Dumela (that means ‘hello’) from Botswana!!!
The Gospel Girls at Love Botswana Headquarters
This month the Gospel Girls are living in Maun, Botswana! Our ministry host is Love Botswana, an organization founded by an American couple named Jerry and Jana Lackey. The couple’s ministry has been present in Botswana for over 30 years, and their Love Botswana organization umbrellas numerous programs that aid the people of this beautiful country. From planting to churches to starting an orphanage to building schools this organization has a heart for meeting the needs of the community. Much of the work that we will be doing this month is to go out to meet people where they are at and share the love of God with them.
The Gospel Girls with Jerry Lackey
Our home for the month is a one bedroom, one bathroom apartment that is located in the Lorato Rescue Center, which is a center started by Love Botswana to house orphaned and abused children. Although our apartment doesn’t have air conditioning, and 4 out of the 6 beds are in the kitchen/living room area, the Gospel Girls have what is really important in life: WIFI! Who needs personal space and cool air when you have WiFi, am I right? (Just kidding, Jesus is totally changing my priorities this month). We do get to buy our own groceries and cook for ourselves though, so the meals this month have been pretty stellar. Overall, our set up is great and we are very blessed with what we have. It is great having the kids from the rescue center to play with during our free time. The kids are mischievous, but fun and lovable. Because we are neighbors we get to sing songs and read Bible stories to them most nights before they go to bed.
One thing the Gospel Girls have been experiencing here in Botswana is the need to be flexible. We are experience the infamous “African time” for the first time, and our scheduled ministry assignments do not always work out. God has challenged us on multiple occasions to come up with things on the spot. There have been times where we show up for ministry and we are asked to share the gospel on the spot or to pray over a situation we are just walking into. It’s incredible to see God move in those moments, but it’s also very stretching. God is constantly shaping us into the vessels He desires for this month, and each one of us are growing in our ability to be interrupt-able to the Lord’s will.
Overall, I am excited for the ministry opportunities here in Maun, Botswana. God has such great desires for this place that I pray He will provide the people needed to make His great vision happen. I’m excited to participate in prison and hospital outreach, facilitating Bible studies, assisting in the Village Church’s Student and Children ministry, loving on the kids at the orphanage, and other evangelism opportunities that God is presenting this month like our upcoming week trip to the bush for village outreach. Great things are bound to happen with how evident God’s heart is for this place.
Serving at Village Church
Here are some ways you can be praying for us this month: that we would be so in tune with the Lord that as ministry plans might fail His plan never will, to keep our cool in the heat (it gets over 100* here), and for safety as we the Gospel Girls camp in the bush to do village evangelism for a week (11/20-11/26). Additionally, please be praying that the community in Botswana would be moved to action rather than contentment. Most people here are proclaimed Christians, but they do not act on their faith. Also, for the students of the Okavango International School located next to the Lorato Rescue Center. As the school shuts down due to some issues the students will be departing into different communities for their education and will not necessarily have the same opportunities to be invested in by the Love Botswana organization anymore. Please be praying for the growing Christian leaders in the school to live out what they have learned in their time at OIS in their new communities.
Thank you so much for the prayers! God is on the move in Botswana 🙂
I love reading these updates! Praying for your evangelism week in the bush!
Learning to be flexible in schedule, available in Spirit and interruptible for the Lord is so important in Ministry and it sounds like Gospel Girls are doing a great job of it. I can’t wait to hear about your ministry time in the bush.
Thanks for sharing your experience there! Sounds so amazing all you’re involved in.