Lesotho (Le-sew-two): a land locked country inside of South Africa
Lesotho: dry lands filled with Shepards and animals to follow them
Lesotho: surrounded by mountain ranges; a hidden gem for an explorer
Lesotho: my 1st African home
We arrived to Lesotho on January 1st. We took a bus through Johannesburg to the border, then walked the border & got picked up by our ministry host on the other side. We are staying at Africa4Jesus- a ministry that reaches out into the community daily to show the gospel through teachings & good works.
I’ve always wanted to visit Africa, it’s simply a dream that I get to call it home for the next 3 months.
Somethings here are what I expected and somethings aren’t. When I think of Africa, I think ‘off the grid’ and ‘safari’.
Lesotho is off the grid, but it’s more a farmland than a Savannah. It’s covered with mountains- everywhere you look, 360 degrees, there’s a view waiting for you; it’s beautiful.
In its beauty, there are struggles.
A glimpse into everyday life here:
Water doesn’t fall here all the time; there’s been a drought since April. So it’s not unheard of to run out of water. What happens when water is short?
Showers are more spread out, we use a ‘Long Drop’ (basically a permanent port-a-potty), electricity isn’t really a thing (unless the sun is bright enough for the solar panels) & we walk a little ways off campus to the village’s water hose to fetch something to drink. Life is different here- it’s ‘harder’ in comparison to Home in the States because it’s minimalistic, but to contradict itself, it’s almost easier.
Sure we have to go out of our way to do basic things; like laundry (washing by hand and drying on the fences- it can be a 3 hour affair), but the whole time I get to chat with my sweet friends and be surrounded by mountains and cool breezes while the local children play and laugh in the background. I get to rest in Jesus 24/7 as well as when life seems like it’s getting hard- because He’s the first to turn to here, I don’t have to sift through obstacles to find Him. I’m being shown what it means to simply be.
What have we been doing here?
Our day starts with a morning walk at 7am to clear our minds and prepare for the day. After breakfast (usually a corn porridge or oatmeal), we head out with a translator to neighboring villages in the valley, walking door to door to share the gospel and words of encouragement. We walk everywhere, close to 5 miles a day throughout the ‘Malealea Valley’, from house to house. I’ve been learning a lot about this culture through our translator. His name is Te-po & he’s only been a believer since 2017, but he knows the truth better than the back of his hand; it’s inspiring. We spend the a.m doing this, hitting about 5 homes and playing with the village children as we walk. It’s slow but so meaningful. We witnessed new brothers and sisters coming into the Kingdom, we’ve prayed prayers of healing, and we’ve heard new insights into the gospel. After lunch (usually a pb&j or eggs), we have been holding a girls ‘retreat’ where women from the villages get to come to Africa4Jesus. We’ve been working on different life skills with them. We’ve taught them how to respect their bodies, exercise (dance & yoga- obliviously threw in the ‘church clap’), we have done their makeup and nails, and shared the gospel with them. We’ve shared what a woman of the Lord looks like through Proverbs 31 and let them know they are loved and cherished simply because they are a daughter of the King. Something back home that is written in our culture. A constant theme within my time abroad, even though controversy takes over the states with equality, its even less acknowledged within the places I have lived these past four months. Women aren’t cherished. They don’t know their worth. It’s been a gift to be used by the Lord to show them love in the simplest form. To see smiles of realization that they matter.
It’s been a busy 2 weeks, and I’ve loved every second. I can’t wait to see what the Lord is going to continue to do in these next 2 weeks while I’m here, as well as after we leave.
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<3 Ris
