Raised from the dead... My Blog's Back!

Hi Friends! In an effort to stay in better communication with you, I'm reviving my blog. Perhaps you recently received an email from me about my desire to stay in touch and to provide you with better communication. If not, and you would like to receive it, please send me an email at kimberlybaker@maf.org and I'll be sure to include you. I asked for feedback and several of you responded - thanks for taking the time! While several were happy to get a quarterly newsletter and monthly email, there were some of you who responded, "Whatever you take the time to write I'll read" or "The more information and stories the better" I'm humbled that you care so deeply about what happens in the day-to-day and for those who want "all the details" this blog is for you! In my monthly newsletter I'll likely be referencing some of what I write here, so you'll likely see some duplicate information - hope that's OK. The monthly email will be a bullet point type of format where this blog will give more of the nitty gritty/nuts and bolts type of information as well as anecdotes, stories, random thoughts, ramblings, pictures, etc. Here's an example of a picture from yesterday:

The Sesotho word for curse/witchcraft is Muti... this headline refers to a couple who took the lives of 4 children in order to buy a curse from a local sangoma/witchdoctor. Hard to believe in this day and age of technology, social media, etc. that there are places where human sacrifice is practiced... but it is. Please join me in praying for Lesotho, that light would shine and dispell the darkness that holds the Basotho in chains of hopelessness and deception. Thanks once again for your feedback, your prayers and your support... tell me what you want to know and I'll do my best to write about it! Until ALL have heard, Kimberly 'Mamosa

Auntie Duty & a Carol

Hi family & friends,

I'm writing this from the Westom house because I have been staying here with their 3 lovely girls - gotta love being an Auntie. Brad and Kristian Westom have gone along with Kevin Borror to the AMC - Africa Manager's Conference. This year the conference is being held in Istanbul, Turkey and they have invited the MAF International Teams, The MAF Eurasia Teams and some staff from HQ - a big group!

So my roommates for the next week are:

Karisa - 13 Elisa - 11 Brianna - 8

The Westom girls are home-schooled so I get to be a babysitter, a teacher and a cooking instructor. This evening we had hamburgers and chips (french fries) for dinner - Elisa said I should start a cooking class :) It is a nice change to cook dinner and have someone there to appreciate it! For the next 3 nights the girls will take turns making dinner with some supervision :) It is fun to play games, read stories, have play dates, etc. I have a ton of respect for Moms - it is a full time job and then some! Luckily for me, the girls are incredibly helpful, they are very obedient and a ton of fun to be around. They are enjoying having me here too - but I know they already are missing Mom and Dad, and that is as it should be. Tonight after I finish this post we are going to play "Danger Uno" - which is like regular Uno except for one important detail. The winner of each round gets to make up a new rule for the game. For instance... everytime a 5 is played everyone has to get up, leave their cards behind and move to the seat to the right where you get all new cards. It makes the game interesting to say the least. These girls are really creative so who knows the crazy things we'll do this time!

As for the Carol

Yes, I know it is a bit early to be thinking about Christmas music... but in this case I do hope you'll oblige me.

Christmas Eve will find me, where the love light gleams... I'll be home for Christmas, if only in my dreams...

This year my dream will be a reality - Yes, Virginia... I'LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS!!!!

I will be traveling back to the USA in mid December and spend a week in Nampa, Idaho at MAFHQ. I'll go through some re-entry counseling and I'll also be interviewing with the Candidate Committee as I have been asked to become a career staff with MAF. I have really enjoyed my time here and I believe God has affirmed His call for me to serve Him here in Africa. I would appreciate your prayers as I enter into this next phase of missionary service. After this it is on to the OC to be reunited with family and friends... I can hardly wait! So my friends the countdown begins and in eight short months I'll be seeing you face to face - yippee! I'll get you more details about my furlough schedule in future communications; but I would love to connect with as many of you as possible!

Thanks as always for your ongoing prayer support. If you would join me in praying over this time of transition I would be so grateful! It is crazy to be thinking about Christmas when Easter is just a little over a week away. In fact next week will mark my first anniversary living in Lesotho and will also be my first African Easter. I'll be going on a holiday to Cape Town to see amongst other things, penguins! I'll make a posting about that in a couple of weeks but for now...


He is Risen, He is Risen Indeed!

Love from Lesotho,
Kimberly

I'm a very poor blogger

Hello friends and family!

So half a year has elapsed since my last posting - I was really hoping I'd be better about blogging. Please forgive my silence and bear with me as I make an effort to improve!

So since July much has happened and too much to blog about but here are some highlights:

AUGUST: Family Conference in South Africa with MAF South Africa and Mozambique
SEPTEMBER: Language classes in Maphutseng (Place of the Big Pumpkin) Living in a village no electricity or running water for 3 weeks - loved it!
OCTOBER: MAF Half Day of Prayer, Tamara & Danger's Wedding (My first Basotho wedding) Jen Prickett comes for a week long visit, Women Missionaries in Lesotho Retreat
NOVEMBER: Deb Schuermann comes for a 2 week visit, Pilanesberg Game Park Safari, Sani Pass Trip, Accident with Refuoe, Thanksgiving celebration with all American missionaries living in Lesotho
DECEMBER: First ever MAF All Girls Sleepover/Chrstmas Party, Christmas with crocodiles, hippos and turtles (oh my) in St Lucia, MAF Team New Year's Eve Party, Caring for Refuoe and her family in the hospital
JANUARY: Refuoe flies home to Mokhotlong on an MAF plane completely healed, Leading worship on a praise band@Maseru United Church
FEBRUARY: Watching the Superbowl @ 3am, Clarens trip for a Mountain Bike Race with Bryan & Teresa, Begin my M-F gym routine, Seeing U2 Live in Joburg... so cool!
MARCH: MIS Orphanage - a visit with HIV/AIDS orphans with Shelley, An incredibly HUGE full moon, My second Basotho wedding but this time the King and government officials were in attendance, The gym continues... My first MAF flight!!!!


You can see it has been a full half a year with safaris, trips, ministry opportunities, etc. I imagine most of you get my newsletter and if so you have been able to read the story about Refuoe in detail. If you don't, please let me know and I'll add you to the email list and send you a PDF copy of the latest newsletter which shares the story in detail. March brings the Autumn with it and the temp at night is cooling down. I'm hoping this means the mosquito population will soon die off. As it is... my legs resemble something of a dot to dot - - I itch everywhere!

Life here continues to be amazing, difficult, joy-filled and honestly there isn't anything I would rather be doing than being a missionary in Africa. I'll post a few pics for you to see some images of the past 6 months. Hope you enjoy them!

Love from Lesotho,
Kimberly

Licked by a Lion...

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

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.

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

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?!