I have walked that long road to freedom. I have tried not to falter: I have made missteps along the way. But I have discovered the secret that after climbing a great hill, one only finds there are many more hills to climb. I have taken a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds me, to look back on the distance I have come. But I can only rest for a moment, for with freedom comes responsibilities, and I dare not linger, for my long walk is not ended. --Nelson Mandela, 1994I love this quote from Nelson Mandela, and it struck me how apt these words are for the Christian life as well. We have been given freedom through our Lord Jesus, and with that freedom comes a responsibility to glorify God with our lives.
We have been in Lesotho for about seven months now, and we wanted to take "a moment here to rest, to steal a view of the glorious vista that surrounds [us], to look back on the distance [we] have come."
First of all, we couldn't be here without you. Thank you for your prayers and financial support. It is incredible how smooth this transition has been for us, and we credit that to praying family and friends.
Also, we have all enjoyed good health up to this point. This is especially true for Dakotah, who in the past had multiple trips to the emergency room for bouts of asthma. She has only had one urgent care visit here as a precaution, and she recovered quickly. Medical care here is different, but we have found quality doctors.
Third, our new school is going very well. We came out here to pilot a school for missionary kids, yet this "school" is very different from anything we have done before. We meet in our house, we have a small group with multi-grades, and we are using homeschool curriculum. We don't have to worry about staff meetings, reports cards, stacks of papers, inputting grades into the computer, etc. We get to wear jeans EVERY DAY! It's a much slower pace...and probably just what we needed. It is exciting to be a part of developing a new program, especially when we get to work alongside of such great families.
Finally, we have seen that where God guides, He provides. When we accepted the call to teach here as volunteers, we had very little time to raise funds. While we wanted to live out a life of trust and faith-based support, we did have occasional bouts of anxiety as to how our finances would work out in reality over the long haul. Recently, we committed to staying another year, knowing we would have to raise additional support. Thankfully, MAF (Mission Aviation Fellowship) has decided to take on one of us as a missionary teacher, providing regular monthy support. Beth is currently in the process of applying for this position.
The past year has been a journey with no regrets. God is faithful. We are learning.
Prayer requests:
- Charis will be returning to the US in a few days. She's a bit nervous about all the transitions ahead. Please pray for safe travels and a good adjustment as she starts a new job this summer in Colorado.
- Beth has a lengthy application to complete and then travel plans for an orientation with MAF in Idaho. She needs perseverance to finish the process soon.
- It's getting cold in Africa (really!) as winter approaches. We have no central heating, and so the inside of our house is chilly (mid 50's) in the morning and evening. Please pray that our Michigan blood returns and that we handle the climate change with a pleasant disposition.
