Twenty-eight individuals willing to face persecution from the Government.
Twenty-eight people willing to face abandonment from their own families.
Twenty- eight people willing to sacrifice their own health and safety.
Twenty-eight people dying to themselves, giving up their own plans, and putting their hope in someone so much greater.
This morning we had church, and I would say it was your normal Sunday service, except that today I got to witness something so extraordinary. At the end of the service this morning they opened a space for new believers to get baptized. To die to their old lives, be washed clean of any sins, and begin a new life with Jesus. An opportunity to begin to live in a new identity, that is rooted in Christ. A life where there is no shame, or bondage, but freedom given by the Lord through his never-ending grace.
When I heard that this was happening, I was so excited, but had no clue what I was about to witness. In my mind, I had imagined that maybe one or two people would be making an outward declaration of their faith this morning. But boy, was I wrong.
The time had come, and they welcomed those wanting to get baptized to the stage. I began to see many people walking up to the baptismal. When everyone had finished walking up I couldn’t believe it. I counted them all, and there were a whopping twenty-eight new believers standing bolding on stage. This cannot be real.
TWENTY-EIGHT PEOPLE!
So, this may not seem like a huge number to you, but let me explain.
Here, in Vietnam, the majority of people are Buddhist. It wasn’t until ten years ago, that people were even aloud to practice any kind of religion. Christianity is a very rare thing, and is not a desirable thing. Jesus is known, but not believed in. Even if you want to believe, you must be willing to face persecution from most people you encounter. And, you better be careful who you share your faith with, because evangelism is illegal here too- talk about a lonely walk.
If you come from a Buddhist family, and decide to follow Jesus, you usually face losing your family. You could even become a disgrace to your family. And I would imagine that if your family is willing to disown you, your friends will probably be too. Here, you have almost every reason not to follow Jesus.
Yet, today I saw twenty-eight brave souls take a leap of faith. Today, I gained twenty-eight brothers and sisters. Today, God showed me, that no matter what circumstances this world may throw at you, He is still so much greater. Nothing, I repeat, absolutely nothing can stop His love from spreading like a wild fire.
God is moving mountains here. He is giving his children the strength and courage to proclaim His love to many people, without the fear of what could happen because of it. He is helping people step out and speak truth into others’ lives that desperately need it.
And I am just so thankful that God has allowed me to be a part of this beautiful story of His.
