Wherever Life Leads Us
“The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may follow all the words of this law.” (Deuteronomy 29: 29)
Many things happen that defy our understanding. They stay shrouded in mystery. As Moses says in the verse above, they “belong to the LORD”. But others things have been revealed to us which help us to live with the questions, problems and unknowns that earthly life brings our way. The revelation of Jesus as God’s Son provides a strong anchor for Christians in facing these challenges.
In late November my father died at the age of 92. My mother, three sisters and I were able to be together with him during his last days and were blessed by God’s presence and love shown to us in many ways through other people and events. We are thankful for his long and faithful life of serving and loving others through his faith in God and Jesus. God’s love, revealed to us in Christ, is one of those things that “belong to us and to our children forever”.
Later this month I will be arriving back in Lesotho. In my previous newsletter (June 2014), the Bolahla Primary School project was nearing completion. At the end of July I made my last visit there before leaving for the States a few days later. You can see that the buildings were finished in time for the students to use when classes resumed after the winter break. It was a wonderful note on which to leave!
In the Africa Office of Global Ministries there have been some changes. Rev. Sandra Gourdet, the Africa Executive since 2005, retired after over 40 years of service to the church. We will miss her greatly! Pat Sanborn, the Administrative Assistant in the Africa Office for 39 years, died in September and we mourn her passing. No words are adequate to express how much we will miss both Sandra and Pat. The new Africa Executive is Rev. LaMarco Cable and Hadizatou Gorel is the Administrative Assistant. We pray for God’s blessing on them as they continue our ministry with our partners in Africa.
Back in August, I enjoyed a wonderful hike with my brother-in-law down Havasu Canyon to Supai, Arizona. This small town is part of the Havasupai Indian Reservation and the only way down is by helicopter, hiking or horseback. Havasu Canyon leads into the Colorado 
River and the Grand Canyon and provides exhilarating scenery everywhere you look. The beautiful blue waters of Havasu Creek are breath-taking to behold and highlighted by a series of magnificent waterfalls, including Havasu Falls and Mooney Falls.
I have visited many churches over the past months sharing about the country and people of Lesotho, as well as the life of our partner church there, the Lesotho Evangelical Church in Southern Africa (LECSA). Individuals and congregations have responded with interest, prayers and support for our work there and I am thankful for the positive response and encouragement that I have found wherever my travels have taken me. Local churches make the work of Global Ministries possible and this enables the witness and voices of our brothers and sisters in the LECSA to reach us here in the States. Thank you!!
I sent out a couple of updates a few months ago about the situation in Lesotho. Since the attempted coup there at the end of August, some progress has been made in solving the political and security issues through the intervention of a Southern Africa regional body. The coalition government ruling Lesotho since 2012 had fractured irreparably and so among the agreed steps was a dissolution of parliament and the holding of new elections on February 28. The outcome is quite uncertain, to say the least. Unfortunately, what does seem likely, based on the news articles detailing the often bitter personal attacks amidst the political rhetoric, is that not everyone will be satisfied with the results. With that in mind, I ask you to join me in praying for a peaceful and fair election and acceptance of the results. Pray also for the Christian Council of Lesotho, of which the LECSA is a member, that they may bring a voice of peace, reason and reconciliation to bear upon the political parties Although there will always be things we cannot know or predict, we have the assurance of the Psalmist of this about God’s love: “His love endures forever.” (Psalm 136). Wherever life leads us, may we share that love in word and deed with those we meet.
Yours in Christ,
Mark Behle serves with the Lesotho Evangelical Church. He is working to identify development projects, assist the church in preparing project proposals and coordinating project implementation. His appointment is made possible by your gifts to Disciples’ Mission Fund, Our Churches Wider Mission, and your special gifts.