Eight Weeks in Our New Home

    Today marks the 8th week that we have been here at Beautiful Gate, Lesotho! Sometimes it's hard to believe that this is our new life for the next 2 years [or so :) ]. I think the best way to describe what we have been going through since coming here is adaptation. As anyone living in a new culture knows, the one thing you can be sure of is change. When Karen and I came here a year ago we didn't necessarily go through too much culture shock. We lived at the Maroon House on campus with the other 19 volunteers from Michigan, so we were always surrounded by familiar faces. We did some site-seeing of the surrounding area as well as trips to the Village of Malealea. And before we left last year we went to a game preserve for a 2 day safari. It seemed a bit like going on a vacation or doing  just another mission trip.
    Being here this time feels a lot different. We live off campus now and instead of walking across campus to start our day we drive about 10 minutes to get to "work". We don't live with 19 other people this time. Now it's just the 3, make that 4 of us living in our house. Our first item of adaptation actually came before we left Michigan. Our housing for at least the first year was lined up before we came to Lesotho. We were going to rent a house from a South Korean missionary family that would be leaving just before we arrived. The change came just three days before we left when we found out the the husband was sending his wife and two daughters back home ahead of him while he stayed on just past Easter. It wasn't exactly what we were figuring on but we trusted that God was going to use this as a way to grow us. As it turns out, we have quite a nice, very generous, and rather humorous house mate that has been very useful in helping us to understand some of the quirks of the house as well as helping know more about the area and culture.
    We have also had to adapt to things like the power going out in the house on a somewhat regular basis...mostly around thunderstorms. We also regularly deal with our water going out as well. I have already pondered the question: "what would I rather have...no water, or no electricity?" I'm still undecided. I would choose no electric if we had gas to heat our water or a gas stove...but we're making adjustments to not having that luxury either. Then there was our vehicle. We purchased a two door Mitsubishi SUV before coming here, knowing that we would definitely need our own car. But within 2 weeks of our getting here our car was no longer drive-able. Back home I know of a few great mechanics and can purchase whatever part I need from the Auto Zone Just down the road and within a few days I'm on the road again. Here I don't know any mechanics, and it took me a while to find someone that a few people recommended. And after three weeks of it being at the shop we finally got our car back. But God blessed us with a car that we could borrow right up to the day we found out that our car was done...praise God!
    There have been many things about being here that we have needed to adjust to. But one thing that we were used to was seeing God at work in everything. Even before visiting Beautiful Gate a year ago we could clearly see how God was at work to make this a reality of His plan. God has been training us and shaping us all of our lives so when we were ready to say yes to His call, everything was in place. We saw God clearly bring a couple to the same point in our spiritual walk so we would both be ready for missions. God provided the seminary training needed to fulfill his call for another shepherd. God equipped and trained a mother and secretary to be the operations manager of an orphanage. He took the heart of a teenager and set it on fire to serve Him wherever He called.
    We saw God take care of the easy things like selling a house that we were seriously upside down in. (That's an amazing story all by it's self!) We watched God bring in all the necessary money for our first year here in just a little over three months! And we were given such peace from God as He spoke so clearly to us that He had everything under control and going just as He had planned it.
    Things are definitely different here on the other side of the globe. Our friends here have a different language and somewhat darker skin than us. And although we are apart from our family, God continues to bless us with new and growing relationships. Things ARE different here but God is still the same. We've had to go through a lot of changes to get here, but our God is unchanging. The scenery here is quite a change from back home, but it was created by the same amazing God who makes the pristine snow of Holland, the brilliant colors of the tulips and the white billowing clouds that travel the seas. We live in a world that if full of change but it's much easier to handle with your feet on a solid Rock.
    It's only been eight weeks in our new home. We can't wait to see what he can show us in two years.......
 

Beautiful Staff

I want to share a portion of my perspective on the staff here at Beautiful Gate. I have been observing the staff for the past 4 weeks and I have been so impressed and so touched by their hearts. The more I get to know them, the more I admire them and praise God for their lives and the privilege to work with them each day.

Every morning the office staff and anyone else who is available, meets for devotions. Everyone takes turns reading scripture and a short devotional. The person who reads will then share his or her reflections and then we all get a chance to share our thoughts and we conclude with a time for prayer requests and thanksgivings and then have at time of prayer together. I am amazed at how easily they share their hearts and how beautifully they express themselves. They are real. They are transparent. This is one of the best devotional groups I've been a part of and I have already learned so much from them and from their example. They love the Lord and they know His word. I have noticed that they take God's word seriously and always look at it as their challenge to continue running the race with perseverance. They realize that God is speaking to them on that particular day, on that particular verse. I am so impressed and inspired.....They take Him at His word.  I want to live in that simple truth that God is real. He speaks to us and instructs us through His living Word and that He is always actively speaking into our lives.

I am impressed with the rest of the staff here as well. I see the joy in their hearts when they sing with the children and at chapel and for special ceremonies. Hearing the staff sing is definitely a highlight for me as they sing with such enthusiasm and with such beautiful harmony! 

The times I have heard them share their hearts I see that they too love the Lord and His Word. I spoke with a weekend housemother regarding having a church service on Sunday's for them on campus since they can't get to church on a regular basis. She said to me, "I praise God for the hearing and instruction of His word, even if it's for 5 minutes, it's what I need so badly."

They desire the teaching of the Word, praise God for that! It is a joy to see how Ron's position as Chaplain has filled this need and how he is such a wonderful fit here.  The staff have regularly come to him to ask for prayer, to share and to seek guidance in the Word. Prior to our coming, the staff had been asking for a pastor and spiritual leadership and they have welcomed Ron in his position as Pastor so freely and with much acceptance. This is such an affirmation from God in His call for us to come here.

Beautiful Gate has a beautiful staff!  I am blessed to be a partner with them in this journey to serve and to grow together. 

~Karen