Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Rainy Day

Hi everyone!

It's a cool rainy day in Lesotho. Though I miss the sunshine, we are so thankful for the rain. We've been having little bits of rain along fairly regularly, but it was never enough to really soak the earth well. The corn was really starting to suffer. Uncle Johan called this year a "green drought." We've had enough moisture to keep the grass green, but not enough to really make things grow. So far this week we've had close to 2" and it's still coming down in a lovely sprinkle.

Last week Thursday we went to Ladybrand to take care of business and shopping. That evening we had a missionary get-together to welcome Lester and Kristen Bump who will be helping at the school for six months. We spent the night at Uncle Johan and Aunt Hessie's house. Aunt Hessie had to leave to help at the school early on Friday morning, so Steph didn't get to visit with her much. I had a nice time talking to Uncle Johan. He gave us a bucket of peaches from their orchard. Yummy!

Saturday Steph canned 8 jars of peaches. I helped her with that for a while, and did a few other things around the house. It was an unusual Saturday because I didn't have to go to any meetings, funerals, or church activities.

Last weekend (the 16th) one of the church families called 'Me Manthabi telling her that they were very sick at their stomachs and a 10-year-old boy had already died. Nt. Kali rushed to the village to take the rest of them to the hospital, and I followed him a few minutes later with a nurse from the clinic to sign their transfer papers from the clinic to the referral hospital. (This sometimes improves service at the hospital.) It sounded like a case of poisoning. It's the time of year when people are spraying corn for bugs, so maybe somehow some of that got on their spinach. But some of the family didn't get sick even though they ate the same food. I think a postmortem was done on the boy who died, so maybe we'll hear more from that.

Sunday I preached at Matukeng, then most of the congregation went to Ha Teko to visit this family and to have a short service at their house. We knew that they were poor, but after seeing the house, I sympathize with them even more. I think at least five people sleep in the one-room house which is about 12 by 15. The roof framing is made from agave poles that have sagged. I'm positive it has to leak. I think several people from the church including us are helping out with the funeral.

Monday while Steph worked on bookkeeping, I went to Maseru to do a few errands including working on getting visas so we can get six month border passes again. (Since we came back last April we have to stand in line at the border every time we go to South Africa. It really fills up our passports fast, plus the lines average 30 minutes waiting time. If we can get the border passes again, we only have to show the pass as we drive by. We used to get them free, but now you have to apply and pay for a visa in order to get the free border passes.) I waited in the line about an hour just to find out that the first time I went they neglected to tell me that I needed a letter from my employer before they would consider the application. I stopped to say "Hi" to the MAF pilots, and they asked if I wanted to go out to lunch with them. I accepted the offer. We went to a hole-in-the-wall fast food place called "Chicken Dust"! The name borders on repulsive, but the food was tasty and came in generous portions. I had a quarter chicken, rice, and baked beans all for less than $2. After we got the food one of the pilots informed me that the last time he ate there he got sick. I enjoyed the food and suffered no ill effects.

Tuesday and today I've worked on the class I'm taking and catching up on some administration stuff. Tuesday Steph wrote some letters and today she baked some chocolate chip cookies. I wanted to work on some stuff outside, but the duck weather has kept me in. I'm trying to work ahead on my class a bit this week because my schedule is going to be a bit more busy next week.

Well, that's the recent news from here. Hope you have a great day! Please keep praying for us a lot. We've been going through some challenging times!

Sincerely,

Glenn, Steph, and Kaitlyn Gault

Kaitlyn loves helping!
Helping Mama with dill picklesHelping Daddy fix the truck

Lesotho Update

Dear Friends,

Here's a brief prayer and praise update from Lesotho.

Praise:
  • Rev. Kali had a good report from his weekend visit to the new preaching point at Mphatane. The witchdoctor who got saved at Christmas time seems to be serving the Lord together with his family. Unfortunately, his health is not good. Unless the Lord gives him a miraculous physical touch, Nt. Kali doesn't expect him to live too much longer. Please pray for him and his family!
  • Praise God for the safe arrival of Lester and Kristen Bump. They will be helping at Hope Christian Academy in Ladybrand for the next six months. Thank God for their willingness to come and stand in the gap here! I don't know what we would have done without them!
  • We are so thankful for the rain God is giving us today! We had little showers on and off all summer, but not enough to really make the corn grow or replenish the springs that provide our water supply. It has rained all day today! Praise the Lord!
Prayer:
  • The ten-year-old son of a recent convert here at Matukeng died from poisoning about two weeks ago. Please pray for this family. The mother's name is Itumeleng. In typical Lesotho style, the funeral is not until next weekend.
  • Please continue praying for Michelle Asbell. Her doctors in Michigan still aren't sure what is causing her physical problems.
  • Pray for the rest of us missionaries. We need God's help everyday with decision, ministry, and just keeping our own spiritual lives in good health.
Thank you so much for your faithful prayers!

Glenn, Stephanie, and Kaitlyn Gault
Hope International Missions

Monday, January 19, 2009

A Visit, a Graduation, and a Wedding in a Few Weeks!


Kaitlyn enjoyed a visit from Uncle Jon. He was with us for the last 2 weeks of December.



On December 28, the first graduating class from the Bible School received their diplomas at the Christmas conference. Mr. Pieter Marais, as an honored guest, passed out the diplomas.



Thabiso and Kaitlyn ready to attend a wedding at Mazenod on January 3, 2009.



The church's executive committee secretary, Ausi Ramakhula, and her fiance planned a beautiful wedding. These are some of the young ladies from the various churches escorting the bride to the tent. This is one of the wedding customs in Lesotho.


Ntate Pitso and Ausi Ramakhula



After an all-day wedding and no nap, she fell asleep on the way home. We weren't sure if she would be up to attending the second day's wedding festivities . . .



. . . but she did fine! The second day was at the groom's home in Roma. There the bride received her new name--'Me Mafelipe.

Friday, January 2, 2009

Lesotho Update

New Year greetings from Lesotho!

I don't even want to even think about how long it has been since we've written a Lesotho Update! :-(  I know better than to make a new year's resolution, but we will try to be more regular.  There are also a few things on our blog that you might be interested in. 

Praise:
  • This was a very special holiday season for us!  My parents were here for Thanksgiving until almost Christmas.  Stephanie's brother Jon was here for two week over Christmas.  We were blessed to be with family, and are grateful that God gave Kaitlyn an opportunity to get to know Pop-pop, Nana, and Uncle Jon better.
  • God is still graciously pouring out His Spirit on the country of Lesotho.  My father remarked that it reminded him of the book of Acts where "the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved."  People who got saved at tent meetings around Matukeng where we live are growing spiritually.  Another pastor pitched at tent for a week at Ha Seleso.  5 people got saved in seven days!
  • The day after Christmas people brought a dying witchdoctor from a new preaching point to Pastor Kali for prayer.  Between the work of demons and TB, nobody expected to see him alive again.  He was visibly better after prayer and got saved during the weekend.  He shaved the beads out of his hair and Pastor Kali went back with him to his village to help him burn all of his paraphernalia.  While the fire was burning a young man came to him to get "medicine" or have him cast a spell for him.  The former witchdoctor pointed to the fire and testified powerfully to how God had spared his life and saved him.  At least some of his family seemed to get saved at the service they held before they burned his things.  
Prayer:
  • We are praising God for this great victory in a witchdoctor's life, but these people need our prayer support! Pray that God will protect them form the power of Satan and that they will grow spiritually!
  • A new school year is starting at Hope Christian Academy in Ladybrand.  Please pray much for the school!
  • The beginning of a new year is always a time for planning and thinking about the future.  Please pray that God will clearly lead us to His plans for 2009!
  • Please pray for a pastor who has sadly fallen into deep sin.  Also pray for his wife.
I read this verse this morning in my quiet time and was blessed by it.  Perhaps God will use it to encourage you, too! 
"Now thanks be to God who always leads us in triumph in Christ and through us diffuses the fragrance of His knowledge in every place."  IICor. 2:14 NKJV

Thanks for praying for us!

Blessings,
Glenn, Stephanie, and Kaitlyn Gault
Hope International Missions