This past week we have been speaking to the school called Itereiling. It has been real good. We have had an amazing response. We have been doing this program that we have put together, with much prayer. Our theme is 2 Timothy 2:22. We basically have been going in and telling the kids how to make right decisions using skits, the story of Joseph, and two personal stories. We really focus on the whole two roads analogy. We get one of the students to get up and write on the board. All the other students will give examples of what will be on the wide road, and what will be on the narrow road. We have had an amazing response. It has been so much fun doing the Lord’s work! The guidance and counselor has become a good friend of ours. We usually spend time with him before and after we talk with the students. Through him we have met many of the other teachers whom have also become good friends. Skanopo, the guidance and councilor, has become such a good friend that they asked us to be on their soccer team. The team consist of about 15 people whom are all teachers of some sort for the school. They play local teams. Haha its like everyone has a team here in Botswana- the brick company, the grocery store, all the surrounding school staff- its awesome. Anyways, we are officially on a Botswana soccer team. We have played two games so far and we have won one and lost one. I almost scored, well not really, but it was close. Our second game, which we won, was an away game. It was an expeiernce just riding with the team to Lotlakanaye for the game which is about 30-40 min away. I tell you all of this so that you can know that the Lord can do anything. This door that He has opened for us has created an opportunity to tell these teachers and others about our Lord and the hope in which they can share in with all other believers- and hopefully to get them on fire for the Lord because if they come on fire for the Lord the way they interact with the students will change and the students will be surrounded by teachers and staff who carry the Lord Jesus Christ. And from this who knows that doors the Lord will open- our Lord is amazing!!
Friday, March 13, 2009
Thursday, March 5, 2009
Kang- Our First Visit
I must first stress that this is only a summary of what the Lord has been doing here in Botswana! I could only give you a summary b/c it would be way to long to go into detail some of the things the Lord is doing here- but you should know that it is truly amazing to see the Lord work here. As I have reviewed the past two weeks while we were in Kang it has come to my attention that all that I will say will look as if I am being prideful and boastful, but I want to make it clear that it is not out of pride I tell you these things- It is out of boasting in the Lord, giving Him all credit for our time here!
As you know we have been in the village of Kang for the past two weeks. Let me try to explain Kang to you. The first thing that comes to mind is sand. Think of a desert with some curvy type trees- the ones that only grow in Africa, and don’t forget the many donkeys and chickens that have the power to keep one up all during the night if they want! Keep those in picture, and now put thad roof houses as well as some center block houses, many kids running around everywhere, woman with baskets on their heads carrying whatever they need for the day, men looking for work or taking a break from work, and last but not least the many venders on the side of the sandy road. If you can picture all of that in one setting you have pretty much seen the village of Kang. Now I will have to say that it is prettier than I have described as well as it is a nicer village than some. I am just painting the basics.
I must tell you, the people here are more hospitable than people in America- yes even the one in the south!! I only came across a couple of rude people, other than that everyone will listen to you, invite you into their house, offer you what they really don’t have, and take time out of their day so that they can honor you as their guest! It has been real nice seeing all this in action. I will not lie to you- I figured the village life would be filled with skinny, about to die men and woman who don’t have anything more than a thad roof to their name. I was wrong, for the most part. Yes, the homeless in America have it about 10 times better than a mediocre paid person here. People here don’t have much, but they are satisfied with what they do have. They make the most of everything!! I haven’t seen anything ever wasted- makes me fill ashamed for all that I waste back home! The people here do live in tin or thad roof hut/houses and the only cool air they get is through a window that usually has bars on!! Let me tell you Kang and all of Botswana for that matter is hot!! The sun can be unbearable here at times!!! But the people here are ok with it- they don’t have a choice! Nevertheless, when it rains it does feel quit nice! Yes it is true that aids is rampant, but people don’t talk about it, and if you don’t know what the symptoms look like you would never know. All in all the people here are somewhat poor, but they do have something over their head, they do have somewhat of meals or a meal a day, and they can get running water. Even though this sounds like they are above average- I wish you could see how they have to live and go though day by day!! The people are content with what they have and though its not much and it hurts me to think how much I waste or take for granted when they don’t even get the chance to waste or take for granted, it is beautiful to see how they live their life!
Spiritual life in Kang, well there is not much to say about this one! I think besides us their was only one other church their that taught born again doctrine, some of the time! Out of all the people I met I think maybe a handful of people, if that, were born again. Around 1 out of every 5 people had heard something about Jesus, some more than others. I think more people here believed in the witch doctor or some form of African taditon type thing that was just farther from God than I knew. However, once we had left, everyone we met heard the truth about the good news and even more than that since in the culture there, word about something new like that whether they believed in it or not would be spread around!!! Praise God for that!
Let me try to explain how the Lord used us in spreading His hope and love to the locals. Since day one we prayer walked as much as we could. It was so refreshing to coat that village with prayer. Before our first prayer walk you could just sense darkness, but afterwards the Light illuminated everything- I don’t say that lightly either, darkness was very tangible!! Anyways, accompanying the prayer walking we would daily meet different people whom we instantly, by the Lords doing, were able to clearly tell them about why we were their which led to tell them about Jesus and the hope in which comes with our Savior! From that point we would invite them to either come to one of the Jesus film showings, or back to our home so that we could elaborate and go into detail more about Jesus and why we were there in their village. Along with the prayer walking, and the meeting of random people, we would play soccer outside our house and kids would come play with us. The first two kids were Aban and Oudareele. We eventually became friends- they were very shy at first. Then many kids eventually started to come and we were able to make friends. We would also play the guitar and sing many days and night, and many people would come and see what was going on which gave us the opportunity to tell them about Jesus!
We had church on Sunday outside our house under the tree. I must say the church service was very simple, but powerful. It was a beautiful service which around 20 showed up and around 4 became born again! There names were Andrew, Kabo, Merribettie, and Deasebie. There were also some ladies, whom I forgot most of their names, but the ones I remember, Sharon, Kathrin, and Amanda, Karren, and mompi. We have been discipling them ever since that Sunday and it has been amazing how hungry they are for the word and doing what is right.
Accompanying the church service, prayer walking, and telling as many people as we were given the chance about Jesus- we had also been involved with the school. Mr. Robert ( our director) had talked to the headmaster of the school and worked out a way for us to go in and talk to the students. Through the guidance of the Lord we were able to put together a school program to go in and talk to the students about making good decisions through skits, the story of Joseph, and a personal testimony. The scripture we centered the program on was 2 Timothy 2:22. We were given the opportunity to spend the whole week with the kids, some days even twice a day. We were only given permission to speak to the kids on the first two days because they were having testing. Nevertheless the Lord provided for us the whole week and on some days twice a day! The Lord is good… All the time!!
Some random things- Our translators were Teboho and Klalaphong. Teboho and I became best friends and he defiantly did the best translating ever- I do tend to slur a lot as well as have a deep ascent. And Klalaphong was an amazing help especially when it came to understanding the culture. God had blessed us with tremendous translators whom became good friends- praise be to God!!
We were blessed with good shelter as well as good food!! We were never left stranded without our Lord!! There were many times we would be out walking to either the store or some destination and never made it b/c the Lord would guide put someone in our path that needed to hear about Jesus!! The other day we were headed to a soccer game that some guys we met were playing in, however, we never made it to the game. We met a man whom worked in another school which we had been trying to get into to speak but didn’t know anyone to ask. Well the man we met worked at that school and said they’d love for us to come- yep another God thing. It was also at that time we were able to meet the witch Doctor!! Teboho and I were given the chance to have a bible study with him daily and tell him many important things- like what he was involved in was wrong and what he needed to do was use the influence he had to bring people to know Christ. Yes, when we were with him, evil was tangible no lie. But before we left for Labotse He said that he needed help because he was being attacked by evil spirits and didn’t know how he would ever be born again. Praise God that he is looking for a way out!! With man it is impossible, but with God everything is possible!!!
I hope this summery has helped you understand what the Lord is doing in and through us here in Botswana. I hope all is well where you are, and that you are allowing to let the Lord use you in any and every way!! God bless!!
