My team was joined with another team for the month of February in the small town of Mokhotlong, Lesotho. We partnered with Harvester’s Bible Church and served in a variety of ministries.
One of the first days, my team walked half an hour on dirt roads to reach the high school. We were responsible for teaching Scripture Union for the day. The students gather together to read the Bible and sing praise songs. One thing that I’ve learned about Africa is that you never really know what to expect. To our surprise, about 150 students arrived for the meeting that day. They brought so much joy into the auditorium and came with a willingness to listen. I shared a Bible lesson from the book of Acts and my teammate, Alyssa, followed with a personal connection. We also led youth group on Tuesday nights and it was wonderful to see some of the same students from the high school come to church those nights.
On other days, we worked with our partnering team to help build the orphanage connected with the church. The orphanage was a project that the church had decided to undertake. On our last Sunday, the announcement was made that everyone in the church needed to volunteer one Saturday of the month to help with construction after we left. One of the leaders went around the entire congregation numbering everyone 1-4 to determine which Saturday that they would volunteer. I was really encouraged to see that the project was becoming a joint effort and that people were expected to help with the project that the church had already determined to complete. I was also amused because I know this type of delegation wouldn’t be acceptable in the States. At home, we typically become so busy that if someone tried to mandate volunteer hours into our schedule, most people wouldn’t show up. They recognize that working together for one purpose and with Christ’s mindset produces significant results.
On Wednesdays, our teams took turns visiting the local prison. We shared the Gospel, our testimonies, and Bible stories with the inmates. Over our month stay, I believe 17 inmates accepted Christ as their Savior. It was a blessing to pray for those men. (Prisons are much more relaxed in Lesotho when compared to America. We walked straight into the courtyard area without security checks). The inmates gathered around us and listened intently.
Once a week we also served at the hospital’s soup kitchen. Patients with HIV/AIDS walk very long distances to come to the hospital for check-ups. The church recognized the need for feeding the hungry and instituted the soup kitchen ministry. We shared a message and Scripture of encouragement with the patients. I admire that the church is aware of the community’s needs and searches for ways to tangibly love people.
We participated in the services of two churches: the main church and its church plant in a nearby village. The week that my team was assigned to the church plant, we walked an hour and a half in our skirts and sandals on dirt roads and up a mountain before finally being picked up and driven the remainder of the way. My teammate, Shirletha, preached that Sunday in a little thatched roof hut and greatly encouraged the sweet village people. One thing is for sure, Africans worship with their whole hearts. I was blessed just to share that experience with them.
Friday was probably my favorite ministry day because we went to the primary school to play with the children during their recess time. We played games, sang songs, and held the little kids. Recess time is very different in Africa than the States. The children have little to no supervision which makes for a very entertaining time. They were always so happy to see us and came running to give us all high fives.
I learned so much during my three months in Africa. When I look back, there are a lot of humorous moments and situations that I never would have imagined I would experience. Sometimes this race feels more like a dream than anything else and I know that the Lord is continuing to mold and shape me into the person He wants me to become. He is stretching me to become more dependent on Him.
Other Notable Africa Moments:
-A monkey stole my lunch…twice.
-I was attacked by biting ants while on a baboon search with villagers.
-My hosts served me sour porridge and I tried not to throw up. I tried to cover it up by drinking red juice which I then accidentally spilled all over the hut floor.
-Sometimes border crossings take 12 hours and I pass out in line.
-I rode on the back of my host’s flat bed and went through several tree branches. Thankfully I moved out of the way by the time he backed into a pole.
-I was really bad at hand washing my clothes. It takes me two hours.
-Three hour car rides take five hours because our driver had to first show us off to all his friends around town.
-Squatty potties are a real thing.
-I finally get to take a shower in a grass enclosure in the village and chickens decide to join me.
-A bus ride comes with 90 complementary African music videos blasting all night long. You can even buy your aloe vera for $1 at 5AM on the same bus ride.
-Someone thought it was a good idea to put me in charge of herding 200 goats and sheep on my own. Stressful situation.
Most of the time I just laugh because I never would have expected myself to have these experiences. I just continue to embrace them and decide their explanation can be summed up in one word: Africa.
We’ve moved onto our seventh month and country, the Philippines. We arrived safely after a 20 hour flight and I’m looking forward to serving here. Updates to come. Thank you for your continued love, support, and prayers. Sending love!
