LAST LESSONS #235 — ART & MUSIC

Usually, I am thrilled over all that is happening in Africa through Rafiki. Karen Elliott and her team are doing an amazing job in our Christian Classical Schools located in each of our Rafiki Villages, and also in the schools operated by our Partner Denominations. They use the curriculum that Rafiki has developed that teaches every subject from a Christian worldview as well as teaching the Rafiki Bible Study every day. I am thrilled over the schools that we have. HOWEVER, we need teachers who can teach in these Christian Classical Schools. That is why years ago we started the Rafiki Institute for Classical Education (RICE). It is a teachers’ training college taking high-school graduates and giving them three years training or taking trained teachers and giving them one year of training in how to teach classically. The program is going well EXCEPT for one part—actually, two parts. We do not have the missionaries in the RICE Program to teach art or music.

Furthermore, when we built the RICE buildings, there was a separate building for art and one for music. These buildings are built, but they are empty! They are not used because we do not have missionaries to fill them.

If you, or someone you know, is willing to go to one of our countries and teach classical music or art as a missionary or even for a year, PLEASE pray about doing this and call Rafiki (352-483-9131).

Classical education is not complete without art and music. So that is why we need to find a way to teach these subjects. If you are not qualified to go, please pray that God will show you someone who is. And help them go!

As an interim way to help with this situation, my daughter Kathy Cook (an artist who does classical realism paintings and you got her website a couple of weeks ago katherinecookart.com) is planning to go to Tanzania for a short time (a week or two) to give a workshop in art. My prayer is that others who are willing to do the same in art or music can fill this void in Rafiki’s program.