Espinosa June 2024

When I started my senior year of high school in the autumn of 2022, I had no plans for what I was going to do come graduation in May. That was the first time I considered going to Malawi, Africa to assist Anna Liebing, my former humanities teacher, who is now the Headmaster of the school in the Rafiki Village. I ended up doing artificial turf installation for a year instead of the missions trip, but in January of 2024, I felt again the call to go to the missions field. I began to talk with Anna about the various things the school and the Village needed and what I could do to help. Over the following months I reached out to the Rafiki Foundation, the organization that sent Anna. After those conversations I felt the call to the mission field even more strongly.

School children on the way to class

This is what I have learned about the Rafiki Foundation, and what I can do for them. Rafiki has a Village in each of ten countries in Africa, each one having an orphanage, a preK-12th grade classical school, and a teacher training college. They also partner with twenty-five African church denominations, providing them with Bibles, Bible studies, and Sunday School curriculum. Rafiki’s mission is to help people know God and raise their standard of living with excellence and integrity, and they focus specifically on education as a means to this end. I want to go to their Village in Malawi to help facilities projects for their growing school, help with grounds upkeep, and assist with their program which centers around faith and discipleship.

Malawi gifted with brand new shoes!

In order to accomplish these tasks, I have to leave by the end of August to arrive in Malawi right as their school gets out to get some needed renovations completed before the new school term begins. I intend on staying in Malawi for a year before coming back home and seeing what the Lord has planned for me next. I am going as a Rafiki Support Missionary, so I have to raise $17,000. My church has approved my trip, and will be donating money throughout the duration of the year I am there to cover almost half of the expense. I still need $9,500 up front to cover all of the initial expenses. I would greatly appreciate prayers that the Lord would help me be strong and courageous during this time (Joshua 1:9), that I may be a man of the Scriptures, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17), and that the Word of the Lord may speed ahead and be honored, and that I may be delivered from evil (2 Thessalonians 3:1-2). Thank you so much for your support. I am so encouraged by how the Lord is using those around me to lift me up and give me confidence that I am doing His will. I truly look forward to sending updates on how the Lord uses me.

Students at recess

To join as a prayer partner, sign up to receive newsletter updates, or to donate, visit my Rafiki Missionary page at https://RafikiFoundation.org/missionary/joshua-espinosa-714.

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