Update from Lori in Lesotho

Lesotho, pronounced (Lay sue two) a small mountain country full of wonderful people and their animals. July 19 and we were enjoying ourselves at St. Lucia on the Indian Ocean in South Africa and after many hours of driving we had arrived in the Drakenburg Mts. From sunny beaches of South Africa to frozen mountains of Lesotho in the same day. We stayed at the base of Sani Pass July 20, arose early and headed up the most incredible road. Gravel road with many switchbacks, bolders as big as the LandRover, and one lane with two way traffic. Bateleurs (eagle like birds) in the air and Steenbok antelope grazing the grass. There was a sign -- Sani Pass is not for sissys -- and they were not kidding. People would ask where is your driver? I just pointed to Val -- they wished us the best. The road to Sani Pass is an extremely steep winding road. Glad we had a LandRover. We had breakfast at the top, 10,550 feet, at the highest pub in Africa. Beautiful mountains, snow, and frozen waterfalls. The people of Lesotho live in stone houses with thick grass thatched roofs. The shepherds stay warm by wrapping in thick blankets and tend their sheep and goats. They use horses as a means of transportation. They use cows to work the field, and the dung to heat and cook. We drove to the remote town of Mokhotlong to visit a church. God led us to a church where the Cassidy's, who were from Corvallis, used to be missionaries. We found the church, the pastor and his family. It was a great blessing for them and for us to share juice with them. The church is growing and has a membership of 120-150. To support the family, the pastor also has a coffin making business, and the wife is a science teacher. We prayed for them in the church, we sang songs in the church, even though it wasn't Sunday we had our own worship time. After our visit we headed back down the Mt and encountered some incredible switchbacks, then crossed the border to South Africa again. The Lesotho people are known for being a peaceful people who wear pointed hats that remind them of the mountain peaks where they live. Those people now have a place in our hearts. Lori