I’m in Africa! And you may be thinking that life is hard here and I’m having a miserable time but it’s the opposite. It’s quite peaceful and beautiful! My team and another team from our squad is staying in a valley called Malealea Valley in Lesotho. Monday through Thursday we have a morning walk starting at 7, then we have quiet time, breakfast at 8, and by 9 we are walking throughout the valley to one of the villages to share the good news and help them with chores. There are 13 different villages throughout the valley so there is a lot of walking but it’s a beautiful walk every single time. That’s our typical week and even though we have only been here 11 days, there is much to talk about!
- There is currently a drought in the valley so we have to be spares with our water
- However, it has been raining every day since we arrived
- But we shower about every 3 days
- It has been 11 days and I’ve only showered three times so far.
- Our toilets are just a deep hole in the ground
- 7 out of 14 of us that are here have been or are still sick, throwing up and having diarrhea
- I was sleeping on a mattress on the floor but woke up one morning with about 40 bites on my right ankle. I still don’t know from what and I keep getting more
- I’m now sleeping in my tent outside
- Church service last about 5 hours
- There are cows, sheep, and their shepherds everywhere
- It’s completely dark out by 7 so we go to bed at 7
- There are so many stars out at night!
- We are surrounded by mountains
- The locals ride on donkeys to get around
- It’s cold for a Floridian but it’s nice weather!
- We do laundry by hand
I’m enjoying my time is Africa so far, especially since I have had time to rest and just be with God. But I have also had lots of time to sit and miss home. I catch myself looking at pictures and videos of my family, friends, and my dog all the time! I miss home quite often and I know just sitting there looking at pictures and videos does me no good. I start crying every time I look through my pictures. There is one thing I have that I read every time I miss home and encourages me. Before I left, my best friend wrote me this long letter for my birthday but it was also a letter of encouragement. Two of the things she wrote were bible verses. The first is Psalm 37:4 and the other is Luke 5:1-11. If you’d like, go and read the verses but the first one talks about God granting the desires of our hearts and the second talks about Simon Peter not being able to catch any fish and then God comes and tells Him to cast his net into deep water. She ties these two verse together by explaining first, that when you delight yourself in the Lord, your desires will be His desires. The second, Simon Peter wasn’t able to catch anything, but because God said to let down his net, he did. She wrote in her letter, “If you’re ever questioning whether or not you’re in the right place just remember, God placed those desires in your heart. And because He says so, you’re going to continue to cast your nets into deep waters.” I read her letter every month and especially when I’m missing home. I keep her letter in my journal behind a picture of her that she signed for me. Many times here in Africa, I thank God for blessing me with such great friends! And Ale, if you’re reading, I miss you and love you so much! Thank you for encouraging me even when I’m away from home.
