peoples.

Greetings from Lesotho! The internet has been out for a few days here so I was not able to post as soon as I wanted to, but thankfully it is back on now! I have also struggled to put into words a lot of what I am feeling on this blog because it is all so new I never really know what I am feeling. So, hang with me and I will try to do my best :)

This week has gone by so fast! I cannot believe the team left already. Working with the basketball team all week has been so fun and I have learned so much from them. They all have such big hearts for these kids and the communtiy here. I have been encouraged so much by their positive attitudes and awesome work ethic. As much as I was hoping their flight would get delayed and they would be stuck here with me for a little longer, I am excited for them to be able to go home and share their stories and experiences with loved ones. I would love to hop on the plane and go home with them, yet at the same time I am excited to see what the Lord has in store for me here. It is crazy to think I am almost a month in already!

 a little muffin making adventure

this picture has nothing to do with anything...I just found marshmallows in the shape of rats at the grocery store....yum

Last Tuesday was the last day I posted and that was the day I was sick. That day I got so many facebook messages and e-mails that helped and ecouraged me so much. So THANK YOU to all of you...you guys are amazing.

YAY for coloring pages from MJ!

As awesome as this week has been with the team, the devil has tried to get in and bring some people down. I got so frustrated when I would things happen because I wanted this trip to be perfect for them without any sickness or hiccups. In the end, I think the Lord did win and everyone was able to draw closer to Him even through the rough spots.

On Thursday, the basketball team was able to go to the local High School and challenge them to a game of Netball. None of the girls new how to play Netball so when they got there, they just kind of learned as they went. The deal was our team could come to play them but they had to go to school for an hour with them first. Sadly, I was unable to go because of responsibilities I had here at BGate, but it was so great to hear their stories when they got back about how fun it was. They all had such great attitudes about going into a situation that was a bit out of their comfort zones.

Saturday we went to Malealea. I had been there before a couple weeks ago and I was a little nervous going back with such a large group. The horses don't always like to listen to you and they sometimes get mad at the other horses which can make for an interesting ride. We quickly found out the couple girls who had the trouble-maker horses because they would be biting the other horses. One girl's horse bit another horse and then that horse got mad so he kicked him back which ended up in a shin injury for the girl on the biting horse (wow, that was confusing). It wasn't serious enough that she needed to go to the hospital, thankfully, but she did get kicked pretty good. She was such a trooper through the rest of the trip even though she was in some pain.

SNOWMAN SUCCESS 

pony trekkin it up

Monday was a strange day. I rode along to bring the team to the airport in Bloemfontein (which is in South Africa). We cried (okay, I cried) and said our goobyes and then me and Bryan headed into Bloem to get some things from the mall. Going into the mall was like culture shock all over again. It felt like I was right back in thr US! We ate McDonalds, which tasted a little different, but it was still good. It was also strange going to a place where Enlgish wasn't the main language. In Lesotho, everything you read is pretty much still in English. In South Africa a lot of it was in Afrikaans(spelling??). It was just so strange going from that back home to Maseru.

With the team leaving, I was able to experience or get a little taste of what it will be like when I leave in November. I don't really like thinking about it because I don't want to wish my time away. I realized now that I am kind of afraid to go home. I am afraid that I will go home and fall into old habits again. I am afraid I will become too comfortable and won't be able to realize how much I need the Lord. I am afraid that I will forget Lesotho and all my kids. Its funny how I was afraid to come to Africa in the beginning and now I am afraid to leave.

I have been trying to teach the kids in my house some new songs and their new favorite lately has been "Trading My Sorrows" WITH the motions(duh). It is probably the cutest and most hilarious thing even to watch the kids pretend to throw up after singing the line, "I'm trading my sickness". I just love it so much.

This morning I walked outside to THIS:

(yup that's snow)

ohhhyeaaa. It is a sad day when you open your fridge and it is the same temperature (if not warmer) than your house. TIA BABY (this is africa)

peace and love.