May, 2004

It was a wonderful event and a splendid work of the Holy Spirit. On May 30th Kiev celebrated it’s birthday and our church celebrated it’s first baptism. Five people were planning to be baptized and two more were hesitating because they didn’t think that they had prayed and fasted enough the week before. When the two who were unsure came on Sunday morning they still weren’t aware that God would call them and make them kneel together with all the rest. “His ways are not ours.” During the prayer right before baptism, Nickolay Kolesnik couldn’t resist The Holy Spirit and knelt to join the others. When it was time for him to go to the water, his wife Nadya went to change clothes and quickly joined her husband. They both were baptized at the same time. “Great and wonderful are your works Lord,” she sang the whole morning after baptism. She had no idea what a miracle this day would turn out to be for her. We didn’t know either when we planned how many flowers to buy for the women being baptized. Only one woman was planning to be baptized for sure. However, God knew differently and He told Nick to purchase two roses instead of one! This wasn’t the end of God’s great works that day. Right after the baptism when we were still near the water, a man came up to the pastor and said that he wanted to repent and be baptized! Immediately he prayed and was baptized and we exulted together with the angels in heaven and our Lord Jesus Christ!