Email address: jflorafamily@gmail.com

Our Africa address is:

Jim and Teresa Flora

PO Box 462

Ladybrand 9745

Republic of South Africa

Please note: If you need more prayer bands or prayer cards, please email Codi Freeman at codifreeman@gmail.com  to request them.  Thanks!

If you would be interested in coming to Lesotho on a volunteer mission trip please contact our Stateside Volunteer Coordinator, TK Kleier at terry.kleier@noble.net

 

 

Please scroll down for the posts . . . 

There are distinct advantages to living in the mountains:  it is absolutely breath-taking, the people are more laid-back, the pace of life is slower, the people are friendly, the rivers are clear, the birds are abundant, the mornings are cool, the stars are brilliant, the sunsets are amazing, and it is so quiet, well, except for the donkeys.  The disadvantages have become very real in the past few days . . .   Here are a few of my realizations of the disadvantages of  Maluti Mountain living: # 1- When Anna’s hand started to swell, it was 4 hours to the closest emergency room.  That’s a long way if there really is an emergency.  # 2-  It is 3 hours down the mountain to the closest town of any size to pick up supplies, and 3 hours back up the mountain.  I have made 3 trips down and up the mountain in the last 4 days.  # 3- A Toyota Condor may not be the best vehicle for mountain travel.  For those who may not know, a Condor is a 7 passenger mini-mini-van.  When the tires begin to wear, the roads in the mountains become tough on the tires.  The fluctuation in temperature causes rock to fall into the road.  These rocks shatter when they hit the road.  There are so many pieces of rocks in the road that it is  extremely tough to avoid running over some of them on a trip down the mountain.  “How tough?” you might ask . . . 4 flats in 4 days.  10 tires plugs, and frequent encounters with a portable air compressor.  Today, on my 3rd trip down the mountain in 4 days, I bought 5 new tires for the Condor.  # 4- There are many things that I cannot “fix.”  Anna’s hand, for example. 

There are also a reminders that comes with these realizations . . .the reminder that we must still rely on God.  We must rely on Him for our strength, our comfort, and our peace.  The reminder that I am not really in control at all.  The reminder that I need to go to the only One who can really supply our needs and provide for us.  In spite of all the disadvantages, the mountains are still the place for us.  Not because it is beautiful, or peaceful, or the people are friendly.  It is because we are exactly where God wants us, and sometimes, He has to remind me that where He wants me is depending on Him.  I had lots of time to think about that as we traveled the 8 hours to Johannesburg today so Anna can see the doctor tomorrow about her hand.  Please pray for the doctors as they attempt to see what is wrong with Anna’s hand, and pray for us as we depend on the One who has called us to Africa.  There is still no place that we would rather be!

Until ALL have heard, Jim

 

 

Well, we made the ride into the valley of the Batlokoa, the team from FBC Perryton, TX did an excellent job of putting on a one day VBS.  Lots of people were there, and the adults sat down and listened just like the kids.  I believe the kids behave better here than back in the U.S.  We got somewhat of a late start as the horses did not arrive when they were supposed to arrive.  We were a couple of hours behind schedule, but the team from Perryton displayed their flexibility by  gathering a crowd at Phokheng where we were to meet the horses.  All in all, a great day!  Only a couple of minor mishaps with no serious injuries, other than pride and a few sore saddle-toppers.  One horse did fall, and mine  and Teresa’s almost fell, but as I said, no major injuries.  We had a couple of “equipment failures,” too, but again, no major injuries.  When we got ready to leave, my saddle slid over to the side of my horse, but we got it straightened out.  Broken stirrups and straps are just part of the excitement!  We were served a tradtional Basotho meal when we arrived back at Morena Sekoenla’s (the chief), complete with goat.  Teresa claims she got the trachea.  I got something else.  I couldn’t really identify what it was, but I know it came from a goat.  Inside, outside, I’m not sure, but it wasn’t bad!

Our girls are naturals on the horses.  They got their switches and were whacking those Basotho ponies just like they were born to ride them!  They can’t wait to ride into the mountains again, although they are a little sore.  The team from Perrton is in another village today, 2 villages tomorrow, and 2 more on Sunday.  They leave on Monday.  It has been fun to get to know them just a little.  We look forward to being in Mokhotlong and having teams serve beside us.

Until ALL have heard, Jim

Tomorrow, we saddle up the horses and we ride.  We ride up the valley, not just any valley, but OUR valley.  We ride up from the wrong end, but we ride into the valley of the Batlokoa.  I checked today, and that’s how it is spelled: Batlokoa ( Pronounced “Ba-klo-kwa”).  The Batlokoa are part of the Basotho, but they were originally a different tribe.  The became Basotho under King Moshoeshoe by joining him and fighting with him.  As a reward for their loyalty, he gave them a valley.  The valley runs, from east to west, about 100 kilometers, from Ha Shesote toward Mokhotlong.  It is the valley of the Batlokoa.  Throughout the approximately 100 km, there are villages scattered.  The ride up the valley to Liseleng (Pr. “Dee-sell-ing) will take about 2 hours by horse.  The volunteer  mission team from FBC Perryton, TX’s equipment will travel by 4X4 truck.  It will take the equipment about 3 hours.  This is the second team to go to Liseleng. 

Very soon, we will make the 6 hour drive around the mountain range to the other end of this valley.  We will meet the chief, and see if he will let us work in this valley of the Batlokoa.  We will even see if he might want us to live there.  In a few months, we will be living somewhere on the other end of this valley.    I will load up the truck, lock in the 4X4, and we will go where it can.  When it can go no more, we will saddle up, and ride horses in from the east, sharing the good news as we travel.  We will find a place to live, and we will begin meeting people and building relationships and sharing the gospel . . but tomorrow, we ride . . .we ride into the valley of the Batlokoa for the very first time.

Until ALL have heard, Jim

We go to another village on Saturday morning: Ha Knu Knu.  Yep, it’s pronounced “Hock-a-new-new.”   I’m preaching.  Okay, no comments, please.  We have been there once, and it’s a fairly new site for the Basotho Team’s ministry.   Next week a team from Texas will be here working with the Dials.  We are going up the valley on several hours on horseback to do ministry in a school.  Ministry opportunities continue to expand and the Lord continues to open doors here at Katse.  I can’t wait to see what the Lord does when we actually get to the Mokhotlong region and we are prepared to minister in the heart language of the Basotho.  By the way, in the Mokhotlong region, the people are Basotho, but we have found out that there are many clans within the Basotho.  One of them is a “sub-group” known as the Baklokwa (I have no idea if I spelled that right, and I probably didn’t since I spelled it phonetically).  Our language instructor says that the Baklokwa are “pagans.”  He said they worship their ancestors.  Please pray that the Lord will use us to reach the Baklokwa with the gospel.  We have a baklokwa chief that the Dials have met and are holding a Bible study in his village.  The Morena (the Sesotho word for chief) never misses.  When we take our first trip to Mokhotlong, Morena Sekonyela is going with us.  Pray he opens dooors for us that we could never have opened without him.

Until ALL have heard, Jim

Well, a big storm rolled through this week.  Monday, right in the middle of our SKYPE call to our oldest son and the grandkids.  Man, what a bummer!  We were off line for 3 days.  No internet, no cell phone, but we are thankful we kept electricity.  It just blinked off a couple of times.  It is cold behind the front that came through, and they are calling for snow tonight.  We went to Phokoeng today.  Teresa did a Bible story and I preached.  There was a good crowd, especially for it being so cold.  It looked all day like it could snow at any time.  It has already snowed enough that they closed the main pass into our area earlier this week.  I haven’t heard if it is back open yet or not.  Our Cluster leader is due in on Saturday, providing the road in is okay.

Teresa and I continue to discuss mission team opportunities.  We are thinking and praying about lots of things for you to do when you come, so get ready!  We believe the Lord is leading and opening doors we could never dream of opening.  Keep praying!  Especially for our language learning.  Every time I think we’re doing pretty well, I hear some of the Basotho talking.

Until ALL have heard, Jim

Well, we have reached day 10 of language training.  We have the opportunity to practice what we have learned in 3 villages during the week, and anywhere else we can find someone that can undertsand what we are attempting to say.  I have a stack of index cards with vocabulary words, phrases, noun cases, personal pronouns, verb tenses, and important sentences on them.  10 days=3 packages of index cards.  We’re just getting started.  Sometimes I just have to laugh at myself.  Sometimes I feel like I should be crying.  Then I look around, and I remember why I’m here.  Let me remind you of just a few reasons:

1. God has called us here.  That’s reason enough in itself. 

 2. Your prayer support.

3. These mountains are full of people who do not know Jesus.

4. We are representing you, and we are here through your financial support.  Not everyone is called to do what we’re doing.  We could not come without your support.  Thanks, Southern Baptists, for making taking the gospel to the lost a priority.

Until ALL have heard, Jim

1. How many ways can you use a Leatherman? A: 4 different ways every day.

2. What IS the difference between a pigeon and a Red-eyed Cape Dove? A: Red eyes

3. How much pumpkin can one person eat? A: More than you can imagine.

4. How many ways can you cook it? A: More than you can imagine.

5. How will Teresa cook pumpkin tomorrow? A: I just know she’ll cook it.

6. Can I get gas in Thaba-Tseka? A: If they have it.

7. If I can’t get gas in Thaba-Tseka, will I have enough to get back down the mountain? A: Maybe.

8. Do I really want to take that chance and go to Thaba-Tseka? A: Maybe.

9. Really, how many ways can you say “How are you?” A: At least 4.

10. Where is the “how” in that translation of that question? A: “Right there.”

11. “But doesn’t that usually mean ‘you’?” A: Yes.

12. Did we pack that in the crate? A: I think so.

13. Am I the only person at Katse that has a car? A: No, I think I saw another one.

14. Am I the only person at Katse that doesn’t have a horse or a donkey? A: Probably.

15. How many people can need a ride on one mountain? A: Everyone walking.

16. How do I get there? A: Turn down that road over there.

17. That’s a road? A: It used to be.

18. How will I get back up? A: You won’t in that Condor.

19. Then how do I get down there? A: You walk.

20. Can I have a ride back up the mountain? A: You’re walking, aren’t you? Everybody walking up a mountain needs a ride!

What did I do today?  Well, it rained most of the day.  Rainy and cold.  The clothes hanging on the line got wet, then almost dry, then wet again.   I prepared our lesson and what we wanted to learn today for our language teacher.  I went and picked up our langauge teacher. We spent about 5 hours studying language.  Let me tell you, that is exhausting!  I then spent about an hour entering codes into my cell phone so our “air card” for the internet would be recharged.  In Lesotho, until you have been in the country for a while, your cell phone and internet services are pre-pay only.  You buy something that looks like a scratch-off lottery ticket.  I know what they look like because every time I bought gas in the U.S., when I went in to pay, I got behind somebody that had bought about $50 worth of lottery tickets and was scratching them off at the front of the line.  Anyway, you scratch off the ticket and the code is underneath.  You then dial a number on your phone, enter the code, and it loads onto you SIM card.  If you’re doing it for the internet, you have to take the card out of your modem, put it in your cell phone, call a different number, and then enter the 30,000 digit code.  If you miss a number, it rejects you.  If you miss one of the 17 *’s in the number, it rejects you.  If you forget the # mark in the number, it rejects you.  As you might have guessed, I’m not real great at getting everything right.  You have to buy “units” of airtime.  To top it all off, the place I bought the airtime today only had units of 10.  That meant for every 10 units, I had to dial in a different code.  I entered in 250 units.  They told us at Field Personnel Orientation at Richmond that just living on the mission field takes longer.  Now I know what they were talking about!  Spent about 2 more hours in language study.  I’m doing pretty well at recognizing words and phrases on cards. . .even doing pretty well with pronunciation.  Hearing it in conversation?  That’s a whole different story!

Until ALL have heard, Jim

Just thought I would give you a little insight into Sesotho. We have been learning some pretty important phrases.  Like “Ha ke na chelete.”  (I have no money.)  and “Ha ke tsebe.”  (I don’t know.)  and “Bua haba butle butle.”  (Say it again slowly).   Today was our 7th day of language, and here is just a little of what we learned today: How to make a noun plural.  If the word starts with “mo” it changes to “ba.”  “Mosotho” = 1 sotho person. “Basotho” = more than 1.  Pretty easy, huh?  Just wait, it gets better.  Some words that start with “mo” change to “me.”  “Mose” = dress, “Mese” = dresses.  Not done yet.  “le” changes to “ma.”  “Lesheleshele” =porridge, “Masheleshele” = more than 1 container of porridge. “Se” changes to “li.” (Which, if you remember from several posts back, when “l” is followed by a “i” or “u,” it changes to a “d” sound.) “Sefate” = tree, “lifate” = trees.  Got that?  Don’t go anywhere, we’re not done. “n” changes to “li.” (Same “l” rule here, too)   “ntja” = dog, “lintja” = dogs.  “bo” changes to “mo.”  “bohabe” = bread, “mohabe” = more than 1 bread.  Okay, now we are not quite done.  Here is the final “make a noun plural in Sesotho” deal.  Any noun that does not fall into one of these categories adds a “bo” in front of the noun.  No wonder “Ke bua Sesotho hanyane!” (I speak Sesotho small.)  Pray for us as we continue to learn!

Until ALL have heard, Jim

Yesterday morning a cloud rolled through the mountains.  In the higher elevations, they received snow.  We got rain, but that’s not what amazes me.  Here is:

Isn’t God’s creation amazing?  The beauty with which He creates is truly astounding.  It makes me wonder what heaven will look like.  This picture was taken on the way to a village where Teresa told the Bible story.  She talked about Zaccheus, and then she and the girls taught all the kids the song about the “wee little man.”  There were 27 kids there, and it’s a small village!

We just got in from Maseru.  We left at 7 A.M., and it is now 10:30 P.M.  We received word that our crate has arrived in South Africa and is waiting to be cleared at Customs in Maseru (Lesotho’s captial).  Unfortunately, we can’t get it cleared until our 2 year VISA comes through.  I tried calling the immigration office in Maseru yesterday to check on the status of the VISA, but got nowhere.  My Sesotho was worse than the lady on the other end’s English.  Neither one of us could make the other understand what we were trying to say, so we took a flying trip to Maseru today.  I found out my VISA isn’t ready . . .check back next week.  We were able to pick up the paperwork to begin working on clearing the crates.  That way everything will be in order when we get the VISA.  Also, the lady at the immigration office today was extremely nice and helpful.  She even gave me a reference number so when I call next week, I can just give them the number, and they’ll give me my VISA’s status  (in theory, that’s how it’s supposed to work, assuming they can understand me and I can understand them).  All in all, a fairly productive day . . .all back in Katse safe and sound.  Let me see, that was 8-10 stops for cattle, goats, and sheep crossings, 2 border crossings, The “Alien Immigration Office,” a transportation company, 2 police stops, 8+ hours of driving on African roads, 3 snow covered mountain passes, 2 petrol stops complete with lines for fuel, and we got our grocery shopping done since we had to head down the mountain anyway!  And the bonus was that I got to practice my Sesotho just about everywhere we went.  Yep, all in all, a fairly productive day.

Until ALL have heard, Jim