Sep 18, 2024 Secret Midnight Baptism

“Don’t you dare embarrass me!” Irina’s mother’s voice raised in anger. “If you want to become an Adventist, you will have to move out!” While living with her parents, Irina is expected to conform to their rules and lifestyle, even though she is an adult. For the most part she is happy to do that. But lately she felt God calling her to something else.

Irina is from a small village in Indonesia. For several years while Irina was away at school, she attended an Adventist church and started studying the Bible. She was thinking about being baptized but wasn’t quite ready to make the decision.

After graduating, Irina moved back home with her parents. They are members of a Protestant church where Irina’s mother is one of the elders. They insist that Irina attend church with them on Sundays. Irina said, “I didn’t want to worship on Sundays, so I felt like a hypocrite, hiding my belief that Sabbath is the true day of worship.”

Every night Irina would cry alone, knowing that she was not living up to her convictions. Finally, she decided to start attending an Adventist church near her home.

Irina found the courage to tell her father that she wanted to be baptized into the Adventist church. Her father said he wouldn’t forbid her to follow her convictions, and that she should remain strong and loyal to God, no matter what happened next.

But when Irina’s mother found out about this, she sprang into action, rallying as many people as she could to dissuade her daughter.

First, at Irina’s work, her boss and coworkers pulled her into a meeting and questioned her. Irina says, “Thank God, He gave me the wisdom to answer each of their questions without hesitation or fear.” Nevertheless, Irina was fired from her job.

Next, Irina’s mother arranged for the church elders to question Irina. They surprised Irina at home and asked her about her new beliefs. They were angry and forbid Irina from being baptized. Irina said, “I know God was with me during this meeting because I was able to peacefully respond to their questions and not get angry, even when they threatened me.”

Then Irina was confronted by her extended family. And on top of all that, Irina’s mother yelled and cursed and told Irina to get out of her home. Irina said that God gave her the strength to accept all the insults, curses, and all the ridicule from her family with joy.

Cast out of her family’s home, Irina went to the home of her Adventist friends. The Adventist pastor and other church members surrounded Irina with love. Irina worried that her family would try to prevent her from being baptized. So, she asked if she could be baptized immediately, in the middle of the night, before her family could stop her.

The group went to the river in the dark, watching out for crocodiles and snakes, and Irene was baptized in secret just before midnight. Immediately after her baptism, Irina was filled with a sense of peace. She said, “In spite of all the trouble with my family and being kicked out of my home, I felt calm and happy in a way I have never felt before.”

Irina and her friends didn’t know that her mother had also been busy that night. She gathered all the elders of the congregation, the village elders, the church council, the village government, and her entire extended family to carry out an attack. They planned to physically stop Irina from being baptized that Sabbath.

Early Sabbath morning, Irina’s grandfather came to the home where Irina was staying. He said Irina could attend church that day but asked the pastor not to baptize her. Irina’s friends told the grandfather that Irina would not be baptized that day (which was true because she had already been baptized!) But realizing that a confrontation was waiting for Irina at her family home, Irina’s Adventist friends hid her in the back of a car after church and got her out of town.

They arranged for Irina to move to Manado and attend an Adventist college. Now Irina is studying to become a pastor. She is grateful for her new life where she is free to become more connected with God.

Irina happily shared that after all the challenges, her parents have reached out to apologize and welcome her back to the family. They are happy and proud that she is attending college. Moving forward, Irina wants to be a light in her village, especially for her immediate family. Irina asks for your prayers as she enthusiastically prepares for the second coming of Christ.

“It is God who arms me with strength and keeps my way secure.” 2 Samuel 22:33

Names changed to protect privacy