Lesotho, also known as “The Kingdom in the Sky”, is where I had to privilege of spending Month 10. Before this year I honestly had never heard of Lesotho and definitely had no idea where it was. So if you’re like me at all, I’ll help ya out. Lesotho is a small African country that is completely surrounded by South Africa. It is mostly made up of mountains (hence the nickname), which was such a beautiful change of pace.
We had the most gorgeous ministry sight this month!!! We were in the valley of Malealea. Every single day began with a breath-taking sunrise and ended with a stunning, peaceful sunset. At night there were more stars than I could even begin to fathom. And one of my favorite sites of all, you could see the Milky Way!! This was a first for me, so I soaked it up as much as I could. It was such the perfect location to spend the month!!
We worked with a ministry called Africa 4 Jesus. Our ministry mainly consisted of evangelism. We would walk to one of the villages that were spread out across the valley. There we got to meet the people and help them with whatever they needed. We helped wash dishes, prepare gardens, fetch water, and even smear cow dung onto a wall with our hands (yeah ministry is glamorous sometimes…). But my favorite part about these interactions was when we got sit with them and tell them about Jesus. It was so beautiful to be able to bring them the Good News. I wouldn’t consider evangelism one of my strengths, but it has been so fun to grow in this year. There is nothing more exciting than seeing lives changed for eternity.
Some mornings and afternoons we also got to go to a local secondary school and teach English, which made my little heart so so happy!! It felt so good to stand in front of a classroom again and interact with the students. In our classroom we had 53 students, so a few more than I am used to, but we had so much fun! The students were so bright and brought me so much joy.
Joy seemed to be a theme of the month. Whether it was the ministry we were doing or the people we were interacting with, it just seemed like so much joy radiated all month long. (Check out my last blog post if you haven’t already!)
There were 12 of us from our squad that were together this month, and with that came a lot of laughs. So many ridiculous situations just left us on the ground rolling (example: a chicken getting thrown into our room)! But it was so good for the soul and I wouldn’t change a second!! I feel like I will just look back on this month and smile thinking about it all. These people have become my family, and my heart is sad that I will have to leave them soon.
This month had its challenges, the biggest of which was just staying present as home loomed closer and closer. But through it all, I venture to say this month was the most connected I have ever been to the Lord. I feel so connected to Him through nature, so maybe it was because we were in a gorgeous place and removed from civilization quite a bit. But regardless, He was so present and I soaked up every moment of it.
I saw the Lord in new ways. I saw Him in a shooting star at the end of a hard and confusing day. I saw Him in the smile of a shepherd I waved to on the side of the road. I saw Him in the faces of the preschool students who nearly tackled us everyday on their way to school. I saw Him in the simplicity of life in Malealea.
A little part of my heart has been left in each country I have been to this year, but that piece is just a little bit bigger in Lesotho. I already miss our amazing hosts and the stunning views, and I wouldn’t be sad if I found myself there again someday. Until next time, Malealea!
Month 11 has officially begun as we make the 3-day trek to South Africa. I fly out in exactly one month, which means I’ll be back in SpringVegas in 31 days!! A big part of Month 11 will be reflecting on what this past year has been and preparing to make the transition home. I would love prayer as I begin this process! Thank you to everyone who continues to read my blogs and pray for me. I feel so loved and supported by each of you, and I honestly don’t have enough words for how much you mean to me. I will see you soon!!
