Team Habari Outreach, Lesotho 2005

 

Team: Greg Martin, Rory Downard (RSA), Helen Smith (ENG serving in RSA for 9 months), Megan Allice, Ann Hopkins (USA, serving in Namibia for 6 months).  5 Followers of Christ, 3 different countries 1 goal to serve God in Lesotho for 2 weeks from the 04/12 to 15/12/12

Work we were involved in: From Monday 05/12 to Thursday 08/12 the team got involved with a Scripture Union camp, being part of a team that looked after 52 children from all walks of life at a local school in Thaba Boshu.

Week 2 Monday 11/12 to 14/12 was spend helping at Youth for Christ in Maseru, here we got involved with a building project, building a water basin for a youth centre which was build 2 weeks before.

Highlights: Each member brought something wonderful to the projects we were involved in, whether it was the building projects, the building project or just on our own quiet time before the Lord.  Megan A with her wonderful artworks and presentations to the kids, Ann H in the way she made herself available to whatever needed to be done in trying and unusual circumstances.  Rory D for what he brought to the group from the moment we left Cape Town till the moment we arrived back in Cape Town 2 weeks later.  Helen S in the gracious way she got us through our quiet times and being such a wonderful servant of God.  The way God answered our prayers in providing building materials which enabled us to finish the wash basin.

Disappointments: The uncertainty regarding the 2 camp, working in the hot and very humid conditions, being held up at the border post which could have had a negative influence on our outreach.

Our thanks to: All our prayer partners who prayed for us whiles we were away in Lesotho (RSA, ENG, USA). The Scripture Union team in Lesotho for making us their partners during the outreach. Youth for Christ for giving us the opportunity to do some community work.  Mr Emmanual Nomba who sponsored the building materials. The Aim Lesotho who looked after us whiles we were in Lesotho.

Walk around Hout-Bay

 

Morija (Lesotho 2005) †

 

HOW MY OUTREACH CAME ABOUT: Sue Merriman a missionary in Lesotho working with AIM (Africa Inland Mission) came to speak to our Bible study group while on furlough in Cape Town. She told us of the various needs and when she mentioned the need at the Morija seminary library I felt I had I had to make myself available and this let me to the Aim office in Plumstead where I underwent training, got prayer partners involved and set the date for my departure to Lesotho. I left for Lesotho on 31 March 2005 and returned to Cape Town on 30 April 2005.

 BACKGROUND TO THE COUNTRY OF LESOTHO: Population about two

million people of which 80% are Christian (mostly Catholic and the Lesotho

Evangelical Church) and 20% are indigenous beliefs. The official languages are

Sesotho and English.  Geographically the country is mostly highlands with plateaus, hills and beautiful mountains.

WORK I WAS INVOLVED IN: I worked in the library at the seminary, setting various procedures in place for staff and students alike, this was no easy task as I had to start almost from scratch typing up catalogues, training students, doing stocktaking, shelve reading, and inputting incoming books and journals in the different catalogues. This would require me to work from 07H30 till 17H00 during the week and a few hours over weekends.

A STORY FROM MY TRIP: After doing shelve reading one day a lecturer came into the library to look for some books. As he was going through the books, he came across two books which were apparently “missing" having been mis shelved by the students. This caused him to change his course as he needed those books as part of his course. By doing shelve reading I have returned the books to their rightful places on the shelves thereby not only helping the lecturer but also the students, as books are expensive to replace.

Flying to Tebellong to visit August and Anita Basson was an experience; flying in one of those small planes over the Lesotho mountains was a sight to behold on our hour-long journey. I took part in the seminar that, that taught about farming and how the farmers are taking responsibility for their own future. I also spoke to Christie at Scott hospital and learned how she has to cope without the basic things I took for granted while I was in Morija, especially after her two friends Chrissie and Lilly left to go back home to England.

ONE HIGHLIGHT: Flying to Tebellong over the Lesotho mountains, taking a long drive to T Y for pizza in the north of the country, taking a walk up into the mountains in Morija and meeting the different missionaries in Lesotho, Christie, and the Bassons in the Tebellong mountains, meeting some Peace Corr volunteers, the Hooker's in Morija and others scattered in the country whom I met at the pray day just before I left Morija

ONE Disappointment: Not having enough time to do more things, not taking up invites from the locals to at least two events, not finding out more about the lack of youth work in Morija.

WHERE TO FROM HERE: I hope to go away soon, hopefully for three months. I feel it's something I want to do all the time, to be of service in Africa. Please pray for me as I listen to God speaking to me as to what he wants me to do. I would like to ask people to remember me in their prayers as I go about getting the funds ready for next year. If you want to help or know off ways that can be off a benefit to me, please don't hesitate to call or e-mail me gregmartinza@outlook.com