The Last Day

It's hard to believe that our time in Lesotho is coming to a close. We finished up this morning with Habitat and visited two orphanages this afternoon - both of whom deal with HIV infected children. One of the sobering realities that we've lived with and experienced this week is that at its current pace, AIDS will wipe out this entire country in 20 years (it has one of, if not the highest infection rate of any country in Africa). Most of us had never heard of this tiny little country 2 weeks ago, and now our time in this place is sure to leave it's mark on each of us in unique and special ways. Please pray for safe travel home, and that our tired and sore bodies are able to find some bit of comfort on the long plane rides home.

Back At It

Today we headed back to the Habitat site and continued our work digging out latrines. I'm pretty sure the pictures don't do it justice, but the majority of what we're trying to clear away is rock - that makes it hard and slow going. Tomorrow we'll finish our time at Habitat in the morning, and then we're headed to another orphange for the rest of the afternoon.

One person to keep in your prayers is Rachel. During our weekend of pony trekking she got thrown from her horse and landed pretty hard (thank goodness for those ridiculous looking helmets they made us wear). Initally, she was pretty sore, and didn't think too much of it. After a painful day yesterday we decided to take her in to have it checked out this morning. 4.5 hours, 2 X-Rays, and some pain medicine later we're happy to report that it only seems to be a bruised muscle or two and she should be fine. So pray for a full night's rest tonight, and a speedy recovery. Her attitude has been great and she wins the "Trooper of the Trip" award.

A special thanks to all of you who wrote notes of encouragement for us. We wake up each morning and find something hanging from a clothesline in the kitchen. It's a great way to start each day and be reminded of the love and support so many of you have shown each of us during our time here (and it's especially funny that each of the notes talk about our time in Ethiopia - but we've made the switch just fine).

Snowy Mountains and Sure Footed Ponies

Yesterday we got a glimpse of Africa that not many people get to see... snow. We traveled 3.5 hours up into the mountains to go pony trekking (think horses, not My Little Pony and Friends) at Semenkong. We had lunch at the lodge then rode to a waterfall about 45 minutes away.

On the van ride home we stopped on the top of a mountain, turned off all the lights in the van, and stood in awe at the thousands and thousands of stars above us, which seemed bigger, brighter and more in number than any of us had ever seen before.

Today we're headed to an orphange, and then it's back to the work site for the next two days before we start the journey home on Wednesday.


One of the children from the work site.




Erik H teaching the kids how to throw a frisbee.


Riding through the countryside.


Our ponies/horses during our stop at the waterfall.


The waterfall at Semenkong.


Our whole team (note the lovely helmets).

Another Day of Work

Yesterday and today the weather was beautiful, and that means we spent full days at the work site. Yesterday we were joined by about 35 students from Wittenburg College in Ohio who are in Lesotho for a summer course. Spirits remain high, but our bodies are tired, and very, very sore.

One of the highlights has been the kids at the work site we get to interact with once school lets out. It really is amazing how quickly a child can capture one's heart.

A Rainy Wednesday Afternoon

A couple more pics from the last few days...






Apparently, one of the things Lesotho is known for is thunderstorms. Well, today we got the rain, but without the thunder. We resumed our work at the Habitat site this morning in the rain, made it until lunch, and then called it a day. The locals thought we were nuts for working like we did, and we felt a little foolish once we realized how cold and wet we really were. But no worries, we're all showered up and looking forward to taking it easy tonight.

A Couple Pics...

This is Jessica at the hospital we visited today.


A look at the agriculture program at the same hospital.


Our group at O'Hare before our first flight.

Today we took a trip to an AIDS hospital an hour and a half outside of Maseru. This is where last year's North Park group served, and Dick and Pam Nystrom (Covenant pastors on the East Coast) served for the last couple of years. There's also a school and small agriculture program there as well. Tonight we're heading over to John and Kim (North Park class of '91) ??? for dinner.

Yesterday was our first day working with Habitat and I think it's safe to say that if any of us never saw another pick-axe that would be just fine. Tomorrow we'll head back to the Habitat site through the end of the week.

The group is doing well, Tim got his bag back, no one is sick, and we've all come to love the game Settler's of Catan. Talk to you soon...

We're Here!

It's Sunday night and we just got back from an afternoon hiking in the mountains. Some of the guys are cooking dinner, others are taking a shower, and the rest are taking it easy. This morning, half of our group went to a local church (which felt very much like a Baptist service), and the other half went on a march through town with about 1,000 locals to raise awareness for world hunger.

We're staying in a dormatory run by the Girl Guides (similar to the Girl Scouts). We have our own kitchen, but unless we're given access to the private quaters of some of the residents, our showers are COLD.

One of the unexpected changes given our switch from Ethiopia to Lesotho is the weather. Our team was prepared to sweat in the sun, but instead we are bundled up trying to stay warm. There's no central heat in the city, so we're thankful for space heaters in our rooms.

The flight to Paris wasn't all that bad, which meant that most people didn't get any sleep because they watched movies the whole time. That made for a loooong day walking around the streets of Paris, and by the time we met for dinner later that evening we were all pretty wiped out. The flight to Johannesburgh was about 10 hours and we had a couple more hours in the airport before we finally left for our last hour-long flight into Maseru. We were greeted at the airport by our guides, John and Tricia, and they have taken great care of us. Other than the one lost bag (which is being retrieved at the moment), the trip down was great, and now we're ready to start building tomorrow.

Thanks so much for all your prayers. More updates to come for sure.

Getting Closer...

Our team meets this afternoon at noon (so is it really after noon afterall?). Anyway, we're all pretty excited to finally get this show on the road. We'll fly from O'Hare to Paris where we have a pretty substantial layover, before heading to Johannesburg, and then one more flight to Maseru, the capital city of Lesotho.

Please pray for safe travel, good health, and that each of us would learn a lot about this new country, these new people, and the kingdom work that is going on in this corner of the world.

Inching Closer...

We talked at great length today with various Habitat affiliates throughout Africa, trying to find a suitable alternative to Ethiopia. We're trying to find a country which would cost roughly the same as what we have budgeted, wouldn't require a visa, and wouldn't require any more shots than what we already have. Ghana, Senegal, Malawi, and Lesotho are all possibilities that have been tossed around. One thing we do know, however, is that we wouldn't leave any earlier than Wednesday, so we'll spend the day on Tuesday trying to finalize our plans. Stay tuned...

Change of Plans...

Given the terrorist activities in Addis Ababa over the weekend, the decision was made not to proceed with our plans for Ethiopia. We are working to relocate to another Habitat for Humanity location - hopefully in Africa. We'll know more on Monday after talking with Habitat and our airline carrier. Stay tuned...

Almost there...

2 more days and we'll be on our way - hard to imagine it's almost here.

Monday morning, May 15 the 12 of us will pack the vans at Foster and Kedzie and make the trek to O'Hare. One stop in D.C., and another in Rome before we land in Addis Ababba to spend our first night on African soil. Wednesday we'll make our way to Sheshemene, a town about 50 miles outside of the capital, and there we'll partner with Habitat for Humanity for 2 weeks on a building project they've already begun.

But first, there's more to pack, some loose ends to tie up, and sleep to catch.

Our Team

A quick glimpse at the 12 of us...


OUR LEADERS: LYNDSEY HYATT (RIGHT)
I love God, I love people and I love to travel. My dream job would involve all three, but I'm still looking for that. If you want me to lead YOUR mission trip, give me a call. I love small towns (born and raised), but I love the city. My dream house would be in both? No, by a river - with a mountain in the background that I could climb. I love country music and I love dancing. My dream date would involve both. I love going fast (on land, water, or in the air) and I love big trucks. My dream car wouldn't be a car at all... it would be a truck and it would be fast - anything but a Nissan. I like Honda Civics, too, though. I love logistics and I love planning trips? My dream trip would anywhere but here... or anywhere I haven't been.

AND EVAN KOLDING (LEFT)
My name is Evan Kolding. I’m a 22-year-old from the suburbs of Seattle who is enjoying the best years of his life! I am a Youth Ministry major who is humbly leading his second missions trip as a North Park student. In my free time you may often find me throwing a Frisbee, playing video games or drinking coffee with anyone who is willing to have a conversation. This will be my first time in Africa as well as a third world country. I’ve spent 2 years in Japan and four months traveling Europe via Sweden. This experience has been one example after another of God’s amazing provision, authority, and grace. It has been one of the greatest pleasures of my life meeting, laughing and growing with all the members of this team.

RACHEL EKSTRAND
I was born and raised in the deep jungle of Africa--I swung on vines, rode elephants to school, carried a huge machete on a hand-made belt "just in case," and cherished my pet monkey. OR NOT. I did grow up in Congo, CAR, and Cameroon, but the first vine I swung on was in Guatemala, I've only seen elephants in zoos, I wasn't supposed to touch the machete (though, I must confess that I "borrowed" it on several occasions to make jungle forts as a kid), and a monkey was the last thing I wanted as a pet. I just graduated from North Park University with a degree in Sociology, own my first digital camera, and I'm excited to explore the world! First stop: Ethiopia :)


JESSICA LYNN MANNING (SOON TO BE JL ROCK)
I am 21 years old. Go to North Park University- obviously. Life as a pre-med student is hard and I am often sleep deprived and bitter at people that get to play outside. I like to eat and dance- but not at the same time. I hate taking time to stretch before excercising. I am engaged to be married to the best man ever- sorry ladies, he is taken. I am also getting a great name when I marry the great guy- Rock. That's right, I will be Dr. Rock someday. I find that reading Henri Nouwen makes me a better person. I compulsively recycle. Without corrective lenses, I am, indeed, legally blind. Psalm 73 is good, read it. Fo' sho'


BJORN AMUNDSEN
hi there
ny mame is bjorn.
I love Jesus, and he is great.
I have never been on a missions trip before.
i like indie music, helvetica, and all things etymological
chicago = good, san francisco = good+1. I'd live in either place.
coffee is delicious and if i were to prefer beverage it would be that for sure
lie ike raphic esign & epxerintemaiton iwth hte ffidernece bwteen mmonicuation & gebilility
i have a tendency to over commit myself, which is problematic from time to time, but God always seems to rescue me.
sometimes i think i will never graduate college and that is ok with me. degrees are overrated.
I love all my friends a lot, if sometimes I spend too much time on computers.
i wish that there were 5 of me to read, work, sleep, learn, and relax.
design has slowly turned me into a selective perfectionist
sigur ros is the most beautiful music on earth
go to www.designbybuild.com
or www.mk12.com
el fin



JANE BLAIR (LEFT)
my name is jane r. blair but that didn't stick very well so most people call me janey. i think jane was just too plain. i am a senior and this is my third missions trip with north park. i am excited to be going to africa. i have a pretty long life list and after this trip i will be close to checking off a visit to every continent and a trip to africa. the list of things i am passionate about is even longer and i know this trip will spark many of those. i can't wait for monday morning.
p.s. i love my family and my small group desiringgodtoo!

ALISHA TILLMAN (RIGHT)
Okay, so my name is Alisha not to be confused with Alicia, seriously they're different. I guess I'm officially a senior now... so weird. My plan in life is to direct movies, what an amazing job, right? I know. So I'm headed to L.A. in the fall for a film program. I'm going to learn how to edit on Final Cut Pro and pretty much have the most amazing experience of my life. Well, second to this mission trip of course. It will be my first time out of the country (except for Canada and I don't think that counts). Oh right, Jesus is pretty much the love of my life. Serving with joy...


ERIK ANDERSON
I love to tell the story again and again, I’s just be a brother from the city of wind. My name be Erik Peter Anderson and I got two brothers named Spencer and Ben. I am a Swedish American that has been devoted to the Republican Party and the Covenant for 23 years. I found my place at North Park University back in 01’. I’m a psychology major who has high aspirations of a guidance counselor after I graduate this year. Some people that you might find me in the street with are Daniel Larouso, B. Arther (or any of the Golden Girls for that matter), and Jesse Jackson. I love the Lord, shuffleboard, track lighting, and sunsets with Evan Kolding and Paul Johnson.


PAUL JOHNSON
I'm a North Park Grad, and now split my time on campus between University Ministries and Campus Development. I've been here 13 years now and have come to love North Park's strangely seductive qualities. This is my 12th missions trip; third with North Park, and second partnering with Habitat. I love to travel and I'm excited to add northern Africa to my list.


TIM KNIGHT
Oh, hello there I didn't expect you for at least another half hour. You want to know a little about me? Well alright, let's get this show on the road. I'm from North Dakota - for some of you that will explain everything, for some of you that will explain nothing. My life is currently taking place in the city of Chicago. I just graduated with a degree in sociology. You want to know what now? What am I going to do with a sociology degree? Well, I'm so glad you asked... absolutely nothing. Well what am I going to do with my life? Well, I'm going to Ethiopia so that's a start, after that I'm just gonna be me and rock out to the sounds of life that occur all around me. It's like my man Ben Harper says, reality is sharp it cuts like a knife everyone I know is in the fight of their life. So there it is, there's my fight, there's my life. I'm so glad you stopped by. Keep in touch it's too bad you have to leave so soon, the steaks should be off the grill any minute and the beer is ice cold.


ERIK HJELM
I’m an Alaskan who goes by the name of Erik Gustaf Hjelm. I’m a recently converted Business major and I love nothing more than to be outside doin what I do. I spent four months in Sweden last semester traveling all over Europe with some of the best friends I have ever had. I’ve also been on a mission trip to the Dominican Republic and I jumped at the chance to go to Africa. I’m a man of few words so that’s all I have to say.