Highflying Cowboys

The Maluti Sotho people live in the country of Lesotho. It is known as the "Mountain Kingdom" and the mountain range is referred to as the Maluti Mountains. Over 300,000 people live in small villages located on remote hills and isolated valleys on the slopes of these mountains. There are several K2 missionaries specifically ministering to the Sotho living here.

The people live in huts similar to this one. Lesotho is often cold and the winter will bring snow to much of the country. These huts, with their manured walls and floors, are built to stay warm in the winter and cool in the summer. Journeyman missionaries, Korby Griffith, and Justin Morgan are about to find out if this is true.

Justin and Korby will live in the remote village of Matsiele. Here they will develop relationships, share the gospel and be an incarnate missionary presence as they live among this people group. To get in and out of this village they can either walk over 4 hours to the nearest road or be flown on a Missionary Aviation Fellowship (MAF) plane.

Home sweet home for Korby and Justin for the next two years. They will move into this hut next month just as winter is getting started.

Justin Morgan and Daren Davis.

A birds eye view of Lesotho.

K2 Cluster missionaries Larry and Sally Pepper live in the town of Maseru in the lowlands. Dr. Larry Pepper visits this village regularly to share the gospel and meet the physical needs of the people. The people from this area walk for hours to come to the clinic. Pray for Dr. Pepper as he ministers to the physical needs of the people of Lesotho which has the second highest rate of HIV/AIDS of any country with 23.2% of the population suffering from HIV. Pray for the Peppers and the Journeymen as they share the gospel with the Sotho people.

A regular sight for the flying doctor.

Medical supplies are flown in by MAF flights to clinics throughout the mountains.

The Pepper's and the Journeymen are not the only ones seeking to meet the spiritual and physical needs of the Sotho people. K2 missionaries, Jim and Teresa Flora and their three girls also live in the mountains. Teresa uses her nursing background to hold clinics in remote villages.

The Flora Family

Roads are difficult to find in these mountains so travel is either by walking or horseback.

Hands On missionary, Jonathan Bundrick (JB) hiking to a village after being dropped off by airplane.

Jim Flora and Daren Davis on horseback at about 9,000 feet above sea level praying for the Sotho villages. Join them in praying that God will prepare the Maluti Sotho to hear and respond to the gospel.

Join the Floras by praying for 100 Basotho men to be equipped to take the gospel to the people living in the Maluti Mountains like this man. He spends most of his time alone tending to his animals as they graze on the mountain side. Pray that men like this one will become a follower of Jesus.

A Rainy, Muddy, Wonderful Journey

One of the people groups within the K2 Cluster area is the Lwena, also known as Luvale, of Angola and Zambia. They traditionally make their living by a variety of means. If they are near a river they prefer to fish, but they are also successful hunters and cattlemen. In years past they have been warriors, guarding their families and land during the tribal wars with the Lunda people. Eventually getting pushed south and against the banks of the Zambezi River. The people groups surrounding the Lwena also credit them with being successful with very strong magic. Even though the Bible has been translated into the Luvale language, less than 2% of them have accepted the gospel message. Instead they choose to believe that evil spirits are “their ancestors” and as long as they keep these spirits happy they will be protected and can use these spirits to harm their enemies. Pray that the Lwena would truly know that the Lord God is Creator of all, All-powerful and All-knowing, that He wants to be their Savior and Protector. Pray 1 Peter 2:25 for the Lwena “For you were continually straying like sheep, but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.”

Pray for career missionaries, Jeff and Robyn Lowe, as they finish language study and move to Lukulu, Zambia, a district populated with both the Lozi people and the Lwena people, that they would find people of peace to open the doors of ministry with both people groups.

We were able to travel with the Lowes on a rainy day trip to Kalabo District. Here we were on the pontoon crossing the Zambezi River. We were blessed to see friends and believers in and around Kalabo where we served for a number of years. Mapungu Baptist Church, within Kalabo District has a lot of Lwena/Luvale believers. Kalabo District borders Lukulu District where the Lowes will be living soon.

Daren and Jeff check out the "road" across the floodplain before driving it.

Daren had the opportunity to be a good samaritan.