"Buried with Him in baptism, raised to walk in newness of life"

"Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on elemental forces of the world, and not based on Christ. For in Him the entire fullness of God's nature dwells bodily, and you have been filled by Him, who is the head over every ruler and authority. In Him you were also circumsised with a circumcision not done with hands, by putting off the body of flesh, in the circumcision of the Messiah. Having been buried with Him in baptism, you were also raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. And when you were dead in trespasses and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive in Him and forgave us all our trespasses. He erased the the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it out of the way by nailing it to the cross." Colossians 2:6-14 (Holman Christian Standard Bible)

I (Rachel) was introduced to a lady named Agnieszka who was looking for someone to study the Bible with. I was thrilled! Our first meeting was this past Tuesday and we spent some time reading the Bible and talking about our lives and spiritual testimonies. We also spent time in prayer as she was very anxious about the upcoming Sunday and the baptism service. Afterwards, she invited me and the family to come and celebrate with her on this special day. I will briefly share some of her story because it is such a beautiful picture of God's grace.

She was born and raised here in Poland and practiced the faith of her family and the traditions of the church. Going to church was not a matter of the heart, but of ritual and routine. It was one of the "rules" necessary. She even went through a phase when she thought there was no such person as God. She said the emptiness continued. No matter what she tried, it all lead to a feeling of emptiness...like something was missing on the inside. She started attending a Protestant church (considered by some, a cult) and "heard" the Word. She started understanding what the Bible teaches about sin, forgivness, life and death and realized that she had a desparate need for a Savior. I can't remember the exact date but some 8 months ago she made the decision to accept Christ. Since then she has had some time to grow as a believer and by reading the Bible discovered that she should be baptized. Her baptism would be an outward expression of the internal change in her life. This would be a testimony to her family, church friends and any onlookers at the lake! Unfortunately her parents did not attend. They are skeptical.

Here are some pictures
prayer before baptism

video...