Years ago, I read a book called You Were Born an Original, Don’t Die a Copy by John Mason. The title clearly explains the book’s main idea: to be the unique person God has called you to be. Don’t waste your time trying to fit in with everyone else. Stand out and follow your calling. I don’t remember all the details of the book (maybe I should reread it), but I do remember feeling very challenged after reading it.
It’s easy to cheer and shout, “Yes!” when we hear messages about living genuinely and fulfilling our God-given purpose. But living “original” is difficult, especially in today’s upside-down world. Many of us believe that true authenticity is impossible to achieve. Often, we fall into the temptation to think that the world is against us (and it is because it is lost), which can lead to feelings of self-pity. Even worse, it can cause us to become angry, sometimes misrepresenting God’s love through our frustration and resentment.
But that way of thinking is far from the truth. If you remember Daniel (you know, Daniel from Daniel in the Lion’s Den?), he lived in a society without God. Daniel was living as an exile in Babylon, a harsh culture that worshipped foreign gods. This sometimes put Daniel in danger, but God always saved him and made him more prosperous than everyone around him.
Daniel 5:3 (NASB) “This Daniel began distinguishing himself among the commissioners and satraps because he possessed an extraordinary spirit, and the king planned to appoint him over the entire kingdom.”
In the next chapter, those whom Daniel had distinguished himself over created a plan to have Daniel discredited. This landed him in the lions’ den. We know, of course, God delivered Daniel, and he went on to serve the king faithfully.
We may feel like we’re living in a godless Babylon. Still, there’s no need to fear because as we embrace our uniqueness and live extraordinary lives, God will deliver us and even use us to bring His life to the society around us. That is why we’re here, after all.
School Year 2025/2026
The new academic year in Burundi and Malawi is set to begin later this month. We’re looking forward to an excellent year for our students in these nations. Taking all our schools into account (three in Malawi and one in Burundi), we have over 400 students. Thanks to many of you reading this newsletter, as well as the fundraising efforts of the Helping Hands and Africa & Beyond teams, the funds needed to support our 40 sponsored students have been raised. In addition to those scholarships, funds were raised to work on the infrastructure of one of the schools in Malawi. We are so grateful!
Malawi
However, we have encountered a complication in Malawi. This year is an election year, which always brings its own set of challenges. This year, to boost its popularity, the Malawian government has offered attractive salaries to local teachers to teach at government-run schools (where it isn’t unusual to see more than 50 students in a class). As a result, many private schools, including ours, have lost their teachers. We have suddenly lost 10 educators. Pray that we find replacements quickly.
Burundi
In Burundi, we plan to submit documents in the coming months to add classes at New Hope Academy. We plan to include 1st (and possibly 2nd) grade in our current pre-K through Kindergarten classes. Please pray for us to secure funding for the operation of these new classes during their first year, as this is essential to maintain the school’s financial stability.
Grateful
Thank you for your love, prayers, support, and messages of encouragement. We pray for you, our partners, regularly.
Jamie, Lea, and Andreya
Video Update
Please follow the YouTube link below for a detailed update from our time in Zambia. Enjoy!
Connect with us:
Email: JLPeters@africa-and-beyond.com
Online: www.africa-and-beyond.com
Lea’s blog: www.aculturalshift.com
