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
