Do you remember our April 2013 article titled “Six Inches of Water?” There was a water shortage, and the river was infested with crocodiles, so we had to make do with a little bit of water in the bottom of a cistern to conduct our third series of baptisms. It was a humbling experience for us, and we were troubled that we could not truly immerse people and convey the full meaning of Romans 6:4. Well, if you have been praying with us that this water shortage would not be repeated, then your prayers have been answered! By the grace of God, for our fourth baptism event on December 28, we were able to use our own baptismal tank built on our own property, and it was nearly full with about three feet of water.
However, we did still suffer a shortage—a shortage of seats for the baptismal guests. While our third baptism brought only two guests, our fourth baptism attracted 15 guests and visitors. With a total of 60 people present, our Faith Dialogue Center was overflowing. We had to put extra seats outside in the alley for our deacons and some other members. Unfortunately some guests also had to sit outside with no chance to see what was going on.
Praise God, this is becoming a more frequent problem. By the grace of God we have continued growing since the 2011 inauguration of the Faith Dialogue Center as our place of prayer and worship. Over the past three years, we have baptized 33 precious souls into the body of Christ. Twenty-three of them live in Kandi and attend our services regularly. Our average attendance on Sabbath is about 40 adults and 13 children. On special occasions, we often pack the room with 50 or more. As we thank God for enough water in our baptismal tank, we are praying for enough room to seat everyone for our next baptism scheduled for March, which will take a miracle.
It won’t help with the overcrowding at our next baptism, but we have laid plans to build a new church for the Dendi Project that will seat at least 300 people. It will also have a small attached apartment for project workers. Kandi, our city, and the five towns surrounding it have a population of about 800,000 people. Our goal is to make this church the regional headquarters of the Adventist work that we are sure will multiply in coming years by God’s power. Thanks for your prayer and support for this construction project.
