Baptisms Show God’s Power During Lockdown
In spite of lockdowns and stay-at-home orders around the world, the word of God has continued to draw hearts to Him! These are just a few of the women who have been baptized around the world in the first half of May 2020.
First, from Jakarta, Indonesia:
This is Gloria, the daughter of a Pentecostal church leader, with a very humble heart. She was baptized by Harliem Salim in Jakarta, Indonesia. (In Indonesia, it is quite important to families like Gloria’s that our church evangelists perform the baptisms even for women. This shows respect for the traditional beliefs and practices of many of our religious family members who would not expect to see a woman performing a baptism. )
Next, from Novosibirsk, Russia:
Four years, ago our brother Alexander received a gift: a new gym membership with a personal trainer. Sergey became his trainer. Alex started building a relationship with Sergey. Sergey made it clear he did not want to talk about Christianity; so they talked instead about bicycles, which was a common interest.
After a few months, Sergey went to work in another gym and Alex continued to communicate with him only via Instagram. Over the next few years, Sergey the trainer got married, had a daughter, fell out with his wife, moved almost 4000 kilometers away across the country to Saint-Petersburg to take part in sports competitions, had a stroke, and after three years, came back full circle to Novosibirsk. He was disappointed with his life, with his career and with people.
Back home in Novosibirsk, he went to employment counseling – and it turned out that his employment counselor was a member of our church. She gave him employment counseling and also shared her faith with him. She told him that the only way to truly solve his problems would be to begin to study the Bible. He answered that he did not want to communicate with Christians because they are hypocrites. “I know one Christian man who I’m certain is not a hypocrite,” she told him. “You can trust him.” The brother she recommended turned out to be none other than Alex, the one Sergey met in his gym three years before.
Sergey set up a meeting with Alex. After three meetings, during which Sergey tested Alex with all kinds of skeptical questions, he agreed to study the Bible.
In the process of studying the Bible he decided to try to repair his relationship with his wife, Natasha. He started to help her and to spend time with their daughter more frequently. His wife was shocked as he changed. He became an open-hearted, loving, modest, hard-working man who fights for his family. And shortly before his baptism she forgave him and took him back into the family.
Sergey was baptized on his birthday one year ago. In the last year he has been very active in studying the Bible and praying for Natasha to become a Christian. Many people in church were also praying for her. It took her some time to get over her shock at the change in her husband. Though she was very friendly with the disciples, she did not want to come to church.
Then came COVID-19. During the lockdown, Natasha studied the Bible and was baptized on May 9, 2020.
Also from Novosibirsk, Russia:
Inna has been undergoing chemotherapy treatment for cancer. She went through the entire First Principles Bible study series a few months ago, but did not get baptized then. In April she was hospitalized with acute pancreatitis and then had a stroke shortly after the operation. It was a miracle that she survived. Immediately after she was discharged from the hospital, the sisters went to talk to her. Inna realized her need for God, repented of her sins, and on May 9, 2020, she was baptized!
From Kinshasa, Central Africa:
Nicole was baptized in Kinshasa, Central Africa on May 2, 2020.
Anna was baptized May 8, 2020, in Kinshasa in Central Africa.
Anna lived in a convent, and was a deeply devoted Catholic, preparing to take her vows of celibacy as a nun. God did a miracle. She studied the Bible, and by the grace of God, she became a disciple, on May 8, 2020! Our God is really great! Praise the Lord!
From Brazzaville, Central Africa:
In Brazzaville, in Central Africa, a student, Jefna, was baptized the first week of May ! To God be the glory!
2 Comments
Jun 5, 2020, 6:46:56 AM
Ruby Casilan - Thank you so much for this newsletter it is indeed an encouragement to know whats going on around the globe about Jesus’Movement amidst whats going on around the world today..
Jun 5, 2020, 1:59:40 AM
JackieO - Thank you so much for sharing this!! May babies (new christians) are special to me because I was baptized on May 19, 1990. One of the ladies in my ohana (family group) shared how people can try to refute and argue about the bible but they can't say anything about how someone's life has been changed by God.