New Year's Eve 2011

21 Baka believers were baptized!  Some of the guys cleared a place in the forest at a nearby river.  In preparation for this baptismal service, we held a baptism class.  Nathan expected just a handful of guys to step forward, but we were overjoyed as we saw that God's Spirit had truly worked in hearts and prepared many for this event.  One after another stepped forward and gave testimony which included such statements as "I love the death of Jesus because it takes away my sins." and "I want to follow God's path with my whole heart."  A truly amazing day that we continually praise God for.

We posted a bio on each of these folks on a facebook page called The Baka People (look it up and click "like") for 21 Days of Prayer for the baptized believers.  Here is an excerpt from that page:

Day 8: There's so much I (Nathan) could write about Nestor... He has truly become a friend to me. We've seen so much growth in him over the last few years. He has been growing as a leader and I've been able to count on him to keep things going while I've had to travel. He used to hit his wife when he got angry and cared more about buying new clothes than caring for his family - but now he's a model husband and father - an example to those around him. He desperately needs your prayers as The Deciever would like nothing more than to trip up this emerging leader and de-rail the growth of the Baka Church. Please pray for Nestor.

Day 14: This is Mango (mah-ngo), a grandmother at Mayos who stepped forward for baptism and surprised us with her understanding of the Gospel and desire to follow God. She publically confessed to the sins of her past and how her life has changed now that she's on God's path. She's the first one in her family to be baptised. She acts as mother to many in the village, providing help and counsel when needed. Pray with us that she will be an example to her family and a light to her generation as well as a spiritual guide to the next.