Surrounded by the Church

I think one of the toughest things about being here in South Africa has been the challenge of finding a good community.   I had a phenomenal group of guys in seminary, and we both had some strong friendships while we were in Philly.  Moreover, we both understand that we are, in fact, built for community (“we” being a very large, all-encompassing, “the two of us but also every person on the face of this earth” “we”), which makes the challenge that much tougher.  However, over the past week or so, the Lord has brought different people into our immediate lives that have been somewhat of a community for us, but more importantly, given us a deeper understanding of what the “Church” is. 

Last week, Christina and I were looking to get some good, solid marriage advice. When we were in the States, we did pre-marital counseling, and then marriage counseling, and I came to be an even bigger believer in the importance of having a third party speak into your relationship. But since we’ve been in SA, that person (or persons) has been rather difficult to find. But this time I was reminded of an older couple that we had met with on a purely social level before Christmas that was incredibly gracious and had told us that if we ever wanted to talk or needed advice about anything, their door was open. We knew Mike and Sally from church and really enjoyed our original time with them. So I called Mike to see if they were going to be available soon. To make a long story short, we spent about two hours with them, and received words that were wiser and more empowering than we’ve had in a while.

Secondly, we were also playing host to some friends of mine from Dallas in the beginning of the week, Chandler and Kelsey Phillips. I guess I’ve known Chandler for almost ten years, and it’s been amazing to see how the Lord has really been working in his life to make him a major player in the Kingdom. Since Christina and I have been in Jeffreys, Chandler and Kelsey have been some of our biggest supporters, in more ways than one. Their questions about our time here and what the Lord is busy doing here seem to be never-ending, and I guess they got tired of just knowing JBay through our answers, as a visit here was the first leg in a vacation for them all over sub-Saharan Africa. Though they were only here for a little over two days, it’s been a long time since I’ve felt that encouraged and loved. Knowing that someone else appreciates you and is becoming passionate about what you’re passionate about is one of the largest compliments that I could ever be paid, and Chandler and Kelsey convinced me of both.

And this is what I think the church is supposed to do. We’re supposed to be there for each other, supporting each other and encouraging each other. Needless to say, Mike and Sally never spoke to us of a fee for “services rendered,” nor do I think they ever intended to. They just wanted to be the church to us. Furthermore, Chandler and Kelsey know that Christina and I could never repay them for all that they’ve given to us, nor do they ever intend for us to. Their joy comes in giving away what the Lord has blessed them with, and never expecting anything in return. They just want to be the church to us.

From completely different generations, and from utterly opposite ends of the earth, the “Church” has taken care of its own. Thank you, Church!