Dear Norm
On September 6, 2020 the FJCCA had a baptism service. Three weeks before the baptism service we counted 957 people who indicated a desire to be baptized. Two days before the baptism service the number of people desiring to be baptized increased to 1,200. However, on the day of the baptism 1,435 people desired to be baptized. Praise the Lord!
There were twenty of us in the water baptizing Thai believers (see picture below). It was a privilege for Dwight to baptize 75 personally. Each one of them confessed before being baptized that it was their desire to follow Jesus for the rest of their lives and no longer worship and believe the old things that they used to cling on to.
It is not an easy thing for a Thai person to be publicly baptized because of the potential rejection by members of their family and village. Yet they still came. Some, in fact, came from a distant province (Khon Kaen). They sat in the back of a pickup truck for over 6 hours to travel to the baptism service. After they were baptized and the baptism service was over, they sat another 6 hours to return home. This shows a real commitment and desire to follow Jesus. Would you be willing to sacrifice this much in order to be baptized?
Please be in prayer for the FJCCA during this time. The baptism caused a jolt to the Body of Christ in Thailand because they have never seen this many Thai people baptized at one time. As a result, there are some Thai Christians and missionaries who try to discredit this movement because they don’t understand and are not informed of the facts of what God is doing. Unfortunately, there is also a very small faction that is actively resisting the movement by spreading false rumors. This is the group we need you to pray for the most. Pray that they would stop being a tool of Satan and repent. Thankfully most of the Christians in Thailand are rejoicing in what Jesus is doing.
Personally, we don’t know when we will return to the United States to visit many of you, our family and especially our granddaughter, Rosalie. She is growing so fast (8 months old now). We are thankful we get to “talk” to her over the internet We are looking forward to the day we can actually hold her.
Blessings in Jesus,
Dwight & Mary Kay Martin
http://crosstiesasia.org
http://estar.ws
If you want to know more about the background of this baptism please view this video: https://youtu.be/6P3NMy7T24w
If you want to understand the FJCCA movement please view this video: https://youtu.be/qn6kRKID434
