To say that our month in Malealea Valley, Lesotho was fruitful is a drastic understatement. We saw the Lord move in miraculous ways and I am so thankful to have been a part of it. The valley is filled with amazing people who welcomed us into their homes, cooked for us, shared their stories, and prayed with us. We saw salvations and healings, I had the privilege of giving a sermon in church, and we were able to invest in people’s lives and speak life into the broken places that they let us into. The work of Jesus is evident, but there is also a side to this place that is dark and a bit scary.
Things like witchcraft and ancestral worship are quite common and control the way many people live their lives. Another practice that dominates people’s lives, specifically the men, is what they call “Initiation School.” This is a process that many of the boys go through when they are about sixteen years old. They live on top of one of the nearby mountains for six months where they are taught by older men how to drink, fight, and many other things that in their mind classify them to become real men. If the boys make it to the end of the six months without quitting or dying, they are circumcised and officially recognized as men in the community. The work of evil is just as noticeable in this valley as is the work of Christ.
This story is one that will highlight how Jesus is clearly overcoming the power of darkness in this valley. On our first day of ministry we were walking through one of the nearby villages and meeting the local people. We were getting to know them and encouraging them with prayer and Scripture. We were speaking with this one family for quite a while and a man kept walking by, we tried to invite him into the conversation many times but he clearly wanted no part of it. After a lot of persistence we convinced him to have a seat, and even though he sat about 25 feet away from us, he could still hear what we were saying and that was good enough for me. As we communicated through our translator, we were able to learn a little bit about this man and his life.
His name is Moseli (pronounced moh-say-tee). He is 38 years old and is one of the men that leads the initiation school. For years he has taught young boys what it means, in their culture, to become a man. He said that he knew about Jesus but was afraid to commit his life to Him because of his past, and that he was scared to lose his reputation as a leader in the community. I related to him on such a deep level, and I truly felt for him because I was once in a very similar situation. The Lord very clearly told me to share a piece of my story with him. I began to tell him about who I was five years ago. I was so consumed in the party scene that it completely became my identity. Even though deep down I hated the way I was living and the mistakes I was continually making, I was too afraid to change because I feared losing my reputation and the friendships that came with it. I knew all along that Jesus was the answer to true peace, joy, and freedom, but I was trapped in the lifestyle that I had created.
As I told him how the Lord brought me out of that darkness and brought so much glory to my broken past, Holy Spirit took over. The words that the Lord were speaking were clearly hitting home for Moseli, and it was clear that just as Jesus chased me down and completely saved my life, today was going to be the day that Moseli’s life was radically changed. Moseli committed his life to Jesus that day. Praise the Lord! It was one of the most beautiful moments I have ever been a part of.
What is cool about God’s pursuit of each and every one of us is how he uses our circumstances to provide unique platforms for change moving forward. In my own life that looks like using my broken past to be able to relate to people who are in similar situations and pour into the youth so they avoid the path that I found myself on. On my last day of ministry this month, I got the chance to hang out with Moseli and tell him how God has uniquely placed him in a position of influence, and how he has an opportunity to use his position to bring glory to the Lord. There are few men in that valley with as much influence as Moseli, and now he has the opportunity to point hundreds of boys to Jesus instead of leading them into destruction.
We were able to give Moseli a Bible translated into his native language, and I also shared with him a gift that is very special to me. For months I have been wearing a bracelet that I received from my church back home in San Diego. The bracelet says, “Speak Life.” This was a daily reminder that each conversation has the potential to change somebody’s life and eternity. I know for a fact that God wants to use Moseli to change that valley, and as I shared that with him I gave him the bracelet as a constant reminder of how powerful he is and how God is going to use him in mighty ways. I will never forget Moseli, and I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to meet him and become friends and brothers.
This is an example of how relentless God is in His pursuit of each one of us. It also shows how intentional He is with our circumstances. We are never too far away that the Lord can’t reach us and turn our mess into something beautiful. My prayer is that today, whether you know Jesus or not, you will take a look at your life and see how God has placed you in a position to positively impact those around you. He wants to establish a deeper relationship with you, help you through difficult seasons, and use you as a light in your community to help point people back to His peace, joy, and love.
