Mark Behle – Lesotho

He spreads the snow like wool… (Psalm 147:16)
    …the mountains and hills will burst into song before you, and all the trees of the field will clap their hands.  (Isaiah 55:12)

One of the things I love about Lesotho is how well the country is blessed with natural beauty.  I enjoy walking whenever I have the chance and seeing the hand of God in the landscape.  God speaks to me through the wonder of creation and I’ve long been baffled by those who can look at this wonderful earth and think that it just happened by chance.  I easily identify with the Bible passages which speak of nature praising God, such as Psalm 148, and other verses where trees and rivers “clap their hands” and mountains burst forth in song.

The seasons in Lesotho can easily get mixed up.  I’ve seen snow at Masitise in six of the twelve months of the year and in the mountains it can fall in any month.  This year we had a good dose of winter in May before the crops were out of the fields and before most of the leaves had started to turn.  The mountains of Lesotho were well-covered with snow and even at Masitise we had a very light layer for a few hours one morning before the sun melted it away.  Once again, like last August, students were busy making snowmen, though on a rather small scale.  On one very cold night there was a brilliant moon halo which had many of us gazing admiringly with wonder.

A prolonged cold snap finally brought the leaves into their fall colors. There is a small wooded area between the school and church which provides a welcome respite in the heat of summer and a glorious golden glow in the fall.  Walking through this little glade always lifts my spirits and makes me slow my pace in order to enjoy the beauty a little longer.  I’ve spent much time in this area, often looking for birds, but equally pleased to just drink in the sights and sounds of nature.  Passing through it on Sunday mornings is especially pleasant as it is like being in a natural sanctuary with God’s handiwork all around you.

It is mid-June and we have just finished the first term of the school year.  The past two weeks were busy with end-of-term exams.  On some days it was very cold and wet and we were all bundled up in the classrooms.

The boys’ basketball team went undefeated in our group of six teams here in the south of the country.  However, we haven’t fared so well in the tournaments we have played so far.  We have played the top teams in the country very close only to lose at the end.  We have one more opportunity when we play in the quarterfinals of the national tournament in August.

The Friends of God group continues to meet every Sunday afternoon.  There are usually anywhere from 12 to 20 students present.  On a few weekends when I have been away with the basketball team there are capable student leaders who take over.   

Our dynamic pastor at the local Masitise congregation of the Lesotho Evangelical Church, Rev. Malikopo Mohlatsane, has been selected to head up the church’s HIV/Aids task force and will be leaving the congregation soon.   

Political tensions remain in the country over the parliamentary elections held in February.  Various organizations have sought to mediate the dispute without success.    Earlier this month several politicians had their homes attacked with gunfire and a curfew has been imposed in the capital Maseru.

Your prayers are requested for:

• Peaceful resolution of the political conflict in the country.
• A new pastor for Masitise to be appointed by the LEC executive committee.
• Food relief for the nearly 25% of the people needing assistance due to the drought during the first quarter of the year.

Yours in Christ,
Mark Behle

Mark Behle is a missionary with the Lesotho Evangelical Church.  He is a Mathematics teacher at Masitise High School, Lesotho.