The Hidden Kingdom of Lesotho

We’re driving on a very bumpy and muddy road. The vehicle we’re in is some type of van from the 90s. It looks and feels as though it’s done this trip one too many times. As we shift back and forth from the uneven road, the left side of my body burns from the mid-morning sun. Looking out my window I see a scattered village of concrete and cow-dung mud houses. I constantly find myself questioning how people make their way of life here. It’s all they know and it’s all they have, the mountains and grasslands. To let their cattle graze and plant their crops. To have enough to get through the wintertime. To just survive and live day to day. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We’re slowly ascending a mountain. At least 2 hours more. Our van is packed full of backpacks and young American guys. Guys that are wondering why they are here. Can we make an impact? To tell people of the good news? What is it that we can tell these people? Salvation from our God has come. Believe in the Lord Jesus and be saved from the hold of death. Freedom has come, and the Kingdom of God is at hand.

Our mission is to hike into the mountains to access the frontier of the unreached. Africa For Jesus ministry is founding a church in a remote village as a hub to go deeper into unreached villages. We’re going there to encourage and challenge the people in the faith. We’re also building onto the church to make it a habitable place. We’re making it how the locals build their houses; cow poop, mud, and sticks. 

That’s the plan anyway.

Hours later, we sit on the side of a dirt road with our backpacks and our food rations for the week. The van couldn’t take us any further so we now wait for the expected pastor and horses to arrive. As we admire the view, our ministry host Pieter points out the mountain that the village sits atop. Just another few hours’ walk and we’re there. Some more time goes by and the horses are loaded up with our gear and one of my guys, Tony. Tony had broken his leg a few weeks back, but I was adamant he’d be going with us. As we ascend, our view of the Lesotho mountains becomes grander and more beautiful. We stop along the way to refill our water in some small streams that flow out of natural springs. Lesotho is a land of green. Green covers the fields and mountainsides-drawing your attention to take in every detail.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Pieter had explained there would be a section of the hike that would be considerably difficult-and I believed Him. We did end our trek with this section and then took some time to build up our energy. The terrain became flatter as we moved forward and on the horizon, we could see what seemed to be small black buildings. As we approached them, I soon realized these were people’s homes constructed differently from houses at lower elevations. These had very thick roofs of reeds tightly knit together to keep out the heavy rains and hail of the intense alpine weather. The circular side structure of them has a thick layer of sticks from bushes and is covered on the inside with a layered mixture of cow, horse, or donkey dung with mud. They are uniquely designed and so very beautiful contrasting against the green pastures.

As we made our way further down across a river and then up towards the main village, children started flocking around us from all sides. At this point in time, it was as if my eyes were opened to how God had designed such a place. I was seeing a foretaste of heaven. Their faces were glowing with joy and pure happiness to see us as if we were being welcomed into heaven itself. They all grabbed each of our hands and walked with us. My eyes filled with tears of awe. How could I receive such love and affection? The pains in my legs and back seemed to disappear. All I could do was take this in.

As the sun started to lower behind the clouds and mountaintops, we all began to set up our tents and settle into our surroundings. Children were still surrounding us with curious eyes and words I couldn’t understand. The rest of our evening looked like us just playing with them. Even in the dark and as the food was set on the fire, the children couldn’t get enough of our foreign presence.

 

 

 

 

 

The next day we had the privilege to talk to the chief of the village. She was a wise woman who had the responsibility of making sure the people of the village were working together properly and peacefully. She was a woman who feared God and talked with passion about sharing her faith with the people. She opened my eyes to the reality of responsibility that someone must have in a place that’s disconnected from the outside world. She explained that it’s a blessing to have us come visit, I’m also sure it’s refreshing to see some new faces. We got to encourage her in the faith and pray over her wisdom in leading the people.

The rest of our day then consisted of collecting dried animal poop and hauling it on our shoulders back to the church building. We needed enough to create another layer for the inside of the church. The mixture is about 1:1 in poop to mud. It’s bonded together with water and then slapped on the stick wall structure. The locals took over from here as our host had hired many people for the day. Afterward, we got to share a message of truth with the people about what the church is. The people in this village and most of the villages around know the basic gospel of Jesus. It’s something they believe but don’t build their lives upon. They continue to live as though there’s no structure to the faith in fellowship with the Lord. The rest of our time in the village was visiting with some families and people. We got to sit and hear where they are in life and their trust in God. We encouraged, challenged, and met people where they were in their joys and sufferings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Their way of life is simple; people tend their crops and animals, and they spend their lives surviving day to day. They are looking for a bigger hope in life, and those that do know the Lord here are so full. Full of abundant joy and passion for the Kingdom of God. An example of this is a man named Debua. Debua works here at the A4J base. He grew up in the Malealea valley and has been a minister to the Lord since his youth. I’ve gotten close to him and heard his perspective on what the faith of the people here looks like. He’s a man that’s faithful to his maker and speaks with fiery passion with his people, he challenges and speaks truth to the people, and he shows them the reality of their eternity. He’s inspired me to go out with boldness and has shown me faith isn’t just faith but your entire life. We’ve been called to all be ministers of our God in some way. He lives it out fully for his people.

It has been a privilege to be in the hidden kingdom of Lesotho. It truly is a land of paradise if you look closer than what your eyes can see. Yes, the steep green mountains and rolling pastures hold your awe, but there’s something here that God has shown me. Life is meant to be simpler than what we believe. If we have truly given our lives to our maker to be used for his glory, doesn’t that mean that everything in our life should be dedicated to Him? How come there are so many distractions of the world that we let in? We let our busyness overtake our relationship with our maker. We need to hit reset on how we use our given time and take a look at what we mostly focus on. Yes people have always told us this, but if our days don’t consist of walking with our Father in oneness, we’re missing it. “that they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” John 17:21 

Through Him, Zach Flowers