Vogel Jan 2019

A cacophony of car horns, four people riding on a single motorcycle, and having to brake for goats that are crossing the road—driving in Monrovia, the capital of Liberia, is always an exciting adventure full of unexpected experiences. About an hour outside of Monrovia the streets are considerably quieter, the land opens up to more greenery, and this is where you will find our new home at Rafiki Village Liberia.

We are easily settling into our new house here. Both of us have moved around so much these past few years that it is comforting to know that we have finally found a place to call home. What a wonderful opportunity we have to be able to make a home and also serve in our ministry. Felipe has been busy teaching at the Rafiki Institute of Classical Education (RICE) where he is helping build up future African teachers to know God and His Word. Hannah has been serving in the mornings at the primary school teaching reading, grammar, and composition to the younger grades. She has also been tutoring several struggling readers. In the afternoons, Hannah joins Felipe at RICE where she teaches music and math. Our students at the teacher training college have all graduated from high school, but due to the recent civil war and Ebola, the Liberian education system has suffered so severely that many of our students struggle with simple multiplication problems. It is so rewarding seeing them learn and thrive in this learning environment.

One of Hannah’s second grade students

Felipe teaching at RICE

There are sixty-seven resident children who live here at the Village. We have enjoyed getting to know them better over the recent school break. It has also been fun having the children here get to know us better. Felipe is often asked to say certain phrases and words in Latin and Portuguese, and one of the older boys remarked, “You know, Mrs. Vogel, I’ve noticed that other missionaries are often very serious, but you are silly and tell lots of jokes. You make us laugh.”

Thank you so much to all of you who have encouraged us, prayed for us, and supported us as we begin our ministry here in West Africa. We appreciate you all so very much!

Please pray:

• For our health. Hannah has still been suffering from a variety of infections that just won’t seem to go away.

• For our team of missionaries to work well together.

• That we would be able to meet our students’ needs.

• That our new marriage would continue to flourish and grow.

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