Tuesday, August 26 – Almost done!
We started our day with breakfast and devotions as usual, and left almost immediately afterward for the baptismal service. Emma had found, through her connections, a house with a swimming pool that was the perfect size and depth to accommodate our needs, in a lovely yard with fruit trees, and a comfortable veranda with tables and chairs, as well as a changing area. It was perfect!
Pastor Joseph began the service with a prayer and an address to the six candidates: the “shepherd family”—Rafael, Armine, and their two older children Diana and Gor—Roza, a member of Pastor Stepan’s church, and Anahit, whom we had also mentioned in a previous post. The address included the confirmation of their commitment to their faith, and every question Pastor Joseph asked was met with a resounding “Ayo!” (Yes!) The group then moved toward the pool to be baptized. It was the first time we saw “self-immersion” (the pool would have made it difficult for Pastor Joseph to “dunk” people the traditional way) but with the support of his arms and Arayik’s encouragement, each candidate wholeheartedly plunged under the water after the Pastor repeated the standard declaration: “Based on your profession of faith, and at your request, I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.” Each one emerged happy and smiling and excited, and it was a delight to see their joy as they grouped themselves together after their own turn, watching and waiting to welcome the next candidate to join them.
When the service was over, Pastor Joseph presented each one who was baptized with a certificate, a New Testament, and a cross pin or pendant. Then the women changed back into their regular clothing but, as it was a hot day and we were beside a swimming pool, Rafael and the kids got back into the water and were soon joined by some of the other people present. Meanwhile, others enjoyed the fruits and pastries that Emma had picked up for us and, as usual, there was a lot of good discussion and fellowship. It was nice to see that some people had come just for the support of their family or friends, and this was like a reminder of how the church should be: people from all backgrounds coming together to celebrate each other and their common faith.
We returned to the hotel to rest, a bit tired but with our own hearts full of joy after sharing in today’s service. As we are preparing this report, we realize that this is a nice way to end our trip: sharing about an event which is like the culmination of the Christian experience; an important step in a journey which may have started long ago or only recently; the outward expression of an inward transformation; the beginning of what is to come next. Please keep these six special people in your prayers, and please continue to pray for Armenia and the ministry here.
If you’d like to watch a video of the baptismal service, our friend Sanadroug Hajian posted his nine-minute recording on Facebook here. You can also view the photos below in this album (for easier scrolling).
English