Baptised

I am a French Mauritian who grew up with an amazing Christian grandmother and amazing Christian mother. Earlier this year, my sister saw a post on Facebook about Angus Buchan taking a group of pilgrims to Israel. She asked me to go with her on the trip, but I was unsure if I wanted to go. One day, my mom told me, “Let’s go to Israel together”, and still, I was unsure if I wanted to go, because I had other plans to come to South Africa in December. I went to bed later that night and as I woke up the next morning, I felt in my heart that I needed to go to Israel. I am going to Israel! I called my family and told them the next morning. Since then, my mother kept telling me that I should prepare myself for the trip, and to prepare myself to get baptised. At that time, I didn’t know if I wanted to be baptised. She kept telling me that I should prepare myself, and that I will be baptised.

What ended up happening to me on this trip has been a life changing experience.

I’ve always loved Jesus, and I’ve accepted Him as my Saviour. On the third day of the tour, while we were on the Southern Steps of Jerusalem, I started crying and my legs were shaking. Something was happening. Something was changing. Another woman in our tour group saw me and as she placed her hand on my shoulder, she started speaking in tongues. I couldn’t stop crying. Later that evening as I walked into my hotel room, I told my cousin that something happened to me on the Southern Steps, that something has changed. She told me that I have been baptised by the Holy Spirit.

Later on the tour, we had the opportunity to be baptised in the Jordan River and again I was unsure but my family told me that I was ready. I was ready to be baptised, renewed, and rebirthed in Jesus Christ. As I went into the river with my family, I kept on praying to Jesus. Angus baptised us as we went under water, and as we emerged, I remembered someone had told me that this will be the first breath I take with the Holy Spirit in me. Again, the presence of the Holy Spirit was overwhelming. As I walked out of the water, that same woman was the first person I saw. She took me in her arms again and started praying. My legs were shaking, again, just like on the Southern Steps.

The night before we were baptised in the Jordan, I ended up in a hotel room with some of the other group members. I don’t really know how I ended up there, but I’m so glad I did, because I witnessed the most beautiful miracle of a woman being healed, who was suffering in her life. And again, I felt the overwhelming presence of Jesus Christ on that night in that room. I was in awe.

I’ve always loved Jesus, but now, after this trip and after being baptised, I love Jesus and the people who love Jesus. I know that He is alive, and I want to tell everyone who joined this trip, my fellow brothers and sisters in Christ, that even if I don’t see you again, I now know for certain that I will see you in Heaven.

- Severine Dalais-Pietersen