How God Is Changing Our Community
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A few years ago my husband and I began to intentionally pray for our community. We started a new church fifteen minutes from our home.
I invited my neighbor Kelly,* who asked her friend Ann, who invited her twin siblings. We now had four new young people from our neighborhood attending church with us. As we studied with them, they were hungry for the Word of God.
One of the twins asked, “Ms. Jazmin, when will we be baptized?” We worked with them and set a date for the following year. It was an extraordinary day, and their parents participated in the reading of the scriptures. The following year, Kelly’s sister started attending church and was baptized. These children consistently attended church.
One of my neighbors saw the changes in the children and asked if her three children could attend church with us. We found ourselves needing two cars to get everyone to church. Each Sabbath, seven young people attended church with us.
When the COVID-19 pandemic hit and we could not attend church in person, our neighbor asked, “Ms. Jazmin, why don’t we have church in my house?” We began to think and plan how we could worship together. My husband suggested streaming live on Facebook. I was hesitant at first, but it has truly blessed many people. At one point about twenty people worshiped in the house church during the pandemic. In August 2020 two more teens were baptized in the pool behind the house. One woman attended our baby dedication and was impressed with the performance of the children who participated in the service.
She asked if her two children could attend church with us. We studied with the new children, and they and another young person were soon baptized.
Today all but those who moved are still attending church.
God has done great things due to our prayers and inviting people to worship with us!
Jazmin Wildman
* Names have been changed.
