Happy New Year from Botswana!

To all my dear friends!!

Christmas and new years days are now history and we face another year.  My Christmas was wonderful!!!! I fixed a typical american chrismàs ,dinner for over 20 people..food they had never tasted but all seemed to enjoy.  I fixed turkey and dressing and mashed potatoes and  noodles, sweet potatoes, some vegetables and lots of desserts of homemade candies and cakes and pies  etc...these people here in the village give very little attention to  Christmas .   No lights no gifts exchanged no getting together with families.

On Christmas Eve I had the pastor and family over and gave them gifts.  It was so new to them that the pastor recorded it all.  He has 2 boys who are 11 and 12.  There was a special kind of tennis shoes they were wanting and I was able to get for them.  I wrapped them in Christmas wrapping and also wrapped some other little goodies I know  they like and put them in their shoes.  They were ecstatic!   They all kept saying they had never had a Christmas like this before.  I gave pastor and wife a fan for their home. ..I don't know how they have lived this long without one!!!  Their 5 yr old grand daughter has been with them the whole month of Dec.  I gave her a black doll and a new dress.  When I gave them to her she literally didn't know what to do with the packages...the boys helped her unwrap them.  She was very pleased when she saw what they were.   I have a group of  4 and 5 little ones who come to my door often wanting a cookie.  I got  each of them a coloring book and crayons.  They were thrilled with them.  In our world of plenty it's hard to wrap our minds around such poverty and how so little can bring such joy.

The day before Christmas Moses, my student I am working with to learn English, stopped in to tell me that he is so thankful I came to Botswana.   He said I know God sent you here for me...he said I am growing every day in my study and in my walk with the Lord.   I had no textbook to get started with...I decided to use the book of John for our text book and make a Bible study out of it too....that way we were studying the Bible plus learning tenses, verbs, -articles, nouns and pronouns etc.  It has to be a God thing because I  didn't quite know what to do at the beginning.

We had the first for the church a Christmas eve service.  We were small in number  but pastor conducted it  like there were 100's there. New years eve we also had a service from 10:00 to midnight.   Good attendance for here.  Such singing and dancing  and whistling and fireworks.  Here fireworks is everywhere at 12:00.
On new years day the pastor  butchered a goat.  In the afternoon one of the boys brought me goat liver ...it was actually very good.  But in the evening they brought me a plate of innards,   heart, kidneys and I don't know  what else..I ate a couple of bites...and froze the rest.  I'm not sure about that.

Then later they gave me a  big roast... enough to feed a lot of people. It is in the  oven now.  I think it will be pretty good.  I used spices etc. and used a marinade sauce I made and  onions and  carrots.  I hope it is good. Oh and the biggest news I am so thankful for is that I now have running water in my home.  After going 2  months without it I am very appreciative to have it.

This month I will be teaching English and music and holding cooking and sewing classes and  leading a Bible study. I have company every day but that's OK.   I enjoy them.  One lady, her son has  been in jail she wanted me to pray for him.  Another lady stopped in one day and wanted me to bless her car!   All kinds of interesting things  come up. Many are steeped in their traditions.  They think everyone goes to heaven when they die so why do they need to go to church.  Pastor wants me to help him teach others what the Bible says.  There has been  new people coming and we are making a little dent in their thinking...but it will take time and a lot of prayer.   I am making friends with   a lot of them and I am so pleased that they want to be friends with me. Your prayers are appreciated!

I am so happy to be in His care and doing what I can for the people here

May God bless everyone of you
I hope you have a wonderful new year.
My love to you all
Elizabeth


Photos:

My English student, Moses, and father of Joseph and Abraham 

 

 

Khumo on the left is pastor's son and so helpful and protective of me.  I am giving him piano lessons.  The girl is the pastor's granddaughter.  Her name is Precious.  She was here for the month of Dec.  The older boy is called To To but his given name is Lot.  He is in college and here for Christmas break.  Pastor also has an older son, the father of Precious and a younger son named Bothel.

 

Some of the ladies who helped prepare the Christmas party for the church.

 

The lady down front is Moses' wife...very nice.

 

Sweet boys