Hillcrest

A typical day for us in Hillcrest at the moment begins with a mile walk to the bank to try and open a bank account, since we don’t have a car yet. You’d think one walk would suffice, but there is always some reason that we need to come back, and after about a week, I think we are walking there again today! But we should be getting a car by the end of the week. I think I'll miss our daily walk....
On our walk back from the bank yesterday we pass by an area of really beautiful homes and gardens. So we ask the guard if we can walk around for fun to see them. He is unconvinced, especially since we are on foot, and calls one of the houses that is for sale and asks them if we can take a look at their house. This isn’t what we intended, but we went anyway, and meet this couple in their fifties who informs us that their house is on sale for 2.5 million rand. Yikes. They recognize our accents and ask us if we are vacationing, and Clint says he is the new pastor of Hillcrest Baptist, and they exclaim “oh, were Baptists, come and have lunch with us!” So we end up out on their patio, having an amazing lunch with these complete strangers, and the gentleman shows us this sound proof room where he reads his bible for 4 hours a day. He’s trying to finish the bible in one month, and is creating his own reading plan so that each day is around 4 hours. Amazing. I was sitting there completely dumfounded at how serendipitous this moment was, and the Lord’s sovereignty in having us meet this couple. Our accents (yeah, Clint’s too) have been an amazing tool for the gospel. Whenever you meet anyone they ask you if your American, and why you are here. It’s an instant doorway into conversations about the Lord. He is soo good.
Last night we played the RESOLVED dvd with MacArthur for our host family. They had never seen MacArthur, just heard him on the radio, and didn’t know how old he was, or even what he looked like. So we are listening to MacArthur preach on the conscience, you know the “shut up Gringo” sermon, and Veon turns and says “you sat under this guy your whole life? Amazing” So to all of you out there seeing MacArthur weekly preach, know that the people out here get excited about even getting a tape of his, much less a dvd, much less sitting weekly underneath his weekly preaching. So when you’re contemplating if you really need to go to evening service, think of all the people who can’t. J I was convicted again listening to that sermon about J.Edwards and how he knew his heart would be quick to be lazy regarding the spiritual disciplines, so he informed his conscience every week with his resolutions towards godliness. Days have been crazy here, and I need to get back into a regular routine of prayer and daily reading scripture. Its been here and there this week.