August has been a blur and the whole process has been so chaotic. It is only now that I am able to sit down and really process everything that has happened over the last few weeks. I know that before I launched, I was curious what an average day on the field looked like. Now that I’m here, I realize why I could never get a straight answer. No day is the same. Despite that, I still thought it would be cool to give you guys a look at an average day here in Lesotho…
6:00 a.m. – Wake up/quiet time
7:00 a.m. – Breakfast
9:00 a.m. – Prison ministry (We go to the prison and participate in a worship service)
12:00 p.m. – Hospital ministry (We visit the local hospital and pray for every patient)
2:00 p.m. – Return back to our mission house for personal time (Laundry, shopping, walking around town, reading)
6:00 p.m. – Dinner
7:30 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. – Team time (Debrief the day, feedback, hopefully laugh a lot)
9:30 p.m. – Sleeppppppp
Ministry has been so different everyday, and I could never retell everything we do and see. I still want to keep you in the loop on kingdom victories that I am a part of. Sunday was definitely one of those days for me. Hana Beth, Colt, Brittany, Gabby, Carmen, and myself walked one hour to a church that was located in a remote village in the mountains. One of the local church leaders named Dadi Lebopo walked with us. When we arrived we sat outside and the service started around 10. We got finished around 11:30, and still had a 1-hour walk back. I was starting to get excited because lunch was scheduled for 1 p.m. so I thought we would actually get back a little early. Yeah, I was excited until Dadi Lebopo told us we were going to do door to door ministry in the village. I then realized that lunch wasn’t going to happen. I was with Lebopo and we went to a nearby home. There was a 2 or 3-year-old boy sitting outside alone, with no pants on, and it was probably 50-55 degrees outside. Lebopo called for the mother and when she opened the door, he looked at me and said, ”Okay Matthew…” Ummmmm….am I supposed to be the one talking? I thought I was just supposed to smile and be the white guy that all the locals laughed at for being so tall….and white. He’s the pastor, but he wants me to do the talking? I just went with it. I told her how special she was in the eyes of the Father and the same God that loves me in America is the very same God that holds her heart in Lesotho. She then told me that she sells beer in order to feed her children and she is confused about what to do. I told her that God clothes and feeds the birds of the air and the beasts of the field, and He loves us so much more than He loves them. I asked her what her gifts were. She said, “selling beer.” Not exactly a Sunday school answer, but I told her that I honor and respect her for working so hard to provide for her family, and having the ability to run a business is a special and unique gift. You see, people know if they’re doing right or wrong. They don’t need you to tell them and point that out. What people sometimes struggle to realize is that they are unique and have special gifts. It is our responsibility to help people realize this gifting and help individuals use those gifts for kingdom impact. Anyway, back to the story. I then asked her what she loved about herself. She could not think of anything. I told her that I thought she had a beautiful smile, which made her smile even more. Then I said that she’s not too old, it’s not too late, no matter what sins are in your past, God loves you, God can still use you, and God still wants to use you. The question is, will you allow Him? She nodded. Lebopo spoke with her in Sesotho (the native language) for a couple minutes and then looked at me and said, “Matthew, she’s ready.” What is she ready for? Ready for lunch? Yeah, me too. Lebopo could tell I was confused. She was ready to accept Jesus. I asked her if she believed Jesus was Lord. She nodded. I asked her if she believed Jesus died on the cross, was buried, and on the third day He rose. She said yes. We read through Romans 10:9-10
If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For it is with your heart that you believe and are justified, and it is with your mouth that you profess your faith that you are saved.
I prayed for her and told her that we would meet again. It was amazing! As we were walking away I stopped and turned back. I told her that because she is now a Christian, this does not mean life will be easy, but it does mean life will now be worth it. We have an everlasting hope that lives inside of us that can’t be extinguished. God is good.
FYI: Lesotho is pronounced (La-soo-too)
