Update!!!! Praise report!!! I’m fully funded!
Thank you for all of your support!
If you‘d still like to donate, please see the links to my Team Tigress teammates.
AshleyJones.theworldrace.org
EvaDidonato.theworldrace.org
Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!
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Now on to the blog:
Let me be honest, I had never heard of Lesotho before I committed to the World Race last January. We’ve been in Lesotho for 18 days now and it’s a beautiful country, both the people and the landscape.
It’s very different than the parts of the last 3 countries that we stayed in Southeast Asia. In Asia, there was usually a mall within driving distance.
Here in Mokhotlong, the mall is over 5 hours away. Also, most of the roads here are not paved, so we walk go up and down hilly rocky dirt terrain. Overall, it’s a mostly quiet community and I’m so thankful for the opportunity to be here serve.
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Here are some facts about Lesotho:
1.Lesotho was previously the British Colony of Basutoland; it declared independence from the United Kingdom on 4 October 1966. It is now a full country that is a member of the United Nations.
2.The name Lesotho roughly translates to “the land of the people who speak Sesotho – which is the national language.
3.The traditional style of housing in Lesotho is called a mokhoro – walls usually constructed from large stones cemented together, with thatched or corrugated roofing sheets.
4.Traditional attire revolves around the Basotho blanket, a thick covering made primarily of wool. The blankets are ubiquitous throughout the country during all seasons, and worn differently by men and women.
5. The national dish of Lesotho is Motoho, a fermented sorghum porridge eaten throughout the country.
Because Lesotho has limited food resources, a majority of families in the country raise their own food and livestock to support themselves and their families.
Some staple foods include pap-pap, a cornmeal porride, covered with a sauce consisting of various vegetables.
We eat this almost every day!
6.Lesotho is geographically surrounded by South Africa and economically integrated with it. The economy of Lesotho is based on agriculture, livestock, manufacturing and mining. Almost 50 percent of the population earn income through informal crop cultivation or animal husbandry with nearly two-thirds of the country’s income coming from the agricultural sector.
7.Life expectancy at birth in Lesotho in 2016 was 51 years for men and 55 for women. There are roughly only five physicians per 100,000 persons.
Lesotho is severely afflicted by HIV/AIDS and has one of the highest infection rates in the world. Rates have been decreasing over the years through a country-wide “know your status” public health initiative. Lesotho has also one of the highest rates of tuberculosis in the world.
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Overall, Lesotho is a beautiful country. Everywhere you look, there are mountains in the backdrop. There are sheep, cows, chickens, and horses. We also have 3 dogs at our house. A puppy and a mom and dad. Here are some photos I took!
The church we’ve partnered with has been so gracious to invite us in to their ministry. My favorite moments were visiting the prison, the hospital, and also the school and just interacting with locals and making sure they know Jesus loves them. I will write about these moments in another blog post, so Subscribe!
Link is either to the left of this page or above.
*Disclaimer: some of these facts are estimates that I found out from the Pastors here. Other facts, I found online.*
In courageous faith and for His glory alone,
Sharon
