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| Sharon sharing the story of Jesus |
One
village we went to, we found a large majority Christians there. We met those that were
Lutheran, Roman Catholic, African Inland Church, African Anglican Church, and
7th Day Adventist. When we got back to
the trucks there was some disappointment since the baptism numbers were much
lower and some were saying how this was a tough day.
Even though we didn’t baptize as many as previous days, it was wonderful to see an area that Christianity was thriving. This is where one of my favorite stories happened. We had baptized a lady and her family. We continued walking and sharing Jesus with others in the area - meeting many already attending a local church, and those that already knew Jesus. Those that knew Jesus were astonished that we had come so far to teach others about Jesus and they just wanted to tell us thank you for coming.
Even though we didn’t baptize as many as previous days, it was wonderful to see an area that Christianity was thriving. This is where one of my favorite stories happened. We had baptized a lady and her family. We continued walking and sharing Jesus with others in the area - meeting many already attending a local church, and those that already knew Jesus. Those that knew Jesus were astonished that we had come so far to teach others about Jesus and they just wanted to tell us thank you for coming.
After
probably an hour or so, a lady came running up to us and she wanted to know if
she was getting a Baptismal Certificate.
I was a little taken back and asked if I needed to write her out a
certificate. I then learned from the pastor with us that a Certificate of Baptism is
written out for everyone that was baptized.
That is why a scribe is with each team to record the tribal name of the person
and the Christian name they take at baptism. The local pastors and workers have
a certificate made for each person with their new Christian name, date, and
the pastor that performed the baptism.
The evangelists in that area also invited those
who were baptized back to the area church for worship. If the area does not have a church yet, the
evangelist will return to the homes and give them their
certificate.
This
was truly amazing to me. Our mission
trip baptized 1093 individuals during the week. These certificates mean so much to those
baptized. I think about how I have my
Bible from the day I was baptized and my certificate; I think about my
daughter’s baptism certificate as well as her Confirmation Certificate. These items, although only paper, are a
reminder that God picked me to be one of his children. Some people think their diploma or a work
certificate is the most important piece of paper, but to a Christian the day
you received Jesus into your heart is a true sign of faithfulness. This lady that was so excited to receive a
Baptism Certificate! The pastors and
area evangelists are truly hardworking and diligent to these duties.
Sharon Hyde
Memphis,
TN
