February Baptisms

On February 9th, we had our first two baptisms of the year.  Last year we had eight, even with the school year being shortened by covid, so let's see how this year will go!  Our headmaster, Godfrey Mngoma, baptized two boys this afternoon:  Isack Jeremiah, who is in form four and will graduate later this year, and Johnson, who is in form two. These were the first two students to be baptized in our new baptistry built into the base of our school bell tower! The bell tower was completed last year; the first baptism in it was the son of the school driver, Deo, but he's still in primary school.   

Below, Mr Godfrey takes Johnson's confession while all of his friends and classmates gather around. 

One of the students was taking the photos on Mr Godfrey's phone, so while waiting for them to enter the baptistry, he took a few picture of the students around--I had to laugh when I saw Isack Peter (not the Isack being baptized; Isack is a popular name and we have three of them) being dramatic in the background. 😂

So, we have two new brothers in Christ today, Isack and Johnson! 

Baraka's Baptism

On April 7th, we had our seventh baptism of the year at Alpha Omega!  Although the school is still closed due the covid19, Baraka, who lives here in Monduli, decided he was ready to make this decision and came back up to the school to be baptized by Mr. Fielden (Allison), his Bible teacher. Unfortunately, I was already elsewhere that day, so I couldn't go up to the school for the baptism, but I had Fielden send me photos.

The name Baraka is very common here; it means 'blessing.'  We currently have two students named Baraka; last year we had three, but one graduated.  This Baraka is now a form four student and the head student librarian; he's had a pretty rough go at life but he's a hard worker and keeps a positive outlook.  Please pray for him as he takes this new step in his life! 

Baptisms in the time of Pandemic

Jackson helped to fill up the school's collapsible baptistry.

On Sunday afternoon, Beth and the kids and I went back up to school in the afternoon.  Fielden Allison had told us that there were going to be some baptisms.  Two boys returned to school to be baptized.  They had been talking with Fielden (who teaches Bible and life skills at the school) about it before the school was closed suddenly for the pandemic, and decided not to let the school closing stop them.  

Innocent, who is in form 4, has been thinking about this decision for a long time.  He lives in Monduli, and his brother and sister came with him up to the school.  

Innocent's baptism 

Baton is staying with a friend in Arusha while school is closed, but took a dala dala (van used as a crowded public bus) back to Monduli, over and hour each way.  We pointed out that we could have connected him with one of the churches in Arusha, but he really wanted to come back to the school to be baptized in a familiar place and by Fielden.  

Baton's baptism

A couple of other Monduli students came as well to witness the baptisms.  Afterwards, Fielden read some scriptures to the boys and we prayed for them.  These two baptisms make six so far this school year--and it's only March! 

The Allisons praying over the boys.

Innocent, Fielden and Baton

Since I had the camera, the boys wanted some non-wet photos of themselves, too.

Dyness's Baptism

On March 1st, we gained a new sister. Dyness, one of our form one students, was baptized on Sunday afternoon. She's a sweet and capable girl; please pray that she can grow in her faith over the coming years here at Alpha Omega. 

Three Baptisms!

This morning at church, Fielden announced that there would be a baptism in the afternoon. It turned out to be three: welcome David, Isack, and Luther to the family!

David and Isack are in form two, and Luther is in form one. I'm happy for all of them, and I pray that they grow to be leaders in our school and community. 

The baptisms and the singing and praying done alongside them were led by students. 4th year students Benedict and Norman organized and led the service. In the photo Benedict, assisted by Meleji, is baptizing David. I'm proud of our older students for showing leadership and serving their fellow students in this way. 

A couple of the boys' families were able to come to witness the baptisms. Above, Luther stands with his father and two sisters. 

Isack's mother and younger brother (his father passed away some time ago) came. 

Below, Benedict prays with the guys after the baptisms. It was am important day for the students of Alpha Omega!

Four Baptisms

The Patron (dorm father) takes Moses's confession

Today, we had four baptisms at the school.  While that's always a joyful thing, the events leading up to it were not.  

The first year of the school, there was a boy named Robin who was a student.  He ended up transferring to a different school across town in his second year, but the older students all knew him well.  Earlier this week, he was playing soccer after school and suddenly collapsed.  It turned out that he had had an undiagnosed heart issue, and had a sudden heart attack; he died before anyone could react.  His school and the community in general have been in shock, and some of the teachers took the older students aside to let them know.  

For a few of our boys, this was a wake-up call that no one is guaranteed tomorrow.  They realized that it was time to make some decisions about how they wanted their lives to be.  Please keep these four in your prayers: Gabriel, Moses, Clement and Laurence.  

Gabriel

Laurence

Clement

The school gathers around Gabriel, Laurence, Moses and Clement

Baptisms at Sunset

May 6th was an important day at Alpha Omega...we had three baptisms! Late in the afternoon, we gathered around the portable baptistry that Albert spent a good part of the afternoon filling (large amounts of water are usually rather difficult to come by around here).  

 The first baptism was Rebecca Short.  It was nice that she could be baptized while her grandparents, Edward and Sharon, were still here.  Talking to her grandmother earlier in the day about her baptism, she had said something about hoping for there to be a sunbeam on her; Sharon said something about it while we were waiting for everyone to gather.  Well, she got her wish!  Her baptism was just before the sun dipped behind Monduli Moutain, and my camera captured sunbeams shining right over us at that moment.

 Baraka, a form four student, was the second baptism.  While he had been baptized a few years ago when he was still quite young, he felt that he wasn't really ready back when he did it to make a commitment really understanding what he was committing to.  He had been thinking about his spiritual walk, and once he heard that Rebecca would be baptized and so the water would be ready, he decided it was a good time to be baptized again himself.

Edward Short prayed with Rebecca and Baraka after their baptisms.  I ask you also to pray for them as they begin this new commitment to God. 

After the other two baptisms, Stephanie, a form one student, came forward and said that she had been thinking about baptism and had decided that she was ready.  We stalled a bit while she called her parents, but with their permission, she was also baptized that evening. 

Edward had a prayer with Stephanie, with her friends gathered around, after her baptism. 

I've had a difficult time getting videos to load properly to the blog with my weak internet signal here.  Hopefully, you'll be able to watch this one.  We are singing the Swahili version of "I've Been Washed in the Blood."  The videos of the baptisms themselves were too long to load here, unfortunately.