Photo by Kenex Media sa on Pexels.com

The African sky is immense.  It seems to stretch out forever, with beautiful white pillows of clouds hanging softly above the rocky mountain range that surrounds us.  Our homestead is built on a hillside so our view is of a winding brown river below cutting across a grassy plain.  I see a herder with his cows. He carries a long stick as he leads them down to the river’s edge.  I also see a cluster of school children, all in red and navy uniforms, rambling their way down the winding dusty road after a day of lessons in the village school.  Noises are everywhere- birds that coo and squawk and sing a shrill song, with an undercurrent of the insects’ chirps and the mosquito’s buzz. This is life in Africa; it is raw and untamed and very, very beautiful.

Today, Layla and I were trying to mark a course for a good run, and as we trotted down a slight path, an African wild cat sped right in front of us.  It was marked almost like a cheetah, but smaller in size.  Yet the power in the legs of that cat were undeniable.  It reminded me that we are just a part of God’s creation, the ones destined to sustain and protect all others.  Although the cat filled me with immediate fear, I also felt somewhat blessed to behold it up close.

So, as you can see, we made it to Lesotho and to our little corner in Bethesda Mission.  We have met some of the nationals who work here and soon we will meet the other students who will participate in the agricultural conference with us.  There are two missionary couples here as well who have been gracious to feed us and give us space to orient our bodies to the new night and day. We have been resting in this picture perfect setting and now we are fully ready to start our training on Sunday.

Thank you for the prayers thus far. Our travels were absolutely as smooth as they could possibly be, and I know God was making our path straight as you lifted prayers on our behalf.  The girls are happy and healthy, and like us, ready to get started with training.  

Continue to pray for us… we need it! Thank you tremendously for the time you take to read our journals, lift us up, 

Now Jeff would like to share his “first impressions…”

An afternoon shower waters the earth. A warm humidity fills the air. Africa welcomes us back with it’s majestic beauty. The sights and sounds and smells are all so familiar and yet so distant. 

Foggy heads, churning stomachs, sleepless nights, are accompanied by and in opposition to a great sense of peace. Thank you all for your prayers through our travels. We arrived safely and all survived the flights. It was a journey that is not easy but one that already feels worth it. 

The drip of water into a plastic pan in the middle of the bedroom is a steady reminder of our new surroundings.  Our home for the next month is without doubt utilitarian but that is what we need. The people here are friendly and accommodating. The roads are- well- the roads are there and the traffic must be universally bad across this continent. The scenery is breathtakingly beautiful. Only our creator could carve such a masterpiece. 

We are excited about the coming weeks as we learn along side others how to be better stewards of the natural resources of this land. We look forward to relationships that will have lasting kingdom impact. We are excited to take with us another tool for the spread of the gospel. 

Thanks again for your prayers and support in this endeavor. Continue to lift us up and the Farming Quest Conference that begins Monday. Growing Nations is doing a great work here equipping people to transform cultures through agriculture and true Gospel. 

Godspeed,

Jeff