Koch Nov 2019
“Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his steadfast love endures forever!”
(1 Chronicles 16:34).
Happy Thanksgiving!
The last few months have seen many blessings here at Rafiki Village Rwanda, so let us fill you in on the happenings!
Give Thanks To The Lord
We are very thankful for a wonderful rainy season which has beautified the Village and the nation of Rwanda. Our rainwater tanks are full and everything is VERY green!
We have begun putting the final touches on the new Senior Secondary School. The sidewalks are all in, and the doors have been stained and varnished, and the cabinets and bookcases are awaiting paint so the shelving material can be installed.
Short-term Missionaries have been a big blessing by sewing curtains, tutoring, entering library books into both libraries, teaching classes, and chaperoning a field trip while a fire raged near their California homes. Four of the six missionaries’ families had to evacuate their homes while they served here.
New use for a hair straightener
Our Senior One (grade 7) class had a wonderful field trip to the King’s Palace, where they learned that the King had his own Kinyarwanda words that were only used by him or when others spoke about him. They learned historical traditional ways of smelting iron and grinding maize, and the importance of cattle in their culture. To be truly hospitable, milk is always offered to one’s guests, and the ancient kings would also provide milk for the surrounding villages.
King’s Palace ceiling
Our students negotiating the best prices at the market
For He Is Good
Vicky recently had the opportunity to attend a conference on classical Christian education in Nairobi, Kenya. Bonheur and Placide, our principals of primary and secondary, attended with her, and they joined other teachers from all ten Rafiki Villages! Five incredibly gifted classical scholars, including Christopher Perrin and Ravi Jain, both great friends of the Rafiki Foundation, taught about recovering truth, beauty, and goodness through solid Biblical and philosophical teaching. According to a study by the Sociology Department of Notre Dame that compared public, private, and classical Christian school graduates, the graduates of classical schools who were studied:
• Had higher SAT scores
• Were most likely to trust the Bible as well as Science
• Believed the Bible to be God’s absolute truth
• Nearly all retained their faith in Christ
• Had not a single divorce
What a wonderful gift to give our children!
Rafiki Educators, Missionaries, and Home Office Team
His Love Endures Forever
We have experienced God’s amazing grace and love through history, conferences, missionaries, supporters, and prayer warriors. We saw His love in action when our secondary girls’ team was defeated, but there were only hugs and friendships formed at the end of the game.
Lilliane makes the shot
As we draw close to the end of 2019, we thank God for your partnership with us and pray that you will have a most beautiful Thanksgiving and a blessed Christmas.
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