This picture is of one of the new sisters in La Palma. This post will be longer than the ones you are used to reading here, but her story is one worth telling. Those of you who know the story know that I am having to omit some details to get it to a manageable length here. I apologize, but I'm trying to hit the 'best parts' of it. If anyone reading wants more of the details, ask one of us who were there. :)
This is Maria, whose job was managing the day-to-day kitchen functions in the hotel where we stay in La Palma. (formerly Claudina's job) Partway through the week Jim, Melva, and I were honored to have her want to study the Bible with us. Not only did she sit to study, but she pulled two other employees in as well, saying that, "They need to hear this, too." After the study she said she knew she needed to be baptized but needed to do some thinking and praying about it. Two days later Maria decided she was ready to make the commitment to put on Christ in baptism. Her boss agreed to give her one hour to do so and preparations began.
Normally the baptisms occur in the hotel pool, but due to some previous bad experiences at the hotel pool, Maria said she couldn't go to that pool and needed to be baptized somewhere else and asked if we could go to the river. It was raining at the time and there was some lightning in the distance that was getting closer, but we agreed and she told us that her husband had a van and he would come and get us and take us. Those who would attend this baptism among our group were: Jim, Melva, Doug, Jesus (local minister), and myself. Maria had an urgency about her need for baptism and said that a local bus would be coming by soon and if it came first, we should take it and leave Jesus to come with her husband when he arrived. We, the gringos, were hopeful the husband would show up first because we don't like riding the local buses for safety reasons.
But...we soon heard the bus. We got on the bus and Maria insisted on paying the fare for all of us. We stood most of the way--no, the local men don't give up their seats for women. A few miles outside of town, Maria signaled the driver and he let us off alongside the highway in what seemed like the middle of nowhere with rain still falling and occasional lightning. Maria pointed the way and we headed toward a bridge the bus had just crossed. She took off in a run across the highway, still demonstrating her urgency. As we neared the bridge, Melva turned to me and asked, "Do you hear that?" The noise she referred to was soon audible to all of us as the sound of rushing water---REALLY rushing water, complete with a waterfall. This, however, did not deter Maria. She took off down a very small trail along the side of the mountain and we followed a short distance. As we got a better look at the water below it was obvious there would be no safe place here to baptize her--and really no safe way to even get down to the river. (it was nearing the end of the rainy season--other times of the year this was probably much more accessible) By this time, Jesus had arrived and informed us we needed to find another location.
We all piled into the vans (her husband's friend brought one as well) and headed back into La Palma, not knowing where we were going to baptize her but knowing that time was running out for Maria's work break. On the outskirts of La Palma, our lead van broke down and Maria's husband pulled it off the road and coasted into a driveway. We looked up to find that the driveway was for a restaurant that had...guess what...a pool out in front! Jesus went and asked the manager if we could perform a baptism in the pool and he agreed. A few minutes later Maria confessed Jesus as God's son and was baptized.
The story doesn't end there, though. The following day, Maria was excited to tell us that she was quitting her job at the hotel and that day would be her last day! She told us her job required her to work 7 days a week for 14 hours a day and this didn't allow for her to be able to attend worship services or to be able to serve in the church. She had been the recipient of one of the sewing machines our group had taken in June and she said she would use that sewing machine to work at home and this would allow her to be able to serve God in the way she knew she should. Wow!
Maria turned her whole life over to God. I can hardly wait to talk to her again to find out about what she is doing to serve God. Her faith was an inspiration to me, and I just know He has exciting plans for her in His kingdom.
Dios le bendiga,
Lori
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