On the morning of June 19th, at the bright and beautiful hour of 4am, my teammate and I stumbled out of bed to attend a Bible study. That morning, our national partner taught about water baptism. Two women in the group responded with boldness and said they wanted to be baptized! Over the next week, our team prayed for them—asking God to strengthen their faith and protect their decision.
While baptism holds the same deep spiritual meaning wherever you are, the cost looks very different depending on where you live. In the U.S., baptism rarely leads to tension or rejection. But in many parts of the world, this public declaration of faith can mean backlash or even being cut off from family. These women knew that—and still chose Jesus.
A week later, the whole team got up at 4am again and headed out to meet the two women. They were ready, joyful, and determined to proclaim their faith. After some pan de sal for breakfast, we hiked down a cliff, followed a dirt path, and reached the river. With songs of praise echoing through the hills, we watched as they were baptized—washed in the water, raised in new life. What a joyful, unforgettable morning!
But God wasn’t done.
Later that day, post-lunch and post-nap (praise God for siestas), our team headed out to visit nearby homes—about a mile walk away. The first house was a bit discouraging. They were devout Catholics and politely uninterested. But God reminded us quickly that He’s always working. At the next house, a teammate shared her testimony, our team lead shared the gospel, and our national partner continued the conversation. The woman there said yes to Jesus! She was eager to know more and hungry to learn.
When I asked if she had a Bible, she said no. I felt a nudge—okay, more like a shove—from the Holy Spirit to give her mine. At first, I hesitated. I thought, She can get an app. She’ll probably get one soon anyway. But every excuse came with a stronger conviction. So, I gave it to her—scribbles, sticky notes, cracked cover and all. I told her to start in John and prayed that God would use it in powerful ways.
At the next house? Another teammate shared her story, I shared the gospel, our partner continued the conversation—and that woman also accepted Christ! One day. Two salvations. God is moving.
God was moving powerfully... but so was something with eight legs.
Picture this: a peaceful siesta time. Some of us were napping, others reading, and I was putting away laundry when one of my teammates suddenly said, “There’s a spider on my pants!” She launched the shorts across the room like it was an Olympic event. Instant chaos. Screaming. Shrieking. Someone yelled, “KILL IT! KILL IT!” You’d think a snake had slithered in.
One teammate from Mississippi bravely stepped up to “get it”—but the moment the spider jumped, she screamed louder than anyone and bolted out of the room like her shoes were on fire. Our team lead rushed in to save the day, just as our national partner—alarmed by the sounds of war—ran over from outside.
What followed was a full-on operation: crawling under the bed, assuming the spider was gone, only to have it leap out again like it was the main character in a horror film. More shrieking. But finally… the jumping spider met its match. Rest in peace you bouncy little fella.
Colossians 2:6–7 – “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him...”
Prayer: Pray that the women who accepted Christ and were baptized will be rooted deeply in God’s Word and surrounded by community.
Philippians 2:2 – “Then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and of one mind.”
Prayer: Pray for unity, joy, and grace among our team as we live, work, and laugh (and scream over spiders) together!