[The gospel] is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth.” Romans 1:16
The day was grey and threatening, but we went out trusting the Lord to hold off the rains and allow us to get some contacts made. As we drove into the Delft community of Eindhoven where we are busy, Tony maneuvered around the municipal workers who were cleaning the narrow streets from sand that the winds drift into the streets and over the curbing. We parked our car in the otherwise vacant unpaved parking area across from “David’s Place,” a large “shebeen” (house tavern) at the end MacKenzie, Frazer and Ebro, the streets that we've been surveying. The same old gentlemen, that were there the day before, were sitting in the same spot on some metal piping. After we'd made our first visit, we had the opportunity to speak to them and give them tracts.
We didn’t see an opening in the fence around the corner house, so we knocked at the main door of the next home, a 4-room cement block home with a wooden lean-to attached at the right side. The door of the wooden structure was open and in answer to our knock, someone replied from inside the lean-to. A lady about 30 years of age emerged with a drowsy baby on her shoulder.
We introduced ourselves and told her we were taking a religious survey and asked if she would take the survey. She answered, "Sekerlik, maar . . .dis 'n bietjie onordelik hierin." (Certainly, but it's a little disorderly inside.) We explained that it was not at all necessary for us to come inside and that we were happy to stand outside the door. She seemed relieved that we didn't need to go inside and Tony began to ask her the questions. Jolene told us she was the mother of two daughters, the 11-month old on her shoulder and the eldest in grade one. After answering only the questions about her name and address, Jolene began to look uncomfortable, perhaps embarrassed that neighbours might criticize her for not being hospitable and inviting us in or perhaps from being tired standing with the child on her shoulder. For whatever the reason, she turned to her doorway and asked us to come inside. Entering the home before me, she immediately took a tall beer bottle from the top of the cupboard on the left and placed it underneath inside the flowered curtaining strung around the lower part of the cupboard. I doubt she realized that I saw what she was putting away.
Before Jolene could offer us a seat on her two-seater couch on the front wall, she had to move a large canvas sack of clothing that was falling out of the sack and onto the floor. Once the couch was cleared she asked us to be seated, but she immediately changed her mind suggesting that Tony rather sit on the little plastic stool in the angle slightly behind the open door. I wondered whether or not the couch's springs' weakness made her decide to not have the two of us share the couch. She declined my suggestion that she sit beside me on the couch. She rather perched on a stool in front of a curtain that divided the home into two rooms. The width of her dwelling was the width of the couch plus the width of the door, the only entrance into the home. We were seated in the area that served as kitchen, lounge and dining room. Against the wooden walls, paper and cardboard of even description had been tacked with bottle caps serving as washers to keep the cardboard from tearing away from the walls. This 'insulation" was making a poor attempt to hold out winter’s rains, winds and cold. She apologetically explained that she had chosen today to "turn out the house." I told her that it always looks worse before it looks better when you turn out your house. She seemed encouraged that we were not offended by the appearance of her home.
Jolene was friendly and open. She enthusiastically declared that she was a member of the Spadereen church, a group that we've come across only in this country. She admitted that she seldom was in church. Reaching behind the dividing curtain, she brought out her swollen, moisture-damaged Bible to emphasize dogmatically that she believes the Bible is the Word of God, but admitted she never reads it. She answered that she definitely believes in the return of Christ.
About the time that Tony asked her what a person must do to have eternal life, a man came to stand in the doorway. Jolene introduced her brother, Charlton, who also lives on this plot at the back. When Tony repeated the question about how to inherit eternal life to Charlton and Jolene, the two strongly disagreed over what they had been taught at the Spadereen church. Jolene said she was taught that her uncle or her ma or someone who was living could get her into heaven after she dies by praying for the Lord to remember her. Charlton said he definitely did not believe that and that he had no idea where she got that from as they both attended the same Sunday school and he never heard anything like that. During this disagreement, a friend named Karen arrived with her 8-10 month old baby. I understood from comments Jolene made to Karen that Karen had to come sit in the house with the baby who was now asleep on a bed behind the curtain. Tony asked Karen how she would answer the question about eternal life, but she was reluctant to be brought into the conversation. Jolene took advantage of this opportunity to slip away to the main house to put some nappies (diapers) into soak. However, Charlton was listening intently. The Lord was giving a good opportunity to share Christ with him and Karen. After a few moments Karen excused herself and went into the main house. It seemed she wished to evade the spiritual pressure of the company in Jolene’s home.
About this time, the 7 year-old-daughter arrived home in her school uniform. She slipped past Charlton who was engaged in
conversa-
tion with Tony, greeting him politely and surprisingly in perfect English, "Good ahf-ter-noon, Uncle Charlton.” She then turned toward Tony without the least timidity or any surprise over seeing a white man sitting inside the opening of their door and greeted him clearly and confidently, "Good ahf-ter-noon, Uncle," and then she came to where I was seated on the couch and greeted, "Good ahf-ter-noon, Auntie." Immediately after I returned her greetings, she asked, "Auntie, what is his name?" I replied “Tony.” She repeated "Uncle Tony" and asked, "And what is Auntie's name?" I told her my name was Cathy and she repeated, "Oh, Auntie Cathy." After she introduced herself as Jody, she disappeared behind the curtain. When she emerged she had changed from her uniform into play clothes and she had the baby sister on her hip. She left the dwelling, evidently to take the baby to her mother. Jody is probably one of the most precocious children I have ever met. I kept thinking, "I'd love to teach this child in a Bible club or Sunday school!" I would love to have chatted with her, but it was of the Lord that she didn't remain since Tony was having a serious witness with Charlton.
Charlton made a comment about Jolene and Karen not wanting to listen to the truth. He felt we might not have realized that they were just full of excuses. Charlton is a florist and was on his way to work in Cape Town, but was drawn to his sister’s visitors. He listened to the gospel very well. Time may tell whether he was drawn by curiosity or whether the Lord created a hunger in his heart. This visit was one of the best opportunities we've had to share the gospel; Charlton not only listened, but he was also under conviction. Tony gave him his testimony and stressed the need to trust Christ alone. We were there almost an hour and Charlton agreed to a follow-up visit. Tony is praying about beginning a Bible study with him.
Two days ago when we saw Jolene, Jody, and baby sister, Jaime, again as we returned to our car after another day of witnessing in their community, they happily greeted us and allowed me to take their photograph. Jolene and Charlton are only 2 of almost 50 teens and adults with whom we have had opportunity to share the gospel during the past 2 weeks. Pray for the power of the Gospel to change lives in Delft.
On the 20th of May the fall term of Oostenberg Bybel Instituut began with 20 students from 4 indigenous works (Immanuel Baptiste Kerk, Victory Baptist Church, Faith Baptist Church, and Calvary Bible Baptist Church). Tony is teaching the first 8 weeks of the 12-week course on Methods of Biblical Interpretation. Missionary, Eric Graham, will complete the final weeks of teaching. The class meets at Immanuel Baptiste Kerk on Tuesday evenings.
On the 20th of May the fall term of Oostenberg Bybel Instituut began with 20 students from 4 indigenous works (Immanuel Baptiste Kerk, Victory Baptist Church, Faith Baptist Church, and Calvary Bible Baptist Church). Tony is teaching the first 8 weeks of the 12-week course on Methods of Biblical Interpretation. Missionary, Eric Graham, will complete the final weeks of teaching. The class meets at Immanuel Baptiste Kerk on Tuesday evenings.
The Saturday before Mothers' Day, I spoke at a Mother-Daughter Tea at Baptiste Bybel Kerk in Macassar for Pastor Cyril Adam's wife, Charlotte. I taught a lesson on the influence of one mother on her generation. We traced the family tree of Judah's wicked Queen Athaliah back to the notorious Queen Jezebel of Israel. Pray for the mothers who attended the tea to follow the Lord and be a positive influence on their generation.
