BAPTISMS

 
 We had a great day today. All three groups got together at the beach and fifteen were baptized. John had to leave earlier to shuttle people back and forth to the estuary; then he came back and got us. We had beach chairs, sandwiches, water, beach towels, etc., but when we finally got there, we realized that the road to the beach was actually through the mangrove swamp. John did not want to take the car because we had no idea what we would find at the end, so we parked at a nearby restaurant and walked through the swamp. Bob and Penny were such troupers, never complaining. I have to admit that even for this Cuban, it was a new experience. I always stayed away from mangroves back home.

This is the estuary right by the Hacienda, we could have walked on the beach and joined the group, but John had offer to help picking up some of the people, and they also kept telling us that it was a different estuary, but it was not. We could have walked on the beach to join them from our condo. We will know better next time.

Pastor Alejandro talked to the congregation about the meaning of baptism. The candidates are on the left. Each candidate had to give his or her testimony at this time. Then we lined up in two rows and the candidates were escorted one by one to the water while we sang. After the baptism, we had communion, only those baptized could participate. Then the pastor presented a newly engaged couple and talked about sexual purity. He told the young people that engagement was only for marriage and that the time should be use to get to know each other better and nothing else. Also a mother dedicated her daughter to the Lord. By this time, the tide was really high; water was waist high wading back, but we decided to walk on the beach to the restaurant where we had parked the car and have lunch there, instead of eating our sandwiches. We invited two other couples to go with us.

Now we are all resting. Wading through all that water is very tiring.

Until next time,,,form the beach...