Strength will rise

Earlier in the week I was contemplating blogging about a lovely walk I did up in the mountains, or the fun we've had at Mapheo, or showing off the new sewing techniques I've learnt at Silver Hope.

But before I got around to it, something much sadder happened, and I need to write it out to help me to process it. So here goes....

This afternoon I was walking to church when I noticed that at the home of one of the families I visit a funeral tent was up - a clear indication that someone had died this week. So I got a Basotho friend to come with me to the home later to find out what had happened.

The family situation is very confusing (I wrote out a family tree a few months ago to get my head around it), but basically in this house lives a granny, a grandson who comes to Mapheo and a son who is Mpho's dad (another little boy I visit). 4 of the kids I visit are cousins via this granny. Other people come and go from the house, and there's always lots of children around who the granny is looking after.

Mpho is the little boy in the middle of my main blog photo. He's the one who gets shunted around a lot and was left behind by the rest of his family (on the mothers side) a couple of weeks ago. This week I also found out that his mum is thinking of sending him far away for school rather than sending him to a local school. A decision which I'm trying to discourage her from taking.

Mpho's dad, the granny's son died this week in hospital in Bethlehem. Sadly I didn't even know he'd gone to hospital so it was quite a shock this evening. I sat in a bare, squalid room on the floor with granny keeping vigil over his coffin which was shrouded in lace curtains and surrounded by candles, while the family and friends got steadily drunker outside in the tent. She has now buried all her children but one, is living in the latter stages of HIV and caring for a number of children on a tiny income. What can you do in a situation like this? It is just too sad for words. No old lady wants to be burying her children. No little boy like Mpho should have gone through so much by the tender age of 6. And just to make it even more surreal some of the family were delighted (literally) to have a white girl come and pay her respects. I did all I could do, I prayed with her. I asked Jesus to be her comfort and strength. Then I left and wept over the injustice of her life, the pain that her family has seen.


Strength will rise as you wait upon the Lord, as you wait upon the Lord, as you wait upon the Lord.
Strength will rise as you wait upon the Lord, as you wait upon the Lord, as you wait upon the Lord.
Our God, Your reign forever, our Hope, our Strong Deliverer.
You are the Everlasting God, the Everlasting God.
You do not faint, You don't grow weary.
You're the defender of the weak, You comfort those in need, You lift us up on wings like eagles.


Praying for strength, comfort and hope.

Rustlings

Over the past week, I have been very aware of little rustlings in my bedroom at night. The first night I tried to find the little animal, but after half an hour gave up, deciding that it was most likely a little frog and they're not scary cos they can't climb onto my face while I sleep!

At this time of year I get quite a lot of the little fella's coming into my flat under the front door as there's a little gap where it doesn't quite fit right.

Then this morning, while I was getting dressed I finally spotted my little green friend. I caught him in a empty butter tub and took him outside where he belongs. I hope he doesn't think my bedroom is a nice home after being here a whole week and come back tonight!

Happy Birthday Beth!

This is Bethany Naomi, my niece. She is my favourite little girl in the whole world. Today is Beth's 2nd birthday. She had a little fairy party with some friends to celebrate. Sadly skype wasn't upto the task of calling her today, so I only heard a few muffled words from her, but I'm sure she had a great time. And I'm praying that next time I see her (Christmas) she'll actually remember me :-)

Happy Birthday Beth! And well done to Raoul & Sarah on producing such a beautiful little girl.

Tears

This week I noticed that the mud huts where one of the families I visit live had been knocked down. I assumed that they had got a government house in another part of the township. So today I took a Basotho friend with me to try and find out where they had moved to so that I could invite the kids to church on Sunday as usual.

We went to their old home and asked the neighbours where they had moved to. The answer didn't need translating - 'Fouriesburg'. Fouriesburg is about a half an hour drive from here, and much bigger than Clarens. I had no idea that the family were thinking about moving, it must have been a sudden decision. For the last 9 months I have visited them most weeks, taken the kids to church every week, shared the gospel with them, and really fallen in love with the family, particularly the kids.

So, Phethetso, who is the gorgeous little boy in the front of my main blog picture has left. I feel so unbelievably sad that I didn't get to say goodbye to this wonderful 3 year old and his family. I am gutted that after so many months I never managed to get the family to come to church with us or challenge them about ancestral worship. I'm upset that once again this has meant that little Mpho's life has been messed about with as he's sent to live with someone else as they couldn't take him with them. I don't understand why God would move them to a place where there isn't a work like Mapheo that will help this family, or as far as I know a grace-filled church. Tonight I have cried a lot of tears.

An advert for Skype.....

Skype has revolutionised my rural life. For those of you who don't know, Skype is a way to make phone calls via the internet. If I call someone on their Skype account, it costs me nothing and sometimes we even turn the camera on so you can see each other. It's pretty surreal when you think about the fact that you're chatting via the internet video link with people so far away! But it means if I need a recipe from my mum I no longer have to wait until an appropriate time to trek to the nearest phone box, I can just Skype her. Last week I got to chat to my nephew and find out what he did at school. This morning I caught up with a friend in Harare. Plus I can call overseas landlines for a fraction of the cost of using my mobile, so I even get to talk to my Nan now and then which is very precious.

So if you don't already use it, download Skype for free off their website. It's really easy to use. And works here on a much slower internet connection than in Europe, and doesn't use up too much of our allowance which is a bonus!

And thank you to the clever people who figured out that the internet could be used for phonecalls!

Being truthful with God

This weekend the 20s from our region went away for the weekend together. For many, many reasons, which I won't detail here, this was probably one of my toughest times yet. I was holding it together until Saturday night when it just got too much. Becky, an english girl who's just moved to Maseru with her husband and baby came and prayed with me. I know it will sound obvious but to me it was a revelation. She said to me, 'you're really strong all the time, doing what you do, living amongst people you don't always understand, without the support of a husband. God says it's ok not to always be strong, to sometimes find it incredibly tough.' I think subconsciously I had thought that I couldn't tell God things that were difficult for me personally here because He's the one who sent me here.

So after she'd prayed with me, I went for a prayer walk and told God all the reasons why it's not ok at the moment. None of those things have changed in the last few days, but there was a freedom in actually admitting them to God. And if you're reading this, know that being on mission on another continent is a great adventure, but it's definitely not always easy.