Basotho Village Sees the Gospel

The beautiful village of Matsaile, Lesotho and the Basotho people is the focus of this month's blogpost.  Daren Davis and Jim Flora spent a couple of days there last month and had the pleasure of visiting with Justin Morgan and Korby Griffith who were just days away from completing their 2 year Journeyman assignment. Living among the people of this village gave Korby and Justin the opportunity live out the gospel every day. 

The kids living in this village absolutely love Justin and Korby.  As soon as we would step out of the hut each morning a small group of kids would begin making their way to greet us, laugh, stick "fight", and just have fun.  I am sure it would get old if living there day in and day out but for Daren and Jim it was fun to watch.  These kids were seeing the light of Christ in the life of Korby and Justin.

To become a man in Basotho culture one has to know how to protect himself by stick fighting.  These boys were always ready to show their abilities as well as practice.  Justin had to be careful because they could do some damage.  Pray that the men of Matsaile will desire to be strong in the Lord.   

For two years these two Journeyman got their water from this mountain spring and had to carry it back to their hut in a wheel barrow.

Thabang became their good friend.  They spent hours teaching him the Bible, helping him know how to teach the Bible, and how to live as a follower of Jesus.  Thabang watched them live out their faith in Jesus and it made a real impact on his life. To hear Thabang's testimony click here.

This girl may look like her hands are folded ready to pray but the truth is very few of these kids will learn that God wants to talk to them.  They will grow up learning how to communicate with their dead ancestors but God is not interested in them and is irrelevant. Pray they will realize the truth of 1 John 5:14 "This is the confidence we have in approaching God; that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us.

Many of the elderly in villages are seen as a burden because they can no longer work like they used to.  Ladies like this one take care of the small children, teach them Basotho culture and tradition and therefore many barriers to the gospel are erected in the lives of these children.  Pray that the children would learn that God loves them, cares for them, and sent His Son to pay for their sins.  Pray that they would realize that God wants a relationship with them. 

The kids could tell there was something different about Korby and Justin.  Please pray that the kids of Matsaile would realize the same God who changed the lives of these young men can change their life as well. 

Jim Flora is a career missionary in the nearby Lesotho village of Katse.  He lives there with his wife and 3 daughters.  Pray for Jim as he considers how to continue sowing and nurturing the gospel seed in the village of Matsaile.  Pray that while Justin and Korby planted the seed of the gospel that others will come to water and that God will cause the increase. 
1 Corinthians 3:6

Daren cooking breakfast.

Korby, the one with the goatee, has returned to the US where he will be looking for work.  Pray for Korby as he adjusts to the US, renews friendships, and looks for a job.  Justin, in the orange shirt, will remain in Lesotho until the end of April.  Pray for Justin as he works with Jim and Teresa Flora.  Upon returning to the US he hopes to help college students learn how they can be on mission with God internationally. 

Pray for Thabang as he continues to shine the light of the gospel in the village of Matsaile.



As we arrived back in Katse we were greeted by Jim's daughter Rebecca riding this donkey. 

To learn more about the Flora family click here.

Chief Bottle Washer

Jim and Teresa Flora and their three daughters live in Katse, Lesotho. On a recent visit to Lesotho we were able to minster alongside Jim. Teresa and the girls had to stay in Johannesburg due to Teresa recovering from surgery. This trip provided us with numerous opportunities to minister in the mountain villages of the Sotho.

Jim was host, teacher, cook, and chief bottle washer!

In addition to washing the bottles he also led us along the mountain passes and trails to the villages of Makoabateng and Mapoleng where we had the opportunity to meet those who are learning the Word of God.

As we made our way from village to village the road was often blocked by the animals the Basotho raise for their livelihood. Sheep like these are a staple to the economy of the rural Sotho. Isaiah 53:6 says "All of us like sheep have gone astray, Each of us has turned to his own way; But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all to fall on Him." Pray that the Sotho would no longer stray away from God but turn to God through faith in Jesus Christ.

Huts like this are clustered together to form the villages which sit on the side of the mountains. As we looked out over the mountains, villages were seen in every direction, villages where people live who need to hear the gospel.

Pastor Phoka lives in one of these mountain villages and pastors Khoklo-ntso Baptist church. His wife prayed for him for years before he became a believer in Jesus Christ. She prayed with tenacity and commitment. Now he works closely with Jim Flora and together they proclaim the truths of Scripture.

Kantine is growing in his faith and relatioship with Christ by leaps and bounds. Jim believes he will be ready to be the Pastor of the Makoabateng Church by the end of this year. Presently Jim is leading this church. Pray that Kantine will continue to be faithful and continue to mature in his faith.

We were honored to serve for a few days with Jim. He and his family serve in a very tough place. Lesotho is a rugged country with a very challenging climate. While we were there the wind was blowing with the temperature hovering right at freezing. Pray for Jim and Teresa Flora and their three girls as they experience the joys of serving God together.This Basotho boy is loving the attention. Pray for boys like this, who will grow up to be shepherds and while living a lonely and tough life, will choose to follow the Good Shepherd.

Build Your House Upon the Rock

Justin and Korby have recently graduated from college and are now serving as Journeymen in the mountain village of Matsaile, Lesotho. Here they are standing in front of their home (a rondavel) where they will live for the next 2 years. Inside this hut is a futon sofa, two sleeping cots, a very small fridge and two burner stove top, both of which run off propane, as well as a water filter and a small table with two chairs. Their water source is a spring 1 kilometer across the mountain from their rondavel.

They use a wheel barrow to haul over 50 liters or 120 lbs of water once every 4 days. In this picture Micah is going to the source to fill up these containers. Once these containers are filled the real work begins as they now have to push the water back up the hill to their home. Just as Jesus spoke the truth to the woman he met at the well, pray that Justin and Korby will speak truth to the people they meet at their well.

Huts like this one surround the Journeyman's hut. Living behind Korby and Justin is Thabo. Thabo started asking questions about God and so Korby and Justin, using "The Proclaimer", a solar powered digital audio player, began listening to the Bible in Sesotho. They were able to teach Thabo using their broken Sesotho and Thabo using his broken English. After meeting daily to discuss the Bible for a week Thabo invited them to his house for "church" where he played a chapter from Mark on the Proclaimer and then taught what he had learned.

Thabo with his written copy of Scripture and his oral copy of Scripture. Pray that Thabo would receive Jesus and give his life to Him. Pray that he would continue to desire to learn the Bible. Pray that he would be used by God to start a church in the village of Matsaile.

Peach trees are everywhere in Lesotho and they were in full bloom in early September. Almost every hut had a least one.

The Basotho use horses to travel these rugged mountains. These two men were on their way to the circumcision camp. This rite of passage for boys is a camp where they learn what it takes to be a Basotho man. In addition to being circumcised, they learn a variety of skills like stick fighting.
The Basotho men carry a Mulamu. This is a stick that is about 2 1/2 feet long and at this camp the boys learn to fight with them. On this particular day the men from the village joined the boys who were in camp to practice stick fighting out in front of the village. All the kids and women came out to the edge of the village to watch.

Justin and Korby had a good seat to watch the festivities. Pray that the young men of Matsaile will see the difference Jesus is making in Thabo's life and that they would become serious followers of Jesus.

Boys like these will grow up learning about raising sheep, riding horses, witchcraft, and ancestor worship. Thank God that Justin and Korby have been obedient so that they will have an opportunity to learn about Jesus.

Do you see his Mulamu (fighting stick) on his back?

Pray that the Basotho men would hunger for God's truth.
Their kitchen was small but the food was good. Sunday morning Daren Davis and Tom Melvin cooked French toast for all the guys.

It gets cold at night in Lesotho. Korby and Justin staying warm in bed.

Their drop toilet sits just outside their hut.

There is no such thing as a quick trip to the grocery store when you live in Matsaile. Justin and Korby have their food and other essentials flown in every few weeks. They also get a break every 4 to 6 weeks and they fly to the capital city of Maseru and have a few days of much needed R&R. Left to Right: Justin, Tom Melvin, Eli Melvin, Micah Davis, Daren Davis, and Korby Griffith. Ask God to give these two young men the endurance they will need to persevere for the sake of the gospel. Pray God gives them more young men like Thabo and that a church will start in the village of Matsaile.

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.