Bronke June 2022

“I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with ability and intelligence, with knowledge and all craftsmanship” (Exodus 31:3).

As a Village, we have been studying the Book of Exodus. We considered the detail and beauty of the tabernacle, its contents, and the high priestly robes. We also read of how God used the gifts and abilities of His people to accomplish His purposes. As I look at the natural talent of the young people at the Rafiki Village Ghana, I pray God fills them with His Spirit and helps them use their talents for His kingdom.

If you were to visit the Rafiki Village Ghana, you would be met by vibrant colors—our green grounds and many flowers would greet you and so would the vibrant smiles of the students, teachers, and staff! Before long, you would also witness the natural ability, intelligence, and craftsmanship God has gifted our students with.

Gifted hands!

During our most recent school break, resident students competed in competitions involving science, music, and art. Each team in the art competition produced two amazing maps of Ghana. Their end products made it very hard on the judges to choose a winner!

This term, I had the privilege of joining students and teachers on Wednesday afternoons for Poetry Club. When it was my turn to lead, we tried our hand at blackout poetry. Students were given a passage of text and instructed to select words to create a poem and “blackout” all other words. The students created beautiful pieces of original poetry, carefully selecting the words from the passage to write their poems. This young man’s work was a favorite. When finished, his poem, taken from the last page of The Chronicles of Narnia, read, “This is the morning / so great and beautiful / And for us / only the beginning / of the / Story / which goes on forever.”

A teacher and students creating blackout poems together.

Resident student with his blackout poem.

Our computer lab also got a makeover thanks to the gifted hands of a few of our resident girls and their mother! They crafted these beautiful curtains for the lab, and their teacher was so grateful for their work.

New curtains. Thanks, girls!

I was reminded again of the Lord’s provision when I got a recent text from Janet, a Rafiki graduate, about her philosophy and classics class at the University of Ghana. Though many in her class failed the course, she earned a B+. She credits her classical Christian training for her success in the history-heavy course. Using the skills she acquired at Rafiki, she researched on her own outside of class and made a timeline of events to keep track of dates.

Janet on her last day at the Rafiki Village before going to university.

Her last assignment was to write a speech and though nervous, she had the tools to succeed. She writes, “I know quite well in each grade level at Rafiki as you move higher you review what was done in the previous class. This is what helped me in remembering the steps to write a speech.” Because she is filled with the Spirit, she also thanked God for His help, glorifying Him for His provision. She acknowledges that her classical education has formed her into a “lifelong learner.” What a testament to Rafiki’s curriculum! Please pray she continues to seek excellence for God’s glory and put Him first.

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 drop-down 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

• Please pray that our day and resident students would be filled with God’s Spirit and use their God-given abilities wisely.
• Please also pray with me that every person that walks through the gate of the Rafiki Village Ghana learns to seek true beauty from above.
  

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