Stephen and Lorri Blum

Steve and Lorri were married in 1986. They spent most of their married life in the Denver area but have been living in Seattle since 2017. The couple says they were interested in serving with Rafiki because they have been called to minister to children and youth all their married life and they love the Rafiki mission to educate children in Africa using excellent classical curriculum with a solid grounding in the Word of God.

Steve and Lorri have three sons and three daughters. They have also had many foster children. Lorri earned a Master’s degree in Elementary Education from the University of Northern Colorado, and her Bachelor’s from Colorado State University in Human Development. She has been working in education for the past 40 years. Over 25 years, she homeschooled all six of the Blum children, co-established and co-led a classical Christian homeschool co-op, and attended Community Bible Study (CBS). At CBS she taught grades k-12 through books of the Bible on a yearly cycle, for over 15 years. She excels at helping children with learning difficulties become proficient readers. After graduating her youngest daughter, Lorri has been teaching at All Saints Academy, a private classical Christian school.

Steve has a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from Colorado State University, with a minor in Statistics, and enjoyed a nearly four-decade long career in software engineering, including over 20 years as a software developer, and 16 years as a manager. Steve also has a passion for praising God through music and has sung and played bass for many years.

Steve and Lorri have been on many short-term mission trips over the years, some close by and some international, and always talked about and sensed a plan for long-term service on the mission field in the future. Now in service in Africa with Rafiki, they both know this is a season God has been preparing them for all along. Please pray for them as they start serving in Africa, that they would learn and grow, through love and humility, about their new culture and their new roles.