Carmel in Southern Africa: June 2005

Happy Anniversary to me!!

I've been here for 6 months on June 7th, and what an exciting time that has been! I've learned to drive a standard on Christmas day out in a village on a dirt road, learned to handle a 4WD on the side of a mountain in the Great Rift Valley. I've survived Giardia, language school, food poising, flipping my car over, to making friends with the police officers! I've also come to recognize that Africa has more wildlife to offer a person than just elephants, zebra's, or giraffe's, but also donkeys, goats, sheep, and cows at every turn in the road!! I've been really blessed to have seen so much of God's creation here, and get to know the wonderful people of this land. I'm looking forward to the rest of my time here with excitement!

Me and Sophie, although her name changes to Sophia Hall Eagleson when she gets into trouble!! I'm so serious...hahahaha

Brandy and I doing a little maintenace service on our security system.... a.k.a. giving her a bath!!

Masunga!

Home sweet, sweet home!! Brandy and i have lived out here in Masunga for almost 3 or so months now. It is called a village, but it's more like a village in transition into a very, very, small town. We have a gas station, post office, and a few stores. It's kind of like the middle ages meets the new modern age. You'll come across people living in huts made out of mud and dung, but they'll have a cell phone and know how to send text messages!!! It's crazy, but it also makes it exciting because you never know what is going to happen next!!!!

Downtown Masunga!

Another view of the shops.

The post office here in Masunga, i've not tried it yet but i will soon and see if i can get things faster out here then in Francistown!

This is Lulu she sells fresh fruit and veggies out of her truck under the big tree in front of the post office by the shops. Yes folks that is about as good as directions as you're going to get around here.. I love it, how much fun is that?!

Night Out!!!

Ok, so being the newest members of Masunga we decided to go out and support the community. In order to do that i ended up spending 6 hours in the community hall attending a beauty contest benefiting the Christian AIDS counselling center. We had no idea that it was going to last that long, but we should have clued in when it started 2 1/2 hours later then it was suppose to. Oh, well, what can you do, live and learn?! Anyway it turned out to be really fun our friend Mercy ended up winning the raffle contest, which ended up being 2 1/2 dozen eggs!!! Her family was really happy with the eggs so they excused her for coming home at 2 am in the morning!!

Laura, Smile, Mercy, and Brandy sitting and enjoying our night out on the town!

The contestants striking a pose in the beauty contest!!

Church!

We go to a small church, but it is field with a big heart! The church is mostly made up of youth, which here being a youth means anyone under 35 -40 years old, single, and no children, so it is a fairly young church but with great hope to grow in members and in Christ!

This is Masunga Baptist Church.

Our pastor, Chris Gumunyu.

These are the 5 people that where baptized on Sunday June 19th!

Barnabas, the tall guy, is one our youth that was baptized. He also helps out with Operation : HIV

Praising and dancing for the Lord!

The kids are looking on as the older youth are being Baptized.

Mission Team!

We had a group of 5 college students, 1 from the University of Botswana and the other 4 from the state of Georgia in the USA, all to come out here to experience "village life." So i believe between the traditional food, hot sun, and having no water at all then back to having water, just no hot water, they may have gotten a little taste of life in Masunga! hahaha... Really though it was a great time of working together and seeing God do amazing things! Plus we had a good time while doing it all!!

From L-R, Tara, Bontsi, Leanne, Quamid, and Daniel

Traditional Dinner

What better way for the mission team to broken into "village life" then having a traditional dinner? We had some of the members of the church come over and help the team prepare a traditional African meal, and the customs that go along with it a.k.a the girls going around to everyone before the meal and washing their hands!!

Dinner anyone?!

Make sure you wash your hands before you eat!!

Ministry Time!

The team had a full week of going out into Masunga and sharing Christ's love with the people. Either with prayer walking, going into the schools or witnessing to other brother and sister's in Christ, by cleaning the church building and plot.

Prayer walking in Masunga.

Wax on, wax off!!

This is the way we clear the plot early in the morning!!,,

Schools!!

While the mission team where here they went into several schools in the upper Northeast part of Botswana, including two schools that Brandy and I teach in. The team did a great job of presenting God's truth about abstinence and life decisions. In fact my students are still talking about the skit "Ticket to Heaven" where it tells the kids they have to give God their whole heart not just part of their heart!

All of the kids where gathered into the hall to watch the team.

This was the kids favorite skit "Ticket to Heaven."

Youth Night!!

After prayer walking and going into the schools we had a big finish with a youth night at our church. It was so good, we had tons of kids come. We played games, made crafts, and of course had a massage! Lots of decisions where made from the youth and one parent that came, everyone was very excited!