THE “GOOD NEWS” REACHES LESOTHO

It was in the early 1940’s that the “good news” reached Lesotho. Two Basotho men, who had worked in South Africa and had received the “good news” there, returned to Lesotho in 1942 and started spreading the Kingdom message with great zeal. By 1951 there were five small congregations and some 63 active witnesses of Jehovah, including 10 full-time proclaimers of the “good news.”

In Maseru itself there is now a large congregation with 125 publishers of the “good news” and a fine Kingdom Hall. There are also two missionary couples who spread the “good news” to the Basotho people and to a polyglot population of foreigners. Of the latter, many are engaged in aid programmes run by the United Nations and other organizations. So the missionaries, when working in Maseru, must have literature in many languages.

On one occasion a Chinese lady, who spoke very little English, was glad to be visited by a missionary couple. She showed them the latest issue of The Watchtower in Chinese saying: “Magazine, like ver’ much.” She was receiving it as a result of a gift subscription submitted by a missionary in Taiwan. A Bible study was started with her.

Preaching to the Basotho people is quite a contrast to witnessing to the foreigners. The very homes are so different. Usually, they are huts made from interwoven twigs and mud, with grass-thatched roofs. The mud on the outside walls is often worked into pretty and complicated patterns. The floors are smeared with cow dung, which, incidentally, sets firm and smooth and is not smelly.

The Basotho usually are friendly and hospitable. Westerners often are abrupt and hurried in manner, whereas the Basotho consider this undignified, indeed rude. When calling at the homes a Witness invariably is invited to sit down; it is bad manners to allow visitors to stand and talk. Then the visitor must first exchange greetings and polite conversation with the householder. It takes a while to enquire mutually about health, where one is from, how many children one has, and so forth. Only then can the Kingdom proclaimer start talking about the “good news.” Often the whole family will assemble to listen.

Yes, life in Lesotho is pleasantly slow-moving​—no one ever hurries. When you pass someone on the road, even though a stranger, it is customary to stop and exchange greetings and polite conversation. But for the missionaries the making of appointments can be trying​—no one is ever on time!

How, then, did the “good news” reach the villages in these remote, almost inaccessible mountains?

It was as a result of the poor economical situation in Lesotho that causes the majority of men, for a year or two, to seek work in South Africa, mainly at the gold mines. While in the mines, some accept the Bible’s message from Jehovah’s Witnesses and then pass it on to their families and friends when they return home.

But the Kingdom message has reached remote mountain areas in other ways. One Witness got a job as a roadmaker on the road leading to Mantsonyane, deep in the mountains. This zealous Witness talked to all he met about the “good news.” He started Bible studies with some of his fellow workers and organised a study group while they were living in tents at the roadside. He also preached to the people in the villages. Seeing their response, this brother got a job in Mantsonyane, resulting in the formation there of a group of active proclaimers of the “good news.”