There is no amount of words I could gather to express our trip to Lesotho. I sit here thinking, "Where do I begin?" I'll start with Luke...my biggest concern: him sleeping! Well....God seemed to come alongside us the moment our plane departed from US soil...he fell asleep....Luke was a trooper. He never had any problems sleeping. He slept 8 hours on the way there...and 11 hours on our return flight!
God seemed to take all the inhibitions away...we experienced many things. The Basotho culture is fascinating, and people even more delightful than you can fathom. In fact, the most pleasant people I have every come in contact with. Especially when you make the effort to speak their language. They are loving, considerate, and full of family life. They seem to thrive on relationships and build their entire world around it! People are their life.
For two weeks we stayed in the capital city, Maseru with Nathan, Nicole, and Caleb. They currently reside in a 4 bedroom, 3 bath home. Yes....it's for the ability to host mission teams. We experienced living in "community" as they call it. Living in tight quarters with another family. We were able to see their day-in and day-out "missionary" lifestyle. Nicole, all the while still looking more beautiful than ever! :) We were able to be with Shayla (our dear friend from Gville) for just 2 short days, but we were so blessed to hear all about her trials, challenges, and adventures from her past year of working with Mercy Ships in Liberia. Unbelievable!
God seemed to weave people in and out of our visit like it had been planned all along. The opportunity to talk with other missionaries from Ghana, Holland, US, Australia.........all over the world was priceless.
Patrick and I went into the mountains for two days. We stayed in a Bed and Breakfast in Ramabanta. It was truly paradise. We visited the villages, took a pony trek, and slept in the traditional home called a Rondaval. We went on the following day to Semongkong to see the Maletsunyane falls. Getting there was an adventure in itself...there were times I didn't think we were even on "roads".
God seemed to take all the inhibitions away...we experienced many things. The Basotho culture is fascinating, and people even more delightful than you can fathom. In fact, the most pleasant people I have every come in contact with. Especially when you make the effort to speak their language. They are loving, considerate, and full of family life. They seem to thrive on relationships and build their entire world around it! People are their life.
For two weeks we stayed in the capital city, Maseru with Nathan, Nicole, and Caleb. They currently reside in a 4 bedroom, 3 bath home. Yes....it's for the ability to host mission teams. We experienced living in "community" as they call it. Living in tight quarters with another family. We were able to see their day-in and day-out "missionary" lifestyle. Nicole, all the while still looking more beautiful than ever! :) We were able to be with Shayla (our dear friend from Gville) for just 2 short days, but we were so blessed to hear all about her trials, challenges, and adventures from her past year of working with Mercy Ships in Liberia. Unbelievable!
God seemed to weave people in and out of our visit like it had been planned all along. The opportunity to talk with other missionaries from Ghana, Holland, US, Australia.........all over the world was priceless.
Patrick and I went into the mountains for two days. We stayed in a Bed and Breakfast in Ramabanta. It was truly paradise. We visited the villages, took a pony trek, and slept in the traditional home called a Rondaval. We went on the following day to Semongkong to see the Maletsunyane falls. Getting there was an adventure in itself...there were times I didn't think we were even on "roads".
The second week Patrick and Nathan went to South Africa for a Discipleship Training School conference. He was able to walk alongside Nathan to experience the life of a missionary, and becoming fully aware of Nathan's role as a coordinator for YWAM.
Meanwhile Jeanne, Nicole, Luke & Caleb did some "sightseeing," house work, and serving within the community. We visiting the famous Cave dwellings and more importantly had time to share our struggles of daily life. Nicole's life is a lot like mine in staying home, preparing meals, taking care of Caleb, while Nathan sometimes does "hands on" work for YWAM. Nicole and I were able to serve some of the children in the city of Maseru. These are children abandoned and left to parent themselves and possibly their siblings as well. We helped serve the children a small meal, and then played with them. We also visited two orphanages. Where images are now carved into my heart for life. Can't I take them all home?
Now I have questions like, "Why do I have granite countertops when people in Lesotho don't even have toilets?" Or, "I didn't choose to be born in the U.S. where I was freely able to get a college education and to have the best of "things," neither do children in Africa choose to be born in a country where AIDS is rampant, killing parents, and leaving millions of orphans. Many questions fill my mind and I am left to ask God, "Show me what puzzle peice I am, because I know I cannot fix all the problems...I just want to be a peice!"
Now I have questions like, "Why do I have granite countertops when people in Lesotho don't even have toilets?" Or, "I didn't choose to be born in the U.S. where I was freely able to get a college education and to have the best of "things," neither do children in Africa choose to be born in a country where AIDS is rampant, killing parents, and leaving millions of orphans. Many questions fill my mind and I am left to ask God, "Show me what puzzle peice I am, because I know I cannot fix all the problems...I just want to be a peice!"
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