Hi friends,
Well the last couple of weeks have been full and very fun! I was able to get through the month-end reports and entries and I believe I was successful. It was quite a triumph to get through everything by myself... now I feel confident that while Sharol & Kari are away I can get things done and keep the ball rolling. To celebrate I went out to lunch with Sharol and Amanda - their treat! We went to Mimmos for pizza - yum! I have the best teammates here in Lesotho and I'm so very grateful for them.
Aside from work duties there has been quite a lot of time devoted to keeping up with the World Cup games. Since South Africa is hosting it we have seen almost all the games on the local television station - it's been so much fun! A few of us on the team and from our national staff at the hangar started a Fantasy World Cup League. While I didn't win... I also didn't place last so it was fun and made watching the games much more exciting. However nothing can compare with actually going to a WC game - yes it's true I was able to attend a game with 3 of my teammates. We call ourselves the Arrival Centre Posse since we are all living on the same street in an area called Arrival Centre. None of us has children, Justin and Amanda are married 2 years now and Bryan and I are the singles on the team. They are great and we have a lot of fun together... no matter what we're doing. World Cup was especially awesome - the noise level from the vuvuzellas was off the charts! I took ear plugs and was glad I did. We saw the Germany vs. England game - it was such an exciting match!
On June 30 the American Ambassador to Lesotho, Ambassador Nolan, hosted many of us for a reception in his home in honor of Independence Day. It was a fun time with many expats from all over the world. Weird though to celebrate here rather than going to the parade in Huntington Beach and then staying at the pier to see the fireworks. It was a week of feeling very homesick and yet grateful to be here. It is hard to put into words how I feel... I love it here and I'm so glad to be able to call Lesotho home... and yet I miss my home in California so very much. I'm often asked what I miss most and I can say without reservation that it is you. I miss my family, my church body and my precious friends... the people I love and that love me. While I am typing this let me take the opportunity to thank you all for your notes, emails, skype visits, packages and most especially your prayers. You are the best source of support and I know I'm doing so well due in no small way to your faithfulness in praying for me. I appreciate you so much!
Well... now that I have blathered on and gotten all mushy... I suppose I ought to tell you about being licked by a lion.
Yes, It's true! I had the wonderful opportunity yesterday to drive into South Africa to a town called Ficksburg. They have a small airport there and next to it is a Lion Sanctuary/Game Park. I took Karissa Westom, one of my nieces on the team, as Saturday as her 13th birthday and we had an Auntie date, just the 2 of us. When we pulled up to Kenyana Lodge the first thing we saw were 2 very cute lion cubs... see pictures on the right. There were also a few juvenile lions who were 6 months old. It is funny typing that and thinking my kittens are 6 moths old also... but there is a vast difference!!!! The owner's daughter, Jamie, gave Karissa and I a tour including allowing us to go into the cubs' enclosure to feed them their milk - how cool is that?! So we spent a little while playing with the cubs and then we were off to see the adults. They have 2 lions which are a little over a year old, their names are Caesar (he was born in July) and Liu (lion in Afrikaans) They were like huge house cats! Jamie was petting them through the wire fence and they purred and whined for her to feed them. I too was able to pet them and Caesar even licked my hand. So yes, I have indeed been licked by a lion - not a cub but a juvenile lion! It was a moment I'll not soon forget!
Interesting to me how life is always a matter of perspective. I was in awe while standing in with the lions thinking I would have never dreamed I'd have the opportunity to do this in my life. Jamie on the other hand thinks it would be incredible to see a killer whale or dolphin. I told her if she ever has the chance to visit the USA while I'm on furlough I would be glad to take her to see some dolphin and maybe even a killer whale. I also had a chance to share with her the reason why I was in Lesotho - I get asked quite often about why I'm here - especially by Afrikaaners who assume I'm Afrikaans until I open my mouth to speak. My accent (or lack thereof) is a dead give away! Well that and the fact I'm not speaking Afrikaans.
I would ask that you join me in praying for more opportunities to share why I am here and in so doing, share the reason for the Hope that I have. I have had a few meaningful discussions with people about my faith and I look forward to more opportunities as I continue this journey I'm on. Thanks for your prayers and I'll be back in touch soon with some more stories.
Love from Lesotho,
Kimberly
Joy in Lesotho
Monday, July 12, 2010
Monday, July 5, 2010
A Rose by any other name....
It is a famous line from Romeo & Juliet... "What's in a name? That which we call a rose by any other name would smell as sweet."
While I believe there is wisdom in these words I believe sometimes having your name changed can be a great thing - and very meaningful.
Just recently my name was changed... or to be more precise... I was given a new name: Mamosa. In the Basotho culture names are very important. Women in this culture are often given as many as three names in their lives... which define their place in life. Every Masotho is given a Basotho name and most given a Christian name as well. Upon marrying the bride's new family (in-laws) give her a new name. She might receive yet another name at the birth of her first child. So now that you know this cultural nugget of truth I can explain the meaning of my new name.
Ma at the beginning of my name infers "mother of" Usually this is used when someone has had a child or if there is a history of naming your first child after another relative. This then could mean that I should name my first child (should I have children) Mosa... as Mamosa means mother of Mosa. Now for the second part of my new name. Mosa means goodness or kindness. So Mamosa means mother of goodness or kindness. A pretty wonderful name! But I was curious since I don't have a child, and since I'm not married why I would be given a name beginning with "Ma"
The answer to that question was a huge blessing to me... this is how it was shared with me by one of my co-workers, Thoahlane. He works at the MAF hangar with me and was a part of the group who chose this name for me. He explained it like this...
Yes, although Ma means mother of it can also be used as an emphasis... we chose Mamosa for you because to us you are like the Mother of all kindness. It means we think you are the epitome of being kind and good.
HOW COOL IS THAT?!
I hope I can live up to this and I know if my Basotho brothers and sisters are seeing goodness or kindness in me then they are seeing Christ who is in me. It is a huge honor to have been given a name as that means they believe they know me well enough to give me a name that reflects who I truly am to them.
While I believe there is wisdom in these words I believe sometimes having your name changed can be a great thing - and very meaningful.
Just recently my name was changed... or to be more precise... I was given a new name: Mamosa. In the Basotho culture names are very important. Women in this culture are often given as many as three names in their lives... which define their place in life. Every Masotho is given a Basotho name and most given a Christian name as well. Upon marrying the bride's new family (in-laws) give her a new name. She might receive yet another name at the birth of her first child. So now that you know this cultural nugget of truth I can explain the meaning of my new name.
Ma at the beginning of my name infers "mother of" Usually this is used when someone has had a child or if there is a history of naming your first child after another relative. This then could mean that I should name my first child (should I have children) Mosa... as Mamosa means mother of Mosa. Now for the second part of my new name. Mosa means goodness or kindness. So Mamosa means mother of goodness or kindness. A pretty wonderful name! But I was curious since I don't have a child, and since I'm not married why I would be given a name beginning with "Ma"
The answer to that question was a huge blessing to me... this is how it was shared with me by one of my co-workers, Thoahlane. He works at the MAF hangar with me and was a part of the group who chose this name for me. He explained it like this...
Yes, although Ma means mother of it can also be used as an emphasis... we chose Mamosa for you because to us you are like the Mother of all kindness. It means we think you are the epitome of being kind and good.
HOW COOL IS THAT?!
I hope I can live up to this and I know if my Basotho brothers and sisters are seeing goodness or kindness in me then they are seeing Christ who is in me. It is a huge honor to have been given a name as that means they believe they know me well enough to give me a name that reflects who I truly am to them.
Saturday, June 12, 2010
Hi... Remember me??
Hello Friends and Family,
First let me begin by begging your forgiveness for being so tardy in making a posting to this blog. Life has been busy now that I'm working full time in the MAF office. I am still waiting to have a wireless connection at home so I haven't been online as much as I hope to be in the future. I'm sorry for being MIA for over a month - Good Heavens! I'll be more regular in my postings from here on...
Rest assured I am just fine and have been learning to live in Maseru. Lots of new things to learn:
- Driving a manual transmission
- Driving on the left side of the road
- Office duties
- Sesotho (the indigenous language - heart language)
I have been busy with some fun activities as well - I'll give you the recap:
My second week here Ben Leonard and Gregg Prickett were here and led a team building retreat with our Lesotho Team - it was awesome! We stayed at Mabula Game Lodge and I had the greatest time leading worship with Ben. Other highlights were a game drive where we saw Wildebeests, Zebra and Eland - Holding a meerkat (think Timone from The Lion King) and star gazing at a campfire seeing a gajillion stars.
Gregg and Ben left and we hosted 3 MAF advocates for the next 2 weeks. I travelled with them to TY which is a village known for its weavers. They weave beautiful wall hangings there out of dyed mohair (goat wool) The weavings are spectacular and amazingly reasonable to purchase considering the amount of time it takes to make one. In the US we'd pay hundreds of dollars for something they charge about $30 - $50 for. The weaver women are so talented, friendly and gracious! Their faces lit up when I spoke the very little Sesotho I knew at that point. I bought a weaving for my home - it is beautiful and I really enjoy it. The picture of the woman weaving on the right is a piece she had already spent a month on - there have to be 500 colors in her weaving.
After the Advocates left we hosted another team from the US called Simply the Story. They led a seminar on how to tell stories from the Bible in an "oral tradition" in order to share the Gospel with those who cannot read or have no access to a Bible. The seminar was a week long and we had many Basotho people in the class. I loved it and found it a valuable skill to use here - especially with mountain village Basothos who speak very little English. The great thing was 4 of our National staff; Thoahlane, Mamotsoane, Lineo and Sefiri; attended the class with me so I got to know them so much better. I work with them at the hangar but don't get the opportunity to really speak with them while we are working. They are amazing people who love jesus so much! They are all helping me learn Sesotho and I have asked them to speak only Sesotho to me at the hangar. They are so patient with me and I'm so grateful to them! Please be praying I'll be able to learn the language so I can have meaningful conversations with people here.
This brings me to last weekend when I went to Morija for a Sesotho Cultural Weekend. I joined several other people who have recently arrived in Lesotho and learned a little language, a little history and saw some more of this beautiful country I now call home. We went to Thaba Bosiu, which is the birthplace of the Basotho Nation. King Moshoeshoe I is burried on top of Thaba Bosiu; it is a plateau he chose as a fortress for the Basotho people. The original name of the country of Lesotho is Basotholand. Moshoeshoe in the 1800's invited French missionaries into Lesotho because he observed countries with missionaries were more peaceful than those who didn't have them. Moshoeshoe was an amazing leader and a contemporary of Zhaka Zulu. He sought peace and prosperity for himself and his people rather than warring as ddi his contemporary leaders. The French missionaries settled in Morija which is land Moshoeshoe gave to them. The oldest church in this nation is found in Morija I'll post a picture of it so you can see it. If you're interested in learning more about the history of missionaries inLesotho there is a book titled, "Murder In Morija" and you can read all about the history. I plan to read the book sometime in the next couple of weeks as soon as a friend finishes it :)
Well - for now that's enough news and I'll write more soon as I now have internet and can more easily make regularly updates.
The World Cup has begun and we are all feeling Ayoba! I'll be going to a 2nd round game on June 27th - so we don't yet know who will be playing in the game but we are VERY excited. Tonight is the USA vs England game and if the USA wins it is possible I'll see them play - how cool would that be?! I'll keep you posted!
Love from Lesotho!
Kimberly
First let me begin by begging your forgiveness for being so tardy in making a posting to this blog. Life has been busy now that I'm working full time in the MAF office. I am still waiting to have a wireless connection at home so I haven't been online as much as I hope to be in the future. I'm sorry for being MIA for over a month - Good Heavens! I'll be more regular in my postings from here on...
Rest assured I am just fine and have been learning to live in Maseru. Lots of new things to learn:
- Driving a manual transmission
- Driving on the left side of the road
- Office duties
- Sesotho (the indigenous language - heart language)
I have been busy with some fun activities as well - I'll give you the recap:
My second week here Ben Leonard and Gregg Prickett were here and led a team building retreat with our Lesotho Team - it was awesome! We stayed at Mabula Game Lodge and I had the greatest time leading worship with Ben. Other highlights were a game drive where we saw Wildebeests, Zebra and Eland - Holding a meerkat (think Timone from The Lion King) and star gazing at a campfire seeing a gajillion stars.
Gregg and Ben left and we hosted 3 MAF advocates for the next 2 weeks. I travelled with them to TY which is a village known for its weavers. They weave beautiful wall hangings there out of dyed mohair (goat wool) The weavings are spectacular and amazingly reasonable to purchase considering the amount of time it takes to make one. In the US we'd pay hundreds of dollars for something they charge about $30 - $50 for. The weaver women are so talented, friendly and gracious! Their faces lit up when I spoke the very little Sesotho I knew at that point. I bought a weaving for my home - it is beautiful and I really enjoy it. The picture of the woman weaving on the right is a piece she had already spent a month on - there have to be 500 colors in her weaving.
After the Advocates left we hosted another team from the US called Simply the Story. They led a seminar on how to tell stories from the Bible in an "oral tradition" in order to share the Gospel with those who cannot read or have no access to a Bible. The seminar was a week long and we had many Basotho people in the class. I loved it and found it a valuable skill to use here - especially with mountain village Basothos who speak very little English. The great thing was 4 of our National staff; Thoahlane, Mamotsoane, Lineo and Sefiri; attended the class with me so I got to know them so much better. I work with them at the hangar but don't get the opportunity to really speak with them while we are working. They are amazing people who love jesus so much! They are all helping me learn Sesotho and I have asked them to speak only Sesotho to me at the hangar. They are so patient with me and I'm so grateful to them! Please be praying I'll be able to learn the language so I can have meaningful conversations with people here.
This brings me to last weekend when I went to Morija for a Sesotho Cultural Weekend. I joined several other people who have recently arrived in Lesotho and learned a little language, a little history and saw some more of this beautiful country I now call home. We went to Thaba Bosiu, which is the birthplace of the Basotho Nation. King Moshoeshoe I is burried on top of Thaba Bosiu; it is a plateau he chose as a fortress for the Basotho people. The original name of the country of Lesotho is Basotholand. Moshoeshoe in the 1800's invited French missionaries into Lesotho because he observed countries with missionaries were more peaceful than those who didn't have them. Moshoeshoe was an amazing leader and a contemporary of Zhaka Zulu. He sought peace and prosperity for himself and his people rather than warring as ddi his contemporary leaders. The French missionaries settled in Morija which is land Moshoeshoe gave to them. The oldest church in this nation is found in Morija I'll post a picture of it so you can see it. If you're interested in learning more about the history of missionaries inLesotho there is a book titled, "Murder In Morija" and you can read all about the history. I plan to read the book sometime in the next couple of weeks as soon as a friend finishes it :)
Well - for now that's enough news and I'll write more soon as I now have internet and can more easily make regularly updates.
The World Cup has begun and we are all feeling Ayoba! I'll be going to a 2nd round game on June 27th - so we don't yet know who will be playing in the game but we are VERY excited. Tonight is the USA vs England game and if the USA wins it is possible I'll see them play - how cool would that be?! I'll keep you posted!
Love from Lesotho!
Kimberly
Sunday, May 2, 2010
Ladybrand - Time for tea...
Well I am beginning my second week in Lesotho and my team has volunteered to show me or introduce me to various aspects of life in Lesotho. Marieke Haak came by to pick me up on Wednesday morning and we went to Ladybrand. You might recognize that name as the place where I receive my mail. The entire MAF Lesotho team shares a PO box in Ladybrand and anytime a team member is in town we go by the post office to see if we have mail and bring it back for the rest of the team. So I have now been introduced to the post office and a few nice stores in Ladybrand. Marieke needed to buy some warmer clothes for her children since winter is almost upon us and it is getting rather chilly here in Maseru. The day we went was a rainy gray morning and getting in and out of the car with 2 children (Cor & Janelle) without getting us all wet or muddy was a challenge. Mud was the worse of the two issues. Apparently Ladybrand had a contract with a man to repave all their streets in the downtown area. The man dug up all the old asphalt leaving the red clay dirt exposed but then never laid the new asphalt. So Ladybrand has no paved streets... just dirt roads that become a mirey clay with the rain. After we successfully bought some new clothing we decided it would be nice to have some tea and a bite to eat. Marieke told me she wanted to take me to a coffee shop in Ladybrand and I was more than happy with that suggestion.
Now, when I say coffee shop, perhaps you like me picture a dive like Mel's Diner, or some sort of greasy spoon type place... you my friends need to shift your paradigm. The "coffee shop" we went to is called LivingLife Coffee Shop.... it is GORGEOUS! A veritable secret garden tucked way back from the town only accessible by driving down the water-soaked rutted out roads. After a dreary cold day of shopping it was a haven! We had a lovely meal together and enjoyed some nice girl chat while the children went out into the garden to play. I'll post a few pictures so you can see how lovely our tea was. This place reminded me of the tea house at The Huntington Library in Pasadena... only so much better and cheaper! So to my girlfriends who enjoy having tea - if you come to visit be prepared to thoroughly enjoy what Ladybrand has to offer. Can I just tell you how much I am loving my new home?!
Now, when I say coffee shop, perhaps you like me picture a dive like Mel's Diner, or some sort of greasy spoon type place... you my friends need to shift your paradigm. The "coffee shop" we went to is called LivingLife Coffee Shop.... it is GORGEOUS! A veritable secret garden tucked way back from the town only accessible by driving down the water-soaked rutted out roads. After a dreary cold day of shopping it was a haven! We had a lovely meal together and enjoyed some nice girl chat while the children went out into the garden to play. I'll post a few pictures so you can see how lovely our tea was. This place reminded me of the tea house at The Huntington Library in Pasadena... only so much better and cheaper! So to my girlfriends who enjoy having tea - if you come to visit be prepared to thoroughly enjoy what Ladybrand has to offer. Can I just tell you how much I am loving my new home?!
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Week one in Africa
Hi Friends - welcome to my blog! I wanted to give a recap of what I have experienced while in South Africa & Lesotho and this seems to be the best way for nearly everyone to see it!
4/20/10 Tuesday - Arrived at RDFC (my home church) at 7:15 AM and was sent off with a time of brief sharing and prayer... I cannot tell you how loved I felt looking around a room full of people who were there to pray for my safety and God's protection! I have an awesome church family and I'm going to miss being a part of their week to week activities while in Lesotho. After good-byes and well wishes I left with Karen O for the airport. We then met up with my Mom near SNA (John Wayne) to say our final good-byes. Didn't realize how tough it was going to be saying good-bye to Mom. I love you Mom and I miss you a ton already! Getting through security was a breeze and before I knew it I was on board the plane bound for ATL and sharing my row with Cathy... wanna guess where she's from? She was flying to JNB (Johannesburg or Joburg) to go home after a holiday in the OC. God answered prayers immediately as she took me under her wing and helped me get from plane to plane and then with retrieving my luggage once we landed in JNB. God's grace and provision are amazing!
4/21/10 Wednesday - Was on the plane most of this day... a loooooong flight! I reunited with Cathy after landing and because I was with her when we retrieved our luggage; somehow I skipped customs altogether and so in moments I was face to face with Justin & Amanda Honaker, MAF teammates, who offered to come and get me from JNB and drive me home to Maseru. A sight for tired eyes I'll tell you! They were all smiles and so gracious to a very unkempt, tired ragamuffin who had been flying for the better part of 2 days. We drove to BIMS (A Baptist guest house) where I showered (YAY!) and afterwards I felt human again. Those of you who have traveled far know what I'm talking about! After the shower we had dinner - A steak sandwich with mushroom garlic sauce which was quite tasty and a Coke. Those that know me know how weird it is for me to drink a Coke but I wasn't sure what would be safe to drink so Coke seemed the safest choice :) On our way home we stopped at a gas station convenience store to buy a Magnum bar. Magnum bars are ice cream bars and they have a flavor called... wait for it... Death By Chocolate! Wow!! It was soooo tasty and all 3 of us enjoyed eating them and talking a little to get to know each other. After that it was home to crash... I slept like the dead as I hadn't slept more than a couple of hours on the plane.
4/22/10 Thursday - Today was my homecoming day! The Honakers and I were able to reach the Naaktgeboren family on the phone and arrange to meet for breakfast. They are related to Jim and Patty Klein (Heather is Patty's brother's daughter) and they are missionaries with Calvary Chapel in Joburg. I have known Heather since she was a teenager. We had a yummy breakfast at Mugg & Bean... Eggs benedict, scone with devonshire and coffee. Really good coffee! The Honakers and Naaktgeborens had a great time getting acquainted and now we are all friends... in fact Chad hopes to pay a visit to Lesotho sometime soon :) Let me mention here how incredible it is to be in a new place and see some old friends... Heather and Chad you and your 4 kiddos were a blessing straight from God to me and playing with your children was a balm to an Auntie's heart. Thank you for making the trip in rush hour traffic to come and meet me! After breakfast and see you soons we were in the car and on our way home to Maseru. We stopped for a bite to eat at a place called The Cabin... such a cool place! Kinda reminds me of places in Laguna Beach in the sense that it is a crafty, artsy place where you can buy all sorts of things and also grab a bite. We had grilled cheese and nectar (watermelon-strawberry) walked a bit and stretched our legs, snapped a few photos and then hopped back in the car for the last leg of our journey. An hour later we were crossing the border into Lesotho, getting passports stamped, and then making the final trek to my new home... which coincidentally is right across the road from the Honaker's home. When we turned the corner I saw the Shutts, Mike, Sharol and Joanna waiting for me. They were there to carry stuff in and welcome me home. I had cards, flowers... seriously I have the best team ever! After unloading we hopped back in the car and went to the Pepper's home for dinner. Larry and Sally were great hosts, Larry is a doctor with the Lesotho Flying Doctor Service which works closely with MAF. So if you are paying attention... Larry is aka... Dr. Pepper! Aside from being a doctor he makes an amazing espresso. Yes, that's right my first meal in Lesotho included a home made cappuccino which was folllowed later by an espresso. Starbucks has nothing on Larry... he makes a mean cuppa joe! After dinner we played Mexican Golf, a card game, and talked for quite a while. Tonight was my first night at my home... I love my home and cannot wait to make it my own with pictures and momentos to remind me of friends and family.
4/23/10 Friday - This morning I went grocery shopping with Kari Peters who is a member of the team and hails from Alberta, Canada. My team had told me we could get almost everything we have at home, it's so true! The expats call Lesotho "Africa-lite" and it is easy to see why. Many things are really convenient and easily obtained, though not always cheap. Somethings will be just once in a while goodies to have when I'm especially homesick or celebrating, but it is great to know they are available! We ran into Sharol and Joanna while shopping so Sharol gave me a lift home since Kari's kids were due to be home from school. Sharol showed me where I can purchase units for water and electricity. Yep, here in Lesotho you pre-pay for utilities and you can do so at the gas station. The gas stations are all full serve so while someone is pumping your gas you can walk in and buy units and then walk back out and drive off with everything you need - so convenient! Sharol dropped me off to put the groceries away and then a few hours later came by and took me to the hangar so I could meet the gang and see where I'll be working. The guys are fun, I think I'm going to really enjoy working with them! I also met the national staff (Basotho) and likely slaughtered most of their names. Most have American friendly nick-names but I really want to be able to call them by their given names too. I'll likely be given a Sotho nick-name... wonder what that will be? I drove home with Mike back to the Shutts' home and had dinner with them and played Settlers of Catan... a fun game and popular with many of the team. Sharol made roast with veggies and we had apple dumpling for dessert.... SO GOOD! Loved every minute with them! A side note... Sharol was really my first contact on the team and I really have grown to love her even before arriving here in Lesotho. She is a mentor to me and she and Mike are the veterans of the team having been here 15 years. Honestly I have the best group to work with and I am so thankful for God's provision in the form of my teammates!
4/24/10 Saturday - I slept in as I haven't been sleeping well - the jet lag has caught up with me. Today was driving lessons with Sally Pepper (I had dinner with them Thurs night) Sally has the patience of Job which is a good thing because I have only driven a manual transmission twice before today. We went to Pope's Field, which is where everyone learns to drive in Maseru. Pope John Paul II visited Lesotho and this field and a staging area were created for that event. Now people learn to drive and cows graze lazily while new drivers try their best not to hit them. After an hour or so of circling the field I drove home on real streets and managed not to hit another car - a personal victory! I'm still too green to feel comfortable driving alone but Sally offered to practice with me again and assured me I had done well. Personally, I think she was just being kind ;) Dinner was across the street at the Honaker's home and Bryan joined us. We had corn chowder, home made muffins and for dessert home made brownies complete with chocolate chunks - Yum! After dinner we played another new game similar to Settlers and then a few rounds of Mexican Golf. This night was really fun and the best thing is all 3 of them are my neighbors. I hope to have them over soon once I get everything all squared away in my home. None of us has kids and we're all kinda in the same age range with me being the oldest. I'm really liking it here and I love my team. Amanda has become a buddy and I love sharing time with her just talking and hanging out. I think we'll be close friends :)
4/25/10 Sunday - Church this morning at MUC (Maseru United Church) with the Haaks which are part of the team and hail from Holland. I'm not sure if I should learn Sotho or Dutch first! Christiaan came and got me for early service which seemed really early as I'm still not quite in the right time schedule. Church was good but I gotta admit I really was missing Rose Drive today, especially choir! After church I went home with the Haaks and stayed all day, we had lunch and talked quite a while. Christiaan decided that driving in Pope's field was not adequate preparation for driving in Lesotho as it is flat and most of Lesotho is hilly... so we jumped in the car and he took me up a few hills and then had me pratice stopping and starting. I thought for sure I was going to have a heart attack as these are main roads and it was early Sunday afternoon. I think I was probably the fodder of dinner conversation in many Basotho homes... "we saw this crazy white girl driving today and she stalled the car over and over..." Christiaan was very patient and admittedly I'm a bit more confident... but only a bit. After the driving lesson a few expats came over for a game of volleyball which was great fun! We had a supper of tuna, hard boiled eggs, home made chicken soup and bread - delicious! The Haaks have 4 children and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to play with them. I'll get to be Auntie here in Lesotho which is great but man do I miss my nieces! Vani and Talia if you are reading this please know how much I love you and that I think of you every day - no one could ever take your place in my heart! After dinner it was time to come home and catch up on a bit of email and a chance to skype with the Reinharts. So fun to hear voices of friends while on the other side of the world.
4/20/10 Tuesday - Arrived at RDFC (my home church) at 7:15 AM and was sent off with a time of brief sharing and prayer... I cannot tell you how loved I felt looking around a room full of people who were there to pray for my safety and God's protection! I have an awesome church family and I'm going to miss being a part of their week to week activities while in Lesotho. After good-byes and well wishes I left with Karen O for the airport. We then met up with my Mom near SNA (John Wayne) to say our final good-byes. Didn't realize how tough it was going to be saying good-bye to Mom. I love you Mom and I miss you a ton already! Getting through security was a breeze and before I knew it I was on board the plane bound for ATL and sharing my row with Cathy... wanna guess where she's from? She was flying to JNB (Johannesburg or Joburg) to go home after a holiday in the OC. God answered prayers immediately as she took me under her wing and helped me get from plane to plane and then with retrieving my luggage once we landed in JNB. God's grace and provision are amazing!
4/21/10 Wednesday - Was on the plane most of this day... a loooooong flight! I reunited with Cathy after landing and because I was with her when we retrieved our luggage; somehow I skipped customs altogether and so in moments I was face to face with Justin & Amanda Honaker, MAF teammates, who offered to come and get me from JNB and drive me home to Maseru. A sight for tired eyes I'll tell you! They were all smiles and so gracious to a very unkempt, tired ragamuffin who had been flying for the better part of 2 days. We drove to BIMS (A Baptist guest house) where I showered (YAY!) and afterwards I felt human again. Those of you who have traveled far know what I'm talking about! After the shower we had dinner - A steak sandwich with mushroom garlic sauce which was quite tasty and a Coke. Those that know me know how weird it is for me to drink a Coke but I wasn't sure what would be safe to drink so Coke seemed the safest choice :) On our way home we stopped at a gas station convenience store to buy a Magnum bar. Magnum bars are ice cream bars and they have a flavor called... wait for it... Death By Chocolate! Wow!! It was soooo tasty and all 3 of us enjoyed eating them and talking a little to get to know each other. After that it was home to crash... I slept like the dead as I hadn't slept more than a couple of hours on the plane.
4/22/10 Thursday - Today was my homecoming day! The Honakers and I were able to reach the Naaktgeboren family on the phone and arrange to meet for breakfast. They are related to Jim and Patty Klein (Heather is Patty's brother's daughter) and they are missionaries with Calvary Chapel in Joburg. I have known Heather since she was a teenager. We had a yummy breakfast at Mugg & Bean... Eggs benedict, scone with devonshire and coffee. Really good coffee! The Honakers and Naaktgeborens had a great time getting acquainted and now we are all friends... in fact Chad hopes to pay a visit to Lesotho sometime soon :) Let me mention here how incredible it is to be in a new place and see some old friends... Heather and Chad you and your 4 kiddos were a blessing straight from God to me and playing with your children was a balm to an Auntie's heart. Thank you for making the trip in rush hour traffic to come and meet me! After breakfast and see you soons we were in the car and on our way home to Maseru. We stopped for a bite to eat at a place called The Cabin... such a cool place! Kinda reminds me of places in Laguna Beach in the sense that it is a crafty, artsy place where you can buy all sorts of things and also grab a bite. We had grilled cheese and nectar (watermelon-strawberry) walked a bit and stretched our legs, snapped a few photos and then hopped back in the car for the last leg of our journey. An hour later we were crossing the border into Lesotho, getting passports stamped, and then making the final trek to my new home... which coincidentally is right across the road from the Honaker's home. When we turned the corner I saw the Shutts, Mike, Sharol and Joanna waiting for me. They were there to carry stuff in and welcome me home. I had cards, flowers... seriously I have the best team ever! After unloading we hopped back in the car and went to the Pepper's home for dinner. Larry and Sally were great hosts, Larry is a doctor with the Lesotho Flying Doctor Service which works closely with MAF. So if you are paying attention... Larry is aka... Dr. Pepper! Aside from being a doctor he makes an amazing espresso. Yes, that's right my first meal in Lesotho included a home made cappuccino which was folllowed later by an espresso. Starbucks has nothing on Larry... he makes a mean cuppa joe! After dinner we played Mexican Golf, a card game, and talked for quite a while. Tonight was my first night at my home... I love my home and cannot wait to make it my own with pictures and momentos to remind me of friends and family.
4/23/10 Friday - This morning I went grocery shopping with Kari Peters who is a member of the team and hails from Alberta, Canada. My team had told me we could get almost everything we have at home, it's so true! The expats call Lesotho "Africa-lite" and it is easy to see why. Many things are really convenient and easily obtained, though not always cheap. Somethings will be just once in a while goodies to have when I'm especially homesick or celebrating, but it is great to know they are available! We ran into Sharol and Joanna while shopping so Sharol gave me a lift home since Kari's kids were due to be home from school. Sharol showed me where I can purchase units for water and electricity. Yep, here in Lesotho you pre-pay for utilities and you can do so at the gas station. The gas stations are all full serve so while someone is pumping your gas you can walk in and buy units and then walk back out and drive off with everything you need - so convenient! Sharol dropped me off to put the groceries away and then a few hours later came by and took me to the hangar so I could meet the gang and see where I'll be working. The guys are fun, I think I'm going to really enjoy working with them! I also met the national staff (Basotho) and likely slaughtered most of their names. Most have American friendly nick-names but I really want to be able to call them by their given names too. I'll likely be given a Sotho nick-name... wonder what that will be? I drove home with Mike back to the Shutts' home and had dinner with them and played Settlers of Catan... a fun game and popular with many of the team. Sharol made roast with veggies and we had apple dumpling for dessert.... SO GOOD! Loved every minute with them! A side note... Sharol was really my first contact on the team and I really have grown to love her even before arriving here in Lesotho. She is a mentor to me and she and Mike are the veterans of the team having been here 15 years. Honestly I have the best group to work with and I am so thankful for God's provision in the form of my teammates!
4/24/10 Saturday - I slept in as I haven't been sleeping well - the jet lag has caught up with me. Today was driving lessons with Sally Pepper (I had dinner with them Thurs night) Sally has the patience of Job which is a good thing because I have only driven a manual transmission twice before today. We went to Pope's Field, which is where everyone learns to drive in Maseru. Pope John Paul II visited Lesotho and this field and a staging area were created for that event. Now people learn to drive and cows graze lazily while new drivers try their best not to hit them. After an hour or so of circling the field I drove home on real streets and managed not to hit another car - a personal victory! I'm still too green to feel comfortable driving alone but Sally offered to practice with me again and assured me I had done well. Personally, I think she was just being kind ;) Dinner was across the street at the Honaker's home and Bryan joined us. We had corn chowder, home made muffins and for dessert home made brownies complete with chocolate chunks - Yum! After dinner we played another new game similar to Settlers and then a few rounds of Mexican Golf. This night was really fun and the best thing is all 3 of them are my neighbors. I hope to have them over soon once I get everything all squared away in my home. None of us has kids and we're all kinda in the same age range with me being the oldest. I'm really liking it here and I love my team. Amanda has become a buddy and I love sharing time with her just talking and hanging out. I think we'll be close friends :)
4/25/10 Sunday - Church this morning at MUC (Maseru United Church) with the Haaks which are part of the team and hail from Holland. I'm not sure if I should learn Sotho or Dutch first! Christiaan came and got me for early service which seemed really early as I'm still not quite in the right time schedule. Church was good but I gotta admit I really was missing Rose Drive today, especially choir! After church I went home with the Haaks and stayed all day, we had lunch and talked quite a while. Christiaan decided that driving in Pope's field was not adequate preparation for driving in Lesotho as it is flat and most of Lesotho is hilly... so we jumped in the car and he took me up a few hills and then had me pratice stopping and starting. I thought for sure I was going to have a heart attack as these are main roads and it was early Sunday afternoon. I think I was probably the fodder of dinner conversation in many Basotho homes... "we saw this crazy white girl driving today and she stalled the car over and over..." Christiaan was very patient and admittedly I'm a bit more confident... but only a bit. After the driving lesson a few expats came over for a game of volleyball which was great fun! We had a supper of tuna, hard boiled eggs, home made chicken soup and bread - delicious! The Haaks have 4 children and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to play with them. I'll get to be Auntie here in Lesotho which is great but man do I miss my nieces! Vani and Talia if you are reading this please know how much I love you and that I think of you every day - no one could ever take your place in my heart! After dinner it was time to come home and catch up on a bit of email and a chance to skype with the Reinharts. So fun to hear voices of friends while on the other side of the world.
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Enjoying some rhino in the shade