Continued from a previous post…

The next morning we went to the MAF base and talked and prayed with the staff. Afterwards, we cleaned and prepared the home of the Danforths, a family that was arriving later that week. Then it was on to the Beautiful Gate, a Christian-run orphanage for children who have lost parents due to HIV/AIDS, or whose parents can’t afford to keep them.

As soon as we opened the gate, the children just came running to us, hugging, kissing, smiling. I couldn’t help but feel so blessed to be right there, in that moment. My heart broke as I heard their stories. I couldn’t do anything but cling even tighter to them and pray. That night I could hardly sleep; I didn’t want to leave. I didn’t want to return home to my comfortable life. I was crying and praying that the Lord would show me how I could further serve and help those babies. I no longer cared about my comfort zone. I had to do something more.

I have never been so spiritually heartbroken before.” — Ashleigh

I woke up with tired eyes and a happy heart. I was falling deeply, deeply in love with Lesotho and there was nothing I could do about it. But honestly, there was nothing I wanted to do about it.

Emily and I went back to MAF and we were put on a flight. We visited seven villages in a matter of hours. We saw firsthand just what MAF does—they flew medicine, mail, food, and people to wherever they needed to be. As we walked through those villages everyone just stopped. Some ran away, some ran to us, wanting pictures, to touch our hair and to even marry us. They were offering cows already!

Seeing how little they have, how sick they are, and just how much they need Jesus was enough to impact me for the rest of my life. I will never forget the desperation on their faces. The spiritual darkness that covers these villages and Lesotho as a whole falls on you like a wet blanket. You can’t help but cry out to Jesus and ask Him to save them.

To be continued…