Wow! Lesotho, Africa has been my favorite country on the race thus far. Team Valiant and Cafe (my team) spend month four together in the Malealea Valley of Lesotho. All the pictures that are posted here have not been edited, Lesotho is just so beautiful that it seems unrealistic. The Lord taught me about joy through the people, nature, and the simplicity of living with only necesites.
We served at Africa for Jesus that was lead by Peter Mierke and his wife, Keila. Peter and Keila and their two boys Jon and Jamie live next to the foundation. They moved from South Africa to Lesotho to be missionaries. Normally Africa for Jesus is a discipleship school, however; that was not practical in this particular area of Lesotho, because most people do not have the ability to leave their families to come to school. In the Malealea valley most do not work, farming and shepherding is the most common life style. Africa for Jesus in Lesotho has become church plant, and a preschool called Joy school of Hope. The staff has been discipled by Peter and have started the process of running the everyday things on their own. Peter has a amazing staff in his ministry and the Lord is continuing to use them to build His kingdom.
Our jobs this month was to visit different villages in the Malealea Valley and survey the elderly of the community. The point of the survey was to inform the people of the church where there was need in their village, in order for them to act as the church and serve their communities needs. Our teams where split during these visits and we both had our own translator. Team Valiant spent their time with Toboho and team cafe worked with Tsepo. Both translators are wonderful Godly men with amazing testimony’s and a heart for their people. The first week Momma Faith joined in with team cafe for our village visits. After our visits, the information/answers were then complied and the wonderful Hannah Hughes put it in a excel spread sheet to be printed and posted in the church.
Every morning at eight a clock we would have an early morning walk with Peter and his dogs (Louis, Goffy, and Rex) down a dirt road that was surrounded by the most beautiful views. Peter told us it was just to wake up and get our minds set on the Lord. We did not walk during our off days, but Christy and I enjoyed the walk so much we began walking together on our off days. After our morning walk we would have time for breakfast and a little quite time, after we would head out for ministry around 9:30am. Walking was our main source of transportation; to get to the villages we would walk anywhere from half-an-hour to and hour and a hour. While in the village we would spend time with the elderly, ask them questions on the survey and prayed for them. We had amazing interactions with wonderful people and met the cutest children during our walks. In one village the children wanted to accompany us half way back to our ministry, it was so cute.
One day we finished interviewing all the elderly in the village early and had some time to walk around and speak with whoever we wanted. The first person we found was a young mother, probably in her mid twenties. Tespo started a conversation with her and then introduced us. We begans by asking if we could pray for her, but something in my spirit kept prompting me to ask prying questions. She told us that she was interested in Jesus and she found joy in him but she was not currently going to church. The Holy Spirit pushed me to ask her if she had ever heard the whole creation story (creation, fall, redemption, restoration). Many times we assume something is known or told all the time, but the assumption is not the truth. She answered no, and the Holy Spirit helped me lead her through the beginning of Genesis all the to the hope that comes in Revelation. Our sister decided she wanted to accept Jesus as her Lord and Savior that day. Tespo walked her though a prayer of faith, following we prayed for her and her family. Celebration should roar in the kingdom of God when a child enters the gates of salvation. Praise the Lord for His goodness. Please continue to send prayers over our newly reborn sister in Christ.
Around twelve in the afternoon we would head back to the foundation for lunch and we would have a break until 2:30pm. During our break I would take a wonderful nap in my hammock that was hung in-front of breath taking view of the mountains. Then at 2:30pm we would begin our afternoon “chores” (as Peter called them). Our chores consisted of building a eco friendly Cop house that will be used for visiting guest/a house for Peters oldest son Jon and busting up concrete to relay new concrete in front of the preschool. The concrete for the preschool was a slight down hill that curved and the students loved to ride their little trikes down the pavement. Tespo, Jon (Peters eldest son) and Paul (Momma Faith’s husband) helped with the construction of the Cop house while Teboho helped with the concrete demolishing/building.
I only helped with chores two or so days because Christy, Janie and myself cooked for our teams. Cooking for 15 people was challenging with the kitchen we had, but with the grace of the Lord we made it happen. Check out my cooking with Christy blog to hear more about it. Most days It took us from 2:30pm to 5:30pm to make dinner, just to add some perspective. I am so thankful for all the time spent with Janie and Christy.
While spending lots of time in the kitchen I had the opportunity to get to know Mpho. Her and Tsepo are engaged and getting married in May. She also helps run the preschool, but dreams of a day where she can teach children with disability. We shared dreams, testimony’s of life and redemption while bonding over our love for food. Mpho was such a blessing to me during my time in Lesotho, and brought me to tears when she prayed over me our last Sunday at the church.
My favorite day of the week was Sunday. Church service radiated the essence of joy, from praising, dancing, testimonies, but most of all the unity of the spirit that agreed God is good. They do not use any instruments during worship, everything was sang a cappella. Their is a song leader and the rest of the congregation follows in with a beautiful harmony. Momma Faith helped lead worship and her voice was a powerful yet amazing praise to the Lord God almighty. I could listen to her sing for hours. Following worship each generation would get up and sing a song together (this was my all time favorite part). One Sunday our teams sang Waymaker during this section of the service. Then we would have the gift offering and then it would transition into the message. The first Sunday Teboho preached while Tespo translated for us. The last three Sundays Kaelyn, David, and Hannah Cushman shared a message.
Following service the whole church would eat together a stew and pop (a white grit textured corn maze substance). The church services would last three to four hours because many walked more than two hours just to come to church. The staff would provide the food in order to make sure people left with a meal and a full stomach. They wanted everyone to be spiritually and physically filled up.
Toward the last weeks we had more and more opportunities to hang out with Peter’s sons, Jon the oldest who turns 18 this month and Jamie who is 16. Jon loves to mountain bike and Jamie makes beautiful knives (David and Ike bought a knife from him) and enjoyed playing the guitar. On night we had a game night where we played spoons both the “America way” and the “South African way”, followed by a game of sardines, and lastly a couples games of body-body(simular to mafia). It was a fun and silly night to remember.
Our last day in Lesotho we help make clay for the Cop house with our feet. It was such a sweet time full of laughs and even some mud throwing. Soon after we where all packing up and reminiscing on all the wonderful days spent in Lesotho.
Though this was my favorite month, Lesotho came with its own battles. Many of us got sick; I became so sick I could not even make it to the bathroom. There was no way of contacted people back home because there was no wifi. Our power source was solar, so it was challenging to even charge things if the day was not full of sunshine. The bathrooms where a two minute walk from our building and we had the opportunity to use long-drops (if you do not know what a long-drop is google it). The showers and bathroom had a rat living in them, but God was still so good. Over all living life in a simple way opens up your ear to hear the Lords voice so clearly. Their are so many opportunities to see His presence in the unity of the spirit or mediating on how much more He loves you than the beautiful mountain view in front of you. It’s a special opportunity, especially being an American who is easily distracted by so many things. There is a joy in simplicity and full trust that the Lord is truly all you need.
Lesotho and the people I left their will forever hold a place in my heart. I cannot wait to visit again.
