Reflections

Early this month I went back to the mountain. (Actually, I have two mountains, one a forty minute drive from home, the other a 40 minute hike to the top from home.) December we were moving, and January we were away, so I have missed my time on the mountain. It was an interesting this time on the mountain. My soul was very quiet, and God too seemed very quiet. As I reflected and rested and waited a couple of words came to my thoughts.

The first word was “awe”, and that led me to the little book of Ecclesiates. There the writer admonishes that when one goes to the house of the Lord, “go near to listen”. He further invites us to let our words be few, and “stand in awe of God.” Also in my thoughts were the words, “be still”.

“Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him.” A thunder storm passed by to the east of where I sat. The wind gusted and blew. I found a “hollow”, an overhang, overlooking the city, where I could shelter, be still, and stand in awe.

The thunder rumbled and cracked, now closer, then further. The storm passed by. “Be still, and know that I am God.” And so I reflected.

I reflected on the Khasapane family. I remembered the day they asked for money to see a traditional healer to remove a curse that had been placed on them. This was over my head, so I called our pastor. That led to a conversation where I expressed my concern that while I was assisting with the family’s physical needs, I was doing nothing for their spiritual needs. His words of advice, “If God was asking me to assist with there physical needs and to show interest and concern, do that, and leave the rest to him.” Be still, in other words.

That was some months ago. Today, Sunday morning sees my car packed with Khasapanes and others, driving them to and from church. And, during a recent service, one of the Khaspane girls expressed a desire to be a follower of Christ. I did only what my pastor suggested. The rest God orchestrated. Be still - and stand in awe of God.

I reflected on the young orphaned women God has brought across my path. I have reflected on his prompting and provision. His prompting that there is a role for me to play, a path to follow in supporting girl orphans. I reflected on his provision. A few dollars here (God bless my mother), that allowed a few local women to do research on services available to the girl orphan. A few dollars more (God bless my mother’s sisters), that have assisted five girl orphans to continue in school. Three of the young women from the project, orphaned each, are continuing to work with me to see what more might be done. And these women want to make a difference. When I suggested meeting every second month, they asked why not every month. In a land where resignation is so prevalent, how can I but stand in awe.

I reflected and marveled at the generosity of those that we have been able to help. The little they have received has been a source of hope and encouragement and they have not kept the blessings to themselves. One family, in great poverty, but seeing others in greater need, gave of that they had to support others, sending maize meal from their fields. Then, when I offered money to buy additional maize, they referred me to another person they saw as in even greater need, and asked that I buy the maize from her. The Khasapanes - once five living in one small room, now though God’s grace living in a two room flat - have taken in a little nephew to assis a family they see as even less well off. So now they are seven (one of the girls had a baby). These two families, and others, are sharing their blessings, lighting the candle of hope for another, making the world a better place. Be still and be in awe, I reflected.

And then there is “Hope and a Candle Lesotho”. God bringing together, weaving events and contacts so that “Hope and a Candle Lesotho”, a trust to be set up in Lesotho, is moving through the legal steps to becoming reality. It will be a trust, registered in Lesotho, which will focus on providing hope to girl orphans, including inviting them to share that hope with others, to be a candle sharing the light with others.

These are but a few of the stories of God at work in Lesotho. My day on the mountain was a reminder to be still and stand in awe of what God is doing, and to anticipate being in awe of what he will do further. And so, our tickets are booked to return home to Canada this summer. (Two years slides by so quickly.) We fly out of Africa on 04 July 2009, but our tickets are return and will see us flying back to Lesotho the third week of August. Our God is an awesome God, and I am afraid of what I might miss out on, if I didn’t come back.

~ Benno ~

References: Eccl. 5:1,2,7; Ps 37:7; Ps 46:10

The car full, back from church.

(I recently met a woman who just returned from Scotland. Her passion and burden is to work with the street boys here in Maseru. We looked at what we each were doing and wondered if maybe we should switch. But maybe God knows that street boys need a mother, and girl orphans need a father. Oh, I am still at Beautiful Gate for now. These reflections are on my extra curricular activities.)