Maggio Dec 2019

“And what you have heard from me in the presence of many witnesses entrust to faithful men, who will be able to teach others also” (2 Timothy 2:2).

We trust you are well and enjoying the worship and joy of the Christmas season. Many of us have vivid memories of our teachers; some all the way back to kindergarten class. Next to our parents, pastors, and other family members, teachers have a profound influence on our lives. The apostle Paul wrote to his disciple Timothy to teach others God’s truth as Paul had taught and modeled in his life. The principle of teaching sound doctrine is an important objective of the Rafiki Foundation and training young people to competently teach others is the focus of the Rafiki Institute of Classical Education (RICE). In Africa, the need is great; “Over 50 million children are without substantive education.” Tom has been assisting the Deans of the RICE Program in Zambia, Karen and Richard Farrand, and has been assigned to assist to a greater degree in 2020 with the incoming Dean, Mrs. Doris Anema who arrives in January.

RICE Deans Karen and Richard Farrand

RICE is a comprehensive three year teacher training college which includes child development, psychology, church history, classical education teaching methods, two semesters of practical teaching, a survey of the Bible, as well as a daily Bible lesson, and other subjects. Graduates earn a diploma in education, are eligible to apply for a Zambian teacher’s license, and are qualified to teach in preschool to seventh grade. Rafiki ultimately desires to see a group of educators who are competent thinkers who seek to relay the learning they love so much to any student willing to listen. The RICE Program is free of charge to the students including all materials through the generosity of Rafiki’s faithful supporters and partner churches. The RICE Program started in 2015, and in September of 2019 we held a formal graduation for twenty-seven of the thirty-one young men and women who have successfully completed the program.

RICE student David Phiri teaching at PrePrimary Class 2

Tom has also been assisting the graduates to obtain teaching positions with Rafiki’s partner church denominations, the Reformed Baptist Church, the Reformed Church in Zambia, and the Church of Central Africa, Presbyterian. When a school from one of our partner churches hires RICE graduates, Rafiki provides the school with Bibles, hymnals, the Rafiki school curriculum, and the Rafiki Bible Study, all free of charge.

RICE students showing their puppet projects

RICE Graduation, September 2019

We would like to share with you the story of one of our RICE students, Edward Chileshe, to give you an idea of the opportunity that Rafiki is providing to train young people to have a godly influence on the next generation of children.

Edward is twenty-four years old and comes from the Southern Province in Zambia. He never knew his birth father and was raised along with his six siblings by his mother, who had a small business selling drinks in the market. He learned about the death of his father when he was fifteen years old and the Lord led him to seek comfort in the Bible. While reading he was convicted of his sins, confessed belief in Jesus Christ, and repented of his sins. He was discipled by a pastor in Hope Baptist Church, which is one of Rafiki’s partner churches. Though he had a desire to study medicine upon his high school graduation, he had no means to pursue higher education and worked doing petty sales in the local market. His high school teachers told him he had a gift for teaching while he taught some lessons to the lower grades. When the pastor of his church learned about the RICE Program, he coordinated for Edward to apply and he was enrolled in 2017.

When asked to compare classical education to modern education, Edward states it is “more than just learning to get a job. It develops the individual and is self-empowering by learning from the past.” Edward wished he was trained in classical education from his early years. He also said, “The biblical worldview brings a perspective to see the world differently—to see how the truth of God is involved in every aspect of life.” His favorite class is logic; he says it relates to real life, to understand the importance of right thinking to life. When he visits his home on school breaks, he teaches his siblings some of the lessons he has learned that term.

RICE student Edward Chileshe

Edward sees teaching as a calling from God, and feels he is a minister of God in teaching children. He has received support for his living expenses from his family and Chongwe Baptist Church where he became a member. God willing he will graduate in September of 2020.

In our previous newsletter, we mentioned there may be an opportunity to introduce an agriculture program to the RICE students. The program was approved by our Executive Director, Karen Elliott, in October. Tom excitedly began working with a group of fourteen RICE students in setting up a demonstration farm. They have been working after school and on weekends; with the provision of recent rains, the crops have been doing well so far. The program is modeled after Farming God’s Way (FGW) principles. FGW is a method of growing crops that maximizes land use and optimizes farming inputs and practices to produce a high yield, especially in areas vulnerable to drought conditions. FGW has also ambitiously devised what is known as the Phunvudza method. This method calculates the exact amounts of inputs and land required to provide a family of six with their required staple food, maize, for a year for just $50.00.

RICE agricultural project team

In the new year, we plan to invite the local farmers for an open house so that the RICE students can share with them the methods and principles of Farming God’s Way. Also as the students learn and move away after graduation, we pray they will teach others about the potential for families to improve their farming practices and become independent for their food supply. Join us in praying that the agriculture program will contribute to the efforts being made by the country to address its food shortages. A result of a recent survey by an independent research institute revealed that 43% of Zambians are experiencing severe hunger.

We hope you have enjoyed reading about our ministry with these young Zambians and realize their potential to influence future generations of African children with the truth, beauty, and goodness of God.

We are now making our plans for traveling to the U.S. in 2020. If you would be interested for us to visit your area, please let us know. We would be interested in visiting with your church, prayer groups, friends, and family.

Thank you for your partnership in our work.

Praises:

• Richard and Karen Farrand who have strengthened the RICE Program.

• The pilot RICE Agricultural Program.

• The RICE students who have completed another term despite challenges.

Prayer Requests:

• The incoming RICE Dean, Doris Anema, to be fully funded and ready to begin in January of 2020.

• The Lord to continue to provide rain at the expected time to Zambia and Southern Africa.

• Wisdom for Tom in spearheading the RICE Agricultural Program.

• Lusubilo’s health and God’s leading and direction on what work she can do considering her health.

• For the Widows’ Program instructors to continue to provide quality products for the Rafiki Exchange.

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