God be with you till we meet again

Its been another wonderfully busy week here at Beautiful Gate. Wednesday night I was able to skype my church's youth group and give them a little update of where I am which was super fun! (Shout out to my fellow Niekerk-ians!) I also experienced my first adoption ceremony today! Crazy awesome.

On Tuesday a girl from my house that I was very close with was picked up by her mother who is from Sweden! It was bittersweet to see her go because she was always my little cuddler, but after meeting her mother and seeing them interact I was so thankful and excited for her and the life she has ahead of her. Her mother said that she would keep her Basotho name as her middle name and her first name would be a Swedish a word that meant, "Paradise in heaven". I LOVE that. On Wednesday the mother came back with her new daughter to get a tour of Beautiful Gate. I had just gotten back from a hospital run when they were in my house seeing where the girl used to sleep and live. The girl was in a new dress with an adorable red hat and sunglasses. SO CUTE. I think the Guerinks had mentioned to the mother earlier that I had been close with her daughter while she was here and so the mother asked if she could get a picture with me so that she could remember me. I was so touched and humbled. She also asked if she could send me e-mail updates of how her and her new daughter were doing. I told her I would love nothing more. When I see kids get adopted out of Beautiful Gate I get so excited for them and the life they have ahead of them. I am so excited and thankful now to be able to get little glimpses into this girl's new life and still be a part of it in a very small way.

On Thursday, there were 94 middle school aged kids visiting Beautiful Gate. Yep, it was chaos. They were from a local school and I think they came for a field trip. The Beautiful Gate kids were pretty intimidated and confused by what was going on. I felt bad because a lot of school kids wanted to hold and play with the kids, but the kids we either being shy or started crying when they got picked up. Faith had a little fan club of girls who followed her around and wanted to play with her. The girls also wanted to play with Mercy, but Mercy was not so sure of them since they always want to pick her up. Before they left they sang us about 5 songs which were all beautiful. Some of the songs I knew, and some of them were new to me. After they sang one of the boys stepped forward and started to say thank you to Beautiful Gate for letting them come and he encouraged Beautiful Gate to keep loving and bringing hope to the kids. This 5th-6th boy was going to town preaching! I video taped some of the songs but I really which I had taped his small speech instead. It was awesome! You could tell he was speaking from his heart which was the best part. The people here never cease to amaze me with their authenticity and big hearts. It was cool to see the Lord working in even the kids here is Lesotho as well.

Yesterday I also experienced my first adoption ceremony! It was wonderful and emotional and everything I thought it would be. It was for the two boys that got picked up a couple weeks ago, and one of the boys was from my house. This was the one that had a very good friend in my house that had a hard time with him leaving. After the ceremony yesterday, my house mother went over to the preschool to get that boy out of school so he could say goodbye to his friend one last time. I guess they don't normally do that but the first time he left he was sleeping so he couldn't say goodbye. Their little high five and hug they shared was something I will never forget. A hymn popped in my head at that moment that I thought was so fitting. It was, "God be with you till we meet again." Here are a few lyrics to that song if you are not familiar.

God be with you till we meet again;

By His counsels guide, uphold you,

With His sheep in love enfold you;

God be with you till we meet again.

Till we meet, till we meet,

Till we meet at Jesus' feet....

Though neither of these boys probably fully understood what was happening, it was my prayer and the prayer the others watching them say goodbye that they would meet again in heaven one day. 

I also want to say another thank you to all of you wrote letters for me to read while I am here. I have laughed and cried reading your words. From the letters I now have an awesome mix tape (thanks Jamie :), I have learned some new jokes, colored some pictures, laughed at some memories, gave some small gifts from you to the kids, read scripture in a new light, and learned from your words of wisdom. I have been blessed greatly by all of them.

I wasn't going to write this next thing on my blog originally but then I realized it is something I could really use some prayer for. I am considering extending my stay here at Beautiful Gate. There are a few things that would need to fall into place for that to happen but at this point I am open to the idea. If I were to extend my stay I would probably stay about 1-3 months longer, but I am still unsure at this point. If you all could pray for me as I make this decision, I would appreciate it. I am so grateful for all of you that do pray for me. It means a lot to me and I would not be here without all of your support!

peace and love.

holiday.

Hello, Hello. I have had a wonderful week of vacation (or holiday as they say here) this past week. I tagged along with the Geurinks on their trip to St. Lucia. St. Lucia is a town on the east coast of South Africa. We left on Sunday and we drove back Friday. We spent the week seeing animals going to beaches and just taking some time to rest. I also had a lot of time to reflect on my past 2 months in Lesotho.

On Monday morning we went to the beach in St. Lucia. After being in the car all day we were just ready to have some time outside. The Indian ocean is BEAUTIFUL! I love lake Michigan, but there is something about the ocean that gets me excited. The beach was nearly empty and it was a great time for me to just spend some time in the word and talking to God. There is something about reading the Bible while hearing the waves crash behind you that is majestic and powerful. We also all came home with some major sun burn.

Indian Ocean!

the monkey snaked our apple 

Tuesday we went to Hluhluwe game reserve to go on a safari. It was crazy having giraffes, rhinos, elephants, and cape buffalo so close to our car and having them crossing the road in front of us. Seeing these beautiful creatures in their natural habitat makes them seem way cooler then just seeing them in zoos. On our way out of the park we had a HUGE elephant walking on the road in front of us. Since we decided it would probably not be so cool for him to sit on our car while we tried to pass him, so we waited for about 20 minutes for him to get out of the way. Right after we got past him there was a family of rhinos in the road. The father and baby were on one side of the road and the mother was toward the other side. We decided again that coming between a mom and her baby would probably also not be a wise plan. Thankfully we got past them and was able to get out of the park with 4 minutes to spare until the park closed.

giraffes, I like them.

really elephant?? you need to sit in the middle of the road?

I think she has been in Africa too long :)

Cosby playing in South Africa?? woohoo!

Wednesday we went on a crocodile and hippo boat tour. Our tour boat went right close to the shore where there was a couple crocodiles. We were probably like 7-10 feet away from where the crocodile was on shore when the tour guide started talking about how far crocodiles and jump. So pretty much, the crocodile could have eaten me if he wanted to :) We also saw a whole pod of hippos! I just really love African animals and realizing how creative God is. Its just awesome.

hippo tooth anyone?

Thursday we went to Cape Vidal. They only let a certain amount of cars on the beach each day so we had to leave early to make sure we could get in. On the way we saw tons of animals too! Almost more than we did on the safari! We saw lots of cudu and zebras and deer. The beach was beautiful again and there were rocks all along the shore you could climb on. It was way cool and I felt like a little kid again looking for shells in the rocks. :)

Cape Vidal

a little too close for comfort :)

I am just going to share with you another piece of scripture that has been near to my heart lately:

-1 Samuel 2:1-4, 6-8

"Then Hannah prayed and said:

My heart REJOICES in the Lord;

    in the Lord my horn is lifted high.

My mouth BOASTS over my enemies,

    for I DELIGHT in your deliverance.

 There is no one holy like the Lord;

    there is no one besides you;

    there is no Rock like our God.

 “Do not keep talking so proudly

    or let your mouth speak such arrogance,

for the Lord is a God who knows,

    and by him deeds are weighed.

 The bows of the warriors are broken,

    but those who stumbled are armed with strength.....

 The Lord brings death and makes alive;

    he brings down to the grave and raises up.

 The Lord sends poverty and wealth;

    he humbles and he exalts.

 He raises the poor from the dust

    and lifts the needy from the ash heap;

he seats them with princes

    and has them inherit a throne of honor."

I have been reading this over and over a lot because it is such a good reminder. Every time I read it get something new out of it. Some days I need the reminder to REJOICE and DELIGHT in the Lord like when a new child gets dropped of at Beautiful Gate that is malnourished...other days I need to be humbled in remembering that there is NO ONE like our God like the times when I get homesick or wonder what I am doing here...other days I just need to remember that God is is in full control all the time even when the poverty I see outside my back window can be overwhelming. I hope this passage can give you guys some guidance and reassurance as it has for me lately.

peace and love.

**I came home Friday to find a 5 day old baby in my house!! She is too precious for words!

coming and going.

Heyyy. Two days ago when I was thinking about what I should blog about I couldn't really think of anything. Then yesterday happened. Now I have a lot to blog about. Here we go.

Thursday morning I started my day with prayer as I always do. I prayed that the Lord would use me and that I would trust him with the days activities. I went to play group in the morning, as normal, but the nurse came in shortly after I got there and asked if I would come with her to a doctor's appointment for one of the children. I quickly agreed and before I knew it we were off. The office we went to was in this random, tiny mall that was a bit eerie. The nurse, one of the guys who works in the office, and myself all were there to be this child's support system since we knew she was not going to enjoy having to see the nurse. When we got there we didn't have to wait long to see the nurse which was nice. The child had to get some blood drawn and she wailed and wailed through the whole process. It broke my heart having to hold her down with all my might knowing it was for her own good. After that experience, I have a lot of respect for nurses (like my mother) and I realized the Lord would have to do an amazing work in me to want to become a nurse. As we were walking out I realized that a Zimbabwean nurse, a Basotho man, and an American teenager all had gone to a doctors appointment to support this one child. I don't think there are many kids who are that spoiled :) haha

When we got back there was a group visiting from another ministry in Maseru that came to help with the kids for the morning. I knew one of the girls pretty well because she had come for dinner with the Guerinks before and had visited Beautiful Gate before. It was great to see her again and to meet some more people. Only a few minutes after saying "hello" to them I found out that two kids were going home with their families that day! Both families were here from the Netherlands and they wanted to get their children as soon as possible. One of the kids that was leaving was one from my house and in that moment I could not decide if I was more excited or sad to see him go. This boy was one I got to know fairly well and we had our little inside jokes and songs we liked to sing together. Right when I found out I just wanted to go find him and give him a big hug. Sadly, he was still at school. I went back to the house a little before his parents were expected to arrive to see how he was doing. The house mother was getting him all dressed and they even had a shirt that said his name on it for him to wear. Too cute! Right before it was time to leave, the house mothers got a last picture with him and said their goodbyes. As we were about heading out the door a few of the other kids were waking up from their nap. The house mother told the boy to say goodbye to one of the other older boys, so he walked up to him, shook his hand, put his hands on the boy's cheeks, and gave him and kiss. I lost it at that point. It was one of those moments that words just can't describe. It was just beautiful. I followed the boy and the house mother to the chapel where he was going to meet his parents. As we walked in I saw the boy's mother who was grinning from ear to ear and wet with tears. She was meeting her son for the first time. I was so thankful that I was able to witness this beautiful moment. The house mother hugged the boy's new mother and quickly exited the chapel. The boy hugged his new mother and sat on her lap but was a bit shy. The other boy had already met his new parents when I had gotten there and they were also wet with tears with huge smiles on their faces. The love I saw in all of the parents' eyes was something I hope every child at Beautiful Gate will get to experience one day. Through all of the pictures being taken and tears being shed, the Lord was evident to me in that moment. I felt his presence there in such a strong and magnificent way. I really hope I get the opportunity to adopt one day.   :)

The boy from my house that left with his family was very close with another boy in my house. They were close in age and did everything together, and they even slept in the same bed. Yesterday afternoon I found the boy at play group and asked him where his friend was. He pointed to the chapel. I said, "He met his family, didn't he?" The boy replied, "Yes, family." He seemed to be taking it well which I was happy about since I knew the first couple day may be a bit of an adjustment for him. This morning when I saw him before he left for school he didn't even talk to me. He didn't run up to me when I came in the door like he usually does either. My house mother told me that the boy told her this morning that he didn't want to go to school today. My heart broke for him. He was missing his friend and brother. My house mother ended up walking him to school this morning.  Please keep this boy in your prayers as he adjusts to life without his friend.

Today we also got 2 new kids in my house! I think they are siblings and they are both SUPER CUTE. We also got another baby earlier this week, so that makes 3 kids coming and 2 kids going. busy, busy :)

peace and love.

radical.

Well Hey. I can't believe it is already September! Crazy how time flies.

Radical. What is radical? That is what I have been asking myself lately. People from home convinced me that going to Lesotho for 4 months was radical. I guess I started to tell myself that too. But being here, I don't feel like I am doing anything radical. I don't feel like I am changing the world in any big way. If anything, in being here I have noticed many of my own flaws. At home I thought, "going to Lesotho is radical" and now that I am here I think, "well, living in the mountains would be more radical."  To what extent do I have to go to really be radical in the Lord's eyes?  Things seemed radical because it wasn't common and it wasn't necessarily easy. Guess what else I have found isn't common or easy?....making CHRIST the center or your life. My days here are filled with kids, hugs, missing shoes, smiles, runny noses, giggles, and singing. What's so radical about that?  I have been thinking a lot about what I am going to do when I get home. How am I going to let this experience change me? I am starting to understand more that wherever I end up in the world and whatever I end up doing, I will make that experience radical by letting the Lord lead. It is not so much what I will do that makes something radical, but who I let lead me. And who I let lead my life is not going to be the media, not my parents (sorry guys, but I still love you :), not my peers, not any man...but CHRIST. Having Christ at the center of what I do here makes this whole experience radical and beautiful.

For the past week there have been about 4 girls that have been coming to the fence behind my house. At first they just wanted to talk to Mercy and Faith since they were closer to the girls in age, but since I started to go out there too they have been teaching me some Sesotho and testing me to see if I can remember (and pronounce) their names. The girls are in the range of 8-12 years old. I have come to look forward to when they stop by each afternoon because they are all so sweet. Earlier this week I was thinking that I would really like to give them something, but I didn't want to give them money or food in fear that there would by 10 people outside the fence also wanting food and money. I decided to write verses on 3x5 note cards and give that to them. The first day I gave them the cards they were so excited. They read the verse aloud over and over. I told them I would bring them a new verse every day if they wanted and they were so excited. The next day I brought them all note cards with Revelations 7:9 on them. Which is...

"After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could count, from every nation and all tribes and peoples and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, and palm branches were in their hands"

After they read the verse aloud I asked them what they thought the verse meant.They were quiet at first until one girl said in broken English, "Every different kind of people praise God." I was so impressed by her answer. There was just something beautiful about that moment...the six of us standing there, 2 white faces on one side of the fence and 4 darker faces on the other side of the face connecting through the word of God knowing that the next time I see them after I leave may be when we are praising God together in heaven. I went on to explain to them how Revelation talks about the end times. I then asked what they thought about heaven. They went on and on about how excited they are to go to heaven and to get out of Lesotho. I was so surprised by their response. I guess since they don't have a lot on this earth, they are able to focus and be more excited about what is to come. Since then, I have been thinking about their response a lot it has made me rethink my own views of heaven and being sure I am homesick for HEAVEN like they are.

These next photos are from our adventure to Living Life which is an ADORABLE coffee shop right across the border in South Africa. The food was delicious and I decided I could probably live there :)

LOVE these kids :)

this place was TOO CUTE

yumma yumma yum!

peace and love.