I think it is safe to say that Lesotho has been my hardest month so far on the race. (By the way, we made it to Africa!!) God has used this month to really grow me and show me how mighty He is and how He can use me in the Kingdom.
This month team XOXO is paired up with Freedom Runners in Malealea Valley, Lesotho. We are working with the organization Africa 4 Jesus to spread the word of God throughout the valley. To give you an idea of where we live we have to walk 2 miles to get WiFi at a lodge or we have to drive 2 hours to go to the closest mall. I personally have loved being away from WiFi and just getting to live like the locals.
Things here started off pretty crazy and have only recently started to slow down.
When we got here almost half the people on the teams got sick. Our host was constantly taking us to a local clinic to get medicine and try to figure out what was causing all of the sickness. After a few days most people got better but the ones who didn’t went to the doctor in South Africa. I went to the clinic and the doctor said I had a bowel infection. Once everyone got antibiotics we were all fine.
This month our schedule looks a lot different than it did in Malaysia. We go on prayer walks in the mornings then in the afternoons we do some form of ministry at our hosts facility. This can look like pulling weeds, painting, having bible studies, or doing a girls ministry. The facility is also where we have been living. The organization has church here on Sundays and also have a preschool on site for local children. The kids have been on Christmas break so we have helped get the preschool all ready for them to come back to school on the 21st. On Sundays, a few people on the teams have been preaching while the other team members help with the children’s ministry. Then our adventure days and Sabbath has been on Friday’s and Saturday’s.
Since I was sick this past week was really the first week I got to participate in the morning prayer walks. Our team typically hikes for 30-45 minutes to get to peoples houses in different parts of the valley. On a normal day I fall at least 3 times on the way down to someones house. While we are at these houses and sharing the Gospel we try to help the community by helping them with chores or anything else around the house. Most of the time they have us go get buckets of clean water for them. Let me tell you, I will never again take running water for granted again. Carrying full buckets of water up and down mountain sides has been one of the hardest things I have ever done. We do it in pairs but most of the time these people carry a bucket by themselves multiple times a day. Crazy!
During the prayer walks we spend anywhere from 30 minutes to a few hours in someones house talking to them about God. Our translator has such a big heart for sharing the word and has really taught us how simple it can be to talk to strangers. Before this month I would have felt a little uncomfortable if I was told to go share the Gospel with someone. Now it is a different story. I truly look forward to sharing scripture, building relationships, and praying over strangers.
At the end of this month our squad will be having team changes at debrief. This means that this next week will be my last week of ministry with the girls in XOXO. We have really bonded this month as a team so it will be very difficult for us to be separated and start over with new people. We would really appreciate prayers for our last week together and the transition process into our new teams. This is can sometimes be a challenge for people to find their place among a new group of teammates.
Also, thank you so much for your prayers over fundraising. As of last week I am officially fully funded!! There are no words to decribe how thankful I am for all every single person who has donated. All of the love and support for this journey has been overwhelming and so encouraging! Please continue praying for my other squad mates who are not yet fully funded. Their final deadline is at the end of this month.
Thank you again for all of the prayers and support. I miss everyone so much!
Much love,
Steffy
