“By going to church and learning more there, I’ve come to realize God is not distant. He wants an intimate relationship with me, and I want to show my desire to be part of that relationship with Him,” a 18-year old Hope Education Program student shared vulnerably. A large crowd gathered beneath a palapa on the Monterrey campus as he, and four other boys in his Hope House, publicly committed their lives to Jesus.
“The last week of June was really special on campus,” shared Sara Jensen, Back2Back staff. “All five boys who live in Hope House 4 decided to get baptized. We offered to host it on campus, because we wanted the boys to have a chance to invite their extended families and friends for the occasion.”
Staff created a ceremony to celebrate each young man’s decision. Their house mom’s father is a pastor, and he performed the baptisms. A visiting mission team set up chairs and tables and put together a service. The young men made personalized invitations for their families and other important people to them.
Before each of them was baptized in the pool on campus, they stood before their family and friends and shared their “why.” They were then dipped into the water, dedicating their lives to Jesus in a vulnerable and public way. Then, as they rose up out of the water, a biological family member handed them a towel. “It was so special, they had their Hope families and their extended families present,” shared Sara.
It was a day to celebrate, to come together and honor the five teen boys who made this important decision in front of the people they love.
