Yesterday was a spectacular day in the mountains of Lesotho. We left our hotel very early in the morning to catch our flight with Mission Aviation Fellowship. The plane was a six-seater Cesna. It was beautiful looking down at the mountains. They were very green in places. It is only green for three months of the year. It was a clear day, so the half hour flight was smooth.
We landed on a very short, narrow grass landing strip out in the middle of nowhere. When we landed there was no one in sight, but after a brief time a rugged four wheeler pulled up. We were greeted by Pastor Pule, Elias and Me Rose’s daughter, Nthabeleng. The drive was the bumpiest ride I’ve ever been on. Fortunately, it was a short ride to very small village where the Partners in Health Nohana Clinic is located. We were told that most of the people that come to the clinic are HIV infected.
Our purpose was to meet three families that Pastor Pule, Elias and Nthabeleng are working with. They asked if we wanted to walk or drive to the homes. We decided to walk. We walked up a hill to a Rondavel (a small hut that is round and made out of sticks and mud with a thatch roof…cow manure lines the inside walls and floor).
The family cooks outside unless it is too cold and then they build a fire inside the 10′ diameter hut. It was very clean inside with a couple of benches, a small table and cooking pots and pans. They sleep on the floor on top of animal skins and blankets.
The owner of the house is raising her 7 year old grandson. He is an orphan and can not talk or walk. The grandmother was 62 and has to carry the young boy everywhere she goes. It was so sad.
We then proceeded to walk to the next house. When asked how far we would walk, the answer was: “It’s just over mountain.” We thought that meant maybe a quarter of a mile walk, but we walked for more than two hours up a steep mountain. It was very rugged terrain. God was watching over us. There were no slips or falls just a lot of huffing and puffing.
It was a specatular view of the mountainous countryside of Lesotho. Up the mountain…down the mountain…around the valley…and up the mountain again. We finally arrived at the second house.
The home is occupied by two brothers who are paralyzed from the waist down. They care for two boys ages 8 and 10. They were in need of food. Mike gave Nthableng funds to buy grain for the household. Fortunately, the jeep picked us up and drove us back to the clinic. Another walk to the airstrip and we were headed back to Maseru.
The trip gave us the opportunity to get a better idea of the country, the people, how they live and the challenges they face. The walk up the mountain was tough but well worth the effort. Please pray for Pule, Elias and Nthabeleng as they minister to the people, extend the love of Christ, and share the Gospel with those in remote areas of Lesotho.
