Adumo November 2024
“He said, ‘The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer, my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge, my savior; you save me from violence. I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies’” (2 Samuel 22:2-4).
We are currently studying 2 Samuel in the Village, and when we look at the life of David, Saul, and even Uriah, there are such unique pictures of God’s provision, our failure, and His unwavering grace. It has been a necessary reminder for us all that even in the quiet and confusion we can still say, our God is near to us and worthy to be praised.
Our last newsletter started off a bit heavy, so let us begin this one with great news! In late October, we hosted what we know to be the first ever, Classical Christian Educators’ Conference in Nigeria. We had over five hundred people in attendance. This was in addition to speakers from Nigeria, Kenya, and the United States, who engaged in main stage sessions and workshops over the course of two days. The Rafiki Bible Study, Sunday School Material, and the Rafiki Education System were displayed to an audience larger than ever before here. Pray with us that it will help to further the gospel and the implementation of quality God-centered education throughout Nigeria.
Simultaneously, we started a new school year. The teachers came in for a week-long in-service, and the parents joined on Saturday morning for Open House and “Lunch With the Teacher.” The staff got extremely creative with their presentations of policies and procedures, and everyone was excited to be back.
Open house
Nigeria has been facing what is called the collapsing of the electrical grid. When this happens, it cuts off power in all parts of the country. They are often referred to as “national blackouts.” In the six years I have been serving here, this has never happened until now. Unfortunately, it has happened ten times this year alone. This is extremely dangerous for medical facilities, food facilities, and businesses. Please pray that those in leadership will do what is necessary to restore the country to a place of sustainability. Thankfully, our family has learned to see these situations as opportunities to serve so we have opened our generator up to those in the area. Phones, computers, flashlights, fans etc. make their way to our porch daily and we thank God for His provision so that we may do the same for those around us.
As we end the year, I want to share a short story of one of our day students. Eunice was born here in Plateau State. She lost her father when she was seven years old, and her mother in 2020 after a lifelong battle with hepatitis. She has been a student at Rafiki since she was four years old and has been a sweet addition to the school and the lives of every teacher. Eunice is the youngest in her family and bears much responsibility in her home. She has breakfast and lunch at the Village provided through sponsorship, but very seldom is there enough food for dinner at home. Day Student Sponsorship helps to provide for students just like Eunice to not only receive a quality education, but engage in the study of God’s Word and receive meals and support from all of us. Please consider partnering with Rafiki in this way. It is a minimum commitment of $25 a month, and goes a long way in the lives of our children. For more information, visit https://RafikiFoundation.org/child-pages/child-summary .
We are deeply grateful for your continued support, prayers, and encouragement. Shakiyla will be in the United States in February 2025 and she would love to sit down with many of you and talk more about what God is doing and how you can be a part.
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