Cicone October 2022

We Made It!

After two years of consideration, prayer, training, and planning we arrived in Moshi, Tanzania on August 17. God was gracious and we had no issues with our flights and all of our luggage arrived. We made it through customs and arrived at the Rafiki Village Tanzania at around 11 p.m. We spent the next few days getting over jet lag and touring the Village and the surrounding area.

Our Work Begins

Our work began in earnest with the beginning of school on September 5. John is the Headmaster for the secondary school (grades 8 through 11). He has been working to understand the basic operations of the school and trying to know the staff and students. He is also overseeing the maintenance team to keep the Village functioning properly.

Gwen works with the Rafiki Mothers, otherwise affectionately known as “mamas,” who care for the resident children (orphans). There are fifty-four residents, and most are between thirteen to seventeen years of age. She mentors the mamas in areas of discipline, parenting, and spiritual growth. She has also been working with the RICE (teachers college)students by leading classes in poetry and prose, ESL, and liberal arts.

Ni Vizuri (It is good)

We have been blessed by the kindness of our national staff and our fellow missionaries, Laurie Eastup and Anica Pederson. (Anica left in September to work in Ethiopia and Ghana over the next fifteen months.) Our new church is St. Margaret’s Anglican Church in Moshi which contains a mix of nationals and expatriates from Germany, Holland, and America. We have been blessed by the fellowship of our new friends and we are attending the weekly Bible study on the Book of Esther.We are about six weeks into our Swahili lessons, and while we haven’t experienced a Day of Pentecost moment, we are happy with our progress and God is gracious in helping us with our language skills.

Leadership staff Tanzania, September 2022

Working in the garden before Friday movie night

Our school participated in “Shamba,” or maize harvest. The Village grows maize which is harvested each September and is used to feed the students throughout the year. We are thankful to our Heavenly Father for a good harvest despite a long drought.

The primary and secondary students working to bring in the first fruits from the maize harvest

We shared a picnic dinner with the residents when they returned from break

Some evening gardening

We are thankful to all who support us financially and through prayer. We would not be here without you. Please be in prayer for us as we continue to adjust to new responsibilities and a new culture.

Please also pray that the Lord will provide more Rafiki Missionaries and more day student sponsors so that we can bring Bible study and classical Christian education to more needy children. Perhaps He is calling you to be the answer to one of those prayers? Visit www.RafikiFoundation.org to learn more.

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