Bronke February 2023

“There are varieties of service, but the same Lord” (1 Corinthians 12:5).

Ever feel like you are the last person to ever become a missionary? I confess, it was no childhood dream of mine. When I first arrived at the Rafiki Village Ghana (over two years ago now!), I was asked if I had any special talents or skills the missionaries did not know about. “I can analyze Shakespeare and shoot a jump shot,” I replied. That was about it.

Though I cannot play classical piano or teach Latin, I have come to find that athletics are an integral part of the Rafiki classical education. There is evidence of this in all ten Rafiki Villages as children excel in sports from tennis (Tanzania) to high-jump (Liberia) stars.

I had a short stay in Liberia before I arrived in Ghana, and it was always fun hanging out with the girls after basketball practice

Many of my favorite moments with the resident students have been when I have been able to play games with them and teach them some basketball skills. As I look back, I am thankful for these moments that help me connect with the students among whom I teach and live.

Sir Kojo, a former resident and now football coach and PE teacher, with his players

Last school term, the Rafiki School in Ghana created the first proper football (soccer) team since the coronavirus put a halt to athletics. I volunteered to help with the football team and enjoyed running with the players after school. Our students love the game of football and look for any opportunity to pass a ball around or start an impromptu game. Cheers and sighs could be heard around the Village as we watched Ghana compete in the recent World Cup.

A resident student who plays keeper (goalie)

I pray that the skills and disciplines of team sports can give the students a small picture of spiritual realities—we buffet our bodies to offer them up as sacrifices to the living God; we endure and persevere for the sake of those around us and the cause of Christ; we work hard in all we do—completing homework, sweeping a floor, kicking a soccer ball—because a desire to glorify God permeates our entire being. Please pray with me that they will have the eyes to see this.

I would like to thank you yet again. I received word from the Home Office that I am fully funded. Your faithful partnership is what makes this work possible. If you would like to continue supporting me for another year, here is how you can:

• Go to www.rafikifoundation.org.
• Select “Support a Missionary” from the dropdown menu in the upper right.
• Find my photo and enter the amount that you would like to give. (You can make a one-time donation or a recurring donation.) Thank you!

To donate by check:

• Send your check to the Rafiki Home Office at PO Box 1988, Eustis, FL 32727 with my name and missionary number (#249) in the memo line.

Prayer Requests

• Thank God for a new missionary at the Village, Anica Pederson! She is here to start up the Widows Program and help in the school. Pray her work in the Widows Program will be blessed and many Ghanaian women will be blessed by a reliable income and the Word of God.
• Pray more students will be able to raise their grades and join the football team. Please pray it could be an avenue for them to learn discipline and hard work.
• Pray for more missionaries to help start the Rafiki Institute of Classical Education (RICE) Program in Ghana.
• Please pray for the continued spiritual growth of every adult at the Village so that we may exemplify Godly lives before the many watching eyes of these young people.

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