Now that I figured out how to upload pictures again (it no longer worked, but I learned if I switched to Google Chrome it works!), let me finally continue sharing the highlights of 2019:
Beloved Beaconesses!
A first highlight was reuniting with dear sisters, from left, Nametso, Keffy, and Gugu. Since 2015, (along with Kelsey who served here in 2016-17), we’ve called ourselves the “Beaconesses” :) …a fun way of saying we are called to be beacons of light and hope. The beacon testimony is deep and will be its own page at some point :), but they were the first ones that I started sharing the beacon testimony with back in 2015.
Global Leadership Summit
In mid-April, several of us from Youth for Christ Botswana attended the 2-day Global Leadership Summit in Gaborone for further leadership development. It was a powerful time, getting challenged and inspired by world-class speakers (via pre-recorded messages), as well as growing closer together in fellowship.
The crew that attended from YFC pictured in the last photo, from left of me are: George (behind), Bobo, Neo, Thabang (behind), Khumo, Diphethogo, and Tumi. The GLS committee featured Youth for Christ (Bobo and Khumo are pictured with students from Mahalapye on our outreach there in March 2019) in the booklet that all delegates received, and we are grateful that they sponsored two of our volunteers to attend.
Bobo Representing the Youth through the Botswana National Youth Council
Speaking of leadership development, it's great to see how one of the longterm YFC volunteers who was at GLS and pictured above, Tshenolo Bobo Palai, has developed as a leader and been appointed to represent Botswana youth. In 2015, he was appointed by the Minister of Youth to the Botswana National Youth Council. In April 2019, Bobo was one of the few youth who represented Botswana at the Pan African Congress in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. It's been cool to see how the Lord has placed Bobo in positions of influence, and I'm proud of his love and passion for Africa and Botswana, and most importantly for the Lord.
Bobo also spoke at the Youth Awards in Botswana in April, and attended the Staff Awards.
Trip to South Africa
I decided to take a vacation over Easter to South Africa. One thing I learned the hard way in ministry is that you need to take times of rest and refreshment or you will reach burnout and be less effective. One of my favourite places in the world to find that rest and refreshment is Beulah Christian Retreat in Wellington. It's always great to reconnect with the hosts and founders of Beulah, Jacques and Hanneke Truter, who started Beulah with such a vision--to provide a place of rest and renewal for Christian ministers/missionaries. Even the dogs recognize me and are excited when I return because they know it means we will go on long runs in the mountain trails together. You can see little Esther came to welcome me (by sitting on my welcome mat)!
I guess you can see why I love going there! I love nature, running, dogs, quiet solitude with God...so it's such a refreshing place for my soul! Jacques and Hanneke invited me to join them and many other local friends for a Passover meal, sharing the meaning and symbolism of things along the way and how it points to Jesus. The last picture above shows where I stayed in the self-catering cottage at the closer end. There, I learned how to make verse images, so here are a few made from pictures I took at Beulah:
Visiting Dear Friends Ant & Nellie
Another huge highlight of that trip was getting to visit Ant & Nellie, dear friends who used to live in Botswana. I've known them since I moved to Botswana in early 2010. Ant was on the YFC Botswana board, and as a couple, they used their gift of hospitality to care for us missionaries. They invited us to their house for meals, to swim, etc. and would always take us all out to dinner to celebrate each of our birthdays. They are truly such a loving, caring couple, so it's always a blessing to see them. The beautiful scenery below is just on the drive to their home, and by the beach in their village called Kleinmond.
An Amazing Day-Trip to Cape Point!
When Ant and Nellie learned I had never been to Cape Point or the nearby Cape of Good Hope, they decided to go all out and treat me to a day trip. We left around 6am to drive from Kleinmond to Cape Point. We stopped in the park to have a delicious picnic brunch with tea by the sea before carrying on to Cape Point. Since I'd hurt my ankle running on the mountain trails, I rode up the funicular (cable car) with Nellie and then went further up to the upper lighthouse. Then I could see down the cliff the lower lighthouse (which was built later because they realized that low-lying fog would obscure the original lighthouse higher up), and I knew I wanted to get closer. So I found a path around that led closer. It was truly so beautiful and the sea was such a vibrant blue!
Cape of Good Hope
In that last picture, you can see the old lighthouse to the top right and the Cape of Good Hope below to the left (with a low lying cloud bank rolling in). There is a hiking path I hope to one day use between them, but with my ankle not in the best shape, we drove around.
The Roadtrip Continued Along the Coast to Table Mountain
The first couple pictures below show how we were driving under part of the cliff...unfortunately they aren't wide enough to show you that to the left is a sheer drop down to the ocean! All I can say is that I'm thankful Ant is a good driver!
After going to Signal Hill, where we took those pictures of Table Mountain, then we drove up through a wooded mountain pass, stopped for a meal outside at a Greek restaurant, and then Ant & Nellie dropped me off to visit with another dear friend, Gail Wingreen, and her husband Andy and son Matthew. I also knew them since 2010 from when they lived in Botswana, as we attended the same church. It was so lovely to catch up over dinner and in the evening with Gail. I spent the night at their home, and then Gail drove me to the airport to fly 2 hours back to Botswana. It was such a refreshing trip!
Canadian Outreach – Bringing Hope through the Gospel to Students and Prisoners
In late April and early May, we hosted YFC Canada’s Sam Rowland and his colleague Eric and organized several school outreaches with them as well as prison outreaches. Sam has been coming to Botswana for many years doing an interactive program that involves singing, storytelling, and the gospel message. We give out a free copy of Sam's book, as well as the Knowing God tract that explains the gospel message, to every student or prisoner. I don't have the stats handy for outside Gaborone, but within, we reached 930 students and 907 prisoners with the team!
A highlight was at the Women’s Prison in Gaborone when one of the prisoners shared how hearing Sam’s testimony last year really impacted her, and she has truly been living for the Lord since then. The prison fellowship worker with whom we partner confirmed that her behavior has really changed! Also, it was cool that a prison guard remembered that last year I had sung a Setswana song I wrote, and she all but dragged me up to the front, urging me to sing and play guitar again for them!
African Havens Kgatelopele Program
A program that I've have been blessed to be a part of since early 2017 is the after-school Kgatelopele tutoring program, run by African Havens, the social responsibility arm of my church, His People. A few other YFC volunteers also serve in the program, in which we come alongside orphan/vulnerable teens from the most disadvantaged part of Gaborone (Old Naledi) and tutor them, as well as support them spiritually and physically (i.e. food, clothing, lifeskills camps). In early 2018, I started teaching music to the students (leading them in choir songs) and after the weekend camps we hold for them, they've sung one of the songs in church.
On 4 May 2019, we had a gathering with the students and their parents/care-takers (pictured above) where we updated the parents/caregivers and also celebrated the students and gave them prizes. One of the other leaders suggested the kids sing one of the songs for their parents, so without any rehearsal, I led them in the three-part song and they did very well!
It was particularly powerful and rewarding to hear three of the students share testimonies of what the program has meant to them. Two of them were the two that I tutored my first day back in early 2017 and gave them bibles and YFC bible studies. One is now studying at the private high school with the best academics in the nation (and she attends the Bible Club we lead there too), and she wants to be a neurosurgeon!! The other had quit school, but the program director helped get him back in school, for which he thanked him in retrospect. His desire is to be a lawyer! And the third one, whom I helped get new school uniforms and a new backpack with a gift from a friend back in the US a couple years back, wants to be a doctor!! It was just so beautiful to see how they are dreaming so big and working hard to pursue those dreams.
Joining Hands Missionary Conference
Later that week in early May was the Joining Hands Missionary Conference. It is always an encouraging time to gather missionaries and mission-minded Christians from across the nation, and even some from South Africa, and join hands to reach Botswana and beyond for Jesus. The conference was held at Woodpecker Retreat centre in Notwane, along the Notwane River outside Gaborone. I led worship for the conference, as has been the case since 2012 I think!
And as you've probably gathered, I love nature so I enjoyed the beautiful scenery there:
After the conference finished, we had a short debrief meeting as the Joining Hands organizing committee. Bobo and I have served in the Joining Hands committee since 2015, Lukas (to my right) joined in 2018 I believe, and Claris has served off and on over the years and was the Chairman for 2019's gathering. His wife Shelley is also pictured.
Bob Bishop (Mr. X) Outreach-- Mixing Math, "Magic," and Ministry
Just a couple days after Sam and Eric left to head back to Canada, a team from the USA came again for a month-long outreach. Bob Bishop (aka Mr. X) and his wife Miriam, daughter Brittany, and friend Curtiss came to do mathematics and “magic” shows, incorporating the gospel message at most schools. They’ve come a couple times before, but this time, we decided to focus on the older elementary school students.
Legae Academy Bible Club
While the focus of the American team this time was primary school children, they still came to minister to high school students at three of our weekly meetings of the Legae Academy Bible Club.
We had just finished the Youth Alpha film series at the Bible Club before the team came, which had drawn in students even of other faiths to explore Christianity. The team gave each student a bracelet with colours that can be used to share the gospel message. They also gave them hand-made cards from youth in Idaho, which really meant a lot to our kids. Also, one of our German volunteers, Lena, is pictured giving a short message and farewell before she headed back to Germany.
Ministering through Chess
The American team also wanted to bless the students at the Kgatelopele after-school tutoring program that I mentioned above. They have visited them on their previous trips, and this time decided to buy them chess sets and teach them how to play chess. Along the way, Mr. X also infused life and spiritual lessons.
All told, during the American team’s outreach, students at 16 schools were reached, totaling approximately 3,450 students!
Recreation Time with the Team
I was the team's driver several days for the ministry in schools, and I was also the driver on a public holiday on which they treated me to lunch at Sanitas tea garden and a game drive at Mokolodi Game Reserve. They also treated George and his family (and me) to see Aladdin in the movie theatre, which was special and much appreciated. The other member of the Botswana Leadership Team, Maruping, couldn't make it for some reason, but he is at the far left in the last picture below, next to George, after we had a debrief/evaluation meeting of their trip and how we can make the next trip even better!
Worship night at Bobo's Farm
The American team also joined several YFC Gaborone volunteers for a worship night/campout at Bobo’s farm outside Mochudi. It was a memorable (freezing!) night worshiping together under the stars around the campfire.
Walk to the River
The next morning, we enjoyed a walk through the bush to the river and had some quiet reflection there, as well as some fun and fellowship.
Braai Time!
After some relaxing (and Bobo and I driving into Mochudi to purchase meat at the butcher), it was time for an afternoon braai (barbeque). Bobo's brother and sister-in-law joined us for the meal on this, the family farm.
From the Farm to Lisbon, Portugal
That same month, Bobo went to Portugal to represent the youth of Botswana at the World Conference for Ministers of Youth and Youth Forum in Lisbon. Since Bobo was the longest-serving member of the council at that time, he was chosen as the one youth from Botswana to represent Botswana and accompany the Minister of Youth, Hon. Tshekedi Khama, to the conference.
Prison Ministry with World Race Team
In June, a World Race team of American missionaries (travelling to 11 countries in 11 months) got in touch with me via a mutual contact because they desired to minister to the prisoners. So I was able to organize with the Prison Fellowship pastor I know to get an opening for us at the Women's Prison. The team took turns sharing encouragement with the prisoners, and as one of the World Racers shared her powerful story of being a victim of domestic violence by her husband, one of the lady prisoners started weeping, obviously touched. The World Racer was able to talk further with that prisoner afterward and pray together with and for her. It was a beautiful moment. Every time I go to the Women's Prison, I am always encouraged by the prisoners there who are believers--they sing with such joy and gratitude. I believe they truly know what it means to be forgiven and set free from sin. Unfortunately we can never take photos or videos in the prison, but you can just trust me, the women are beautiful, inside and out.
Kiddies Mingle Club
We continued with the Kiddies Mingle Club for primary school children, including games, songs, bible stories, swimming, snacks, crafts, and fun.
Pictured is also one of our planning meetings. Lena from Germany, with Sophie from Germany next to her, were giving their last input before both heading back to Germany. We thank God for their faithful service in the club. I also want to thank Fifi (next to me) for her leadership of the club.
Youth for Christ Annual General Meeting (AGM)
In mid-June, we held the YFC Annual General Meeting at our National Office in Mochudi. It's always a nice time to get most of the YFC board and staff together. We start with a board meeting, then the AGM, then fellowship with food. Missing from this photo is Tumi, our board secretary, who was taking the photo :). We were also blessed to be joined by Sheunesu Masuka, the Regional Director for Southern Africa, pictured next to me on the end. We first met during a month-long staff training in Namibia in 2011, and it's great the support he shows us here in Botswana (sometimes traveling all the way here just to attend board meetings with us!).
We are truly grateful for all those who support YFC Botswana through prayers and/or donations. We are blessed to partner with you in reaching every young person with the good news of Jesus Christ and discipling them into the local churches.
That's all for Part 2. Part 3 will continue the 2019 Highlights. Until then, take care and stay safe!
