Koepke Sep 2018

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope” (Romans 15:13).

Dear friends and family,

Great news! Two children from our previous Rafiki Village in Rwanda placed 2nd and 3rd in the National Spelling Bee for high school students! They earned an invitation to the Intercontinental Spelling Bee in Dubai the first week of October, and we are very excited for them. We thank God for giving these two young ladies bright minds. 

Our graduates recently talked to resident youth about the challenges they will face, and encouraged them to be serious about their studies. We will have twenty-three children in university or vocational school by the end of this year. Please pray for a hearty discount. 

God provided fifty baby chicks to be cared for by our older boys. He also gave us twenty one-inch-long tilapia fingerlings to grow, and a bumper crop of carrots, potatoes, beans, and other fresh produce which was picked and taken to the Rafiki kitchen.

We thank God for providing an abundance of nutritious food. 

Later in September, Doug has been asked to take a short-term trip to Ghana to help with solutions to complex plant management issues. Please pray for the trip details.

We continue to be enriched and encouraged through the Rafiki Bible Study from the Book of Romans. We thank God for providing the writers.

Most of our Rafiki children are maturing teens who are growing by leaps and bounds. One of the most challenging set of lessons they must begin to learn is how they will adapt to life outside of the Rafiki Village when they finish school and become independent. During school breaks, extended family is helping them learn to cook on an open fire, source clean water for themselves, as well as attend church in their local community. Pray for the lessons learned during these home visits to bear good fruit in their minds, hearts, and lives.

Our Home Office recently visited and made progress on getting the teachers college accredited through a partner Christian university in Nigeria.

Our love to you our partners in this ministry to orphans and widows,

Carolyn and Doug Koepke