Baptisms

A lack of blogging certainly does not mean a lack of activity! Actually, it usually means quite the opposite!

Since the last blog post we have:

• held a weeklong crusade to Chiapas
• bid farewell to the Marshall family as they departed on their month long trip to the U.S.
• enjoyed recent high school graduate, Brighton Ballmer's, three week visit to Refuge Ranch and his participation on the crusade to Chiapas
• were blessed by Dr. Bill Karkow (Fishers of Men Board of Directors member) and Krista Wyntheim, from Iowa, both on the crusade to Chiapas and then for a week at Refuge Ranch
• have held two one-day local crusades
• had another visit by the Mexican architect working on the main house project here at Refuge Ranch! (This is so exciting! Could 2012 be the year the Lord has for at least the first floor to be built?)
• enjoyed a daylong visit here at the Ranch by our friend Irma and the grandmother of our newest five children (her visits get easier each time:-)
• presented an orginal drama for Father's Day at our church with all 17 of our kids involved
• celebrated Lolis' 14th birthday and Miguel's 8th birthday

And that's just the "special" stuff, not including daily life and ministry loving 17 children, getting ready for the next crusade and leading staff into all that the Lord has prepared for Fishers of Men!

AND THEN THERE WAS TODAY!

I very rarely write anything at night! Those of you who know me (Julie) know that I am a morning person - I love the newness, the freshness, the hope and promise of each morning, the way my brain works better and, not to mention, sunrises behind the volcano that God has blessed us with, Popocatepetl! But, tonight is different! I fear that if I do not capture at least a part of today I will not be able to accurately express all that God brought together and all that He has begun!

Today was our church's yearly baptism outing to a nearby waterpark. The park is fed by natural springs, so there are both natural fed swimming pools and a beautiful springfed stream.

The location of the baptisms.

Over 40 people from our church waiting to be baptized.

Since the last time our church held baptisms (in a swimming pools set up in our church sanctuary!), both Martha and Lolis had expressed interest in being baptized at the next opportunity. So, our family had been planning on them participating in today's baptisms. (I can already tell that simple words are not going to do this topic justice, so may the Holy Spirit translate for you my feeble attempts at sharing His workings!)

As this past week progressed and we came ever closer to today's baptism celebration, Ruth, one of our five year old's, began to express her desire to be baptised! "Can Daddy baptize me on Sunday?" Two days later: "So, am I going to be baptized?" The next day: "Huh? Is Daddy gonna baptize me on Sunday? Huh?" The following day: "So, the day after tomorrow is Sunday, right? When I am going to be baptized, right?" We got the picture! So, Ruth was added to the list!

Then, day before yesterday, Leo began asking more questions about baptism. Yesterday I heard, through another sibling, that Fatima wanted to be baptized! So, last night, I was trying to put the younger kids to bed so that Victor and I could meet with those interested in being baptized and make sure they fully understood what they were going to be doing and try and "feel out" which kids were being sincerely drawn by the Holy Spirit. But, everytime I would go into a room to try and put those kids to bed, somebody in that room would start asking questions about baptism, which peeked everybody else's interest. So, we finally basically called a family meeting to talk about baptism, it's meaning and what our motivations should be in being baptized.

The end result? Today:

• Lolis
• Martha
• Fatima
• Leonardo
• Miguel
• Ruth

were baptized by Victor!

Martha

Lolis

Fatima

Leo

Miguel

Ruth

Ruth afterwards

Six of the children whom the Lord has blessed us with; whom the Lord has entrusted into our care were baptized!

Ruth, Leo, Fatima, Lolis, Martha and Miguel

These children join Angie, Diana, Martita and Josiah, who have already been baptized. Is there any greater joy? And even more so when I know all too well where they have each come from, what has led them each to this place and time in their lives, the joys and oh so many struggles along the way. For some, that way with us has been shorter (Fatima, Leo and Miguel have only been a part of our family for five months) and for others, like Martha who joined our family over seven years ago, the journey as been longer. While I have seen only parts of where each child has come from; while I have been there every step of the way once they joined the Zaragoza family; I have NO IDEA what the Lord has for each of them in the future, I know it is something incredible...because that is just the kind of God that we have!

So, today God brought together weeks, months, years of sowing His Word and His love in our children's hearts, but today He began the greatest adventure of their lives...the adventure of following Jesus Christ!

Please praise Him with us!