September 20, 2024
If you look up the country Lesotho, you will see stunning landscapes of majestic mountains and picturesque valleys that display the beauty and grand works of God. It is one of the smallest countries in Africa, located in the southern part of the continent, and is called the “Kingdom in the Sky” as the nation sits more than one thousand feet above sea level. However, Lesotho—filled with people described as warmhearted—also has one of the highest rates of HIV/AIDS orphans in the world, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Send Relief’s support of the Lesotho Orphan Care Project is helping to match the splendor of God’s creation in this country by sharing His love.
One 13-year-old girl did not have the opportunity to participate in athletic tryouts for the upcoming school year or plan which recreational activity she and her friends would experience over the weekend. Instead, she wondered if she would have enough to eat for the day or if she could remain in school. God’s love, shown through the care center she entered, provided her with the sustenance she needed each day and made certain she would continue her schooling.
Local partners, with the help of Send Relief, not only paid for her school fees but also for the required uniform she needed to remain in school. The girl, known for sharing the gospel with her friends, could focus on her career goal of one day becoming a doctor in a community where the lower secondary completion rate is low.
“I want to be a doctor because, at my place, my aunt and my sisters are not well because there are no doctors in our community,” she said.
"I am thankful for the care center and the ladies who work with us. They treat us well and teach us the gospel every day and teach us to share the gospel in our school.”
The testimonies continue for children throughout Lesotho, such as one young boy who escaped child slavery before coming to the care center. With the partnership of local chiefs, law enforcement, and the church, workers at the care center were able to help ensure that he would remain free and protected. Whether it’s safeguarding the boy's rights or providing food packets to him and his little sisters, teaching the gospel is always at the forefront for Send Relief local partners.
The boy's exposure to the gospel prompted him to get baptized.
“[I follow Jesus] because I know what it means,” he said. “I know it means that my old life is gone and my new life is with Jesus.”
He has grown in his faith, reading the Bible and memorizing Scripture. Workers provided a Bible to him, which he reads to his little sisters at night.
“It is amazing to see how meeting physical needs opens the door for the gospel to be shared,” said one care center worker.
“We are so thankful that Norman has the treasure of Christ in his heart. That is a gift that no one can ever take away from him.”
Send Relief has helped meet the needs of 76 children in the care centers with 11 of the children accepting Jesus as their Lord and Savior. Additionally, local leaders have been trained to do community gospel outreach. Funding also allowed children to receive nutritious meals during the five days per week the center is open and transportation to school and local clinics as needed. Most importantly, children learn the gospel and about spiritual disciplines that will help them as believers.
