LAST LESSONS #105 – LIBERIA

 “Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage, and the ends of the earth your possession.” Psalm 2:8

The first interest in Liberia as a place for a Rafiki Village came when Liberian Winston Tubman, the UN Ambassador to Somalia, but living in Kenya, went to visit the Rafiki Village in Kenya. He was a relative of Kristina Kenyatta Pratt who was eager to show him what she helped Rafiki build in Kenya. Winston was impressed with the Rafiki Village and insisted that Rafiki establish a village in Liberia. Kristina told him that he would need to contact me, and he immediately did so. When I told him that I had never been to Liberia, he said that he would take me there the next time I visited West Africa. We agreed that he would meet our Rafiki group in Ghana and take us to Liberia. Little did we know that there was an election for President going on in Liberia and that Winston Tubman was running! He didn’t win but he and his wife Nessi invited us to stay in their home and showed us around the capital of Monrovia. Liberia had been at war for 14 years, and bullet holes were still visible in many buildings including the Tubman’s house. Since the war had destroyed the dam that provided electricity to the country of about 5 million people, the whole country was relying on generators for power. Streetlights were not working, teachers had fled so children had not been in school, children had been given guns to fight in the war and the government was attempting to buy them back with little success. The country was still in a bit of chaos. It was no wonder that Winston Tubman wanted Rafiki to come to Liberia!

However, Winston did not win the election and Ellen Johnson Sirleaf became the president, the first woman president in Africa. Under her leadership, things began to improve.

Winston and Nessi were a huge help to Rafiki and saw that Rafiki was registered as an NGO in Liberia in October 2004. They also introduced us to Juanita Neal who was on the Board of Trustees of the Episcopal Church. Juanita was a well-educated person who helped us understand “Liberian English” (pigeon-English) and did more for Rafiki than I can say. Especially, she introduced us to Bishop Edward Neufville who gave us church-owned land on which to build the Rafiki Village.

We broke ground on February 27, 2007, on the property that we leased for 20 years with an option to renew another 20 years. Rental at $1 per year!

Missionaries Ed and Donna Bland were sent to Liberia and oversaw the construction of the Rafiki Village that was dedicated in 2007 with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf making the dedication speech. I well remember that day! On that day, it rained as it can rain only in Liberia! President Sirleaf was three hours late, not only because of heavy rain, but moving her entourage on the mile-long dirt (mud!) road leading to Rafiki’s property. But she came—umbrellas and all—and made a most encouraging speech.

She was so pleased with what Rafiki was contributing to Liberia that she promised to pave that dirt road leading to the property. And she kept her promise.

Several times after that she graciously invited us to her office to discuss how we could help with the education of children who had been out of school for so many years. Since she was a Christian, she was delighted to hear that we had Christian curriculum we could give to her. Ellen Johnson Sirleaf was a great president for Liberia. To learn more, I suggest that you read her autobiography This Child Shall Be Great. An amazing story.

Our first church partner in Liberia was the Episcopal Church, but soon after, we formed a partnership with the Lutheran Church and its Bishop Rev. Jensen Seyenkulo. My husband and I were privileged to have Jensen visit us in our home in Florida. He writes his story in the book that Rafiki has published Humble Heroes. (Available at Rafiki’s website www.rafikifoundation.org) His story will encourage those who think they have nothing to offer the Christian world.

Another church that helped Rafiki was the Methodist Church. They mostly helped with teacher training. They actually built a school a few miles from Rafiki to demonstrate to Rafiki’s teachers how to use our classical Christian curriculum.

Rafiki has always depended on Christian denominations to guide us, help us, encourage us, and support us. Rafiki is not a church, but under the church, works to provide Bible study and Christian schools in Africa. God in his grace, has given Rafiki 23 doctrinally sound denominations with which to work.

I have learned through experience that being under the authority of godly churches gives security spiritually, socially, and legally, that we could never have otherwise. I thank God for the Christian churches that partner with Rafiki and pray for them to be able to stand firm in today’s confused and sin-stained world. Will you pray with me for these 23 denominations as well as the 10 Rafiki Villages in Africa?