July 16 Dial

Dear Weekly Prayers and Partners,

We are writing this update from Johannesburg where we have just completed a week of doctors appointments and tests. We are happy to report that are in good health and no major health issues and we praise God for the good results.

Today we began the immigration process for Mohau and Daniel. Before leaving our room this morning (at 7:15 a.m.) we prayed as a family that God would give us favor with those in authority over our paperwork. Our appointment was at 9:00 a.m. and it had been made weeks ago. We spent 2 hours in heavy bumper to bumper traffic and arrived at the Consulate's Office to find out that our advisor who was to work with us on the process called in to work this morning to say he would not be coming in. No one called to inform us. It would have been easy to rant and rage because that is what we really wanted to do but instead we remembered Who we belong to and Who we were in Africa to represent and just asked to speak to this consulate representative's supervisor. We were told that she was not there either and we politely asked to speak to her supervisor. By this time, the lady behind the counter knew we meant business and were there to stay if necessary. To make a long story short...we were allowed to file our papers and a supervisor in charge promised to process them on Monday. We continue to pray that God will place His favor and blessing on our paperwork and in the hearts of those who will do the processing and all will go well and the boys' immigration visas will be finalized and granted so we can return to our home in the mountains of Lesotho.

The Basotho sing a song that goes like this...."Ke bea, bophelo ba ka, matsoho....matsoho oa Hae...Jesu" (In English it says that "I put my life in the hands of Jesus." I asked God at the beginning of the day to supernaturally control the process and I believe He answered my prayer this morning. Even though our counselor stood us up without notification, and even though we traveled 7 hours to from the mountains to get here and will drive 7 hours to get back home, and even though we spent 2 hours in terrible traffic to get to the consulate (12 Km. or about 7.5 miles) to make our appointment which was not kept by our counselor....God supernaturally controlled all the events because the original advisor assigned to us for the process is known for his obstinacy and uncaring attitude and the representative God gave us was the one we initially requested but could not have and was highly recommended to us by friends. So you see....even though there may be a chain of ill events from our perspective...God works it out for our benefit if we will just trust Him for the outcome. It has only begun but it is a very good start. Please continue to pray with us throughout this week and next week for the process. We thank you and praise our Lord for what He is doing in our lives.

We received a call from Pastor Molapo from the mountains. His voice was full of joy as he told us about going to Ha Ramokoatsi this past Thursday. There were so many people who came out to hear the preaching and singing. On Saturday he was going to preach in Ha Kenene which is just past Katse down in one of the valleys. To us this means that the pastor is less dependent on us to do the work. For the last three years we have worked to encourage the pastors to be bold in their witness before the villagers and to reach out to other areas with what we have shared with them. The three phases (show them, assist them, and leave) is about upon us. We are in the leaving process we make our way back to America to serve on stateside assignment. We must admit that we have had concerns as to what we would find when we returned to Lesotho. Would all our labor and love been for naught and things in a worse state than before we came or would we find that the Holy Spirit has taken these men to greater horizons than we could have ever hoped. We are encouraged by our pastors and ask that you continue to lift them up before God. Please pray that God will take the love and labor of these pastors and lay leaders to bare fruit and lead villages to Christ. We are praying for a church planting movement in the mountains but it can only begin by the Holy Spirit awakening the dead and breathing His eternal breath into their souls. Pray for this awakening in the mountains.

Please remember Sefiri in your prayers also. He is growing in knowledge and faith and it so evident that the Holy Spirit is using him for His glory and the furthering of His kingdom. Pray for his protection and God's provision in his life...both physically, materially and spiritually.

We have missed our mountains this week and especially missed going into villages and sharing Christ, but even here God has provided opportunities to be faithful and share. In the hospital we rejoiced with two of the nurses who were believers and even prayed with the x-ray technician who shared with me a problem in her life. I do believe that God leads us and puts people in our paths every day by which we have the privilege to share Him, to encourage others and be encouraged through others. It doesn't matter where you are or where you are heading, God has someone for you to meet. Maybe it is through prayer or just a hug, or maybe it is in a scripture passage that you are able to share and encourage someone....God directed it and by it, He is glorified. As you travel your path this week, I pray God gives you many opportunities to share Him and bring Him glory. More each day, I see it is truly all about Him and all else seems lost in the grayness of nothing next to Him. Use every day to tell the story.

Praises this week:

* Safe travels to Joburg

* Step #1 of the immigration process completed.

* Opportunities to show the love of Christ

* You - our family and friends who support us through prayer

Requests this week:

* Immigration process to continue smoothly for Daniel and Mohau

* That God will lead us as we prepare for stateside assignment

* For the national pastors that God will increase their faith and give boldness to witness and evangelize in nearby villages

* That God will show us ways to cross the barrier of isolation in the mountains to reach those that are currently "out of reach" for

* That we will remain faithful and stay on focus in our calling to the Basotho

By the way, be sure to check out the "New" Basotho Team Website. Our team members Tom and Cindi Melvin and close supporters of the Basotho from Arkansas have graciously blessed us with their labor of love in making our website exciting and informative. Please be sure to visit us at: (home page) http://www.basotho.org ; (Team) http://www.basotho.org/Team or our Newsletter at http://www.basotho.org/NewsLetters.

Be blessed and be a blessing to others. Thank you for loving us and for allowing us to love you.

In His Name,

Alan, Babs, Mohau and Daniel

Katse Village, Lesotho