Dear Friends
as already in the last report We have been announced for 5 days with our friends in Lesotho. First line it was thought of as a family holiday and for recreation. But how could one overlook the poverty of the humble living Basuto? The people in the mountain regions of Lesotho are working really hard and a lot. In the morning, long before sunrise, you get water from distant sources of water, during the day the Sun is working in the field and in the evening after dark the cattle are supplied. And yet most of them have to get along with just one dollar a day. I personally have the highest respect for these people and admire their perseverance and the always good mood.
Before we left, we asked friends and colleagues for donations of clothes. A really great response gathered more clothes than we could take this time. On our next visit we will again take clothes to distribute.
Since pictures say more than a thousand words, here is a picture gallery with the respective image description:
(Click on one of the pictures to start the slideshow)
Before the departure in Pretoria: The car and the trailer are fully loaded and all fixed lashed for the 5-6 hours drive to Lesotho.
Here the fully packed trailer is unloaded and everything is temporarily stored until it can be sorted.
Next time we will try to bring shelves and clothes rods. This will help to get a vernüftige overview.
Shoes, shoes, shoes....
We have used crates and sacks as well as very good clothes from colleagues and friends from Pretoria.
All the donated clothes had to be sorted. By sex, size, summer/winter, etc...
The guys, Samuel and Silas, also liked to help sort. ... Although not always in order as Mama had thought,... but after all! 🙂
Mia was also having fun! But we always had to make it clear again. That the clothes donations are not for you. So many Kleidungsstuecke had liked her very much.
For Samuel, it was no problem to befriend the boys on the suburbs. A lot has been communicated. Even if you don't speak the same language.
The children love to be photographed and then look at themselves on the small screen.
For both guys, socializing was no problem at all.
Typically African: After strenuous playing in the sun, you have to rest in the shade of the tree for the first time.
Luckily for Stephan, the Suedafrikanische culture is also cultivated here. With a delicious Braai. (Braai = cricket)
In general, this was one of the main occupations on our journey: sitting together, entertaining and exchanging.
This is the Moteng valley.
In the background, in front of the mountains, a rainbow can be seen. However, it was sometimes easy to drizzling or rain, it was never enough to moisten the earth. Due to the hot wind the rain was evaporated before it could reach the ground. This drought was a very serious problem.
The four solar panels that produce a little power for LED lights and to charge cell phones. The two front panels have unfortunately been damaged by a violent winter storm. But still supply a little bit of electricity.
The hut – the traditional dwelling in southern Africa. Unfortunately, the knowledge of how to manufacture and maintain the rain-tight straw roofs is losing more and more. The young people do not want to do this difficult and strenuous work anymore.
As it is often lacking in water, everything that comes together in rain on the roof is collected.
All kinds of vegetables are built by the missionaries to provide for themselves.
Here, too, tomatoes, Mohrüben, spinach and other vegetables should grow. But because of the drought, nothing is growing this year. No water, no life. You get this up close.
The dumbest peasants, or those who practice farming gods way, have the largest potatoes. (a photo from 2014)
This is our accommodation for the time in Lesotho. 🙂 Little joke! This is a subject for the cattle.
The chickens deliver fresh eggs every day. And sometimes also the roast. .. 😉
Before the chicken cage was spanned with a net, the Eagles have brought 17 chickens.
The field is also bald this year. The Ausgesähte maize and the seed potatoes were received without rain. Without harvest it will be tough this year in winter.
The fields look like in winter where it is normal that it is not regent. But in summer it should look green and fertile.
Clover is the first cow on the mission station. (Clover is also the name of the best known milk variety in the supermarket.)
Distributing seeds and training farmers in farming gods way is part of the mission program. (Photo from 2014)
Although everything looks bare and brown, this country still radiates something beautiful, something majestic.
The church building from the outside. Here every Sunday worship with 10-15 visitors takes place.
In the roof of the church room, Coca Cola bottles (PET bottles) are filled with water to bring light into the interior. The bottles are half above and half under the corrugated. This will lead the sunlight into the hall.
The Tin hut next to the church was supposed to be an oil mill. Since there are already 3 mills in the area, no additional competition is to be created here.
Part of the work was to provide an infirmary for the people from the area, the nearest hospital is just over 100km away and for most, treatment there is prohibitively expensive. But now, unfortunately, the work has to be discontinued here, that costs for the nurse and medication can no longer be applied.
The school toilet....
Beautiful landscapes...
Surrounded by mountains everywhere.
Although there is a high-voltage line passing through the villages on the mountain, no one has electricity here. This power supply is only affordable for the lucrative mines in the mountains.
The river that was supposed to flow over here is totally dry.
In the dry riverbed, the grass is now dry and brown.
Now you could collect in the riverbed well stones for the house building...
Samuel can still walk through the river. Hopefully that will change soon!
The children were fascinated by the trailer. Everyone wanted to be inside and have the flap. How easy it can be to have children's attractions sometimes.
Education about HIV and AIDS is still an elementary component of any development work in Africa. Here Michael and Stephan speak to a group of young people about self-control.
The Shepherd boys are a very isolated group. Often for weeks alone with the animals in the mountains they lack the ability to normal social contacts. In most cases, you cannot read or write. It takes a lot of time to get your trust to tell you about Jesus.
A family photo. (from left to right) Owen (son of Michael and Rene), Stephan, Christiane, Emilia, Rene and Michael. The front is Samuel and Silas. Michael, Rene and Owen Exall are South Africans and four years ago the mission station in the mountains of Lesotho started.
