Monday, December 28, 2009

The Greatest Christmas Present of All

I hope you had a wonderful Christmas - I sure did! I must admit, however, it was a bit strange for me being so far from home. I missed family and friends. I missed the awesome Christmas service at Kensington. I even missed the Christmas shopping chaos and cold, snowy weather. But while I have been feeling a bit homesick lately, I’m also so incredibly thankful to celebrate with my new South African family. Christ is the greatest gift this world will ever know. And Christ is the reason we are all here together.

Folks have asked how we celebrate Christmas in South Africa. It’s not really all that different than back home, except that it’s summer. When I was shopping at Game (like a small Wal-Mart) they were playing Christmas songs including “Let It Snow”. No chance of that here. Stores have “decked their halls” but just on a much smaller scale than I’m used to.

On Christmas morning we all met for breakfast and a white elephant gift exchange. I got a crocodile raft for my next day at the dam (lake). Very cool! We even had a fireplace for Santa to come down thanks to Katie’s creativity. Later that afternoon, we gathered again for a braai (bbq). Abram opened with a Christmas teaching from Luke and a prayer of thanksgiving. Then we celebrated with way too much food and way too many desserts – just like at home. The day was topped off by two Skype calls home to see my family which did wonders for my homesickness.

So all in all, I’m thankful for old traditions and for new ones, but most importantly for the reason behind both – my Savior Jesus Christ, the greatest Christmas present of all.

Friday, December 18, 2009

On Top of the World

I’m movin’ on up…up the mountain that is. The past few days have been a whirlwind as several of us have changed housing to make room for our changing Thrive Africa family. June and I have moved up the mountain a little ways to Arendskop Chalet. While this means we’ll now have to drive a few minutes to get to our main housing and offices, the chalet is really nice and the views are spectacular!

We’re so thankful for the mission base and ministry staff who helped us move. Especially Dave and Abram who were real troopers!! And you should have seen the giant farm tractor pulling the giant flatbed trailer up the steep, winding road – then backing it in the last part of the way. The driver did an amazing job!!

I’ve included some pictures of the drive, the house and the views in the slideshow on the left. One of the best features is a huge wrap-around porch overlooking the mountains and the wide-open fields. It’s a great place for morning devotions and coffee, reading a book, or catching some hot South African rays.

So for the past few days, I’ve enjoyed cleaning, decorating, arranging and re-arranging our new home. I pray you have a blessed Christmas and New Year!

Wednesday, December 2, 2009

Beautiful Contrasts

Lesotho is a beautiful country full of many exciting contrasts. And we have the 1000+ pictures to prove it! Over Thanksgiving break, June, Amanda and I headed to Lesotho for a 4-day adventure.

As we crossed the border and traveled towards Maseru we saw the contrasts of modern homes and traditional Basotho huts, modern businesses and rolling hills of farmland and pasture.

We experienced simple but modern conveniences, and also visited a weaving shop where the ladies make beautiful mohair yarn and tapestries by hand. We were amazed to learn that the large ones take 2-3 months to complete.

We stayed near where the current king, King Netsie, lives, and also hiked to the top of Thaba Bosiu to see the original home of King Moshoeshoe and the current site of the royal graves.

We saw rugged, rocky mountains contrasted with lush greenery and crystal clear waters as we drove the winding mountain roads to Mohale Dam, and the next day to Semonkong and the Maletsuyane Falls.

And best of all, we met warm, friendly people who are proud of their culture, history, and traditions, and happy to share them with us. What a wonderful trip! Enjoy the pictures!