Three Baptisms and a Wedding

There are two events that always make me cry: weddings and baptisms. There is something so beautiful about people standing up in front of friends and family, declaring their love and commitment, and starting a new life. This month we had the joy of watching three friends make a commitment to follow Jesus through the waters of baptism.

These baptisms are also a powerful testimony to the life altering impact of CBM’s projects as all three were connected to Jireh—one of our vulnerable children & youth projects. Belen is a teenage beneficiary, Carlos’ is the father of beneficiaries, and Betzi is on staff.  Here are their stories.

Betzi and Belen

Belen has been a part of Jireh for three years and is currently in her last year of high school. A complicated family situation forced her to leave her parents and move to Cochabamba to live with her single grandmother. From the very beginning Belen felt as though the project adopted her as part of their family, sighting how they all call the staff “aunty and uncle”. While she knew who Jesus was when we she came to Jireh, she shared that she was nowhere ready for baptism at that time, partly because she didn’t feel she deserved God’s love. Over the past three years however, she recognizes how she’s been discipled through Jireh and the church it’s based out of. Belen says she now understands that she doesn’t need to be perfect, only willing and committed to follow Jesus.

Carlos and his wife VIki

Carlos is the father of three children who each attend Jireh. He shared with us how he came to know Christ largely through his family. His children first became Christians through the Jireh project, then his wife made a commitment, and eventually this led him to his own relationship with Jesus.

The two of us have had the opportunity to slowly watch Christ transform this 

family over time. When his family first joined the project, Carlos was often absent from home and his wife was left to try and support their three kids on her own.They’ve shared how Jireh was critical for their children during this time and helped them get stable. The couple slowly integrated into the local church, becoming regular members and receiving discipleship from the congregation. This lead them to make a commitment to Christ as well as to work through their family struggles. Recently Carlos and his wife set a date to be officially married later this year. His decision to be baptized is his public witness of a changed life and commitment to follow Jesus.  

Betzi recently came on as staff at Jireh, but she first got involved with the project two years ago as part of an internship for her psychology degree. She shared that for a while she had been curious about Christianity but was too intimidated to go to a church and ask questions. As she volunteered as an intern, she heard about Jesus during devotion time with the kids, she saw the love the Christians around her were showing to the vulnerable, and she started to experience church community. Betzi said it was like a hunger in her heart to know and understand; everyday she came to the project eager to learn more. After a few months she started to offer to run devotions so she could teach herself as she prepared.

The two of us remember the excitement within the church when this university intern started to attend Sundays. Eventually through the close relationships she formed with a staff named Vanessa, the pastor, and other church members, Betzi made a commitment to Christ. A few months ago a position on staff became available and she was a great fit. Betzi’s testimony is another example of how lives can change by hearing, seeing, and experiencing the good news of God’s kingdom.