Graves May 2026

“How much better to get wisdom than gold! To get understanding is to be chosen rather than silver” (Proverbs 16:16).

In this letter we would like to fill you in on some happenings at Rafiki Institute of Classical Education (RICE) in Uganda.

In RICE we have the luxury of an hour set aside for Rafiki Bible Study (RBS) every day. We start with a traditional hymn sung a cappella, and a different student each day comments on a stanza or two, helping her colleagues appreciate the beauty of them. Then two folded slips of paper with the students’ names are drawn out of a box; one will lead Bible study and the other, later, will read aloud for ten minutes from our literature book. Right now the study is from the Psalms, and the literature book is The Long Winter by Laura Ingalls Wilder.

Students have come to Bible study with the day’s lesson prepared. Standing, we read aloud and pray in turns through the appointed passage. Then we sit and the leader takes us through the notes and questions of the Bible study. She encourages discussion rather than just the reading off of prepared answers. Sometimes issues sparked in Bible study or the read-aloud time are fanned into full-blown friendly debate, as on the following recent occasion.

Students intently discussed the Bible in the RICE library.

The aphorism “God helps those who help themselves,” familiar to both Americans and Ugandans, had come up in the read aloud passage. One of the RICE administrative staff, after the reading, had asked the students whether that saying was biblical. Impassioned discussion followed, overflowing the time available. So a debate was proposed for the 4:30 time at the end of each school week when we gather to share lessons learned and pray aloud together.

You may not be surprised that most of the debate was on the “pro” side. Most of the students thought the saying actually came from the Bible and could not fathom that there could even be a “con” side. But the RICE administrative staff took the con, and asked whether the proverb really reflected how the Lord’s grace works. I am not sure there was a clear winner, but the participants had been reminded that we need to take every thought captive to Christ, especially the ones that seem so obviously true. This is the kind of discipleship in biblical thinking the Lord leads us to pursue every day in our classical Christian teacher education.

Administrators conferred with a student on her research.

RICE students showed off their puzzle of Brambly Hedge.

At end of term, students competed in a costume contest based on characters studied.

Prayer Requests

• Government accreditation of the Rafiki Teachers Institute in Uganda.
• Students who desire to be Christ-centered educators to hear about our program, join, and persevere.
• Encouragement and joy for students currently studying and working on their research projects.
• Placement of our graduates where they can educate children for Christ.
• Opportunities to provide advanced degrees in classical Christian education for our graduates.

We would love to have new friends praying with us or joining us for short or long-term mission opportunities. Our student teachers study year ‘round, and the children’s school is in session during the American summer break. (Plus it is comfy in Uganda all year: 70 degrees plus or minus all the time!)

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