I’ll get the recipe for those interested…

Well, I'm sorry to say you all missed out big time. It was like a men's gathering of sorts. Not a normal meal cooked by the women, but a special event. A photo would have been awesome but I didn't want to be the cheesy American snapping pictures. So you will just have to imagine a small crowded room with a bunch of Basotho men, maybe 10 of them, huddled over a big bowl of sheep guts. A huge bowl actually, like the salad bowl at a restaurant salad bar. And another huge bowl of corn meal. They had already started when we arrived and it sounds like we missed out on "the really good pieces." No plates. No silverware. You just dig your hand into the meal, and then pick some pieces of meat and enjoy. Jeremy thought the kidneys were pretty good. And he was hoping for some liver. I have no idea how he could tell what was what. I don't think I found any kidney, but the intestine was just as I remember it from last summer… [ not good ]
Ok so the meal tonight in the village of Methalaneng was not exactly my favorite experience but it was a privilege to be invited to this gathering by Dr. Mopeli (Pronounced “Mo PED ee”. There is no letter “D” in the Sesotho language, but the combination “li” sounds like “dee”.) Talking to the Doctor this evening I understood the importance of this meal. It is one of the techniques he uses to bond his team together up here. He is not from this village -- although he is a Mosotho, raised in the mountains of Lesotho and educated in South Africa. Other members of this PIH clinic team are not from this village either. Dr. Mopeli knows it is important to build a strong team and this meal has become a tradition. When a sheep is slaughtered he gathers the men who work at the clinic, and others from the village who are associated with the work being done here, and they feast the way the former generations did -- around the pot, with their hands. Most use their hands for all meals but this is deliberate. They eat the innards of the sheep – the heart, kidneys, liver, intestines, etc. They love it in fact. But it is the time together that is most important. The Doctor tells me “we all get so busy we don’t take time to share a meal together and just have fun as men anymore.” Wow what a parallel with life back in the U.S.! Tonight’s menu aside, we really are not that different… It was 2 years ago tomorrow (May 7, 2007) that I first flew by MAF plane to the remote mountain village of Methalaneng, Lesotho and saw this amazing place. Having returned several times in 2008 and being back here today I can understand why my friend Myron Weber once said Methalaneng is one of his favorite places on Earth. I would now have to agree with Myron. It is one of my favorite places as well. For me it is a combination of things. Landing at this airstrip is a remarkable experience. As we made the approach this morning I recall saying to pilot Danny Hulls “now remember you fly straight at that mountain and just before you hit it you turn left.” That pretty much sums it up. It is considered one of the hardest airstrips in the world to fly into and for good reason. The village is picturesque. The small round homes climb a gentle ridgeline above the airstrip. Most of the homes are traditional rondavels, a sign that this place is pretty remote in terms of civilization. The closer you are to decent roads and larger populations the more the houses are square. But landing in Methalaneng is like stepping back in time a hundred years. But I also love it here because there are amazing signs of advancement in the areas of life that are really benefiting the villagers. The first thing I noticed was a brand new school. 2 beautiful buildings that were built by the Lesotho government will open tomorrow (once the military flies in the keys to the doors…!). What a great time to be here, I hope the helicopter arrives before we have to fly out, but even if we miss the doors opening it was great to talk to one of the teachers and realize the excitement they have for this new school. The PIH clinic is also thriving here. They are seeing 100+ patients a day now. On the walk down from the plane one of the clinic workers was talking to Jeremy Keeton about how great the progress is. How they notice a real difference in the number of deaths as they are declining! I came here with Jeremy to upgrade the VSAT system that is becoming crucial to the PIH program in Lesotho. The technical work went incredibly smooth and the connection is working great. For now this site is running on small generators but a solar system has been approved and the funding is in place. Hopefully by the end of the year they will have clean power at this site around the clock. Wow I have so much to tell you about Methalaneng I just can’t express how amazing it is to be here again and to see this place so full of life. It is easy to think of the death in Lesotho, which has about 30% prevalence rates for both HIV and TB and a life expectancy of only 34 years. But the feeling in Methalaneng today does not reflect those dire statistics. After having our day canceled by rain yesterday it was such a fantastic experience to have sunny skies, a great flight, successful equipment upgrade/replacement, and good conversation with our Basotho friends here. And yes... even some sheep intestine for supper. The experience would not have been complete with out it. I may not have time tonight to upload photos but will post many tomorrow. It is late now and we have to turn off the generator. Blessings from Methalaneng – I wish you were all here to experience it with me. Take care and thanks for reading. Traig		Great day for flying! Methalaneng airstrip, clinic and new school from above Methalaneng Clinic Jeremy talking with Clinton Foundation guys. School kids coming to see the plane Methalaneng Village A beautiful place Brand new school! Patients waiting Patients waiting Dr. Mopeli Inside the Clinic Inside the Clinic Current generator building (ha ha) New generator/solar building