Nealey February 2025

As I reflect upon my time here in Africa, I am truly amazed at the turn my life has taken. Many times, I catch myself reflecting on the idea that I am truly in this foreign land many miles from my family and friends. Because of your generous prayers and donations, I get to be a part of the Malawian culture. I am still captivated just watching the sunset. However lately I have been intrigued by the morning sunrise. My body is now acclimated to the early rising and early bedtimes here in Mzuzu which is dictated by the fact that most everything is done during the daylight hours.

Although I am still involved in the Village as the ChildCare Administrator, I have also been learning the workings of the Rafiki Institute of Classical Education (RICE) Program. We are now in partnership with University of Livingstonia (UNILIA) to train teachers in a degreed program in classical primary education. We have been very busy because our goal is to start our first class of future teachers at the beginning of March. We are working closely with our partners at UNILIA to get this program off to a good start. Although I came here in an entirely different capacity, I have been assigned a role in the launching of this program as an administer. As you can imagine, this has been a learning experience for me.

My duty as Dean of this new program has given me to opportunity to meet and work with quite a few new people. I say new because our campus will be the first fully accredited college out of all ten Rafiki Campuses. We are leading the way with plans for all of our campuses to be fully accredited. We are thankful that the Lord has given us the opportunity to go and make disciples here in Mzuzu and all over Malawi because we will have students who travel to Mzuzu to attend our program. We will be providing certified classical Christian primary teachers with a bachelor’s degree for the whole country. We have on board our RICE Principal, Anna Liebing , who has been very encouraging to me. Jane Hoadley, a former RICE Dean, is also here on a short-term mission trip to help us launch this very special first intake of our new students. Because of her experienced guidance and mentoring, we are poised for a successful launch in March. I also have the pleasure and honor of assisting in the training of our new lecturers who are most vital to our program. We just completed ten weeks of lecturer orientations to our RICE curriculum. We welcome aboard our new lecturers, Bridget Chilemba, Boston Khonje, Nancy Nyirenda, and Gift Nkunika. They are taking up their positions not only as lecturers, but also as vital participants in our preparation to meet and maintain the standards of the National Council for Higher Education (NCHE). I will also mention the administrative team who is also a vital part of our RICE team, our Head Librarian, Moses Mkandawire, and his assistant Gift Chilomo. With open arms, we welcome our newest hire, Lauren Ngulube, who is one of our first two graduates to earn a bachelor’s degree. NCHE has very stringent rules, but as you can see we have been equipped by our Lord for such a time as this.

Gift Chilomo, our assistant librarian

Bridget Chilemba, a lecturer

Jane Hoadley sorting books for the library

Nancy Nyirenda, the Dean of Students and Boston Khonje our Department Head

In addition to my RICE duties, I am still the ChildCare Administrator (CCA), but we are blessed to have Matha Shaba the CCA assistant who is well versed in running this program. We also welcome Alexis McDaniel who is sharing the CCA role with me as I transition to RICE. She has already taken over the administering of our graduates and their scholarships. We have about sixty graduates and twenty residents. Alexis is also our new finance officer. We welcome her and her family. Her husband Bryan is our new Village Administrator.

Our resident children are doing great. Our most recent group that graduated in July of 2024 are either already attending college on scholarship, or they will begin their new programs in March. We have a smaller group of six who will graduate July 2025. Our kids are growing up and we are proud and grateful that the Lord chose us to nourish and mentor them. Our kids are skillful and well equipped to lead this country in the right direction as they mature into adults who have had the benefit of our daily Rafiki Bible Study training. We thank God for putting them into our care.

As always, I ask you for your prayers. Pray for us missionaries as we live in close community with each other. We do everything together which makes us the same as other families so pray that we continue to be quick to give each other grace when we err. Please pray that our national staff, our children, and missionaries as well focus on fostering unity and trust among all of us here in the Village. Pray that everything we do is with excellence and integrity. I also extend a special thank you to my sponsors and prayer partners and I pray that you will continue to sponsor and pray for me.

Please click here for a printer friendly version of this newsletter.