After months of ministry by local pastors and a week of preaching at the annual evangelistic outreach (see the previous post) in Port de Paix, Haiti - it was time for a baptism. Fort-seven people were candidates for baptism. Pastor Exante and I arrived at the beach at Haiti's northern most coast at sun rise on Saturday morning - the water was calm and gently lapped on the sand - the sun was casting its first red glimmers on the eastern horizon.
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| Sunrise on Haiti's north coast city of Port de Paix. |
Before long I heard singing. Marching toward us was a parade of people singing a gospel hymn. They passed by us and lined up on the beach - on the front row closest to the water were the candidates for baptism and behind them were their families. There was an air of anticipation in cool morning.
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| Baptism candidates line-up on the shore. |
Pastor Exante and I gave the baptism candidates a word of encouragement from Scripture and prayed. Then Pastors Exante and Philippe waded into the water - waist deep - and waited. Once the new believers had lined up, they too waded out into the water and awaited their turn to be baptized by Bishop Exante and Pastor Philippe. It was a powerful testimony to onlookers who stopped their soccer games and power-walks to witness the event.
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| Bishop Exante (left) and Pastor Philippe prepare to baptize a new believer in the ocean. |
After each person was baptized they were covered by a white sheet - signifying how Jesus Christ had washed away their scarlet sins - making them clean. All forty-seven baptized believers lined up on the shore, covered in white and received their blessing from Pastor Exante.
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| After each person is baptized, they are covered by a white sheet - symbolizing their cleansing by the blood of Jesus Christ and the forgiveness of sins and new life in Him. |
By now the morning was bright and warm. It is amazing how light changes things - the sun light brightened the day and the Light of the Son warmed our hearts. It was a beautiful morning in Haiti!
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| Bishop Exante pronounced the benediction. |
