Wilson August 2024

“Now there are varieties of gifts, but the same Spirit; and there are varieties of service, but the same Lord; and there are varieties of activities, but it is the same God who empowers them all in everyone” (1 Corinthians 12:4-6).

What a mighty (and creative) God we serve! To witness the multitude of gifts—with which He has endowed His children—being exercised wholeheartedly only serves to glorify Him more. Through the gifts of music, art, administration, service, and hospitality, we have had numerous opportunities to praise Him at Rafiki Classical Christian School (RCCS) over the past two months.

The Journey of Champions

We are happy to report that students from our Grammar (primary) and Logic (junior secondary) school choirs won the sub-county competition, advanced to the regionals, and qualified to participate in the National Music Festival in Kenya again this year! Preparation for this competition is not taken lightly. It requires hours of hard work and discipline from the students; and quotes like the following, shared by Maestro Felix, to keep them focused:

“Next to the word of God, music deserves the highest praise.”

—Martin Luther, Protestant reformer and musician

The students rode a bus for more than five hours to the town of Eldoret, Kenya (an apt location for this year’s nationwide competition, since Eldoret’s motto is “The City of Champions” and it is hometown to many world-renowned runners). It was a wonderful experience for all involved—some students even experienced snow for the first time, while in Eldoret’s high elevation!

When the students returned to the Rafiki Village, their overall rankings in the nation were:

Grammar:
Boy soloist: 3rd    Girl soloist: 4th    Girls choir: 4th    Boys choir: 6th    Mixed choir: 9th

Logic: Mixed choir: 4th

To God be the glory!

Students return from National Music Festival competition

PTF/Artfest

After much prayer and discussion, our first Parent-Teacher Fellowship (PTF) took place in mid-June. What originated as a response to feedback from parents during our first year developed into an opportunity for God to knit the hearts of parents and teachers more closely together. Faculty members were overwhelmed by the affirming atmosphere of the audience, and parents saw more fully what ongoing engagement and consistent home-school communication does to enhance their students’ learning and overall development.

The meeting smoothly transitioned to remarks from the talented art teacher, Ephantus: since all Rafiki curriculum is taught from a biblical worldview, even the art students develop skills and create content with the purpose of honoring God—the one true Architect, Author, and Artist. With that, he announced the opening of the second annual Rafiki Games Artfest. The beauty and variety of the students’ work was extraordinary! Parents enjoyed viewing the exhibit and then voted for their favorite pieces. This event was followed by lunch and fellowship among all the participants. The day was truly an answer to prayer!

Parents voting on students’ work at Artfest

End of Term Two

Despite the delayed start (due to flooding) and the often-interrupted school days (due to the staging of anti-government protests), the second term was comprised of new ventures and traditional events that affirmed, encouraged, and offered a sense of stability to our 400+ students and their families.

We hosted three Formal Halls, celebrating the musical, academic, and recitation skills of students at each school level. It is also a Rafiki tradition to end the school term with a Fun Day. Teachers spend this time enjoying the day outdoors with their students, cheering on their athletic feats as the four Virtue Teams faced-off in sporting events around the campus. This is the culmination of the Rafiki Games competition (which emphasizes good character, academics, sports, and the arts) for the 2024 school year.

Teachers assemble for Term 2 Formal Hall

This term also marked the first anniversary of The Imani Standard—the student newspaper of RCCS. Over the last year, the literary skills of student journalists have been blossoming and the opportunity to “write a scoop for the newspaper” has become a popular pastime for Logic and Rhetoric (senior secondary) students, outside of the classroom. To date, the young writers have contributed thirty-seven articles and four original works of poetry to the once-per-term publication!

The Imani Standard staff

In the past six weeks, our teachers also benefited from international “pollination of thought” when several Christian professionals and educators from the U.S. and even Brazil visited the Village on short-term mission trips. As a result, teachers had professional development training on topics such as:

• God’s Economy Versus the Government’s Economy
• First Aid and Fire Prevention
• Cultivating the Imaginations of Boys in a Classical Christian Education Environment

Three mighty Short-term Missionaries from Brazil and America—helping hands in Kenya

Praise Reports

• None of the events listed above could have come to fruition without the support of a multitude of caring, praying, and gifted adults who model Christ before our students on a daily basis.
• In addition, the prayers, presence, and faithful support of the following churches have made it possible for us to be a part of Rafiki’s mission to “help people know God and raise their standard of living with excellence and integrity.” In Ohio: Connect Church; The Corners Chapel; Birmingham Baptist Church; Fourth Street Missionary Baptist Church and, in Texas: Houston Northwest Church.
• We are also thankful to members of the following schools who have helped, in various ways, to develop and support us as we serve in this ministry of Christian (and classical) education. Providence Classical School, TX; Covenant Christian Academy, PA; Heritage Academy, GA; Cuyahoga Valley Christian Academy, OH; and Heritage Christian School, OH.
• Lastly, we want to apologize for a misprint in our last newsletter regarding the church that made it possible for RCCS to acquire and enhance our audio/visual capabilities. We are deeply grateful to Faith Bible Fellowship of Ohio for their generous donation, which has benefited not only the RCCS students and teachers, but the Rafiki Village community as a whole.

Prayer Requests

• For all Rafiki students to persevere in their studies but especially our seniors, who are preparing for the national examinations, which take place during November and test Kenyans on subjects studied over the last four years of school.
• For us to reflect the light of Christ in our words and deeds on the mission field.
• For the protection our family in the U.S.
• For my bride, Crystal, as she continues to recover from the adverse physical effects of a medication that she was prescribed earlier this year.
• For new ministry partners to hear about the ministry and be led to bridge the gap between our current support level and our monthly needs. For more information and easy online giving—your church mission board, or friends who are interested in supporting this work—can visit https://RafikiFoundation.org/missionary/theodore-and-crystal-wilson-ii-258.

Thanks again for your faithful support and may God’s peace continue to dwell in every heart.

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