February Baptisms

Baptism Meeting

We had the great privilege of baptizing another 20 or so people from Gotesti, Chircani Porumbesti, Hanaseni and other villages.

There were some encouraging testimonies of how they had come to the Lord and also how some had undergone a measure of trials to keep on with their faith – often from unbelieving partners.

Here in Moldova 98% of people ate baptized in the Orthodox church as babies and their doctrine is such that this means they are baptized into the church and thus are saved. It is thus understandable that those who are convinced this is the truth are thereby hostile to us who baptized these ones a second time ( since the majority were baptized as babies ). They feel we are baptising them out of salvation and into who knows what ( in their view ). So often the unbelieving partner is angry and accuses the new believer of “changing his/her law” Sadly the new believers if women often receive a beating to go with the accusations.

The vast majority of those that were baptized were ones that got saved in the Alpha course that we ran throughout the autumn and winter. We had around 70 come each week for the 10 weeks of the course of whom 50 at least were seekers. In the picture you can see some of the discussion groups. The format and level of teaching seems to work well for all ages as we had ones from age 15-71 attend the course.

Unfortunately culturally it doesn’t work for us to do another Alpha immediately after this one as people are starting to work in the fields and it is difficult for them to come to a 10 week course.

Keep us in your prayers as we start to visit and talk to people over the next few months that they might become ones that will come to the next Alpha course planned in November