Rafiki Foundation | God's Word at Work

Honegger December 2020

“Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything” (James 1:2-4 NIV).

While 2020 has been full of challenges, both for me individually and for the Rafiki Village, it has also been a year of growth, ripening spiritual fruit, and abundant joy. Personally, the depth of my trust in and reliance on Jesus has deepened as I have faced numerous situations that were out of my control and yet have witnessed God’s provision in each circumstance. One such example was when I went to renew my visa in October. I waited in line for nine hours, wondering if I would get through before the office closed. My paperwork was processed just a few minutes before the computers shut down, and I left the office with aching feet and a grateful heart!

I am grateful that I get to continue investing in these lives!

One undertaking that kept me and twelve grade seven and eight students occupied the last few months was the task of labeling, organizing, and shelving over 4,000 library books that had arrived on the container at the end of September. The hundreds of man-hours of labor invested to complete this project were a great opportunity for each of us to train in patience and perseverance while having fun serving the Village.

A glimpse of the book-organizing process and of me with some of my helpers after shelving the final books

Many of the youth are also growing spiritually. The oldest boys’ cottage recently planned our Sunday Village worship service. They prepared hymns, a call to worship, Scripture reading, teaching points, and discussion questions, organized a PowerPoint presentation, and led the service. I praise the Lord for the spiritual maturity, leadership, and servant hearts He continues to develop in many of the youth.

Gadissa teaching about contentment from Philippians 4

Another occasion for joy is that our grade eight students finally completed their national exams! These were originally scheduled for June but were postponed many times due to COVID regulations. Attempts to cheat on the exams are common, so the government assigns police to supervise each testing site. Our students were a shining example of Christ’s character as they took the exams with integrity and positive attitudes. In what could have been a stressful time of academic pressure and government regulations, these Rafiki scholars revealed the light of Christ to the site supervisors through their honest actions and joyful hearts. The police even joined in on volleyball games with the students during their midday break! Join me in praising God for the impact Rafiki youth are having on the wider community.

Grade eight students after finishing their last exam

As you reflect on 2020, I pray you will see the ways in which the light of Christ has shone in and through your life, and that you will consider both the triumphs and trials as pure joy.

Melkam Gena! Merry Christmas!

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Esther Honegger on Dec 17, 2020

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Honegger December 2020

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