South Africa Trip (part 2)

"The church in Mokotjela is the result of a great initiative called Foundations For Farming, previously know as Farming God’s Way"

Last time I was with Steve Oliver he told me about two new churches started in Lesotho.

Mokotjela is located in a remote mountain village and the other Maloseng, a church that meets under very large tree. After spending an enjoyable time with Pete West and John Mokoona, two of the leaders overseeing these churches, we then embarked on a breathtaking drive through the mountains in a 4x4 vehicle to Mokotjela. The church in Mokotjela is the result of a great initiative Pete West leads, called Foundations For Farming (previously know as Farming God’s Way).

Soil erosion is a massive problem on the hilly slops of Lesotho, as in many parts of Africa. This is often due to the way farmers cultivate the land, leaving the freshly ploughed soil exposed to the rain washing the topsoil away. After a time this way of cultivation results in very poor harvests. Pete teaches the farmers a way of soil conservation farming that has resulted in many of the farmers increasing their annual harvests by 10 times.  For subsistence farmers who have small tracts of land this method of farming can be the difference between starving and having enough food to live on. Visiting this very remote mountain village, meeting a farmer, and seeing some of the land being prepared for the next crop to be planted was impressive.

The rest of the weekend we were in Clarens spending time with the leaders and preaching in the Dihlabeng church. This is a great church, very multicultural with a fantastic African feel. I love worshiping in African churches. The songs are simple to learn, the whole congregation seems to move with the beat and their enthusiasm is infectious. One of the things that I notice is the way children connect with this type of worship. So often in the UK our more complicated words and music style leaves the children (and sometimes the adults) very passive and bored, as they fail to connect with what is going on.

I love my home church, Christ Church Manchesterr, and Sunday afternoon when I am away I eagerly wait for news of how things are going. The leadership team decided to wind me up sending texts outlining doom and disaster. After putting my mind at rest with some more encouraging feedback I thanked God for a great bunch of hard-working and fun young guys who genuinely want the best for each other and who I can trust to lead the church well in my absence.

South Africa Trip (part 2)

Last time I was with Steve Oliver he told me about two new churches started in Lesotho.