Lam Dec 2018
Our students have been in all kinds of competitions this last quarter of the school year. At Rafiki Village Uganda, all students were invited to submit their best original art illustration to depict Christmas. They were permitted to use watercolor paint, crayons, color pencils, fabric, and any art material they fancy. Art teacher Keneth Muhindo held the hands (pardon the pun) of the students as they worked on their different art pieces. A total of seventeen entries were submitted by the closing date. These were put up in the family dining hall for all Village people to vote for their top four favorite designs. The names of the students were not revealed in order to remove bias and vote rigging. The process was conducted with excellence, enthusiasm, and integrity. It was a closely contested activity. The top four favorites came from Jane Nafamba, Joyce Nakimuli, Mary Babirye, and Rachael Nakakande. All four female students are in grade level eight. Grade level eleven Kasozi Wilson, the only male entry that trailed one point behind the four girls, became the male representative to provide the balance. Quite a few of them have included Uganda’s national colors in their artwork. Their art work has been turned into Christmas cards. Three teachers, Mary Nanfuka, Bridget Masika and Mercy Kansiime—all RICE graduates—worked with a group of the younger students to write cursive greetings onto the cards. We hope that when you receive one of their cards, you will rejoice with us on their creative juices and best efforts. All glory to God.
Contest samples
Samples from inside the cards
Forty-five residents had an opportunity to spend two weeks of their school break with extended family and church host families. They were invited to share their experiences in an essay writing competition. Certain criteria were given—tell us about a meaningful conversation you had during your home-stay, how did your Rafiki upbringing help you most in your time away from the Village, how did you represent Jesus Christ and Rafiki in the new community you stayed with, what new things did you learn. The students were also required to write their essay in cursive and keep the length of their essay to 800 words maximum. Thirty-eight students submitted wonderful essays by the closing date. Headmaster Kelly Fore, Village Music Coordinator Hayley Smith, and ChildCare Administrator Yeen-Lan Lam read all thirty-eight essays to shortlist the best six essays. When the Home Office team was at the Village in October, they helped to read the six shortlisted essays and picked the top three winners. Grade level ten Kathy Nambayo, and grade level eight Jane Nafamba shared the top place. Grade level nine Agnes placed third. Grade level five Gift Nabwire won the Best Cursive prize. Grade level ten Kizito Kalule won the Best Speller prize. All five essay winners will be rewarded with an away camp in January 2019 organized by the Zana Community Presbyterian Church, a partner church denomination. The camp theme is “Training to be Fishers of Men”. The five students are very happy and looking forward to the camp.
A portion of Kathy’s essay
Head Teacher Chriz Ogen had lots of fun and excitement with the grade level four, five, and six students in a Spelling Bee as they progressed from rounds of heats to the finals. Grade level five Gift Nabwire emerged as the champion of the Spelling Bee. She was duly rewarded with a handsome trophy. The second and third places were also recognized. Their teacher brought them to Kavumba Recreation Centre for a delicious lunch as reward for their hard work.
Spelling Bee champions
And then there was the upper school mathematics competition which proved to be yet another exciting challenge. Grade level 10 Scovia Nandigire topped the game. Together with second and third place winners, grade level eight Mary Namirimu, and grade level ten Rachel Namutembi, the trio was treated to a handsome lunch by the ChildCare Administrator. The trophy is in the works.
On November 19, I was asked to go to Rafiki Village Malawi to support the transition of Village leadership. Cindy and Larry Renner, who had served for four years at that Village, were retiring back to the U.S.A. When I was there, I was privileged to process the travel arrangements for grade level eleven Justina Kalambo (seventeen years old), and grade level nine Esther Phiri (fifteen years old). These two young ladies have been playing volleyball for a few years and were recently talent-scouted by the Malawian National Volleyball Association to join the national team of thirty-five Malawians for a tournament in Durban, South Africa from November 24 to December 9. It is a lifetime opportunity for our two Rafiki girls. We had to quickly apply for their passports, write many letters to the government (Malawi and South Africa) to explain their status with the Rafiki Foundation Inc., provide transport, board and lodging finances, and prepare Rafiki Mother Angela to chaperon the two young women. A challenge cropped up. The girls needed a yellow fever vaccination to enter South Africa. It was told to me that the yellow fever vaccine was unavailable in Malawi and that the public health clinics often issued yellow fever vaccination certificates without actually providing the vaccine to the persons seeking it. That the certificates were easily purchased at ten dollars apiece. This did not sound right for me. I met with the two girls and explained to them that we will pray for God’s provision of the vaccine. We will not be buying a yellow fever vaccination certificate irregularly. They looked sad. I explained God’s faithfulness, mercy, grace, and sovereignty in our lives. I told them that it is preferable to do the right thing that honors God and if it is His plan for them to be part of the tournament, He will provide the vaccine. We were waiting nervously for three days. Friday afternoon at 6 p.m., my assistant Bertha called from the public health clinic. God has provided just three yellow fever vaccines for our two girls and Mama Angela. Hallelujah! They left early Saturday morning to begin their travels to Durban. This experience has underlined for Rafiki Village Malawi God’s faithfulness and goodness to His people when they do the right thing.
Justina and Esther with coach Kafumu
The Rafiki Home Office has directed me to provide leadership to both Rafiki Village Uganda and Rafiki Village Malawi for a significant time period until we can find new long-term missionaries to train and send. Might you be the ones? Won’t you ask God to let Him use you in Africa with Rafiki in 2019 and beyond? It is God’s greatest gift to me that He sent me to Africa. I am included in the Rafiki vision to Train Africans to Transform Africa for Christ. All five Rafiki programs—the Rafiki Bible Study, the Christian classical education in Rafiki Schools, the Orphan Care Program, the Widows Program, and the Rafiki Institute of Classical Education (teachers training college)—all help equip African believers to bring spiritual, educational, and economic transformation to the continent of Africa. The World Bank recently did an analysis of the twenty fastest growing economies in the world. Eleven of them are in Africa. Businesses and banks are clamoring to enter Africa’s $600 billion market. Africa is in a unique position to proclaim the Gospel to all the world because the world is on its way to Africa. Rafiki has since 1985 been planted by God in Africa for a purpose we see clearer and clearer every day. We are poised to help the thousands of Rafiki residents and community students be part of God’s plan for Africa through Rafiki.
Please call the Rafiki Home Office at (352) 483-9131, visit our website at https://rafikifoundation.org, or email rafiki@rafikifoundation.org to find out more. If you are anywhere near central Florida, visit the Rafiki Home Office and receive a tour and first-hand understanding of all that God is doing at His ten Rafiki Villages. You can also find us on Facebook at facebook.com/rafikifoundation. The opportunities are truly unlimited.
I take this opportunity to send you blessings for a Christ-centered Christmas season and a peaceful New Year full of Jesus, joy, love, and grace. I also look forward to see many of you come to serve with me at Rafiki Village Uganda, or Rafiki Village Malawi in the new year. Jesus said to them, “And everyone who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold and will inherit eternal life” (Matthew 19:29).
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