Saying “Thank you”

“When a man's ways please the LORD, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him. “ Proverbs 16:7

Over 10 months ago, we were witnessing to George and Eva when their neighbour came in and sat down. Tony turned to greet her. He extended his hand and introduced himself and me, but the woman folded her arms and looked away without giving us her name. Later she refused to accept a tract which he was offering to everyone in the home and she left the house waving in disgust. Because Tony has kept a visitation journal for all our contacts in Delft, we know this contact was first made on 28 May 2008. Since Jeremy and June are also her neighbours, we have opportunity to greet her often. We’ve sought to build a bridge to get acquainted, but not only does she usually turn away, sometimes she walks past where we are witnessing and spits on the ground in contempt.

Imagine Tony’s surprise last Thursday when he and Jason heard someone calling them and turned around and saw this woman. She came to tell Tony that she was concerned for him to park his car at the opposite end of the street when he was making visits. She gave him a little “lecture” about safety and told him she couldn’t be responsible if something happened to it. He listened and then thanked her for her concern. A few minutes later while Tony and Jason were in a home making a follow-up visit, this woman came inside and began to tell the homeowner that Tony was humble and that he’d told her thank you. She kept saying how he was a true man of God and how God was going to bless him. So Thursday was a date to circle in red. We learned that her name is Sharon!

On Sunday aftenoon, when we were leaving Jeremy and June’s to drive to a joint service at Immanuel Baptiste Kerk (IBK), where Tony was going to preach for 4 assemblies,Sharon ran out in the street to wave us down. Tony stopped the car and rolled down the window, hoping that Sharon wouldn’t speak too long and make us late for the service in Eersterivier. Sharon began to speak about how he had impressed her by telling her “thank you” on Thursday. She said she believed God was going to bless us and add to our church. Then she said she wanted to go to church with us someday, so I asked if she wanted to go with us right then. She asked if we could wait five minutes, but before we could reply she ran into her house. Fortunately, she immediately came out with her shoes in her hand. When she got in the car, tears were streaming down her cheeks and she thanked us over and over.

When Pastor Kevin’s ladies warmly welcomed Sharon, her tears began to roll again. When Andries greeted her, she told him that she knew him. He had not recognized his cousin whom he had last seen in 1992, before Tony led him to the Lord in Eersterivier! Andries took Sharon’s hand in both of his and encouraged her to trust the Lord and to stay with our ministry. After the message Sharon, (on left) seated beside June,told a number of the ladies that although she was rude to us, we had never been rude to her. She spoke about seeing God’s grace in our lives. On the way home, she began to speak about some people that she wanted us to visit. When we told her that we have visited everyone she mentioned, she said she wants to invite them (“twist their ears and make them come” :-), so we gave her some invitations to take to them!