Godfrey's Visa Interview

Hey! It’s us again, and we have some GREAT news to share! Thank you for sticking with us in patience, prayer, and encouragement through the long process of applying for Godfrey’s visa to visit the US. We are so excited to tell you that we’ve reached the final step! Godfrey has been scheduled for his immigrant visa interview at the US Embassy in Johannesburg, South Africa on April 3rd at 1:00pm. Please be praying with us at that time for favor and grace!

We were thrilled to get such an early appointment, and quickly scheduled his required medical exam for March 20th. However, the surprise blessing of an early interview has given us a new challenge; we need to come up with $810 (R6000) before the interview to cover all the final costs (travel, medical exam, required docs, etc). We are so excited to complete this process and are dying to visit all of you in the US this summer. Please help get Godfrey there! We need $450 (R3330) in the next 10 days, and the rest before April 3rd. To give towards getting Godfrey to the US:

- deposit directly to Elizabeth Jones, Chase bank account 3411900611

- make a check out to “Elizabeth Jones” and mail it to
3010 Parkwood Dr.
Rogers, AR 72756

- give online through PayPal (To: emosobase@gmail.com)

- (in SA) make a deposit to Godfrey Mosobase at FnB, Bethlehem branch code 230133, Smart Account number 62209442194 with “visa” in the reference line

Thank you so much for all your support and prayers throughout this whole process, started way back in July 2011! We love you all and can’t wait to visit!!! Love,

Godfrey and Elizabeth

P.S. If you have any questions about our remaining costs, how to give, or just want to tell us where to find you when we visit this summer, please don’t hesitate to email! emosobase@gmail.com

the cost of great gain

A month ago today (Christmas Eve) I was with my wonderful family. Christina drove in from Oklahoma City and we all went to the Christmas Eve service at my parents church, together. It was great. Now that I'm back in Lesotho, gajillions of miles away, I cherish that moment even more.

I struggled a lot when I first got here, missing friends and family and places and possibilities. For a second I even felt like I should either move back to America, or never visit again because going back and forth turned out to be pretty hard. I am so happy here in Lesotho that I wasn't expecting how much I loved being in the States, or how hard it'd be to adjust to coming back; I literally felt like I was grieving some great loss. But praise God, over the past few days, through some tears and talks, my perspective has been righted and my joy restored. I realized that what felt like grieving was actually re-counting the cost of following Jesus in his request that I move to Lesotho to serve.

I was convicted when I read Luke 9:57-62 the other morning, but thankful for the clarity it brought. Jesus reminded me that comfort, personal culture, family, my timing, my terms, and double-mindedness or uncertainty are not the values or concessions of live in service to the King. "If anyone would come after me he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me." Luke 9:23). Deny? Take up a cross? YUCK! What did I sign up for?? How could I leave my family, friends and all I had/have in America?? For what gain???

Oh wait, what's that, Jesus? To gain what?

"What good is it for a man to gain the whole world and yet lose or forfeit his very self?" (Luke 9:25) "I tell you the truth," Jesus said, "no one who has left home or wife or brothers of parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God will fail to receive many times as much in this age and, in the age to come, eternal life." (Luke 18:29-30)

Life! That's the gain. "I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full." (John 10:10) in this age, and eternity with God in heavenly bliss in the age to come. That's a pretty great (glorious?) promise! I'm holding you to it, Jesus :) Hallelujah he is faithful, always standing behind his word to make sure it's fulfilled.

It's not easy to be obedient, but it's worth it. Even more importantly, HE IS WORTHY. The rewards aren't always quantifiable in human terms, but the reason for taking up my cross daily to follow Christ always remains the same, and I love him so much.

Psalm 63

We are back, we are back!

I know this is what everyone says, but I can’t believe it’s been so long since I last wrote! I hope all of you are receiving my newsletter updates as well because that will keep you up to date with ministry happenings. From the personal side, I am sorry to keep you waiting so long for a new blog post!

The past three months have been a bit chaotic for me. On 8 February I traveled to Jeffrey’s Bay, South Africa to be there for the start of LXP’s (The Leadership Experience) 2010 program. I spent six weeks helping out and enjoying time getting to know this year’s 11 LXP students. After returning to Butha-Buthe on 19 March we were busy preparing for our kids camp 2-5 April. My friend Nick flew in from the States to serve with us for five weeks, so we took a quick trip to Johannesburg to pick him up on 27 March. The kids’ camp was so amazing and we praise God for the help of some friends from Cape Town, Jeffrey’s Bay and here in Butha-Buthe who came to help out. The weekend after the camp Nick and I jumped back on a bus to Jeffrey’s Bay for some more time helping out and being part of LXP’s program. Nick flew back to America yesterday, and I am back in Butha-Buthe as of Thursday for a short time before heading to Jeffrey’s Bay AGAIN! I intended to stay in Jeffrey’s Bay six weeks this time also but was unable to sort out a visa for that amount of time. I was thus required to cross the border into Lesotho so I could renew my visa for another trip. In all this traveling and changing schedules and being part of different programs, I struggled to find time to sit down and write about all God has been doing in my life! But believe you me it’s been an incredible season of learning and growth in many areas. Allow me to highlight a few!

I’ve been growing a lot personally in my leadership. It was a new experience for me, the six weeks I spent in Jeffrey’s Bay at the beginning of the year. I served on staff with LXP last year, but it was under the guidance of a long-term team. This year all but a few of those staff members have left LXP to enter new seasons of life, so I stepped into a new realm of responsibility with this year’s LXP program and students. I’ve really enjoyed the challenge and have been learning so much about managing conflict, setting a godly example, really being there for my brothers and sisters in Christ, and laying down my life for the sake of God’s glory and other people’s growth. I also learned a lot through the whole experience with the April kids’ camp. Godfrey, Thandi and I were responsible for planning the whole camp, from securing a venue, to planning the menus, to making the nametags, to making the decorations. We also had the blessing of many local and out of town volunteers, so I learned a lot about hosting teams and communication to make sure everyone is on the same page and sharing the vision. God brought the perfect people to meet every need we had, and I was so thankful for all the things I learned through that experience running a camp!

Through some of the teaching sessions I had the privilege to be part of during my time in Jeffrey’s Bay I also learned the importance as a leader of finding my significance in Christ alone. If I base my confidence and sense of significance or success on anything other than Christ, I will not be the type of leader God has called each of us to be. Jesus was the perfect example of godly leadership, and his approach to leadership was influencing people by serving them. He stooped low to lift others up. This servant leadership is what Jesus commanded each of us to model in Mark 10:43-45 “Whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man (Jesus) did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” As followers of Jesus we are to take on his character, and the description of his humble servant hood in Philippians 2:1-11 is a challenging commission for each of us to do the same. However, if I source my significance from what others think of me, how much money I make, or being intelligent and having all the right answers I will never be able to adopt this attitude of a humble servant I am commanded to take by Jesus Christ.

As I studied more about this I was convicted to look at my life and repent of the sources upon which I have based my significance besides the Lord Jesus Christ. I realized that my confidence has depended largely upon the approval of other people, which came mostly from my visible achievements, how well liked I was, and how “right” I was perceived to be in a given situation. Once I recognized this and repented, committing to value what God says about me more than seeking the approval of people, I experienced a deep freedom. When God’s love and acceptance (Romans 8:37-39) is my comfort, I can be ok with not having the right answer. When I remember that God knows the truth about every situation and he values the desire of my heart to do right more than the weakness of my flesh that leads me to make mistakes (1 Samuel 16:7), I can accept the criticism or dislike of others. Additionally, when I recognize that I’m called to be the servant of all, just like my Jesus, I don’t depend on the gratitude or recognition of others to make me feel fulfilled and joyful about my work. I don’t have to worry about defending myself from being “walked over” or “under-appreciated” when I chose to make myself a humble servant to everyone I meet for the sake of showing them God’s love and lifting them up. Many of us don’t associate “effective leadership” with “humble servant hood”, but I have been completely convinced by looking at the life of Jesus Christ that the two are one and the same. Please pray for me as I live this servant leadership by the grace of God in Lesotho and everywhere else the Lord takes me! I would also love to challenge each one of you to look deeper at what God’s word says about true success and significance, and his command that each one of us lead by example as humble servants wherever he has placed us. The following scriptures radically renewed my mind regarding these topics:
- Success: Psalms 1:1-3, Joshua 1:7-9, 1 Samuel 18:14, Matthew 16:25-27, Luke 12:13-15, 1 Timothy 6:6-10
- Significance: 1 Peter 3:3-4, Ecclesiastes 2:1-11; 12:13, Luke 12:22-24, Matthew 10:28-31, Mark 12:33
- Servant leadership: Luke 17:7-10, Philippians 2:1-11, Luke 22:24-27, Mark 10:35-37, Job 29:7-17

I pray these things I’ve been learning are as much of a blessing to you as they have been to me. Thank you so much for your love and interest in my journey. I promise it won’t be so long until the next time I write! God bless you.

Have you ever seen a sheep sneeze?

God has been speaking to me through really simple, random things these days. I was walking home from the village this evening, going through a long list in my mind of things that have made me frustrated, uncomfortable or homesick in the past few days. Then I saw something I’ve never seen before; I saw a sheep sneeze! Six or seven sheep were lying and standing behind a fence in the darkening evening, and the one closest to me sneezed right as I passed it. Unremarkable? Maybe so, but that sneezing sheep made me realize in an instant that I had been going through the wrong list in my head.

I’ll admit, seeing a sheep sneeze was not the most exciting thing I’d ever experienced, but it snapped me out of my pity party and opened my eyes to the amazingly blessed position I’m in. Until this newest season God has brought me into, I’d never been around herd animals enough to see one sneeze before. It made me wonder, what other “firsts” have I experienced since I moved to Lesotho. I started listing all the special, exciting, life-changing, and interesting new experiences I’ve had.
Living where the crickets and frogs are louder than the cars;
Praying with our kids for their peers who were at that moment performing the final rite to complete their cultural initiation;
Learning another language;
Learning how to get around without a private car;
Leading a group of kids as they attended their very first camp;
Doing my laundry by hand;
Riding a donkey;
Walking 40 minutes to and from work every day, rain, snow, or blazing sun;
Typing all email and facebook correspondence on my cell phone;
Eating dinner at 10 pm;
Eating chicken heads, feet, and intestines for dinner;
Not seeing another white person for weeks at a time;
Harvesting maize;
Teaching our kids the God story so they can share Jesus with kids in other villages;
Greeting a taxi driver on the road who was too sick to get out of bed let alone find a job when our team met him and prayed for his healing 6 months ago;
And best of all experiencing that God’s grace is truly sufficient for me, in all things at all times.

My list was far from exhaustive, but it did the job. God turned my frustration to joy with that sneezing sheep. How is he changing your heart today? I’d love to hear your story ☺

P.S. For those of you who read my previous blog, you are probably thinking “This girl didn’t learn the lesson on contentment God was trying to teach her last time!” You’re right ☺ Thankfully, he is merciful and gives us as many tries as we need to learn the things he wants to teach us!!! Will you pray with me that this time I’ll really learn the lesson?

God told me a secret today

The other day I was bemoaning with my sister the fact that we had such a great time and drew very close right before I moved to Lesotho. The familiar phrase came to mind “you don’t know what you have until it’s gone,” and on some level I accepted that it’s just the way things are. However, the past few days I’ve been feeling homesick and overwhelmed by my life here, and today I seriously questioned if that familiar phrase really has to be true. What if I want to know what I have while I have it? What if I want to thank God for the blessings in my life? What if I want to be truly content every day? None of that can happen if I don’t know what I have until it’s gone. As I was questioning this, God told me one of his best secrets. This is how it happened.

Funerals in Lesotho are a BIG deal, especially when the deceased used to be the chief of the village. Godfrey’s grandfather, Ntate Mostete, passed away in December and I had the privilege of helping to prepare for and participate in the events surrounding his memorial service and burial. It turned out to be two of the most overwhelming days of my life. I spent half of yesterday peeling, chopping and dicing more vegetables than I’ve ever seen in one place in my life. In the afternoon I witnessed the slaughtering of the cow that would help feed the attendees of today’s service. It was a much longer and more intense experience than I anticipated, so Godfrey’s 12-year-old niece, Mamphutlane, and I stuck close by each other’s side as the strong animal was killed, skinned, and portioned. At some point during this long process another group of men went to dig the grave, and the body of the deceased was brought to the family home for the night; the only thing more overwhelming than witnessing my first animal slaughter was seeing my new family and friends grieving their beloved family member. Last night I realized that I really had no idea what to expect from the day when I began peeling that first potato in the morning and not understanding the language or culture does nothing for one’s ability to follow what’s happening and predict what’s next!

That night I slept over in the village and woke up to a house full of people I didn’t know speaking this language I don’t understand. After the overwhelming events of the previous day, I was a bit apprehensive about what would be coming next. Thankfully, today was a gentler experience for me. The memorial service was very well attended and full of a long series of speeches and songs honoring the life of Ntate Mostete. I was unable to attend the burial because a sudden rainstorm came just as we were about to leave. We ate with all the other people who stayed behind and then I walked home with Thandi. It was at this point I began my questioning of whether it has to be true that I don’t know what I have until it’s gone. In my heart I was complaining that I live in a place where I’m totally out of my comfort zone, without many friends or family, where I don’t understand the language, and I can’t even appreciate a wonderful funeral service because I’m so overwhelmed by all that’s happening. This led to thoughts of the amazing people and memories I left in the States and for a moment I wondered what it would be like to pack up and go ‘home’. Then a sobering thought hit me; I won’t be fulfilled and at peace if I go home, no matter how amazing the people and memories are, because I am called here! “Will I ever be content?” I wondered. “Will I ever appreciate the things I have here while I have them, instead of only appreciating them from afar once I enter a new season?” That’s when God whispered his secret in my heart:

“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do everything through him who gives me strength.” Philippians 4:12-13

Praise God his word is true, and not that familiar old phrase! I know that one day I’ll enter a season in Lesotho where I really feel I’m in plenty; I’ll learn the language, I’ll make friends, and I’ll discover a lot more of the beautiful culture. However, until then, whether or not I feel in want, I have the promise of my Father that I can be content. He will give me the strength to do everything and with his help, I will recognize and appreciate all the blessings I have right now.

God. Is. Faithful. Period.

“I will thank you, Lord, among all the people. I will sing your praises among the nations. For your unfailing love is as high as the heavens. Your faithfulness reaches to the clouds.” Psalm 57:9-10

The past three and a half weeks have consisted of testimony after testimony of God’s love and faithfulness in my life; I am so thankful for everything I had the opportunity to be part of and the strength he gave me during this busy but incredibly blessed season. As I mentioned in my last blog, my team and I went to Cape Town for the Ten Days for Jesus program 8-21 December. Then, on the 24th we had a big Christmas party for the kids we work with and their parents, and other friends of our ministry. I also celebrated my first birthday and Christmas away from home; lots of milestones this month!

Our time in Cape Town was very busy, running some errands for the Christmas party, which we couldn’t do in Butha-Buthe, and participating in the packed and powerful Ten Days for Jesus program. The goal was to give Jesus a birthday present of serving him for 10 days in the communities All Nations works with in Cape Town. It was a special time for me because I got to reconnect with some great friends made during my time in CPx. I also got to work in the community, Red Hill, in which I ministered during my 2008 mission trip and CPx. Our team saw amazing fruit during the short time we worked in the community and I was so thankful for God’s faithfulness to set such divine appointments for each one of us. My favorite testimony is the way God changed Sean’s life. Sean shared with us the pain and guilt he experiences because he killed his stepfather earlier this year in self-defense as the man was beating his mother. This 19-year-old guy’s entire family and group of friends are addicted to alcohol, and he has also turned to drinking heavily since being released from prison for the crime to escape his pain. God rewarded Sean’s honesty and humility by revealing to his heart the truth that Jesus can save him, forgive him, and set him free to live an abundant life. Our last day in Red Hill we sat with Sean and he said “Sometimes I wonder why I had to be born in such a messed up family, in such a poor community…but I think God has a plan for my life, doesn’t he?” The team looked at each other, grinning, as we let Sean read for himself Jeremiah 1:5 and 29:11. God says “I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb. Before you were born I set you apart and appointed you as my prophet to the nations…For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord. “Plans to prosper you and not to harm you. Plans to give you hope and a future.” Sean’s face lit up as these words from his heavenly Father sunk deep into his heart and gave him hope. Sean has a tough road ahead of him as God helps him conquer alcoholism, guilt, and major conflicts within his family, but I hope you’ll pray with us that God will protect the seed planted in his heart and raise him up as a light in his family and community. In addition to the work God allowed us to be part of in the community I was also so blessed to be part of what God did in the lives of my teammates. We all grew so much in trusting the Holy Spirit and seeing people the way God does. I loved the chance to get to know such wonderful people and I pray the relationships will continue; maybe some of them will come visit us in Lesotho! Below is a photo of my team, minus myself and Godfrey.


After we got home from Cape Town it was a mad rush to get the final things ready for the Christmas party. I’m reaching new depths of flexibility and faith as I learn to trust God to provide and make a way where there seems to be no way. By many measures we are resource-poor, so up to the last minute it was unclear how we would accomplish some things that were necessary for the party. However, God is ever faithful and he brought everything into place in his perfect timing and by his power alone. We were amazed at the ways God provided for us and want to thank all of you who prayed for us and donated in various ways to the event. God is a God of relationship so we know we cannot do our work alone and deeply value the people God uses to bless us. The party ran smoothly and everyone had such a great time! The kids were so excited, the parents were impressed, and all who participated shared that they were abundantly blessed by the opportunity to be part of what God is doing through us in the village of Nkoeng. During the program our kids presented the poems, dances, and drama they had been working on and we got to hear testimonies from some of them and their parents about the impact our work has had in their lives. We also had the chance to share with those present the vision God has given us for this ministry, which was so powerful because it was our first time to speak with some of the parents whose kids we work with every week. It’s our desire to connect more with the parents in the upcoming year so they can be more involved and touched by what God is doing in their kid’s lives. We always say to the kids “we are a family of Jesus and we love one another” and we were so blessed to get to enjoy the party and share a meal with over 150 members of that family. Of course, no party is complete without a cake fight, so the kids fulfilled that part of the deal by smearing icing all over one another’s faces at the end of the day. I love my job!


This month has been such a special time of growing in faith as God has proven yet again he will meet all my needs and stand behind his word to fulfill it when he asks me to do things, even big things like the Christmas party. He blessed me with joy as I spent holidays away from friends, family and familiar traditions; he gave me the strength I needed for each day and healed me completely in his perfect timing when I fell ill the 3 days before we went to Cape Town and the 3 days just before the Christmas party; he provided amazing opportunities for me to be part of the work he was doing in the lives of the people in Red Hill and on my Ten Days for Jesus team; he sorted out every single detail and provided for a fun, monumental Christmas party for our kids. The moral of every story I’ve been part of this December is that God is loving and God is faithful. For that I am eternally thankful and will praise him among all nations!

Please be praying with me for health and grace as I continue to adjust and grow in my new life. Also, please pray for wisdom and unity as our team dreams and plans for what God wants to do in 2010, both personally and in the ministry. I hope you had a blessed Christmas and pray for a wonderful start to the New Year!

Loving Lesotho Life

I really wish I could take you step by step through the journey God has brought me on the past few weeks. I have been so blessed to experience his faithfulness and confirmations that I am where he wants me to be. From the time he started speaking to me in June about moving back to Lesotho to serve long-term, the cry of my heart has been that he will be with me and lead me by his Holy Spirit; I know very well I cannot move forward without his presence. He affirmed that prayer in a mighty way during a morning of worship with my team here. Holy Spirit took me through the scriptures in Exodus where God used Moses to lead the Israelites in the desert. He reminded me of his faithfulness up to that moment, to lead me and provide for all he called me to: Exodus 19:4 “You…have seen…how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself.”
Then God yet again affirmed his call and promised his presence through Exodus 33:12-14: “Moses said to the Lord, ‘You have been telling me, ‘Lead these people,’ but you have not let me know whom you will send with me. You have said, ‘I know you by name and you have found favor with me.’ If you are pleased with me, teach me your ways so I may know you and continue to find favor with you. Remember that this nation is your people.’ The Lord replied, ‘My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.’”

This is a small example of the many ways God has been comforting me and teaching me through his word over the past two and a half weeks. I arrived in Butha-Buthe, Lesotho from Jeffrey’s Bay, South Africa on the 13th of November. Godfrey and I traveled together and joined our teammate, Thandiwe. The day after we arrived we held the Saturday kids program Godfrey has been running in his village all year, which I helped with during my CPx outreach. It was great to see all the kids again and reunite with Godfrey’s family. From Saturday we took a couple days to rest, and then we hit the ground running! God has provided us with a full schedule of opportunities to minister and we are so excited about the work. Mondays we are off; Tuesdays we have team worship and prayer, planning and debrief meetings, and run errands; Wednesdays and Thursdays we do house visits in the community of Nkoeng and attend the JGM (Jesus Generation Movement) gathering Thursday evenings; Fridays we have team prayer and planning, then run an abstinence club with local high school students with whom LXP did an abstinence program earlier this year; Saturdays we have the kids program then go to youth group at the local church from 9 pm to 2 am (what do you think of that, Americans??); Sundays we go to church (again Americans, 11am to 4pm) and spend time with friends and family. I am so excited at the way God has shown us how he wants to spend our time and am abundantly blessed by the way our team has worked together so far. God has truly brought us together, with unique giftings and passions, to accomplish his purposes in Lesotho at such a time as this!

There are many challenges personally, as one would expect in moving to a new country to start a new life. Sometimes I get frustrated that I don’t speak the language; but praise God I am learning quickly. Sometimes I feel lonely because it takes time to make new friends in a new place; but praise God my team is amazing and the families I stay with provide the love I need. Sometimes I really miss my family, especially when I know they are busy decorating the house for Christmas now; but praise God for skype-to-cell-phone calls, email, and snail mail! Sometimes I struggle to adjust to things like the fact that I am going to be sweating on my birthday and Christmas this year instead of the winter season I’m used to; but praise God for sunscreen (which is hard to find here and my black friends laugh at me putting on ☺) and the big Christmas program we are planning for the kids we work with. No matter what challenges I face, God’s promises are bigger; “Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart.” Psalm 37:4. The most amazing thing to me about this truth is that sometimes we don’t even know what the desires of our heart really look like, but when we delight ourselves in the Lord he gives them to us as perfect blessings in his perfect time. Who knew the desires of my heart would be found in a village in Butha-Buthe? God knew ☺ Kea leboha haholo Ntate Molimo! Thank you so much Father God, for giving them to me.

P.S. Stay tuned: over the upcoming couple months I will be posting “special features” to share more about what God is doing through the kid’s program, highlights from our house visits in the community, the vision we’ve been given for the future of LXP Lesotho, and more about the team I am part of here. Also, the team will be heading to Cape Town 8-21 December to take part in a ministry program called Ten Days for Jesus and I can’t wait to report back all God does there! Thank you so much for your love, interest, support, and prayers; I would not be who and where if it wasn’t for you. Kea orata, I love you.