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.