Layla

We had been discipling Massoud and Mina for two years, and ever since they discovered what salvation in Jesus was all about, they had a strong heart and commitment to share the gospel of Jesus with their people. After meeting for a couple months and teaching them about what it means to follow Jesus, Massoud and Mina wanted to be baptized in water as a sign of their new life in Jesus. My teammate and I hosted them in my home. We worshiped and prayed, and they each took a turn sharing their testimony about what Jesus had done for them and what this sacred event meant to them. All the while, another unbaptized friend of theirs joined us to witness the event (since then, they have baptized her as well). We put a strong emphasis on the priesthood of all the believers, so my teammate baptized Massoud first as we watched and rejoiced. Then Massoud lovingly baptized his wife in the name of the Father, the Son, and Holy Spirit. Coming up from the water, they kissed and embraced as tears flowed. The Holy Spirit was present, and there wasn’t a dry eye in the room. We shared a special dinner together and celebrated with cake and gifts. What a special and sacred day!

Over a year later, this couple then began to meet regularly and disciple other families and individuals. Even during the pandemic, the discipleship meetings continued. The meetings need to be small and private due to the risk of persecution for everyone involved; yet, in every meeting, the Holy Spirit showed up. They met a particular older divorced woman, Layla, who lives with her adult, special needs child Soraya. Each week Massoud and Mina met with them and taught them how to study the Scriptures, how to pray and worship, and not only what it means to be a follower of Jesus, but also a member of the body of Christ. We trained Massoud and Mina to take what they learn from our discipleship and house church meetings and reproduce it with others. Our goal was not for them to bring new disciples to us, but for them to be the disciple makers and pastors of new house churches that they would start. And they rose to the challenge!

After a few months, Layla decided she wanted to be baptized in water. I received an invitation to witness the event. What an honor! They had worked hard to reproduce what they had been taught and experienced, but without my help. Massoud’s family found a small apartment with a huge bathtub to rent for the evening. We gathered to pray, read, and discuss Romans 6 about being dead to sin and alive in Christ. Layla shared her testimony and her commitment to follow Christ. Then to our surprise, Soraya also expressed her desire to be baptized and follow Jesus. I can’t even begin to describe the thrill of watching Massoud and Mina baptize these new believers. I stood in the back and held a phone as a teammate joined us by video call. We then celebrated with a special meal, cake, and gifts.

I watched first generation believers baptize their disciples! And now Layla is sharing the gospel of Jesus with another of her children who lives in a city farther away. We pray for this cycle to continue to the glory of Jesus!