Mathekane

We were invited to join a small team to do a church building project in a remote village in the escarpment of the Lesotho mountains. So in early November we loaded up in a couple of little red and white cessnas and flew out with Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) to Mathekane. It was about a 10 minute walk from the airstrip to the church site and clinic. The villages that lay on the edges of the valley were at least another half hour away. The scenery was stunning and it was so peaceful, devoid of the business and distractions of our big city, Maseru.

There was already a foundation so Nathan set off with the other 6 team members to build up the walls. It was a challenge because the time we spent there was limited, 4 days on the ground, and yet it rained every single day. Some of the rainstorms were so intense that our little tent just couldn't handle it and we were rained out. Fortunately we were able to squeeze into the 2-roomed clinic, which also served as our kitchen and worship center, with another couple who had come from the U.S. expressly to build this church.

While Nathan built the church I watched over the kids, washed laundry, and played guitar. This was the highlight of my time and it was a great opportunity for me to connect with some of the Basotho of that valley. I even took requests as we sang, danced and worshipped together.

Despite the rain, the team was able to get the wall of the church finished. All that is left is to put on a roof. We had an awesome time.

Ladies Retreat 2010

Every year the Christian women's community comes together for a retreat just across the north-western Lesotho boarder and have a precious time of seeking God and fellowshipping as sisters in Christ. I had the privilege of leading worship last year in 2009 and was invited back to lead again. I remember asking the Lord in January, "Father, what do you want to say to these women?" I never got a specific "word" but a couple of songs resonated in my spirit: David Crowder's "How He Loves" and, what I felt would be the theme of our time of worship, Kari Jobe's "The More I Seek You."

As I listened to and played these songs, I had a strong sense that the Lord wanted to communicate His deep, unending, extravagent love for these women. I shared this with them during the second worship set on Saturday morning, just before the speaker, Ellen, shared her message. When Ellen came to the front, she was tearing up as she shared that months earlier in her preparation for our time together, as she asked the Lord what to share with our group, the same message of Love weighed on her heart. Oh, how the Holy Spirit knows the Father's heart and eagerly tells us if we will listen! All I could think was, "God, You are so AWESOME!"

I set up prayer stations for that afternoon during "free time". In the chapel that overlooked the Maloti mountains there were about 7-8 different worship experiences for those who desired to spend time encountering God on a more personal and intimate level. On Sunday morning we has SUCH a precious time of worship and Holy Spirit started moving so powerfully among the women that I had to close my eyes so I could keep singing! As women were prayed for and as the Lord ministered to hearts, ladies began weeping and kneeling and I remember thinking to myself "I never expected this with this group." I saw a international, interdenominational group of women of all ages and life stages and forgot that we love and serve the same God who will chose to move as He wishes, regardless of our differences. I was humbled in that moment and repented of my lack of faith. I had such joy in my preparation of and leading worship for this time!