Nelson Dec 2018
“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created… all things were created through him and for him” (Colossians 1:15-16).
Sunday afternoon advent gatherings are something we look forward to this time of year. The whole Village crowds into a gazebo to sing beloved seasonal hymns and hear familiar Bible passages read by our Rafiki youth. We instruct the energetic crowd, once again, how to be reverent in a big group as they sit close together. We press into the presence of a holy God. We find rest in the midst of our busyness. We breathe and remember again the birth of our Savior. This is familiar.
Around the Village, our eighty-seven resident young people are excited about the end of a school term, special events of the season, a visit to relatives, and a change of pace. There is much to enjoy in this season. It’s a good time to pause and reflect on the past year and look for signs of growth. Here, the passing of a year can be measured by growth spurts, dozens and dozens of haircuts and outgrown shoes, birthday candles, baptisms, and graduations.
Compared to last December, we look up to more of our young men—quite literally. (What ARE they being fed across the road at the Dining Hall?) Their physical growth is obvious, but we observe that through God’s faithfulness our residents are growing emotionally and spiritually too. This year a child who had been stubborn found it easier to ask for forgiveness. A young person who used to say whatever came to mind learned to pause and consider their words. A young man who would have hidden something from his Rafiki father freely showed it to him. Students who did not see the benefit of learning math facts have seen that last years’ math was the building block for this years’ math, and decided it was worth more of their attention. This year our children stored in their hearts and minds forty or more Bible verses. They have studied God’s Word daily in the classroom, and morning and evening in their cottages. They have sung, mostly from memory, over 100 hymns—all four (or five) verses!
We are grateful for this time of year. The Christmas season in Ghana is different, and yet it’s the same. For that we are thankful. We are thankful for you, too. Many people have been so generous toward our family in sharing their time, encouragement, prayers, and financial support with us. Thank you for joining us in what God is doing here at Rafiki Village Ghana. May you cherish anew the gift of His Son, and rest in Him this Advent season.
Our Residence Hall young men recently harvested their first crop of togo beans aka black-eyed peas.
For Missionary Janet Kucko’s birthday, the whole Village enjoyed pizza made by our kitchen staff.
One of our youngest boys invited two other residents to help him, and his Rafiki mother, cut his 10-year-old birthday cake.
Scott has been learning a lot about running and maintaining a large generator. Here he is installing a new turbo charger.
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