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Rafiki Foundation  |  God's Word at Work
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Maggio November 2021

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you” (Matthew 6:33).

We trust you are doing well and hope God is keeping you and blessing you. We have been well and the Lord has been faithful to provide for us as we serve Him in Zambia.

We are studying the Book of Matthew in our Rafiki Bible Study every morning. It has been wonderful to read and discuss the words of Jesus especially in the Sermon on the Mount and to reflect on the Kingdom of God. As we prepare for the seasons of Thanksgiving and Christmas let us remember that God calls us to be content and thankful in knowing Him and seeking to understand the joys of living in union with Christ by faith.

We would like to share with you another story of someone whom the Lord brought to Rafiki and whose life has been positively affected by the Rafiki Institute of Classical Education and how he has been able to minister to others.

Sam Shamulangwa is 42 years old and comes from Lusaka, the capital city of Zambia. Sam’s father died when he was one year old and he and his sister were raised by his mother and grandparents. He struggled through primary school and was earning poor grades; not a very good start for someone who would one day become a primary school teacher. His education was erratic through primary school and he experienced changing schools, delays, and repeating grades. But by the time he completed his primary education he had worked his way up to the top of the class in academics.

Now qualified for secondary school, Sam again experienced difficulties due to changing homes and schools and lack of funds. He was assisted by a former teacher and was able to complete his high school education. Though Sam had reached his goal of graduating, he was disillusioned about his future prospects. He writes, “I did not have a dream or plan of going to college because of two reasons: My journey from grade one to grade twelve was bitter and painful; it left me with no desire for education at all, and there was no money for further education.” One bright spot during this period was meeting Emeldah, the woman who would become his wife.

Sam would continue to face difficulties; he would lose his mother and sister within two years of graduating from high school. At this point he turned to the Lord. A friend invited him to church which led to his making a profession of faith in Christ in 2005 and being baptized. In 2009 he began Bible classes. To support himself he worked at several different jobs and businesses. In the same year, he and Emeldah were married. In 2012, he felt God was leading him to minister to children in his ancestral village, so he moved with his family back to the same area as the Rafiki Village. He began ministering to children and began attending one of Rafiki’s partner churches, the Reformed Church in Zambia. Sam heard about the RICE Program through his cousin and through the church and applied to become a student. He began his training in 2015. During his second year of training he wrote: “I have benefited from the RICE Program in all the senses—physically and spiritually. My family and ministry are ten times better than before I came to RICE. For example, my teaching, preaching, prayers, and evangelism are deeper and more sound. My family life is flourishing. I can now freely teach and explain Bible doctrines without getting confused.”

Sam graduated from RICE in 2018 with his diploma in Primary Education and was offered a teaching position at the Rafiki School. He has been teaching Grade 6 since 2019. He and Emeldah have six children. Sam continues to live in his home village, from which he has faithfully commuted by bicycle daily to and from Rafiki for eight miles each way for the past six years. He credits the Lord for being very good and faithful to him and that He never let him break down completely. Sam writes, “I am now, by the grace of God, serving God as a children’s teacher at Rafiki School and as a pastor in my home village and surrounding villages. I am very grateful to the Rafiki missionaries and donors for sponsoring me to go to college. May God continue blessing you.” Please enjoy a few pictures of Sam.


Sam and Emeldah


Family


As a RICE Student with former RICE Dean Barb Edwards


Happy 38th birthday


With family and Rafiki boys


The RICE owl that tried to make the auditorium his home


Releasing the owl

We thank you for your partnership with us and allowing us to serve the people of Zambia and to bring them the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Praises:

  • Tom has been able to complete his 3rd term as RICE Dean and has started term 2 with 26 students.
  • For the faithful support of all of our donors.

Prayer requests:

  • Wisdom for Tom as he guides the RICE students in their training
  • Lusubilo’s health needs, she is still suffering from a chronic musculoskeletal condition and for wisdom in choosing medical treatments for her
  • God’s provision for our material and prayer needs.
  • All 250 Rafiki Day Students to have sponsors and be fully funded soon.
  • For generous giving to the Africa Expansion Campaign. Rafiki is entering a season of exponential growth. We anticipate the thousands that Rafiki is currently ministering to across our 10 countries will turn to tens of thousands. To meet these new opportunities, we are asking God for a 25% increase over Rafiki’s current annual budget which could increase Rafiki’s impact 10-fold.

Note : Rafiki is now able to accept non-cash gifts such as real estate or estate bequests. Contact Rafiki@RafikiFoundation.org for more information.

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