Baptism Contemplations

"Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit." Acts 2:38 

A baptism has to be one of the most beautiful things to witness. 
Two weeks ago, we had a baptism for a couple who had been attending church regularly and finally decided to choose Jesus publicly after they had come to every night of the Evangelistic Series. The husband, Max, brought tons of visitors every night with them! It was amazing to see God work. 
At the baptism, they did something very special. The parents were insistent that their little 7-year-old daughter be right there to witness their baptism. So, as the couple were baptized, little Sharon stood right up in the front with her nose smashed against the glass. She was SO excited that her parents were getting baptized. I was in the front singing and I could see all three of their faces shinning with their new found love of Jesus. 
Just this sabbath we had another baptism, for Samantha. This baptism was very special as well. She was baptized by her dad who has been a pastor before (but is now a principal). This reminded me of my baptism back in the U.S. when I  was baptized by my father. I remember how special it was. 

"I tell you that in the same way there will be more rejoicing in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who do not need to repent." Luke 15:7 

 

A Sabbath Morning in the Police Department

"Oh no! I left the camera in the taxi!"
It was Sabbath morning and we were on our way to the 'Big Event.' The Big Event was a big gathering and church service of all the Adventist in Taiwan that was sponsored by the conference. It was also a celebration for all the people getting baptized. From our church, we had seven people (Praise God :) ) come up for baptism during the evangelistic series a little while back. I helped with the children's program and in all, the Evangelisitc series was a great success.
My dad had to leave early so, that left my mom, sister, and I to figure out how to get there. Thankfully, a friend graciously offered to meet us at the MRT station and help us find our way to the hall. We were going to take a bus to the MRT, but it was taking a while and a taxi conviently showed up.
"Let's just take the taxi," my mom said,"who knows when our bus will come, it's taking forever!"
We waved the taxi and hopped in. About fifteen minutes later, we arrived at the MRT station. My mom payed him and then we got out of the taxi. We started walking to the other side of the station where we were supposed to meet Shin. This is when my mom halted and gasped, "I left the camera in the taxi!" We immediately turned around and ran back to the road where he had dropped us off. My mom peered through a few of the parked taxis, trykng to sen if it was the right one, but it was in vain. The taxi had already left. One of the drivers beckoned us to hop in his taxi, thinking that we wanted a ride.
"No, I left my camera in another taxi!" My mom tried to explain.
"Enjoli," she said, turning to me,"Hurry and go get Shin!"
Turning around, I  quickly run back to the other side of the station. I got quite a few stares as I ran by. I could just imagine their thoughts: "Who's that white/American girl all dressed up that's just running through the station!?"
Finally, I spotted  him in the crowd.
"Hi, Happy Sabbath!"
"Hi!" I gasped  for breath, "You have to come ... Quickly...my mom ... Left her camera... In the taxi!" I exclaimed between breathes.
His smiled turned into a worried frown. "Let's go!"
So, we ran back to the other side of the station.
When we arrived, my mom brought us up to date, "I kept telling this guy that I left my camera in a taxi, so he told me to call this number. Apparently, that 'number' was the police department. So, the police should be here soon." My mom sighed. Not surprisingly, she was very stressed and worry.
Shin immediately began calling and talking to people.
Soon, the police came and talked to us. Of course, we had no clue what they were saying, but Shin translated for us, "He said they are going to check the cameras surrounding the MRT to see if they can see the taxi you came in and it's number." He translated. "Stay here and I'll go with them to the Police Department around the corner and watch the video cameras."
So we waited...and waited ... And waited.
"I'm sure they'll find it. And I guess if we don't, well, you keep talking about getting a new camera." I told my mom, trying to cheer her up.
We waited for about an hour or so after they left when Shin called us.
"We can't find it, but if you want, you guys can come over here and see If you can."
So, we walked over to the police office. We kept watching the video but we couldn't find ourselves either!
Suddenly, mom my spotted  the bottom of her long, church dress in the video.
"There I am! We are right there!" We couldn't see the license plate of the taxi though. Our taxi had pulled in between two other taxis and dropped us off. It just so happened that right as we get out of the car, a bunch of traffic goes by. If my mom had not worn a long dress (which she debated on doing) there was no way you could have seen us.
The police went back in the video and played it in slow motion. After a few tries, we saw the license plate!
The police went right to work and called the number. Turns out that it was only the number of the taxi, but eventually they got a hold of the driver.
We were just talking amongst ourselves as we sat in the office chairs, when they told us the great news; they had got a hold of the driver and would be here in about a half hour!
You can know without a doubt that we thanked God for the miracle he performed.

Lost... Again!

Did I mention in my last post how much I love how safe Taiwan is how kind the people are? Well, it couldn't have been more true last Thursday.
I had previously been instructed to go to my friend, Danielle's house after school, because they (my parents) were going out. So, as I slung my bag over my shoulder, I started walking alongside my friend, Vivian, to the bus stop.
"Which bus are you taking?" She asked as we crossed the street.
"Well," I answered, "Today I'm going to my friend's house so I can take either the 5 or the 15. Oh look! There it is! Bye, I'll see you tomorow!"
"Bye bye!" Vivian called as she waved.
Taking a seat, I glanced at my watch. It read 5:15. "Hmm." I thought, "I should be there in about 20 minutes, add or subtract a few minutes for traffic up the mountain."
I gripped my seat as the bus lurched forward. The bus started to drive down the busy road and I leaned back and watched the scenery. Suddenly, I sat up as the bus driver turned to the left.
"Wait a minute!" I thought. "We are supposed to go straight up the mountain, why did he turn?!"
He continued to drive and I continued to get more and more nervous. None of my surroundings were familiar at all.
"God? Where am I going? I could use some help. Please just help me to get to Danielle's house safe and sound." I prayed inwardly.
I considered getting off, but, that wouldn't help me any because I wouldn't know how to get back! So, I continued to sit in the bus while I kept driving and dropping of people. Finally, the last person got off and it was just me. The bus driver turned around in his seat and started 'yelling' (he wasn't, but the Chinese Language makes it sound like they are sometimes) at me in Chinese! Of course, I had no clue what he was saying!
"I don't understand," I tried to communicate with him, "I only know English!"
"Ah" he answered. " uh... Final. Finished. Um, all done."
By now he had parked and turned off the bus in huge parking lot. Things were not looking good. I had come to the final destination of this bus route, and it was the last round one as well. This guy was off work; off duty for the night. I was very lost, somewhere in the middle of Taipei city, with a bus driver that can't really speak English, and I had no way or idea how to get back.
"Where are you going?" He asked.
"Yang Ming Shan." I answered.
"Ah. Hmm..." Then he mumbled in Chinese. Finally, he said something that I took to be "sit down" by his gestures.
As I sat down, I watched as the bus driver went back to his seat, started the engine and turned around!  He ended up doing the whole route again so he could take me back to where I had started.
I was so thankful for this driver who had gone way out of his way to take me back since I was lost.
"Shea Shea!" (Chinese for thanks or thank you) I thanked him as I stepped off the bus and started over. Only a few moments later, my bus arrived I finally was on the right bus.
Sigh. If only it ended there, right? But no, I had to go get lost again.
As I stepped off the bus, I noticed it had become very dark and a little cooler. As I trudged up the mountain road, I thought, "Shouldn't the short-cut to their house be pretty close by?" I kept walking, but I didn't see the gazebo where I was supposed to turn. I was almost to my house when I realized I had definitely passed the shortcut. I thought about just going home and forgetting the whole thing, but I knew the my parents would come to pick me up at Danielle's house. If I wasn't there they would be worried. So, I decided to turn around. After a while of searching, I still couldn't find the short cut!
Abruptly,  I stopped and peered down a road with a sign I recognized.
"Oh!" I exclaimed out loud, "This is the other shortcut to their house. I'll just take this one." Eagerly I
 strode down the road until... There was a fork in the road.
"Hmmm. Right or left?" I pondered for a few seconds. "I think it's to the left." I hadn't take this short
cut for a long time because I usually take the other one 'by the gazebo'. I followed the road until it became dirt road, then a trail, and then a tiny, little, narrow path that was leading me into the vast unknowns of the mountain. Now, there had been street lights the whole time I had been on the road, but now I was by a creek or something, in the jungle, on a tiny little path, and now there were no street lights. Finally, I turned around.
"Forget it! I'm just going to go home." I told myself.
So, I walked all the way back to the road and then all,the way up the hill back to my house. I was just so tired, hungry and very sore. The reason I was so sore was because just a few days earlier, I had a 'fight with concrete' and the concrete won. Let me explain.
So, my friends and I were outside walking back to the school (we had just gone out for lunch)
under the MRT station (MRT is like a subway or train). There are these huge, round, concrete pillars with a cement square around them that hold the track up. Now, I was walking backwards because my friends were all gathered around me and some of the girls were playing or doing something with ID badge which was around my neck when suddenly, "SMACK!" I fell back into the cement square and smacked my head really hard on the huge pillars. They told me afterwards that they just kinda stared at me, not sure what to do. Finally, one of the guys pulled me up.
"Are you okay?" They all wanted to know. "Um, ya kinda." They insisted I go talk to Mrs. Longfellow (a teacher). I didn't think I needed to but I reluctantly went. It's a good thing too, becuase my arm had a big gash and was bleeding, a big bruise and cut on my hip, lots of minor scratches, but the worst was my head. It was throbbing! I pressed ice on it the fir the rest of school. I had a big goose egg. My back has been hurting periodically too, but it's much better.
Anyways,I was sore and tired as I trudged homeward bound. Atleast, I reach the gate, but...of course it was locked and the gatekeeper wasn't there.
"Ugh!" I moaned. "I just want to go home and hop in bed!" I waited a while, but nobody came, so I finally decided to try and find the shortcut to my friends house again.
"God please help to find that silly old gazebo and the shortcut!" As I walked back down the road in
the dark, I kept telling myself (out loud) "You're fine, Enjoli! You can do this! You'll find it in no time.
Thankfully, I was right.
"Thank you!" I shouted as I glanced heavenwards. I briskly walked down the trail to the school campus (her house is in the school campus).
"Oh no! What if the school's gate is locked?!" I remembered. "Well, we'll just have to see."
I arrived at the gate and it was open! Finally, I arrived at their doorstep and rang the door bell. As Danielle let me in the house I exclaimed, "You don't know how happy I am to see you!" I then proceeded in telling her the story as she fed me some supper, becuase I was really hungry and hadn't eaten much all day.
 About a half an hour later, my parents arrived.
"Did you have fun?" My dad asked.
"Well... I just got here 30 minutes ago."
"What!?" He exclaimed.
"I'll explain in the car."
As we drove home, I retold my story.
"Did you pray when you got lost?" My mom asked me.
I answered,"Are you kidding me?! I was praying the entire time!"