Fore June 2021

On the dining hall veranda, I recently crossed paths with a new student. I asked if she was enjoying her new school. She responded with a smile on her face, “Yes, because your teachers teach well.”

I walked away with a fresh wave of joy in the work and a reminder that “your labor in the Lord is not in vain.” There have been quite a few reminders of that recently.

In early May, four residents—Kasozi, Martin, Livingstone, and Alice—graduated from the Rafiki Senior Secondary School. Each are strong academically and will be attending university. On their last evening spent at the Rafiki Village as residents, the Village gathered for a dessert fellowship. As the graduates exchanged departing words to the residents and caregivers they have lived with for the past fifteen plus years, I could not stop smiling.

The four graduates with their caregivers

Martin thanked the caregivers for discipling him; Alice admonished the students to love God; Livingstone expressed deep gratitude to Rafiki administration; and Kasozi eloquently shared beautiful quotes he had stored in his commonplace book over the years. One of the remaining residents, Sumaya, encouraged the four graduates that they were “pioneers” and to set a good example for the rest of the residents. The time of sharing concluded with 100 voices beautifully singing from memory “To God Be The Glory.”

Did you know there are other schools in Uganda using the Rafiki Classical Christian Curriculum? In late April a group of our teachers went to visit one of those schools. They reported a long list of positive observations upon their return, and then they shared something I was not expecting. “Ms. Fore, we had the opportunity to speak to their teachers about the philosophy of classical Christian education. We shared with them everything we have been learning during our teacher trainings—especially how classical Christian education exalts God’s truth, beauty, and goodness.” I was beaming with pride over how our teachers who have been discipled for years were now discipling others. Praise God!

Teachers visiting a partner school

At the end of May I sat across a table from Cathy. Cathy is a graduate of Rafiki’s teacher training college, and she is doing what we hope many of our graduates do—start a Classical Christian School. Cathy had come to the Village to collect her order of Rafiki curriculum. The new curriculum was laid out on a table; when she walked in and saw the material, it was like watching a child walk towards a present-laden tree on Christmas morning. She could not contain her excitement! It was an absolute joy to watch. Cathy sat at that table with me and lamented using the words of Hosea 4:6, “my people are destroyed for lack of knowledge” and then she went on to express how grateful she was for a curriculum that would bring true knowledge to her people.

Our world desperately needs the gospel of Jesus Christ. What a joy to be part of a work that is setting before the people of Africa a feast of the glories of Christ through Bible study and classical Christian education. The people of Uganda are partaking and are satisfied. Thank you for partnering with me in this good and joyful work.

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