When we got to our host site at the beginning of the month, we were told we would stay a week in a village. We really enjoyed our days with the preschoolers and were sad to leave them, but when the Monday came around we packed our bags to yet another unknown place. The place was called Ranaka Village. We were told we would be dropped off and picked up on Friday afternoon and that we would be tenting, so we packed it up thinking we were going to be roughing it. When we arrived, we brought our things inside and were told to put our stuff in a room with a full sized bed and a twin sized bed. We didn’t know if it was a room for us or not but obeyed like we always do. It was a bit rainy when we got there so we started taking off our shoes to go inside and that’s when we had our first interaction with Idah as she said, “No, it’s ok, be free.”
We found out that we in fact were staying in the room and were pleased that we wouldn’t have to tent outside in the chilly rain. When spots were all divided between all five teammates, we had two on the full sized bed, one on the twin bed, one on a sleeping pad in a perfect little nook in a corner, and one in a tent in the middle of the room. We were cramped but we were inside.
The rest of the week consisted of being called her children, heating up water for baths, and enjoying the simple life.
Now, it wasn’t all perfect. We were tormented by bugs many of the nights and had to fetch water for just about everything, but we felt loved and that’s all that matters sometimes. Before we left, she said she prays and hopes that the rest of our hosts treat us just like their children. She also told us how she responded when she was told we could tent outside, “Are they normal?” Referring to anyone trying to make us tent, telling us how she wouldn’t be able to sleep at night knowing we were outside. She was a feisty woman, busting out dance moves on the regular and learning to play Dutch Blitz with us even as she fell behind in such a fast-paced game, and she evidently loved the Lord.
When one of my teammates commented how she knew everyone we met in the road, she told us that if you love the Lord you should know everyone so you can share the good news with them or tell them Jesus loves them.
We lived with her and her husband, her mother, one 15 yr old daughter and another daughter that was adopted from the Kalahari desert who is 8 yrs old. To give us the room we were in, her husband slept on the floor in the living room and the rest squished into a remaining room. She told us if you love Jesus then you wouldn’t mind squishing in the home instead of sleeping comfortably while others were sleeping outside.
The week consisted of us visiting a clinic and the primary and secondary schools, presenting ourselves to the chief of the village, and singing at every single location. We were more like a traveling church choir than missionaries that week. When we went to see the chief, we had to get past a board of directors to give us the green light to go see him. We didn’t exactly know the details of where we were and naturally cannot understand Setswana so we just smiled as we were ushered into a room with a bunch of Ranaka Villagers. After some exchanges from Idah and the women sitting, we were acknowledged and asked, “What is your mission here, why have you come to Botswana?” One of my teammates quickly pawned the question off to our team leader Sam. She responded by telling them what the World Race is and how we were traveling, etc. At this point there was a bit of tension because it felt a bit like an interrogation session and at this point many of us weren’t even quite sure where we were. Then the same lady asked what we brought for them. Personally I was taken aback by the question and was racking my brain for anything we might be able to offer when I hear Sam calmly say “We brought a song.”
The next interactions in the village involved singing our little hearts out while trying not to burst out laughing at the hilarity of the situation all the while swaying back and forth like little smurfs. Some of the people really appreciated it while others were just as confused as we were as to why we were there and why we were singing. Idah was convinced that’s what we were to do and so we followed. Many people thanked us for the encouragement and told us how much we blessed them with the songs and scriptures that were shared.
Pics: My teammates and I with our fearless leader Idah, Idah’s daughters in yellow reading me some verses they wanted to share, resting on one of the hills that surround Ranaka Village, selfie with Idah’s daughters and neighborhood kids, my teammate Ellie reading some scriptures of encouragement to patients at the clinic, Idah’s mother, and some Ranaka Village scenery
