Pray for Lesotho on Sunday, July 6, 2008

Pray for Lesotho on Sunday, July 6, 2008

Lectionary Text and Prayers for Lesotho: Matthew 11:25-30

Dear God, we pray that people throughout the world will find rest in you.  May you bring your peace upon peoples and nations torn asunder by wars, politics and natural disasters.  We pray especially today for the Lesotho Evangelical Church that it may help heal political divisions within Lesotho.  As we remember those who have come before us in spreading the Good News around the world, we pray that as we share God’s love we will do so with the gentleness and humility of our Savior Jesus Christ.  In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.

(Prayer by Mark Behle)

During 2008 the Lesotho Evangelical Church is celebrating the 175th  anniversary of the arrival of the first missionaries from the Paris Evangelical Missionary Society.  In June 1833 Thomas Arbousset, Eugene Casalis and Constant Gossellin arrived at Thaba-Bosiu, home of the founder of the Basotho nation King Moshoeshoe I.   King Moshoeshoe had invited the missionaries to settle among his people.

The Lesotho Evangelical Church asks you to pray for:
–  Peace and stability in Lesotho and in Africa.
–  Churches, Pastors and Evangelists to be the able to continue preaching the Word of God.
–  Reducing poverty in the country amid the worsening economical hardships brought about by increasing petrol prices.
–  The church to celebrate the 175th Anniversary of the arrival of the first missionaries in Lesotho in 1833 and the 500th anniversary of the birth of John Calvin.

Global Ministries International Partners in Lesotho:

  • Lesotho Evangelical Church – The Lesotho Evangelical Church is one of Africa’s oldest Protestant churches, founded in 1833 by missionaries from the Paris Evangelical Mission society.  It is Lesotho’s oldest denomination and today it has 261,350 members in 112 congregations.  It also maintains 563 schools.  The LEC-sponsored schools have contributed to the 83 percent literacy rate nationwide.   Global Ministries’ relationship to LEC began in 1983.
  • Christian Council of Lesotho – The Christian Council of Lesotho is a fellowship of Christian churches and Christian organizations. It has two main objectives: (1) to foster closer cooperation and unity amongst churches and organizations of different Christian traditions; (2) to enable member churches and organization to more fully share in the spiritual, social and economic endeavors.  It has been involved over the years in social development, formal and informal education, health and sanitation, environmental protection and agriculture, civic education, conflict management. 
  • Christian Health Association of Lesotho – The mission of the Christian Health Association of Lesotho is to facilitate the participation of the Christian churches in ensuring that the right of all members of society to the highest quality health services is upheld.  In pursuit of this mission, the Christian churches are committed to see to it that quality health services reach those who have least access, the families and communities, through appropriate technologies, in spirit of mutual trust and cooperation as a tangible expression of Christ’s vision to love our neighbors as ourselves.

Global Ministries Missionary in Lesotho:

Mark Behle serves with the Lesotho Evangelical Church as a teacher at Masitise High School.  He teaches math, a course on Luke & Acts, coaches basketball and leads a youth group called Friends of God.  He has been in Lesotho since 1996 and prior to that served with Global Ministries in Zambia for eleven years as a teacher at Kafue Secondary School.