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!

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!

I'm So Thankful

Thanksgiving is around the corner which makes me pause to think of all the things I have to be thankful for…not that giving thanks is reserved for one day, we should always have an “attitude of gratitude”, but the actual holiday is a great reminder.

I’m so thankful that the Lord has called me to serve full-time in South Africa. It has been a welcomed challenge and great joy to join in the Lord’s vision for training Godly leaders and changing the course of this nation.

I’m also so thankful for the financial and prayer support that allows me to live out this calling. I’m thankful for the provision, and even for the lessons I’ve learned about faith and interdependence when things have been tight.

I’m so thankful for the support of my family, as we were all sad about me moving far away and the holidays make it even more difficult. (I’ve been feeling a bit homesick lately).

I’m so thankful for the many ways the Lord has moved through Thrive Africa this year – lives committed to Christ, leaders trained and mobilized, real change taking root in our churches, schools and communities...the list goes on.

And I’m so thankful for the fresh vision, passion, and focus the Lord is giving us for the future. It’s has been exciting to plan for next year - seeking God’s will, setting goals, working together to expand our reach and multiply Godly leaders.

To sum it up, I’m thankful that we all have so many things to be thankful for! And I pray that you and your family have a blessed Thanksgiving!

The Hope of the World

Abram and I spent the day yesterday in Qwa Qwa visiting local pastors. We wanted to see how they were doing since our last Hand in Hand leadership conference, and to get their feedback about how we are doing and ways we can help in the future.

Pastor Mojaki and his wife have been happily married for 32 years. They would like help pouring into other married couples knowing that Satan works hard to attack families in order to erode the foundation for leaders, churches and society as a whole.

Pastor Seobi has dreams of teaching the Word of God in the schools and currently leads a Pastor Council that consults with the Department of Education. He also dreams of a Community Action Team formed by local churches to serve the poor and reach the lost. His passion and vision were contagious, and it reminded me of what Bill Hybels, Senior Pastor of Willow Creek, often says – that the local church is the hope of the world!!!

Pastor Mile said that he has seen tremendous growth through his partnership with us. He has grown as a leader and pastor, his leaders have grown tremendously as well, and members of his church have been blessed by Launch Pad and Leadership Summit. One is now a coach with us, stepping out to mentor a group of young people.

Pastor Maria (picture) told us that she has learned so much from our conferences and cds, and teaches what she learns to the rest of her congregation. The learning opportunities, along with the mission teams that serve in her community, have raised her ministry to a whole new level.

Our goal was to encourage our church partners – they work tirelessly and have such a tough job! But I must say, we were pretty encouraged as well as they shared their hearts, expressed their gratitude, and gave us their love and support right back.

Please pray for these mighty leaders – that they continue to carry out God’s vision for their churches and communities and for this nation.

Party!!

Launch Pad is our discipleship program taught in churches and schools. Our heart is to train up young men and women to become Godly leaders and positive influences in all they do. We ended the year with graduation ceremonies, and it was so much fun to be part of the excitement! I helped out with graduations at AFM Naledi church.

Thrive Africa pastor Abram Moloi congratulated the students and celebrated all the Lord had done as they learned to study the Bible and apply spiritual truths in their daily lives. Next, he really inspired and challenged them to put what they learned into practice – by making good choices, modeling the character of Christ, and serving others in their homes, schools and communities.

When we handed out graduation certificates and awards for attendance, I was amazed that a majority of the students had had perfect attendance. That just shows how hungry these young people are to know Christ and change their lives for the better. And not only are they learning about the Word of God, they are also learning priceless lessons about focus, commitment, using their God-gifted talents, and giving 100%.

Then we PARTIED complete with junk food, sodas, graduation gifts, and good ole’ goofin’ around. What a fun way to celebrate a wonderful year!