Just Like Learning to Drive

When I (Leah) was 16 years old and had just learned how to drive, I could really care less about driving stick shift. Learning to drive automatic seemed difficult enough. After a couple of years, my dad started teaching me to drive stick in our 2007 Saturn, manual transmission. I remember when I drove from our house to the grocery store (which was like a mile) I had mastered it. I remember ^st gear, I stalled about 3 times in a row, and everyone around me was honking like crazy. I decided that driving stick was not for me.

another time driving a bit further with a lot more traffic. I couldn't pull out of 1

In 2009, when I decided to move to Africa, I realized the vast majority of cars on this continent are manual. One of my teammates took me for driving lessons for what seemed like an entire day. I clearly remember getting so upset when people were “watching me” learn to drive that day. Anyway, after lots and lots of practice I finally learned because I didn't have any other choice. The first day of driving around by myself and successfully pulling out of 1^st gear and not rolling backward felt like pure victory. I just had to get back up and keep trying. Luckily, I never gave up. If I did, I’m convinced I’d be walking everywhere.

Learning the Sotho language is a similar situation. In this country, people do speak a bit of English but mostly in the towns and more developed areas. The further out of town we move, the less English we find. This is because the majority of people living deep in the villages aren’t well educated. And this is our ministry hub. If I really wanted to, I could sit back and bring my husband Piet with me EVERYWHERE I went. I could fully rely on him to be my mouthpiece and I would be ok. But would my ministry be effective? Not very. Basotho people LOVE their language and their culture. Their faces light up when I greet them in Sotho and they laugh with joy when I stumble over a basic phrase.

I keep telling myself, it’s just like when you were learning to drive manual. I didn’t learn overnight; but I never gave up. Learning Sotho is difficult. I’m at the point now where I can hear certain words in a sentence and more or less hear where the conversation is going. It’s a long journey from here, but I won’t give up! I know eventually I will come out on the other side successful!

With that being said, I wanted to teach my readers a few basic phrases:

Hello: Dumeleng
How are you: Le kae?
I’m fine: Ke Teng!
How’s Life?: O Phetse Joang? (“U pete-se jwang”)
Where do you live?: O dula kae?
It’s cold: Hoa (“Wa”) Bata!

June 2013 (written by Piet)

Our time in Lesotho has been great and everyday we learn something new about the culture and norms of the village we serve. Leah has been picking up a few Sesotho words and actually using the words; the people love it when she tries to speak the language! This has made Leah to connect with the people and especially the mamas. They have invited us over to harvest maize (corn) to make maize meal (pap) and some have cooked us a meal with the little they have, it's truly humbling. I know it's not about the state of living, but whenever someone who lives on $2 or R12 a day provides a meal, my ego and pride crumbles to humility and humbleness. The scripture in Matthew 6 not only makes sense but becomes real. 

When we visited in April, we prayed for an elderly lady in her house for healing. Her one leg was swollen and she couldn't walk. Bearing in mind that people here live on farming and many of them need to walk to the fields to harvest, plant and take care of the crops. When we left the end of April she had already been healed and was telling all her friends about the power of prayer in Jesus name.  Whenever we walk through the village everyone stops us to ask when are we coming to visit them in their homes. In my mind, I wonder how can 4 people disciple a village of 1000-2000 people? One of our team members suggested that we start preparing people for simple church, so in a few months we will be starting with simple fellowship/home gatherings. You can pray with us for wisdom in that area.

So while we pray for people and disciple young men and women in the village of Nkoeng, we have identified the need for skill development e.g. computer, business training, etc but we also want to be realistic with the fact that we don't have a shelter to effectively teach these skill. However, I started computer class with a fews boy who are out of school or have dropped out. LXP has a land where we are developing a base. So far there are no complete buildings. We are currently working on a volunteer/visitor's accommodation and I want to invite all our readers to join us in this mission in either prayer, help to fundraise, or bringing a team to help dig or build.  

Every week in our village there has been a funeral. The younger generation is dying with HIV/AIDS or TB.

Often people don't take medication as they still believe in traditional healers or they are ashamed to be seen sick. If they do take medication it is often too late and their bodies cannot handle to high dosage. In 29 days, a team of 80 people from South Africa and America will be joining us to help with an abstinence outreach called "Beat The Drum" in the high schools. Both Leah and I have ran Beat the Drum before, so you may be familiar with the program. The first week will be training for the teams and the second week will be the outreach in the schools; it's a powerful outreach. The last day there is an opportunity for the students to volunteer to know their status by taking a HIV/AIDS test and commit to abstinence, I also want to invite you to pray with us for this program.

This weekend we had our youth leaders training retreat and it was a success! The theme was "Don't Go with the Flow." We addressed a few points including, be different, knowing their identity in Christ, going against the flow and the last one was go shine! These young people are contagious to their spheres of influence in the village.  They lead with confidence, character and even a bit of humor. 

As you all know we are expecting a little one. Leah is now 10 weeks pregnant. My wife got an infection two weeks ago and has been in pain. We think it's because of the very different living conditions and lack of running water. We have crossed
the border on three different occasions to see a doctor in South Africa and she was given medication. Please pray for her that it is totally gone and doesn't come back.

I want to thank you for you support and prayers, may you be blessed.

Prayer Points

1. Beat The Drum

2. Simple Churches

3. Leah's health and Baby Bakers

4. Base Development

Truly Loving Africa,

The Bakers

We have finally settled in our new home in the village of Ha Shepeseli in Butha-Buthe, Lesotho. We have been here for nearly two weeks now and boy is it COLD!  Though it is only the beginning of June, we know that the temperatures will get well below zero before too long. We are currently on a waiting list for a house with a few more amenities than the one we are in now.

This week, we are easing ourselves into the ministry with LXP Lesotho. We helped with the Saturday youth program this past Saturday and are anticipating a full week of house visits and the like. The Saturday program continues to run outdoors which is difficult during Winter. As a team, we are trusting God for funds to build a community hall to run not only the program, but camps as well. One of the goals of the ministry is to create house churches/Bible study groups in the community, so it is our hope to minister to a certain corner of the village of Nkoeng and hopefully plant a house church. We will continue to minister into the lives of the kids and youth and start one-on-one discipleship before long.

We are learning about God’s heart for Lesotho and specifically what he wants to do in the lives of the kids that are part of the weekly program and those in that village. God’s heart is for His lost sheep.

       “I myself will search and find my sheep.

       I will be like a shepherd looking for his

       scattered flock. I will find my sheep and

       rescue them from all the places where

       they were scattered…” Ezekiel 34:11-12

About two weeks before our big move we received some very exciting news! The Lord has blessed us and we have a baby on the way, due in January! We are thrilled and know that are lives are going to change for the better.

We will be the first to admit that leaving our home, our church, our job, and our friends in Johannesburg wasn’t an easy thing. We were comfortable where we were and it would have been easy to remain there. Before we left, the church (The Barn) sent us off like they did in Acts with Paul and Barnabas. As we were saying our goodbyes and as the church prayed over us, Piet said something very significant . God doesn’t always call us to the comfortable places. In fact, most times he doesn’t . But if it hasn’t cost us anything, perhaps we should question His calling. So, here we are! We have given our lives for Christ and for the people of Lesotho!

We have received so many encouraging emails and facebook messages as we transition into this new life.  Thanks to each of you! We also want to take this time to thank each and every person who gave monetary gifts as well. Every donation has really helped during this time. We have been truly blessed and we know that it is so WE can be a
blessing!

Truly Loving Africa,

The Bakers

Until All Have Heard

When God first called me (Leah) to Africa, I had always dreamed of working hand-in-hand with beautiful brown faces and pearly white smiles. I imagined the smells of Africa, the red dirt, the mud huts, the wildlife, and little bare feet. God also gave me the desire to meet someone someday. I dreamed that the love of my life would be deeply involved in ministry and would invite me to join him not only in his ministry, but also into his life as his partner forever.

Hanging out before the youth program starts!

One day, four and a half years ago, the dream started to become a reality.

Since I have been in South Africa, I have been involved in more than four different ministries. I started with my Adventures in Missions team of about 50 people in Jeffrey’s Bay, South Africa. We then moved to Port Elizabeth. At the end of the AIM trip, I decided I would call South Africa home. I then came back and worked with Lighthouse Family Church in Port Elizabeth. When I finally did meet my prince charming, he invited me to be a part of his ministry at Refilwe in Johannesburg. Circumstances caused us to search for the Lord’s next step for us. We ended up at Africa Ablaze for a few months, and once again, felt the Lord drawing us away, this time to work with the Barn Christian Fellowship Church. It is more than a year later and we once more feel the Lord calling us home to His heart.

I have always struggled a bit in terms of moving around so much in ministry. I always thought my ministry in SA would be firmly planted. I never understood what God was doing with us, but always trusted that He knew best. I recently read about Paul’s ministry and it really brought things into prospective.

Transporting water via horse and carriage

Paul went first to Derbe and then to Lystra, where there was a young disciple named Timothy…Then [Paul and Timothy] went from town to town, instructing the believers
to follow the decisions made by the apostles and elders in Jerusalem…Next, Paul and
Silas traveled through the area of Phyrgia and Galatia, because the Holy Spirit prevented
 them from preaching the word in the province of Asia...Paul and Silas then traveled
through the towns of Amphipolis and Apollonia and came to Thessalonica…
Acts 16:1,4,6; Acts 17:1

Paul was an itinerant missionary. He went wherever the Holy Spirit led him and his companions. Acts speaks of how there were times when the Holy Spirit prevented them from entering a certain place for whatever reason. There were definitely times when I felt the Holy Spirit move us (Piet and I) from a certain ministry because of certain events that had transpired or were yet to transpire. He knows best. He loves us. He loves His people and desires that all will know Him. And isn't the point for all to hear? How can all hear unless we go?
  So we go.

It is time once again to move into a different kind of ministry. One that is close to our heart. One where we will clearly see the tiny footprints in red dirt; one where we may very well live in a mud hut; one where we will disciple; one where we will love deeply.

Lesotho.

We will continue to follow the leadings of God’s heart and consider the wise counsel of our prayer partners in our lives until all have heard.

We leave for Lesotho in less than three weeks. We have a place to stay in Butha-Buthe, we've rented out our house here in Joburg, sold our car, and we've recently bought a new car that will handle the crazy mountainous roads of Lesotho. We have put together a needs list for our transition into this new country and new ministry. Please contact us if you are able to help us make this transition a smooth one:

The house we will be moving into is completely empty (no shelving, stove, etc) so there are a number of things we need to either buy second-hand or receive through donations.

-cheap storage units for kitchen and bedroom
-second-hand oven/stove
-2 sets of curtains
-moving and transport costs (it is a 4-hour drive from Johannesburg to Butha-Buthe)
-set up costs
-monthly pledges for living expenses

Truly Loving Africa

The Bakers  

Village Life

The cultural differences between the Basotho people and black South Africans are few. This month of watching the Basothos looks very similar to what I, Piet, remember as a child. Most people here spend a lot of time and effort simply surviving. They farm for food, fetch water from distant taps using wheelbarrows and water jugs; some kids go to school while others stay home to shepherd livestock (below). Most of the elderly people sit outside and watch the sun rise and set each day, this has become a daily lifestyle to most people in the villages. Season by  season, most people in the villages struggle to keep their mud house standing and have to reapply layers of mud after every rainy season.

We have experienced the multiple sides of ministry here with LXP Lesotho and feel this is where God has called us. It is a huge move for us and one that will require a lot of adjusting, but we are excited to take the plunge.

Walking through the village to visit families

To quote Elizabeth (our friend and missionary), LXP is “lifestyle ministry”. Everyday is a way of life lived out amongst the locals. Many of the days are spent waking up and trusting God to give new perspectives to the villagers and new opportunities to us as his vessels.

The things that we do, however, include house visits, a weekly youth program each Saturday afternoon, discipleship of the young leaders, homework help, as well as helping Godfrey and Elizabeth with their building project.

A granny dressing me in a Sotho blanket like a local!

I, Leah, feel most at home when doing house visits. It is such a blessing to meet people where they are at and visit them in their homes. We help them with daily tasks or simply sit and chat about how hot it is outside. Of course the ultimate goal is to bring them closer to Jesus. It is important to make sure that they are challenged in their faith or simply brought into a first time relationship with God.

I am smiling as I see jars of peaches here in our kitchen. I received three jars from old ladies in the community this week. It is their gift to us for visiting them. I love the fact that their doors are always open and they truly appreciate a personal visit. That single jar of peaches is something they may not be able to afford to give away, but they do it with gladness.

There is one particular old lady that we have visited quite a few times in our month here. She has been suffering from a swollen and sore ankle for nearly a year and we trusted the Lord for her healing. Yesterday as we visited her, she was no longer wearing a wrap around her ankle and was telling us how she can walk up and down with no pain! She then called for another old man to come and sit with us. She explained that he has been complaining that his legs have been hurting his as well. She told him that she wanted us to pray for him so that he, too, could experience God’s healing as she had.

There is another elderly couple in the village who are in the process of building an extra room on their house. It was on its way to completion when the rain destroyed part of this room. As the builders in this area generally attend to many projects at once, it was taking quite a long time for this room to be completed. We took out a day this week to assist the builder (pictured right). We collected big stones from the mountain and helped mix the mud to hold it all together. The mud mixture is red sand, donkey dung, and water. Surprisingly, these houses hold together quite well, though the Basotho people continuously add layers of mud throughout the year. They generally do not add cement as it is costly and not easily afforded by many.

And so, it is time to say “bye for now” to a people we are just getting used to. We are now entering a time of transition from one country to another. Thank you for your support and your prayers for us!

_________________________________________________

Truly Loving Africa,

The Bakers

Piet leading worship at "Amazing Race" Camp

Greetings from Lesotho!

Hello Friends and Family!

Greetings from Lesotho! We have now been in Butha Buthe, Lesotho for a week now and are really enjoying our time here!

We have just finished with our youth camp: The Amazing Race which took place over Easter weekend and coincided with the school holidays. The youth (ages 8-20) are all from the same village and are apart of the LXP youth program each Saturday afternoon. LXP offers camps bi-annually as a time of refreshing and spiritual enrichment in the lives of the youth. On this particular camp, there were 80 youth and the theme scripture for the camp was Hebrews 12:1-2a.

The camp kicked off with learning about what a race is, and the fact that we are all running the race of life.

The first morning they were unexpectedly woken up at 5:00am to “persevere” through a three hour trek up and down the mountain. As the weekend continued, they learned about throwing off the sin that holds us back, running with others (teamwork), running victoriously, and running well (self-discipline).

The camp ended Monday morning and we are now taking a few days to relax and revive ourselves!

For the rest of the time while we are here, we will be doing the necessary things for our return to Lesotho in the near future.We are really enjoying our cultural immersion here in Lesotho. Piet is able to brush up on his Sotho language and I, Leah, am learning bit by bit as I go. We are also loving the warm hospitality from the Sotho people.

Prayer Requests:

-Please pray that we make the right decision about where we should stay long term. We have found two possible options. One is in the town (running water, electricity) and the other is in the village living among the people and like the people (electricity, but fetching water daily). 
-Please pray for other logistics as well such as renting out our house in JHB and selling our Ford.

Truly Loving Africa,

The Bakers

Margate Outreach

Two weeks ago I, Piet was in the city of Durban (in another province/state) for an outreach with the church young adult’s band. We drove down on the Monday (about a 7 hour drive) and started ministering Tuesday morning. The objective of the outreach was to reach the young people in schools in a way that is relative.

We arrived at the schools at 8am and played praise and worship songs at their morning assembly gatherings. We then invited them to a “praise party” on Friday night at the youth group of the church we were partnering with, Margate Baptist.

One of the school assemblies

We worked with both a public/government school as well as a private school. We were so impressed how the students were going crazy for God! They loved the music and we felt we connected well on their level. We ministered to about 300 students the first day and 400 the second day. 

On Friday night it was time for the praise party. There were many different ministries and churches represented in that church hall. There were probably about 800 people in that church. Many of the young people gave their lives to the Lord and there were a lot of volunteers to pray with them.

School #2

On Saturday, we ran music/worship workshops at the church. We invited other churches worship leaders and band members from the area. One of the things we taught was how to take a popular gospel song from a CD and make it relevant for a church service.

At the end of the outreach the team was exhausted, but it was such a nice time. We really enjoyed working with the church in Margate and reaching out to the young people. God moved in Margate! Overall, I really want to thank everyone for your prayers. I know many of you were following the outreach on facebook. I have personally been inspired and reminded by the Lord to continue to use my musical gifting so that many could know Him.

While I was in Durban, the Lord reminded me of the story in the Bible about the people with different talents. The one who didn’t use his got it taken away. The point of a gift is to use it. Edwin McManus asks the question “is an instrument really an instrument if it isn’t played?” During that week I learned, I served and I grew. One can never stop growing in God.

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In other news concerning the life of Piet and Leah, we are just one day away from a personal discovery and outreach to Lesotho. We have been praying about moving out of South Africa and into another African country for a while now. We feel that God has opened the door for a ministry in Lesotho called LXP Lesotho. If you remember, we took our team on an outreach trip to Lesotho in October.

We are joining good friends of ours, Godfrey and Elizabeth, who lead the organization. On Monday, we are going to the town of Butha Buthe for a month to have deeper exposure to the culture, language, and ministry opportunities. We are confident that God has called us long-term, but we are using wisdom to “test the waters” before uprooting our whole life in Johannesburg.

Please pray with us at this time as we are handing over Year of Your Life/S2S and trusting God for new opportunities in Lesotho. We feel this month will be a refreshing time as we listen to God’s voice and serve the people of Lesotho. We are so excited!!

We are still available via email for this month, so feel free to send messages our way!

Truly Loving Africa,

The Bakers