Carly-
Yesterday, we had our last morning for a while at the worksite building the house. As we made the trek through the village and came upon the house, I was in awe of how much we had accomplished. For a group of 16 Americans whom most likely have never built a house previously, we had made GREAT progress. The walls were standing tall and strong as we began to carry huge rocks down the walkway to try and level out the floor. I was actually pleasantly surprised at how easily I could carry heavy rocks from the huge pile to the wheelbarrow or house. I guess I was building more muscle than I thought. While carrying rocks I noticed a little girl off to the side playing a game. Out of curiosity, I ventured over there to find out exactly what she was playing. I had seen this little girl before but she hadn't seemed to open up yet. As I sat there watching her play, I started to make conversation and surprisingly enough she began to converse back. She thanked me for coming to play with her so she didnt have to be alone. I began to tear up as I realized that a little effort on my part made a HUGE difference in her life, but on the other hand, my life as well.
Thanks to Rosenberg, we got the afternoon off to explore to our heart's content. All of us wanted to go back into town to check out the "supermarket." After stopping to see this, a group of us split up to check out the river nearby. The descent towards the river was actually quite beautiful. A majestic white horse was standing by the river creating a stunning reflection in the water (who needs a white Christmas when you have a white horse?). Wanting to explore more, we noticed a bridge off in the distance so we stopped for an impressive photo op, soon after Michelle wanted to climb the nearest peak of the mountain. Most of the group began to tag along, but I stayed back. There was no way I was going to climb a very steep mountain in the blazing sun, only to be super sore on Christmas Eve. But as I stood there watching my new friends, Kayla, Michelle, Becky and Mackenzie climb this mountain, I had a feeling I would regret this moment if I did not go. I was behind them quite a bit, but I finally caught up. Because they decided to ascend the mountain by climbing up the side versus taking the road literally right next to it, we carefully placed our feet on the slippery gravel or rocks, so we did not accidentally fall back down the mountain, erasing all the hard work we put in. We finally reached this peak only to hear Becky saying, "Go Big or Go to America," so the five of us continued up the mountain.
Kayla-
As we trugged up the highest peak we started to see white crystals sparkle below our feet and the tips of bushes sway in the wind. Finally we made it, we had conquered this mountain that once seemed so impossible. The view from above was imaculate. A cool breeze sweeped across the back of my neck and lifted my father's baseball cap off of my head as we all stood admiring the endless, rusty colored mountains and lively village below. It was such a serene sight and made me feel weightless and powerful all at the same time. Since a fourth grade research assignment I have always wanted to come to this country. This moment on top of a mountain finally made it all sink in. I am in Lesotho, Africa. Standing there, I missed my family but was so grateful that I got to share this experience with Carly, Becky, Michelle and Mackenzie.
With the sun still piercing through the sky heating up the world below, we decided to head back down the mountain. After a couple stops to reapply sunscreen, a few moments to enjoy the breathtaking scenery and a bunch of slips on the rocky terrain we finally made it down the mountain, sunburnt and out of breath.
At the base of the mountain we were greeted by two gentlemen, one on foot and one on horseback. I conversed with the man on foot for a while in Sesotho and he helped me perfect my speaking abilities yet often laughed at my mispronunciation. Despite the apparent language barrier this man and I formed an immediate connection that made it feel like I had known him forever.
Before leaving he gently grabbed my hand and leaned in to say, "Happy Birthday!" In the moment it was very funny because he clearly used it out of context but after thinking about this more, he was correct. Due to this climb, we were able to learn our strengths and weaknesses, overcome fears and free our minds to determine what matters most in life: love and laughter. We were reborn in the mountains. We came. We saw. We conquered.
It's safe to say this climb has had a huge impact on Carly and I's lives but coming to Lesotho wouldn't have been possible without our families. We miss you all so much and hope you have a very Merry Christmas!
Love,
Carly Bockhold and Kayla Winn