The Lesotho Chronicles

Lesotho, a country I hadn't even heard of before this trip, much less knew how to pronounce (it's Lesutu🙂) has been an eye opening experience for me. I came here thinking I wasn't going to enjoy my time here, as it involved farming, and I'm not a farmer. I have never been happier to have been proven wrong! God has taught me so many valuable lessons here. On the drive in alone, I learned how amazing of an artist God is! The landscape here is nothing like I imagined it would be.

The mountains, with all their beautiful shades and tones meet the sky with it's phenomenal hues and absolutely magnificent sunrises/sunsets. Then, after the sun has set, the stars come out and there are so many more than I'm used to seeing! It's hard not to get lost in staring at them.

Another thing God taught me is that our way as Americans isn't the only way or even necessarily the best way. Working at Growing Nations with Farming God's Way is hard work, and it's different from how most farms in America would do things. But here in Lesotho, the Basotho people are learning about sustainable agriculture to help reduce soil erosion and repair the land. I've learned different ways of doing quite a few things, from greeting people, to card games, to music, to getting from A to B, there are other ways of doing things than what we as Americans are used to.

In my home stay, I learned that I can live without my phone, and I don't need television to entertain me. I also saw an awesome family who worked together to help each other and really loved each other in good times and bad. I saw a society that I wish we had in the United States, where people from the village just show up at the door and are welcomed in. I see a community where people help each other out.

After the home stay, my team got to know the missionaries at Growing Nations better, and their stories of how they came to be here. This has really helped me with some of the questions I've been asking God about regarding His will for my life. I certainly don't have all the answers and the future is still uncertain, but I know God is in control and He will lead me where He wants me to go.

Finally, I love how God can humble us. A week after we got back from our home stays, the team climbed Snake Mountain. Some of us continued to Mohale's Hoek to use wifi, and we all made it down just fine, aside from a teammate losing their cellphone I the way down. Then, a week after that, I decided to go for a run and ended up soloing Snake Mountain.

Probably not the smartest thing I've ever done, but apart from a couple scrapes, I got up and down just fine. But then, as I  was basking in the thought of how manly I was for doing this, I started running and tripped over a rock. In fact, I hit my knee on it hard enough that I had to sit down and collect myself after. When I did stand, I was limping.

Just before it happened, I had been thinking about going up a third time with teammates who wanted to go up again, but right then, I got the message loud and clear: I'm not going to go back up Snake Mountain again, at least not on this trip. But that's alright, God gives and He takes away. It isn't a major injury that will end my running forever, it's simply a reminder that He is the One who gives me my abilities and I wouldn't have any of them without Him. 

During my time in Lesotho, I had a variety of foods, served with pap, samp, or rice. The second to last night in Lesotho was definitely an eventful one, as I discovered an owl in the house the team was staying. We eventually scared it out with no harm done to us or the owl, but not before it made it's way around the whole house, scaring most of the team(and probably the owl)in the process! 

Now, as we prepare to continue on to Namibia, I pray that God will continue to show Himself to me and that He will show His will for after the trip.