Settling in!

Hey Friends so I am sorry for the lengthy updates but I would feel bad if I left you hanging on some of these stories. so I have a lot to update to these first blog posts. Please take the time to read them first preferably so that you don't read the ending to some of these stories without the initial bits.

Anyways recent happenings since I last wrote on Friday night (I know I posted all of them today but the last post belongs to Friday night). So Saturday I spent the day walking through the community around me. It was really cool to be able to explore. I found some things that were very difficult to deal with. Firstly As I searched for Churches I realized that it is very helpful and welcoming to outsiders to have information about when services are. So I found a Church with times so that I knew when to go to worship. Saturday evening I spent a good bit of time hanging out at one of the other residences chilling with other exchange students. It was a good time and a great way to get to know some of them better.

Sunday Morning I got up and cleaned up as best as I could and went to church. I felt a bit odd being in clothes that I had used since Tuesday but I was feeling the song, Just As I am. So I went and I met people. In fact I met several really amazing people who were really welcoming and provisional. One older couple from the Church was really welcoming to me and were willing to help me with getting some clothes or a towel or anything else that I needed. Another guy James was really welcoming and brought me along to meet some of his friends later that evening at a Methodist Church. Totally great time. I met a guy who is also going to be doing theology at UKZN with me. I was really touched by how God could meet my provisions in such an amazing way. It made me wonder whether or not I would be willing to do the same for an exchange student? Or for that matter anyone else who had that same level of need.

One of the things that really striked me was the preaching. The two services I was at had very, and I mean very different preaching styles. At the Presbyterian Church I felt like the preacher pulled his punches. He was preaching on several Psalms that talked about how David ran away. and his main focus was on how this applied to him. I think that truthfully he could have brought the truth much stronger and encouraged the Church to follow God's calling and not to run away from his calling. (I also understand the predicament that that message has for many people who are in dangerous and abusive situations. For them Running away is actually probably a good Idea as it removes them from a dangerous situation. Which is what he was warning against. ). The second service at the Methodist Church was very bold preaching. but it was on one of the hard sayings of Jesus. It is about if you wish to follow me then you need to take up your cross and deny yourself. The preacher did a great job of preaching that often times we do need to go to Jerusalem, to a city that persecutes the prophets, but talked about denying oneself as developing a good work ethic. To me this was rather troubling. I have friends and yes even myself struggle with a relationship to work. It is not that the gospel calls us to lazyness (in fact quite the opposite) but this verse is more talking about how we should not even work hard for our own sake. But that we should be about Jesus even in the middle of great suffering.

Anyways I rant on and on.
more later!
Peace!