Richards October 2022

“Behold, the eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his steadfast love, that he may deliver their soul from death and keep them alive in famine” (Exodus 33:18-19).

Dear partners in the Lord’s salvation for Malawi,

Mountains of Miracles

This letter comes fast on the heels of our last letter only a month ago, but we want to share our excitement in the miracles that the Village has witnessed.

First, in early August the Lord delivered a miracle in the form of little Sammy. You see, Sammy’s mother, Faith, is the sister of our missionary partner, Anna Liebing. When Faith was 20 weeks pregnant, she developed complications and the doctors gave little hope for Sammy to survive. Faith underwent risky surgery and faithfully obeyed the doctor’s demand for hospital bed-rest but the medical prognosis for a good outcome was very poor. But Rafiki Village Malawi prayed. We prayed in the Village Administrator and Mother meetings, at RICE, in the high school, in the junior high, in the primary and pre-primary classes. We prayed continually, and we watched God answer prayers. Initially, we lacked vision. “Make it to 26 weeks,” we begged. “Then 30 weeks.” Then did we dare ask for 36 weeks? But God’s design was on a miracle, and at 39 weeks little Sammy was born (8lbs 6 oz) by Cesarean section. God be praised! Sammy had become the Village’s first visible miracle. During a recent well baby appointment, Faith and Sammy were greeted by over fifty doctors, nurses, and medical staff who all wanted to see this miracle baby that God had delivered. His birth had strengthened the faith of many of the medical professionals. And at Rafiki Village Malawi, many who prayed for that miracle saw their faith strengthened as well. Celebrate with us!

Miracle Baby Sammy—for you Rafiki Village Malawi prayed

Soon after, with this miracle fresh in everyone’s mind, our Village held a period of intentional spiritual renewal. On the first Friday we watched the movie Do You Believe? which raised many questions for our young adult residents. Saturday was a day of fasting and prayer, a result of some of the misbehaviors among our young charges. On the second Friday and Saturday nights, David, a graduate and former resident of the Village, delivered a message and spoke candidly about the sin of which he was aware because he too had participated at one time. By the end of the weekend, at least twenty-two residents had made a decision to advance their faith walk. We believe some of these are genuine salvation conversions. Others, we will have to wait and see. Pray that David’s words fall into good soil in the hearts of our young people! The third Friday we watched the movie The Insanity of God that actually starts with missionaries in Malawi. At the end of the movie, there was silence. There was reflection. Since that time, almost on a weekly basis, we have received letters from different residents having heard and answered the call of the Lord. One young man writes:

Dear God,

I want to be your man, not my own. So, to you I give my life. O Lord, I rejoice that you are the uncommon God who comes to ordinary people like me. As the shepherds did, I welcome you to transform my life into the extraordinary by your grace and love. Thank you for finding a way through Jesus to bridge the gulf that separated me from you. I was dead in my sins and mistakes. I will abide under the shadow of the cross where I have found safety. Please, Heavenly Father, forgive me for my sins, in your Son Jesus’ name, Amen.

Young lives are coming to see the Truth of the Gospel and salvation in Christ! Our Rafiki Bible Studies through the Books of Matthew, Exodus, and Leviticus are producing fruit. And that is our second miracle.

Our resident girls at the mill, grinding corn into flour. Which of these are new Christians?

A group of our resident boys. Can you tell which are the new Christians?

Soon after the meeting, one of the local Reformed pastors of whom we are fond offered to disciple our boys who had made commitments to follow Christ. After a year of prayer for a godly, Malawian man to speak into the lives of our boys, one has arrived at just the right time! Miracle three.

Then our container arrived from the Rafiki Home Office in Florida—the first in over two years. It was Christmas in September! On it were 79 banana boxes of books that Maureen’s sister had gathered, a real piano from Anna’s supporters, curriculum materials, Bibles, school supplies, kitchen supplies, and more. Best of all, there was a Toro self-propelled push lawnmower, compliments of Maureen’s father. Safe arrival of this container on time during a supply backlog was miracle four.

Teacher Maggie Reading The Very Hungry Caterpillar, one of the new books from the container.

Finally, just last week we received word that through the generosity of donors like you, we now have enough money to purchase a replacement vehicle. Miracle five. So, now we have to find a replacement vehicle in an era of supply shortages. Can miracle six be on its way?

Our gratitude we express for your prayer and financial support. As you can see from the above, your partnership with us is making a tremendous difference in the eternal lives of people in Malawi.

Prayer Requests

• Praise for all the big and little miracles that we have witnessed since July 2022.
• Pray for our new Christian residents in the Village as the sanctification process begins in their lives.
• Pray for the residents who have yet to answer God’s call to salvation .

Please also pray that the Lord will provide more Rafiki Missionaries and more day student sponsors so that we can bring Bible study and classical Christian education to more needy children. Perhaps He is calling you to be the answer to one of those prayers? Visit www.RafikiFoundation.org to learn more.

With love and gratitude, and reverent humility before our awesome Jehovah Jireh,

Soli Deo Gloria!

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