Wilson October 2025

“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength” (Mark 12:30).

Furaha Mazingira Siku! (Happy Environment Day), Ministry Partners!

We write to you on this public holiday wherein the people of Kenya are encouraged to appreciate and enjoy their natural surroundings; and God has blessed us with a beautiful day to do so. The weather is mild and the sky is blue, with cotton candy clouds gliding silently overhead. As we take a stroll around the Village, various bird species alight on the lawn or rest in lush trees singing tunes in tones unique to Africa.

We pause to take it all in…but also realize that we have just thirteen days left in the third school term! Where has the time gone? Two hundred seventy-seven days have passed since this academic year began. Most have been enlightening, some exhausting, many amazing, and a few alarming. As year number three concludes, we can reflect on the many memories and relationships we have been blessed with.

A life redeemed

Lillian’s life began in turmoil. Her teenage mother gave birth to twins; she kept her son but abandoned her daughter. A Good Samaritan rescued her but then died unexpectedly. When baby Lillian was found a few days later in the lady’s house, she was malnourished and severely dehydrated. At four months of age, Lillian again had no one to care for her. A local pastor tried to return Lillian to her birth mother, but she refused to care for her and relinquished all rights to the child.

For a while, Lillian was passed back and forth between temporary caregivers. It seemed as if no one wanted her. Despite the challenges she faced, her young life was in God’s hands and by His grace she survived. At two and a half years old, she was brought to Rafiki Village Kenya where she was given a stable home and a nutritious diet. Her new life in “Zion Cottage” included a family of nine siblings and a godly, well-trained cottage mother who wanted her, loved her, and helped her to thrive. Today, Lillian is a thoughtful, healthy seventeen-year-old. She is finishing her eleventh grade year in school and has developed a penchant for writing poetry. She is grateful for God’s care and protection over her in the past and trusts His plan for her future.

Lillian as a baby

Lillian today

Rafiki Foundation leaders visit

The Home Office staff made the second of their bi-annual visits to Rafiki Village Kenya from September 21-24. This time, the group was comprised of:

Tom Shoquist, Rafiki International Board of Directors member

Karen Elliott, Rafiki Executive Director

Steve Kranz, Director of Facilities, Services, and Outreach

Erica Robertson, Director of Africa Operations

Karen Gobert, Director of Communications and Widows Program

Tom Kreamer, Director of Finance

Lisa Kropf, ChildCare Coordinator

Dr. Robert Littlejohn, author of Wisdom and Eloquence and founder of the Society for Classical Learning

Mrs. Teresa Littlejohn

Home Office staff

Mr. Shoquist connected immediately with the students at Assembly, affirming and praying for the abilities and opportunities that God has placed in their paths. Then everyone proceeded to morning Bible study. The visitors were also treated to recitations and songs by the following Rafiki Classical Christian School (RCCS) student groups: EC2A: Mark 33:33b-35, 1-10 Counting Poem; GL1A: “Photosynthesis:” GL4B: “The Lamb” poem, and the Logic Girls Choir: “Sister, Awake.” At the end of the day, Dr. Littlejohn shared his insights on the implementation of classical Christian curriculum with RCCS teachers and RICE students.

Erica and Lisa spent the following day cris-crossing the campus to observe lessons and assess the development of our students and our teachers. While the dedicated Home Office team departed from Kenya on Wednesday, they would make similar visits to five more Rafiki Villages across East Africa before returning to the States. As always, their time here was eventful, insightful, and inspirational for everyone in the Village!

Iron sharpening iron

The “Rafiki Games” competition was inaugurated during the 2023 school year with the purpose of challenging students to grow in godly behavior and in their giftings for God’s glory. This six-month competition gives RCCS students the opportunity to develop self-discipline, accountability, and teamwork during the school day as they play games in P.E. and in after-school activities. Each student is assigned to a Virtue Team and can earn points for their team through academics, artistry, athletic ability, and authentic displays of spiritual fruit (love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control). In short, character counts as much as talent in these games. Students’ actions are always being observed by Rafiki’s anonymous panel of judges (also known as “the cloud of witnesses”) and team scores are updated regularly. 

Grade eight and nine field trip to a local pool

During the year, strong bonds and a shared sense of purpose develop among these four houses. Students come to understand the impact that their choices can have on one another and on the team, which fosters cohesion and school spirit. Over time, improvement has been seen in students’ personal demeanor and the respect they give to peers and those in authority. The Artfest exhibition and Songfest are also a popular part of the overall competition, with the latter occurring early in the third term of the school year.

As the Songfest competition ended, anticipation and emotions reached their peak. This is when the accumulated points are tabulated, and the final totals are announced. The teams were quite evenly matched during 2025. In fact, the point difference between first place (8,971) and second place (8,964) was extremely close—leading to a mixture of tears and cheers when the results were read. Recognition of all the teams is then recorded on commemorative plaques which are displayed in the Dining Hall.

Fourth graders bring fresh mandazi to the Headmaster

“‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future’” (Jeremiah 29:11).

Headmaster/Principal movie

“Faith Like Potatoes” was one of the residents’ (and our) movie night favorites during term three of the school year. Based on a true story about an African farmer named Angus Buchan, this film provided a visual example of someone living out the divine virtues of faith, hope, and love during the trials of life.

Although Angus was born to Scottish parents in Rhodesia in 1947, we meet him as an adult farmer living in Zambia. During the early seventies, the volatile political atmosphere forced him to sell his farm and flee to South Africa with his family, where he acquires some overgrown bushland to start farming anew. Everything that the family has is put into the soil of South Africa; if their crops failed, their family would have nothing.

At the beginning of the story, Angus was a man with a hard heart like Cain, and a hard head like Nabal! Once he went to church and heard the true, unvarnished gospel, his heart was softened, and he gave his life to Christ. After his conversion, the residents could observe the change in his demeanor, especially in the Job-like experiences of natural disasters, financial woes, and the tragic loss of a close relative.

We all look forward to this Saturday evening event. Like sharing an evening devotion in one of their cottages, Saturday movie night gives us an opportunity to have a shared experience and dialog with the residents outside of our official school day roles. 

Praises

• Aaron, 2022 RCCS graduate, has completed his diploma program in Communications and has been filming the lessons taught by our teachers. This footage is a vital resource for the professional development of our current staff and for training new teachers for RCCS.
• the Rafiki curriculum is being embraced by numerous Outreach schools across Kenya.
• The FACTS digital information system is on track for January 2026 implementation, thanks to our amazing national workers who tirelessly input data for 400+ enrollees and forty-five school staff members.

Prayer Requests

• More churches across Africa and in the U.S. to benefit from the deep and thorough exploration of God’s Word in the Rafiki Bible Study.
• Wisdom and guidance, as we interview teacher candidates for the new school year.
• Our stamina and productive preparation for November-December In-service/Training.

Soli Deo Gloria!

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