LAST LESSONS #240 — RCA BUILDING — 2

“Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain.” Psalm 127:1

Last week I told you that Rafiki now has a Rafiki Classical Academy (RCA) operating at the Home Office. At this point the school is small and located in remodeled office buildings. What is needed now is a permanent building for pre-school through eighth grade. Next week, I will tell you why it is important for Rafiki to have this facility where children are taught, and teachers are trained to teach classically. This week I want to show you the building we envision and what is needed to build it. Please take a look at the fly-through below:

Rafiki Classical Academy Fly-Through

We know that this building could cost up to ten million dollars, depending on the cost of living when we build. Since Rafiki does not borrow money, it may take a long time to raise what we need. Therefore, we are purchasing a modular that will accommodate the fifth and sixth grade classes until we can build the permanent school.

Rafiki has set up a line item in its budget called the RCA Building Fund where people can give.

I intend to give what I can every month and I hope you will join me.

LAST LESSONS #239 — RCA BUILDING — 1

Psalm 127:1…3 “Unless the Lord builds the house, those who build it labor in vain….Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord.”

You already know that Rafiki has a classical Christian school. We call it RCA (Rafiki Classical Academy). It has just finished its second academic year and to say it has been successful would be an understatement. Here are a couple of comments from parents of the students and I could cite many more:

“Choosing Rafiki Classical Academy was the best decision we made for our daughter's education. Rafiki is a Christ-centered, nurturing environment that provides a biblical curriculum unlike any other. Rafiki emphasizes the focus on developing students’ faith and relationship with God. We have seen our sweet, shy child blossom over the last two years while attending Rafiki. We send our daughter to school with peace of mind, knowing she is getting the best education there is, surrounded by the most loving people in our community.” – RCA Parents

“We are extremely happy with our experience at RCA. My child is thriving, growing, and being challenged daily. We just finished our second year, and my child has faith in God and she is learning how to build relationships with family and friends. The students are learning to seek and depend on God, work hard, think critically, love others, and be responsible citizens in the world. The academics are strong. My child just finished first grade, and she can read and write with confidence. She is eager to ask questions in order to solve problems. She writes in cursive and print. This classical model really teaches children not what to think but how to think. Students are engaging daily with each other, staff, and real books—not iPads or Chromebooks. They are definitely learning at the Rafiki Classical Academy, and the children are being prepared so they can do hard things.” – RCA Parents

The curriculum has been written by Rafiki and is available for anybody who wants to buy all or any part of it.

So far, the school has been housed in remodeled Home Office buildings and has pre-school through fifth-grade students. The sixth grade will be squeezed into an office building next year. It is planned to place a modular building on the grounds for the immediate future.

As you can see, Rafiki needs a good permanent building. I will write you about the plans for this building next week—so stay tuned!

LAST LESSONS #238 — DECORATING

“The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places; indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.” (Psalm 16:6)

If you have been to Rafiki’s Home Office, you have no doubt noticed the way everything is appropriately decorated. That is because as we were planning the buildings, I enlisted my oldest daughter, Annie, to help us. She is very artistic and at present designs houses in Saint Augustine, FL. (If you live in the Saint Augustine area, I can tell you how to get in touch with her.) As we were building the Home Office she suggested that we save money and give the buildings an African look, by making all the floors stained concrete. Her husband, who has a construction business, designed and built the gazebo that stands in the middle of the complex. Annie put up all the pictures and curtains in all the buildings. To me, the most impressive thing she did was to furnish and decorate the Exchange building. She put in my old table, put a hole in it, and put up a grass umbrella over it resembling a hut in Africa. She single-handedly installed tin wainscoting, wallpaper, and even painted signs in Swahili on the walls. It was fun watching her high up on the ladder painting the walls and the signs. It was, and is still, perfect!

Annie has a daughter named Jenna Alexander. After Jenna finished college, she spent a year in Tanzania as a Rafiki missionary. She loved it and the children adored her. While there, she began painting some of the children—just for fun. When she returned to the United States, she came to work for Rafiki at the Home Office where she helped with Rafiki’s website for two years. Then she married and moved to Saint Augustine, FL. She now has an art studio and thriving business. Check her out at www.jenna-alexander.com

The next building that Rafiki will construct on its property is the Rafiki Classical Academy. It is where children in K-8 will be educated. I hope that as Rafiki builds this Rafiki Classical Academy that Annie will help with the design of the interior and that many of Jenna’s paintings will hang on the walls. That would make “mom and grandmama” very happy. 

LAST LESSONS #237 — COUNSELING

“My son (or daughter), do not lose sight of these—keep sound wisdom and discretion, and they will be life for your soul and adornment for your neck. Then you will walk on your way securely, and your foot will not stumble. If you lie down, you will not be afraid; when you lie down, your sleep will be sweet.” (Proverbs 3:21-24)

A few days ago, one of Rafiki’s church partners in Liberia asked Rafiki if there was anyone who could come to Liberia and help with children who have experienced trauma. Some of these children are day-students in our Village school. Rafiki CEO Karen Elliott called my daughter Tova Kreps to ask her if she could take a trip to Liberia to train a few lay counselors to help with the situation. Tova is planning to go as soon as she can.

Just to catch you up, Tova is founder and president of a non-profit that does professional counseling based on Biblical principles. The name of her organization is Wellspring Counseling (www.wellspringmiami.org). She has over 20 counselors who work with her, and her specialty is trauma—or helping people get over bad things that happen to them. Tova has personally visited several Rafiki Villages to offer trauma counseling and is Rafiki’s primary referral for anyone in this country needing counseling support.

As I have been reading of so many women and children in this country who are taken into sex trafficking, I am praying that God will use not only our government, but Christians to help identify and help these women and children who are caught in this terrible situation. I personally do not know of specific women or children who need help, but if you do, please notify the authorities (888-373-7888).

On the other hand, if you or someone you know has experienced abuse of some kind and needs help from a counselor, Tova and her team can direct you to find help. Tova’s email is Tova@WellspringMiami.org and her work phone is (786) 567-3084.