The church in Turin, Italy was blessed with the baptism of Sister Vasthi Vasquez and Brother Dario Lauri on June 19, 2016. At this joyous occasion, these two new members expressed the following testimonials:
"June 19, 2016 was the day I died to the world and all its attractions and chose to live, not for myself, but for Christ Jesus.
"At one time, I wanted to escape His teachings and the duties that would follow if I accepted Him into my life. I had complied with the customs of this world, and I resented the faith that I had once known. I appeased my conscience by telling myself that it was enough to live with respect for my fellow man without having to do anything else.
"Other times, when this was not enough to calm my conscience, I would tell myself, 'it is not yet time; one day I will return to the faith.'
"Thanks to the mercy of Heaven, the voice of the Spirit who constantly works for us, has produced its effects and the excuses that were once there are no more. Now, with joy in my heart, I am here writing about the experience of my new birth. That day will remain engraved in my memory—the day I made a solemn covenant with God to be His. And I know He wants to accompany me along this path and help me to walk wisely."
"I leave you with this:
'For you were once darkness, but now you are light in the Lord: walk therefore as children of light.' Ephesians 5:8.
"Your sister in Christ Jesus,
Vasthi Vasquez"
" 'And as they went on their way, they came unto a certain water: and the eunuch said, See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him.' Acts 8: 36-38
"Sunday morning, the day set for the baptism, I had these verses in mind. These verses are some of my personal favorite passages of scripture. These four lines express the simplicity and at the same time the complexity of this step that I was going to take. In this passage from the book of Acts, it explains very well the attitude needed by those who are preparing to make a covenant with the Father, our Creator.
"The Ethiopian Eunuch was humble. He was aware of his imperfections, and as he read the Scriptures with passion and interest, with the desire to understand them and make its promises his own, he realized something was missing in order for him to understand them thoroughly. When the Lord placed Philip in his path, He gave the eunuch a guide to help him understand, and what was initially difficult to understand, became clear. Philip helped the eunuch understand that the verses spoke to him of Jesus, of His great love, His precious sacrifice as the only way of salvation for humanity. It was not enough for the eunuch to have a human guide, however. What really happens in the heart, in the soul, and mind, is done by the Holy Spirit.
"The humility of one who knows he is flawed and inadequate results in the determination and perseverance in trying to improve, striving for the perfection of Christ, which leads to that same unwavering faith and conviction that led Jacob to become Israel, after struggling with all his might to gain God's blessing. 'I will not let you go until you bless me!' is an expression of this state of mind. It is the same state of mind that lead the eunuch to say, 'Here is water, what hinders me from being baptized?' A significant phrase, called forth from the depths of a heart transformed and sanctified by the silent, mysterious--yet powerful and clear work of the Holy Spirit.
"As I reflect upon these verses, I am reminded that I, too, a few years ago was as the Ethiopian sitting "on my chariot" alone. I tried to fill the emptiness I felt in myself by reading the Scriptures, because the Bible still attracted and fascinated me, even if it was more from a cultural than a spiritual point of view. At first, the meaning of what I read was lost on me. I persisted, and I could eventually make out the meaning of individual verses, but could not grasp the connection, the wonderfully clear logical thread that speaks of Jesus Christ from the first verse of Genesis to the last of Revelation.
"I, too, needed a 'Philip' to help me, and thankfully I had many. I want to thank once again my wife, her mother, her brother, and the brethren of the Church of Torino, for the love and patience with which they followed and encouraged my spiritual path.
"With their help, the gospel found its way into my soul and made me realize that I could not continue to wait to change my life, to bury my ego, to make a new person to be born in Christ and for Christ in me. I realized that if I believe that Jesus Christ is truly the Son of God, then what prevented me from being baptized? And here's the water, cold, hot, what does it matter? Lord, I'm ready!
" 'And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.' Acts 8:39.
"Your brother in Christ Jesus,
Dario Lauri."
