Last weekend, Dan and I participated in a worship service at a church in São Paulo. We loved the exuberant worship and the congregation’s enthusiasm for every part of the evening. (They even clapped after reciting the Apostle’s Creed and after hearing Dan’s sermon!) Eight people were scheduled to be baptized near the end of the service. As the time came near, the front of the church was jammed with well-wishers holding signs reading “Welcome to the Family!” Others were jumping up and down with joy. Some were weeping quietly. As each person came up out of the waters, the crowd went wild with shouts of praise.
A few months earlier Joaquim and his wife had been baptized in our home church in São José dos Campos. Since they are in their nineties, our pastor had decided not to immerse them in the large tub used for baptisms. (The tub is hard to get in and out of, and the water is usually cold.) They were going to be sprinkled, and Joaquim was fine with that until the actual baptisms began to take place. As he saw the other candidates being dunked, he said, “I want that too!”
Pastor Orlando had to make a split-second decision. What would be the wisest thing to do? At that moment, one of the young men being baptized said, “I’ll put him in and take him out. Just leave it to me.” So, Joaquim was lifted up and gently placed in the tub. Oh, the joy on his face when he came up out of the water! There was no screaming or shouting, but the glory of the Lord was shining all around.
A few weeks later Dan had the privilege of baptizing one of the teens from his Sunday School class. She was so shy that Pastora Mami had to read her testimony for her. Everything was done quietly, but with deep gladness. Each event was different, but all of them pointed to the mighty power of God to transform lives. And to the joy He brings when He calls us to Himself. Not just to the one being baptized, but to the whole church!
Owsleys In Brazil 
Beautiful!