In our Father’s Garden – under the Pepper Tree


Our friends from France – Eliane and Arlette together with her husband Richard – are on a nostalgic journey to places in Lesotho where they were born and grew up as children of Missionaries of the Paris Evangelical Missionary Society, today called Lesotho Evangelical Church – the second largest faith group in Lesotho after the Catholics.
On our way from Johannesburg we entered Lesotho at Butha Buthe and then drove on to Morija where we stayed at Morija Guest House for some days to explore Eliane’s and Arlette’s stamping grounds.

Morija Guest House where the washing is still done in the traditional way. All activities around Brigitte Hall's guest house are geared to generate work for people living here.
Indigenous Basotho homestead on our way down to the village.
A curious look in, a curious look out.
The inevitable chat - in Sesotho, filled in with English.
A fenced-in herd of mohair goats. Part of an on-and-off thriving local industry.
Carrier of a sought-after product - mohair.
The ubiquitous beast of burden.
Small herds of cattle - the staple of society.
Backyard of the Museum and Archives of Morija where among others, records of Eliane and Arlette's father's activities are kept.
Here we are where we were then, as children.
Tea served with a smile.
In our father's garden - under the pepper tree.

With love from
Colleen and Walter
Prince Albert, March 11, 2012