This weekend we had to leave Swazi because our visas were only good for 30 days, so we made the most of it and went to the beach! What was supposed to be just a quick visa run turned into one of the most special weekends yet. St. Lucia was beautiful, palm trees everywhere, the sound of the ocean, and the warmest weather. After weeks in the bush, it felt so nice to rest a little and see the beach again. But this weekend ended up being way more than just a beach trip.
We were planning to do baptisms in the Indian Ocean, but right when we were about to start, it started thunderstorming. So, we decided to move everything to the pool at our complex later that night, and honestly, it was the best decision we could’ve made. Braden started the night by sharing a vision the Lord had given him everyone gathered around the pool with their hands in the water, and fire coming from our hands as we prayed. That set the tone for the whole night.
The first baptism happened, and it was so powerful. Then came Karen, who shared that she couldn’t let fear keep her from saying yes to God anymore. What a story! Then something even more incredible happened, Stumo, one of the coordinators on AIM Swazi staff, got baptized. He grew up as a care point kid after losing both of his parents when he was little. He was fed and cared for through the same ministry we now serve with, and years later he met Jesus and started working for AIM. Watching him step into that pool and declare his faith was one of the most emotional moments. You could just see God’s redemption all over his story.
As we started to wrap up, Braden felt like God wasn’t done yet. He started calling out people who might still feel led to get baptized. Jayden was one of them. She wasn’t totally sure at first but felt God nudging her, so she said yes and got in the water. Right after that, Avery said God told her that if Jayden got baptized, she was supposed to as well. So she followed, and when she came out of the water, she realized that something wild had just happened, Mia had a dream back at training camp where everyone was praying over the water with fire coming from their hands, and Avery was one of the people getting baptized. God literally brought that dream to life right in front of us. Talk about unity in the Spirit!
Nine spontaneous baptisms. One pool. One big, faithful God. This weekend reminded me just how alive God is how He shows up in storms, in small pools, and in the hearts of His people. It felt like such a sweet reset before we head into our last two weeks of ministry here in Swazi.
Two weeks. That’s all we’ve got left here. And as Tammy Williams always says, “Go big or go home.” So that’s exactly what I’m gonna do.
What a God we serve.
Wow, that’s amazing! What a fantastic weekend, and so much more than you were expecting. The lord is sure showing up in big ways. I can’t believe you only have 2 more weeks there, boy does time fly.