Politics and moving

I am not sure if a local staff can even explain the complexity that is the elections in Lesotho. I am not even going to try because I would not do it justice. What I will say is that 2 parties were very close in the final election and now have a chance to join with a party that was less successful in the vote and combine to beat the other party and name their Prime Minister. There is a great deal of debate in the Parliament about this right now and the parties involved have until this Friday to select their new Prime Minister and begin running the government. Things have been peaceful in the city so we went out to the store and to church and everything seems to be running smoothly and as it should. I can not thank you enough for all your prayers and encouraging emails while we waited in uncertainty. We have been told that as long as the army and police stay out of this (they have sided with different parties), all will stay peaceful, so that would be one more prayer request to keep the peace.

A small update on BG and our family. We have moved into a house that is still on campus, but closer to the preschool. It is a 2 bedroom duplex and the other half (which is separated by a wall unlike our other house where we shared a kitchen) of the house is going to be used for volunteers. The original intent was for families who were adopting to use these houses while in the bonding phase, but DSW (Dept. of Social Welfare) has told us that families may not stay on campus so we are putting the house to use. Our former house is getting a nice paint job and the play group is moving into one half and big teams coming to volunteer will be staying in the other half. We are excited about the move as winter is approaching and it will be very nice for the playgroup to be inside for the cold months. I have been busy (hence the lack in keeping up with the blog) unpacking and finding homes for all our things inside our new house as it is a bit smaller that our previous one.

One thing I am learning is that we do not NEED all the space we thought we needed as a family. We used to live in a 4 bedroom house with a basement and a 2 stall garage and we had SO MUCH stuff. Now we live in a 2 bedroom house (like an apartment) with no garage and no basement. The kids bedroom is our school room and Bryan and my bedroom is just big enough for our double bed and a bookcase. We are cozy, but we are happy. Although, I think the kids fought less when they had their own rooms :) There is nothing wrong with my 4 bedroom home in Zeeland, but living here really makes me think about how much we have verses how much we need.

Political Update - to the best of my knowledge

Well, elections happened on Saturday and things went well. There were no reports of intimidation at the poles and that was a good report.
Yesterday, Bryan was talking with the staff about the election results and they told him that the precincts in the mountains are still needing to report their results. There is a close race and a new party was leading as of yesterday, but the current Prime Minister is expected to win those mountain precincts. The staff told Bryan to head into town and get some supplies because if things are going to get heated, then it will begin on Wednesday when the official results are in.
From my understanding, if the current Prime Minister wins, the 2 main rivals are going to join together and count their precincts as one and try to have him step down. If he is able to step down peacefully and just be a member of Parliament without fighting back, then all will be well, but if he wins and will not step down peacefully, we do not know what will happen.
So anyway, all this information is subjective and we have no idea what will actually happen. Just wanted to keep you all updated with what we "know."
Thank you for your prayers,
Anita

Keep Praying Please!

This morning at 7:10, we had a knock on the door and there were 3 of our Bo'me standing outside the door. One was shaking and she explained to Bryan that she had been mugged this morning at the bus stop while she was waiting for a ride to Beautiful Gate. One man walked by going one way and another man walked by going the other way and the next thing she knew they both came up to her and grabbed her purse. She tried to fight them and keep hold of her purse, but it was dark and being a holiday, there was no one else around to help her fight them off. They wound up throwing her to the ground and ripping the purse off her shoulder. She was shaking as she told the story to Bryan. He made sure she was ok and then prayed for her before she went back to her house.

After I got dressed I walked to the house to see if she was really ok or if she wanted to go home (sometimes they are a little shy around Bryan). She told me that she was fine to stay but was just having some pain in her shoulder. I went home and got some ibuprofen and gave it to her and we talked a little more. Her attitude was amazing and she said that she was just happy that they did not kill her. She also laughed because while she was getting ready to come to work, she had a feeling to hide her money, so she hid it in her bra :) They only got R15 and her phone charger so she was happy that she did not have much else in her purse. She is such a lovely lady who loves the Lord with all her heart.

Please keep praying for Lesotho and especially for our staff this weekend as they get ready to vote. Pray for peace and calm in the city both now and after the results are in. Also, please pray that God will fill the hearts of all of us with the kind of love and positive outlook like the staff member who was mugged. I am trying not to worry about our staff too much, but it is hard to lay that burden down.
Anita

More prayer requested

Today 2 of our children went to the doctor for a check up due to some continued health problems, and neither was given a good report. One is 4 and the other is 3 (neither have been matched with a family as they are not up for adoption yet due to family reasons) and without the intervention of the Lord and a miracle surgery, one may not have long left on the earth. The other has been diagnosed with HIV and has been very ill for the past few weeks. It was not a good day here. It has not been a good few weeks here which is why I have not been posting as much lately. It is not major things going wrong (other than the above health issues), but it has been enough to leave me feeling worn out, defeated, empty and inadequate. But my feelings are nothing in the face of the pain and uncertainty these 2 children are facing for their future. They are young and both of them are incredibly sweet and good-natured kids with a lot of love to share, beautiful smiles, and cuddles that melt your heart. I love them dearly I have spent a lot of time with one because he was here when I came and the other arrived a few months ago, but I have also grown quite close to her. Their lives are only just beginning and yet...

Elections for Prime Minister are happening in 2 days. The tension level remains high with many people taking precautions. I was surprised to hear that the mall will be closed for election day. They take it very seriously around here in that they want every person to have a chance to vote (I just can't imagine the malls in America closing for elections). We have heard that it will take about 4 days to get the results of the voting, so we will just hang out here and spend lots of time with the BG kids.

God is bigger than health problems, He is bigger than elections, He is the great physician and God is our Leader so we have nothing to fear.

Please continue to pray for these 2 precious children, for their healing and for a miracle and please keep the elections in your prayers as well.
Anita

Reading

How easy and accessible is it for you to read a book? Can you afford the books you'd really like to read or at least have the option of borrowing it from a local library? One thing I took for granted before moving to Africa was the freedom to read and be able to afford or borrow a book for my enjoyment as well as the enjoyment of my children.

There are 2 things that always make me think about reading. The first is that my older 2 children are turning into super speed readers. They are plowing through their homeschooling books and are longing for more. I go into South Africa and look for books and I am always disappointed. The hobby of reading is just not affordable in Africa. Books that I can get in America for $4 are over $10 here. And little easy level reading books for early readers are also around $10! It is shocking and disappointing to me that reading is not easily available or affordable to children in this part of Africa (thank you mom for the gift of a kindle before we moved because it has helped us get a few more books).

The other thing I notice is that since reading is not a luxury that many of our staff have had, it does not come easily to them to read to the kids here (many of them can read English though). I do not think that it is something they want to withhold or do purposely, but books are a novelty to the BG kids. They have a few that they get to look through during play time in the evening, but I have tried to put aside some special books with lots of pictures and the older boys will often ask me to haul out my books during play time. They would rather sit in a circle looking at my books and "reading" them than play on the play equipment. Such a simple thing that I used to take for granted, but now I see how important and special it is for these children to learn the love of reading at a young age.

For those of you who will be coming to volunteer here at Beautiful Gate, bring a few of your favorite books to read to the kids (short ones with pictures as their English is limited). They will love it and you will feel blessed by seeing their joy! Happy reading!
Anita

Political Update We drove past hundredes of people on our way to and from church today who were rallying for their candidates. It was shocking to see that many people out wearing their party colors and meeting together at soccer fields and stadiums all over Maseru. Thankfully they were spread out from each other and things seemed peaceful as we drove by, but I will get a better update from our staff tomorrow.

Urgent Prayer for Lesotho

This post is a prayer request from Beautiful Gate and from our family personally.

Elections in Lesotho are being held on May 26. The last election in 2007 was mostly calm and peaceful, but we are worried about this election. The major difference is that there is more choices/opposition this year than in the previous two elections. The last two elections were won in a landslide by the current Prime Minister, with very little opposition. This election is shaping up very differently.

The current Prime Minister as started a new party, so that he can be re-elected again, which was not viewed favorably by his former party. The former party was and is ready for a new leader and have proposed their candidates as well. Some of those candidates, when found that they did not support the current Prime Minister, were immediately fired by the current Prime Minister from their positions. This has caused a lot of strife between the two parties. And, many of the current Ministers (key government people in each area) are taking sides. Most of the time, they are following the party they think will have the best chance of winning. But, this has only split the two sides even more. That has resulted in threats made by both parties, if the other party gets into power (i.e. even to the point of assassinations).

Please read the following links that were posted a couple weeks ago, showing that another political leader in Southern Africa is worried as well.

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Africa/2012/0430/Bishop-Tutu-urges-peace-in-upcoming-Lesotho-elections

http://sundayexpress.co.ls/?p=6460

http://sundayexpress.co.ls/?p=6463

While Beautiful Gate is a little outside of town and slightly isolated within our community, we are taking appropriate precautions as well. We are in the Ha Thetsane area, which is mentioned in one of those articles above. We can confirm that the radio announcer was killed. And, we can confirm that tensions are rising around the country. While Beautiful Gate is not a political organization, we do follow very closely to what is happening just across the mountain. This also has ramifications for our partnership with the Department of Social Welfare.

For now, Beautiful Gate is planning ahead, to limit the number of trips into the city, as we believe that is where most of the violence, if any, will happen. We will be stocking up on food, supplies, water, fuel, etc. We will also be paying our staff earlier than normal this month, so that they can go shopping and stock up personally at home as well, before the elections. It is better to be over-prepared and not have anything happen, than to be under-prepared for the worst.

Anita and I will also be personally stocking up on supplies and planning not to leave campus for at least a week after the elections. And, we are in contact with the US Embassy in Maseru and will follow their directions, if any evacuation is called for by them. (Unlikely)

Please join with the staff at Beautiful Gate in prayer every day for peaceful elections in Lesotho. We are not afraid, as God will take care of us, but we are also feeling the tension and anxiety around the country.
“Rescue me, O Lord, from evil men; protect me from men of violence, who devise evil plans in their hearts and stir up war every day.” Psalm 140:1-2

“Discretion will protect you, and understanding will guard you.” Proverbs 2:11

“Holy Father, protect them by the power of your name – the name you gave me – so that they may be one as we are one.” John 17:11b

“My prayer is not that you take them out of the world but that you protect them from the evil one.” John 17:15

“The Spirit you received does not make you slaves, so that you live in fear again; rather, the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry, “Abba, Father.”” Romans 8:15

Bryan

HaPPy MoTheR's DaY!!!

On Friday, Bryan, Laury, Tammy and I had a "surprise" meeting for the Bo'Me. As the mothers of Beautiful Gate, we wanted to honor them for being such good, loving and devoted mothers to all our children. Many have their own children at home, some young and others old, yet they come to work with happy hearts and spread their love around to all the children God has brought into our campus. Many times when a new child arrives the women will celebrate and sing and then hug the child and tell them that they are the child's new mother. It is such a precious moment, a time that shows they love the kids as if they were their own and it is that kind of unconditional love that helps these children to bond so well when their forever family comes!

Our new volunteer, Tammy worked hard all week getting the handprints of almost every child on campus (I enjoyed helping her and we even managed to keep the little ones from sticking their fists into their mouths while full of paint). She then cut them out, copied a poem, and made beautiful posters for each house with their "children's" handprints. The posters are lovely and the staff are proudly displaying them in the baby houses.

Tammy and Laury also came up with a gift idea for all the house mothers and staff so they could feel appreciated. We gave a gift to each worker here because even if they are not married with their own children, they are mothers to the children of Beautiful Gate.

We had a nice little celebration of appreciating the mothers and giving them their gifts, and then one house mother offered a little thank you speech on behalf of the staff. It was another time where I could see that something as small as appreciating them on Mother's Day, goes a long ways in their hearts and appreciation for all of us volunteers :)

Happy Mother's Day to those of you with children and for those of you who read my blog as you await meeting your new child, may it be your last Mother's Day without your child!
God Bless You