Village of Tonota

On Saturday, 1 August...Kb, Luke and I went into the village of Tonota. I've been going to Tonota for two months leading Bible Studies. But on this day we went into another area of the village with some other missy friends. They have been going every Saturday for two years during the school year to feed the children. When I found out about their work, I wanted to go and help. There were 60 children who came this day. We had meat and palechi for them. The children came to the Kgotla - where the chief's office is located and where public meetings are held. As the food was being prepared, the children started out watching a kid's Christian video. Next was a Bible study with a skit to help them understand the Armor of God.

When the food was ready, everyone lined up in front of a bucket of water to wash their hands. They dipped a cup into the bucket and poured the water over each other's hands! It was so cute to see two, three and four year-olds helping each other wash their hands. (The washing is more cermonial than sanitary since there is no soap).

The preschool kids went and sat side by side in the sun. It was a chilly day. They were so adorable. The children lined up at the table to get their plate of food. Most of the children ate with their fingers as utensils. That's how Africans eat palechi. Palechi is cornmeal and water...boiled until it is very thick. This is the number one source of food in Africa, and they love it.

The way to eat palechi is to get a piece with your fingers, roll it into a ball and make a dent in it with your thumb. Then scoop the meat or vegetables into the dented part and put it in your mouth. It truly is an African experience. Palechi has other names in other countries.. In Zambia, they call it Nshema and in Kenya they call it Pop.

It was a joy to help the other workers touch the lives (and stomachs) of these precious children. I am so glad that Kb, Luke and I could experience this together. It's a wonderful way to take the gospel into a village and meet a physical need.

Shashe School

Yesterday morning John, my national helper, and I went to Shashe School in the village of Shashe. We made an appointment last week for today. The Head Teacher said that the assembly usually lasts about 10 minutes. I thought that there would be at most 80-100 students there (grades 1-7). The children assemble every morning outside so the head teacher can speak to them. I was so overwhelmed at the number of students. There were well over 500 students plus the teachers! I told them the Creation to Christ story. I spoke for a good 25 minutes. I provided a time for the kids to pray to invite Christ into their hearts. It sounded like almost all 500+ prayed the prayer of salvation. I know that some prayed because their friend next to them prayed or some did because it was expected of them, but I know that some, perhaps most, prayed a genuine prayer trusting Jesus as their Lord and Savior. After I spoke the teacher gave the students time to say thank you or anything else they wanted. Many students came to the front and said things like "Thank you for sharing God's Word with us. Now we have God in our hearts." Wow! Then I presented the head teacher with a Bible in the Setswana language. She held up the Bible high above her head and spoke to the kids in Setswana saying, "Now we have a Bible for the school. I will read it to you in the assemblies." Double Wow!! The Head Teacher invited us back to speak again! This is a government school! It's a shame that government schools in America do not give us the same freedom to speak God's Word. Just think how much fewer school shootings, rapes, etc. there would be if it were possible to have opportunities for Jesus to change the lives of people in schools. It was so humbling to speak to these 500+ kids and teachers. As my helper John says, "God is doing something here!"

Divine Appointments

John and I were in the village of Shashe on Friday. We had some great visits. John got a call from one of his friends. Her name is Motshabi. She was asking for prayer since she just got out of the hospital. We were going to make some more visits, but I sensed the Lord leading us to go visit Motshabi that day. We went to the store to get her some juice and bread. We met Motshabi at the house where she is staying. She was very sick still. I asked her if she was up to us sharing God's word with her and she said yes. I shared the gospel, using the F.A.I.T.H. message. Motshabi prayed to trust Christ! I told her that we would be back on Monday (August 3rd) to see how she was doing and to see if she had any questions about God's word. John and I went back to where Motshabi was staying. She was not home but out looking for a job. We met the lady who was the landlord of the house. John asked her if we could share God's word with her. She said, "I cannot refuse God's word." I shared Creation to Christ (C2C) with her. She prayed to trust Christ too!! Today John and I went to his home village of Tati Siding. We went to visit his aunt and cousins. They were not home. So we visited with the neighbor lady. It was just John, myself, and the neighbor lady. Soon one of John's cousins came to the Bible study. As we continued the study 5 other ladies came. God impressed on me to share many messages: The Woman at the well (John 4), Phil. 4:6-7; Romans 12:1-2; and Ephesians 6:10-18 The Armor of God. It was an awesome and powerful time of worship!! The greatest worship time that I've had since I've been in Botswana the past seven months! The presence of the Holy Spirit was very evident. One lady burst out crying with tears of joy and praise for Jesus! Another lady broke out singing "Our God Is An Awesome God"! Our prayers were vibrating in our souls! Words cannot do justice to how awesome of a time of worship it was! These are just a few of the divine appointments that God has given us. How I look forward to many other times when He shows us who to talk to about Jesus! As my helper John says, "People here are hungry for God!"

God is Doing Some Great Stuff!!

John and I went back into the village of Shashe today. I wanted to go back to talk to the chief (Kgosi) about where he was spiritually. When we got to the Kgotla the chief was not there. He was home sick. But there was a public meeting going on. About 100 people were there. John and I started to drive away, but we felt led of the Lord to stay. We walked up to the meeting. The only 2 chairs were in the very front. So we sat there listening to the speaker. I thought, "Ok Lord, what are You going to do today?" We stayed about 30 minutes. They were addressing the issues of water. Some people do not have it to drink there...no bore holes/wells. As we left I felt a little disappointed, but God spoke to my heart, "I wanted you here today so that people will remember you when you go to their homes. You will be familiar to them. The chief has given you permission to share God's word in this village." I thought, "OK Lord! This is Your village. Just let me know where You want me to go here." We then went to the home of RraMaja & MmaMaja. We visited them last week. RraMaja was out tending to the cattle. MmaMaja was home with her 3 grandkids. I shared Creation To Christ (C2C) with her. I asked her if she wanted to trust Christ as her Lord and Savior. She said, "Yes, I want to do that." She prayed with me to invite Christ into her heart. As I led her in prayer I noticed another voice. It was her oldest grandson (about age 12). He had been sitting behind me. He too trusted Christ!! I gave her and her two oldest grandsons notebooks, the gospel of John, & pens to copy the gospel. This helps them to grow in their faith. We will go back next week to see what questions and/or insight they have from copying Scripture. Please pray for MmaMaja. She is still grieving the death of her oldest son and daughter who died last year. Not only did she love her kids, they were helping to support her & RraMaja financially. Now they are struggling financially and emotionally. After we left MmaMaja's home we left to go to her daughter's house. It took a while to find. We had not gone to her house before, but we talked to her last week when we visited with her brother at his house. We found her house. Her 4 kids were in the front yard. John went up to the gate and asked if their mother was home. She was not. John asked them if we could come into the yard to share the word of God. They said no. John came back to the car. We were preparing to leave and the youngest daughter came to the car and told John, "We will listen to the word of God." So we went in. I again shared Creation To Christ. I asked them if they wanted to trust Christ. They said, "We have Christ." I gave them notebooks, pens, & the gospel of John to copy. After we left John said, "They are not saved." I asked him how he knew. "I see their eyes. They are empty, without Jesus. Their responses are not with Christ." Wow! I told John that he had the gift of spiritual discernment! I trust him. He knows his own people well. But since they are willing to copy Scrirpture, God will speak to them! Isaiah 55:11 says "My word will go out of My mouth and not return to me void, without accomplishing what I desire..." We will go back next week to follow up on them. It is getting busy going to the villages of Tonota and Shashe!! Praise the Lord! I will also go to the village of Tati Siding next week where John lives. There is a Bible study going on there now. It was started by our colleagues, Kelly & Ann Carrutheres about 2 years ago. Pray that the Lord will put fire in their hearts! On our way home John said that people in Shashe were responding to the gospel of Jesus. He said, "God is doing some stuff!!" I love to hear John as he speaks words of wisdom. He also said, referring to God's word..."When you know where the Medicine is, why go some place else?" Good advice!

The Chief of Shashe

My national helper, John, has a favorite verse that he is constantly quoting: "Not by might nor by power, but by My Spirit, says the Lord" (Zechariah 4:6). Here is how we are seeing God's Spirit at work:Last Thursday John and I went into the village of Shashe to visit the chief to get his approval of wanting to come to share God's word. The chief said, "We cannot refuse God's word. You are welcome to come." There was a lady setting next to the chief. She leaned forward and said "You can come preach God's word in the school. I am the Headmaster!" After we left the chief we made two visits. One was to an older man and his wife, RraMaja & MmaMaja. They listended to our message. John interprets for me. He asked us to visit his son who lives near by. We then went to try to find the son's house but we could not. But we stopped when we saw an older lady. She invited us into her home. She and her older sister (MmaBosele & MmaKoba) live there. We shared God's word with them and gave them notebooks, gospel of John booklet, and pens to copy the gospel of John. Today we went back to Shashe to follow up on these ladies. They have started to copy the gospel of John. They had great insight. MmaBosele said, "Just like Andrew, the younger brother of Peter, brought Peter to Jesus, my younger sister invited you into our home last week and she brought me to Jesus through you." Wow! Marvelous insight!After this visit John said, "Let's give a Bible to the chief." We went back to the Kgotla (place where the chief has his office). Kgosi (the chief) was sitting alone in a area where they conduct public meetings. We walked up to where he was and sat on a bench in front of him. John told him that we wanted to give him a Bible as a gift. I gave it to him. He took it and as he held it, what he said next brought tears to my eyes....With great passion he said, "Ke al leboga, Thata! Thata! Thata!" (Thank you Very much! Very much! Very much!). Oh how I wish that I would always have this kind of passion, awe and respect of God's word. Sometimes I take God's word for granted. I forget who the Author of the Bible is. I get so wrapped up in daily activities and responsibilities that I am so focused on the stresses of life that I forget that God is still in charge and that my life needs to be an ongoing lifestyle of worship to my Savior. The way that Kgosi said "Thata" melted my heart. The way he held that Bible was like it was a priceless piece of art (which it is!). As we left I looked back and saw that Kgosi was reading his new Bible. It was so humbling to experience this. "Lord Jesus, forgive me when I take you for granted. Give me a continuing hunger and thirst for Your word that I may stay close to You, for without You I will fall to all kinds of temptations and make decisions that do not honor You." Amen!