Puertas Online

From Ed and Cherie Auger in the Cayman Islands, “Shan was born in Jamaica. She moved to Grand Cayman for an employment opportunity. Shan began attending worship services at Safe Harbour the beginning of this year. After a few Sundays, Ed was blessed to make further acquaintance with Shan in conversation. Shan sensed God calling her into a new relationship with Him. Although she believed in God and had begun reading the Bible, she had not been baptized…

After sharing our understanding of God’s grace at work in Baptism from God’s Word and the catechism, Ed offered to make the sacrament available to Shan. A couple of months passed, then Shan requested to be baptized. On Sunday, May 17, Shan gathered with Ed and Cherie, members of Safe Harbour, and personal friends to receive God’s gift of new life in Christ through the water and the Word. Shan asked to be baptized in the ocean. The sandy shoreline and beautiful water of Seven Mile Beach in West Bay provided the perfect setting. After listening to Matthew’s Gospel account of Jesus’ commission to make disciples of all nations, acknowledging her need for God’s grace in Christ and the forgiveness of sins, Shan confessed her faith in the triune God, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. She renounced the devil and all of his ways and committed herself to continuing growth in the faith and service through the study of God’s Word and worship. With witnesses on the shoreline, Ed and Shan entered the water. As they stepped down, Shan whispered to Ed, “Oh, Pastor, by the way, I can’t swim.” For Shan immersion in the ocean water was a tangible demonstration of her childlike trust in God.

God is good and faithful! He provided sure footing and Shan was welcomed into the kingdom in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. As Shan and Ed came out of the water everyone present joined hands, spoke the words of the Lord’s prayer and received the benediction. Safe Harbour Community Lutheran Church rejoices that God continues to grow our faith community through Word and Sacrament ministry. We pray for the opportunity to reach others with the goodnews of the Gospel of our Saviour and trust that God will open the doors for new relationships even as He has so blessed us with fellowship in Christ with Shan.”