School in the Clouds
Rift Valley Academy (RVA) was started in 1906 with the goal of serving missionary children so their parents could continue their gospel ministry in Africa without sacrificing their children’s education. On August 9, 1909, President Teddy Roosevelt, who was in Africa for a hunting trip, laid the cornerstone of the main building that is still in use today.
The school is located on the edge of the Great Rift Valley, 30 miles from Nairobi, Kenya. At over 7,000 feet above sea level, it has been referred to as the “school in the clouds.” A book by that name, written by an RVA alum, Phil Dow, offers an excellent history of the school and it’s influence on Africa, and Kenya in particular.
RVA cares for nearly 500 students from first through twelfth grade who come from more than 25 host countries. Americans – 60%, Korean – 20%, Kenyan – 10%, Other countries – 10%. Almost all the parents of the kids attending RVA are involved in ministry and represent nearly every country in Africa, including some of the hardest to enter and most difficult in which to live and minister as Christians.
Ninety-five percent of the students return to the U.S. for college to various Christian schools as well as to top tier schools such as Harvard, Yale, Princeton and Stanford. Almost half of all RVA graduates are called to vocational ministry, many return to Africa.
Lilli graduated with her twin sister from Rift Valley Academy in 1990. Her older sister, Cindy, and oldest brother, Glenn also graduated from RVA, allowing their parents to work as medical missionaries in Madagascar for forty years. Lilli and I also served as dorm parents to fifth and sixth grade girls at RVA from 1997-1999.
We believe the Lord is calling us to return in the next year to serve as the staff chaplain (Jonathan) and student health nurse (Lilli). The staff chaplain’s main responsibilities are to provide spiritual care for the RVA missionary staff, oversee the spiritual atmosphere of the school, and to coordinate and preach God’s Word at Sunday services. The student health nurse works with a small team of other nurses to care for the medical needs of the RVA students. Sick students are required to stay at Student Health Services until they are better.
What an opportunity this would be to minister to these students and staff, to encourage them in the gospel of Christ, to support their parents proclaiming Christ all over Africa, to help raise up a future generation of missionaries, and to serve the local Kenyan community with the love of Jesus. Please pray with us that God would provide our needs to go, or to make it clear to stay.