A Story of Faith Overflowing
by Raemi Goen
At the beginning of summer, our high school group had the privilege of taking eight students on a mission trip to Brazil. It was a powerful week filled with service, connection, worship, and unexpected moments of God moving in mighty ways.
Before we even left for Brazil, three of our students, Rubi, Omar, and Matthew—who have grown up in our Impact church family—made the decision to be baptized during the trip. They had been considering it for some time and wanted to mark this milestone in their faith on mission, surrounded by the team and the community that helped shape them.
What none of us expected, however, was that when the time came for their baptisms, the water pump to the baptistery at the church in Brazil wasn’t working. No running water. No easy fix. For a moment, we wondered if we’d have to delay or change plans.
But the local preacher at the church in Brazil, Jefferson was determined: These baptisms are happening. His faith to God’s plan in this moment was inspiring to us all. He claimed, “It will take more than a broken pump for Satan to win.”
So Jefferson came up with a plan. The body of Christ there in Brazil all came together to form an assembly line—from the back of the church to the baptistery—passing over 300 buckets of water by hand. It was sweaty, joyful, hard work. A labor of love and faith. By the end of it, the baptistery was full—and so were our hearts.
Three of our students were baptized that day, and we got to witness a fourth baptism as well: a Brazilian teen, Iago, who originally got involved at the church through an invitation from Rubi two years ago. Seeds planted years before were now bearing fruit right in front of our eyes.
It was a moment none of us will ever forget—proof that when God’s people are committed, obstacles become opportunities. It wasn’t just about filling a baptistery with water. It was about filling it with obedience, faith, and the living hope we share in Christ.
Please continue praying for the students who were baptized—both here and in Brazil—that they would continue to walk closely with Jesus, boldly living out their faith as part of God’s global church.
