Village Uganda: five programs, fifty-four national employees, 230 students, fifteen college students, three missionaries, and a nearly 60-acre Village; plus establish and maintain relationships with government and church leaders. It is a large field! I am so very grateful for a strong missionary team and national program leaders who daily work this field with me.

I am also grateful for your prayers and support. As I take on this new role, will you please specifically pray for:

• Wisdom in prioritizing

• Strong relationships with government and church leaders

• Continued unity on the Missionary Team

• The Missionary Team to continue engaging the national staff in effective training

• Everyone in the Rafiki Village to live and work for God and not man

• Excellence and integrity to permeate all that is done at Rafiki Village Uganda

Also, please pray for my predecessor, Yeen-Lan Lam. Earlier this year Yeen answered the call to serve as the Village Administrator of Malawi, and she needs more missionaries to join her. Please pray God builds up a strong team to lead Rafiki Village Malawi.

Picking, with great joy and expectancy, one gobe leaf at a time.

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