Concert for the Bishop

This morning we met outside in the Bishops Compound with the Bishop. He needed to meet with us very early because he had a meeting in Pretoria, which is north of Johannesburg, that afternoon. Sam and Will played about 4 songs for the Bishop and his staff. He was so appreciative and he clapped along with the music. He gave us each a beautiful key chain, and tried out Sam’s drum pad.

As the Bishop talked to Niko and I about our work, he became very excited. He really wanted to meet with us again, and was disappointed that he had not met us sooner.

Concert at the Center

It was fun to watch Sam and WIll play for the kids at the orphanage and their neighbors today. What was even more fun was to watch the performances of the children for us. Everywhere that Sam and Will have performed their music, the people have responded by singing a few Besotho songs for them.

After the concert, Rethabile and her cousin took the stage. They were fabulous! Their singing and harmonies blew me away. The children performed with singing and dancing. Stephanie got up and led the children in a funny rhyme that got their bodies moving. That sparked a memory in Niko and he got up and brought out an oldie from his youth ministry days, “Hello, my name is Joe. I work in a button factory…” This is a very silly rhyme that eventually includes all body parts moving in total silliness. It was such a delight to play together, to be silly together and to laugh together.

Concert at the Convent

The concert at the convent has definitely been my favorite concert of them all. It was inside, it was a small group, and Will did not need to strain to be heard.

The sisters loved it. Many of them got up, stuck their backsides out and danced. Even those in wheelchairs clapped and swayed from their seats. It was so much fun.

Again, we experienced Besotho hospitality, with delicious bread, fruit, coffee and tea. In gratitude, the sisters presented Sam and Will with small traditional painted Besotho hats. And then one of the sisters ran back to her room and came back with a Traditional full size Besotho hat for me. We left with our hearts and spirits filled with joy. What an afternoon!

Rethabile’s Family

What an incredible afternoon at Rethabile’s home. Her family welcomed us with open arms and set out a beautiful spread of foods made just for us. Literally, just for us. They did not eat anything. The table was set for the 5 us and the rest of them sat or stood around the kitchen area and visited with us, but they did not eat.

We ate the most wonderful sorghum and bean dish. I have never had anything like it and it was absolutely delicious. They also served mango juice, corn and sweet crackers. For dessert they served canned peaches from their own peach tree. They were delicious. They sent us home with a jar that we will carry back home to Tacoma and save for a special dinner.

I was moved not only by the hospitality and generosity of Rethabile’s family, but also by their gentle spirits. I am discovering that the spirit of the Besotho people is one of gentle, quiet, strength.

Walk to Rethabile’s Family Home

Today, Rethabile took us on a walk to her village. I love walking and interacting with the people we meet. Most of the time we are in the van, whizzing by and getting only glimpses of life in Mohales Hoek. But today, we walked. We passed a beautiful rondeval and the owner let us go inside. Rondavels are the traditional round Besotho homes with thatch roofs. They absorb heat in the winter and stay cool in the summer. They are much more energy efficient then the more modern cinder block homes. I find their earthiness and simplicity to be unbelievably beautiful.

Color Crayons and Paper

After our walk to town we returned to the center. All the children were back from school and for a short time we just checked each other out, not quite sure how to interact. Then I went to the car and brought out paper and crayons and a few markers for the older children. Suddenly, the energy shifted. Benches were moved to serve as tables, I gave out paper and crayons and every single child began to color. As they finished their masterpiece each child came to me and put it in my hands. I had not asked them to turn them into me, this is something they just did. As they handed me their pictures I oohed and awed and commented on the beauty of their artwork . At the end of our art time, every single crayon and marker was accounted for with very few broken pieced. I found that amazing: 20 children, 15 of whom are under age 6 and all the pieces were returned.

As I reviewed their drawings, I was moved by the messages I found written on their artwork. Slindle wrote: “Thank you for being part of my life.” I felt like these messages were their whisperings to us, the words they wanted to say but were too shy. These drawings became a bridge between us, allowing us to connect our hearts in a gentle way.

A Walk to Town

After the concert at the elementary school, we returned to the St. Camillus Center. The 4 older students took us on an excursion in to town. On our mile walk, we saw a funeral procession, and got a great sense of our surroundings. Kids in their school uniforms waved as we went by. Everyone we passed looked at us. It was obvious that we were a novelty. Very few white people live in or visit Lesotho. In fact, white people are not allowed to own any land in this country. So far the only other white person we have seen is Stephanie, the Peace Corp volunteer.

In town, we stopped at the grocery store. Will, in his generosity bought each of the children a soda. Then we went to the Viacom shop to try to get Niko and Sam set up with Sim Cards.

While we waited for them, I looked at Besotho blankets. This is the souvenir that we each want to purchase to take home as a reminder of our time in Lesotho. The blankets are THE traditional item of the Besotho People. They are made of wool and they have beautiful designs and colors that represent the various regions of Lesotho. It is very common to see the Besotho wearing their blankets, especially the shepherds.

After NIko and Sam were finished we went to a small restaurant for lunch. The building was made out of tin and had about 4 tables and a dirt floor. We had a delicious meal of papa, which is made of corn meal and is the staple food of Lesotho, chicken which was cooked outside on the barbecue and morejo , which are greens. The portions were so large. I could not finish mine. Sam seemed to inhale his and he cannot wait to go back to go back for more.

Concert at the Elementary School

Our first full day in Mohales Hoek started with Will and Sam giving a concert to over 450 elementary students. This was a huge act of courage for these two young men. Sam and Will have been in a rock band for the last 2 years and have performed quite a bit with the band. Before leaving for Lesotho, the 2 of them had only performed alone 2 times. Once before they were in the band, they performed 2 songs at an open mike at our local frozen yogurt shop to a handful of people. Two weeks before we left for Lesotho they performed at a fundraiser we organized to raise money for the St. Camillus Center. They learned from that performance that it is much more difficult and vulnerable to perform as a duo then it is to perform with the band. Now today they stood on a stage in front of all these beautiful Basotho children and performed without any back up or any kind of sound system.

Of course the children and faculty responded to them with kindness and jumped into the novelty of the moment. It isn’t often that they have 2 white boys from the United States show up to do a concert for them. Just the fact that together Sam and Will had access to and played not only a drum, but a guitar and a ukulele was a novelty in a culture where even the most basic school supplies are not accessible.

The St. Camillus Center

This afternoon we arrived at the St. Camillus Center. The center was just completed and the children moved in last December. The building and property are beautiful. There is much more land then I expected. Besides the building that is home to 20 children, there is also a structure that can hold 200 chickens and a large portion of land that is being prepared to grow vegetables that will not only feed the children, but also provide income for the center.

The building of the Center was funded by the Lesotho Connection (TLC). TLC was started in Tacoma, WA about 7 years ago when Theresa Power-Druitus was working on her doctorate in Lesotho, Theresa had heard about the work of Sister Julianna and she set out to meet her. As she shared her experiences with her husband, Joe, back in Tacoma and their dear friend Fr. Bill Bischel, SJ (better known as Bix), Joe and Bix set out to establish The Lesotho Connection to support the work of Sr. Julianna.

I was on the original board of TLC for 3 years. The building project seemed like such a huge undertaking. In those early years, the progress towards the building seemed so slow. Now I see that there was a foundation being built. As the board has changed and grown it has drawn to it many people who have a lived experience of Lesotho and their passion for this place has fueled its growth. I am moved to see this dream fulfilled and I feel a spark of passion for this place being fanned within me.

Gifts Multiplied

In the months leading up to our trip, I found myself purging our house of things we did not need. If it was in very good shape, and I believed it could be useful in Lesotho, it went into our Lesotho pile. If not, it was given to St. Vincent De Paul.

I spent one afternoon purging, pens, pencils and markers. How did we ever accumulate so many? I swear they must multiply like rabbits when we are not looking! I filled 2 – 1 gallon size zip lock bags with our excess, and put them in our Lesotho pile. I told my friend Eileen about this and her eyes lit up. She works in the school system and has a closet of school supplies she has accumulated from every good sale she has ever come across. She promised to go through her closet and bring me some things. She brought me over 4 grocery size bags filled to the top with school supplies.

When I wrote to Stephanie, the Peace Corp volunteer at the St. Camillus Center and told her we had school supplies to bring, she responded, “The children will be so excited. These items are not available in Lesotho, and if even if they were, most Besotho children would not be able to afford them.” Not even available? Pencils, pens, glue, lined paper are not even available?!!!

I separated the supplies into 2 piles, one for the St. Camillus Center and one for Mary’s school. When we arrived at Mary’s home and were preparing for our visit to her school, I took out the supplies we had to share. Mary quickly made 4 piles: a pile for her school, one for Sammy”s preschool, one for her Church and one for another school. She wanted to be sure that as many children and teachers benefited from this gift as possible. When I brought out our gifts for the St. Camillus Center, the same thing happened. Rathabile created 3 piles: one for the Center, one for the preschool and one for the elementary school.

I was amazed. Instead of hoarding these supplies that were so hard to come by in their country, they each wanted to share them so that many children would benefit. I stood in awe, humbled by their generosity.

Body Sacred

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