Nickels Nov 2019

As we travel along the roads in Tanzania, a favorite pastime is to read the messages painted on buses and the mud flaps of trucks. A recent favorite, loosely translated, declared, “Rice with goat meat is the hamburger of Tanzania.” While navigating traffic in nearby Arusha last month, we were lucky enough to capture this photo of a minibus or “daladala”:

The slogan “Neva herd dis B4” made me think of the newsletter writing process. After ten years, is there anything left for me to write that you haven’t heard “B4”? Maybe yes; maybe no. Of course, every day brings with it new events, new challenges, new blessings I could relate to you, our faithful supporters. On the other hand, our work with Rafiki remains essentially unchanged since our first letters to you. We are still teaching the Bible daily, caring for orphaned children, training teachers, supporting national staff, and stewarding resources: all this in a country and with co-laborers we love.

However, in the interest of providing current examples, here are two recent snapshots from school.

Faith is the little girl in the center of this happy crowd. Her situation was brought to our attention by a parish worker from her local church last year. While she is being raised by a very loving aunt, the family’s finances are such that they are unable to provide beyond her basic needs. Partnering with Faith’s church, we were able to offer her a sponsored spot at Rafiki Preschool. She has thrived as a student in Madam Doroth’s class and is growing spiritually and academically.

Faith and classmates

Over in the primary school, Mr. Patrick and Mr. Gift have breathed new life into the journalism club by going multimedia. In addition to a print newspaper, they’ve started weekly “radio” reports over a speaker during the morning assembly. From a hidden location, Gian, Tumsifu, and Matthias of the Rafiki Broadcasting Company read news and sports stories they’ve written with the help of their teachers. They have a lot of fun while learning in a practical way about truth and accuracy, the power of words, and the responsibility that accompanies positions of respect. These are essential lessons for all of our students as we prayerfully guide them toward their futures as leaders in Tanzania and the world.

Rafiki Broadcasting Company

In closing, we want to thank you for the many ways that you have partnered in our ministry with Rafiki. We also humbly ask you to show that support with your finances. This year our expenses have exceeded the amount donated on our behalf. We have faith that God will give us what we need, so we thought it best to make our situation known to you. Please join us in asking God to provide, and consider sharing this letter with others.

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