Genesis missionaries Jessi and Luz began working with a mother church in Haina, Dominican Republic, one year ago to help grow the church. The church and missionaries celebrated the fruits of this growth last month by baptizing nine believers.

Mesoamerica Genesis is an all-inclusive church planting and missionary sending strategy. Every year until 2020, teams of volunteer missionaries will work in coordination with a Nazarene district to begin new congregations in 28 designated sites. 

The two children and seven adults baptized were Dorcas, Felix, Jaqueline, Virtud, Lucy, Jennifer, Santa, Dania, and Julia. They were joined by about 35 church members. 

One of the women who attended the church was responsible for preparing the baptism program. There was a time of worship and Pastor Edilio Balbuena, pastor of the mother church, shared a message. One by one, Balbuena baptized them with the help of the missionaries. The newly baptized believers spent the rest of the day with their brothers and sisters in Christ, celebrating with food and fellowship on the banks of the river.

Those baptized are being discipled so they will better understand their new life in Christ. They have also been studying the Articles of Faith and are preparing for membership with the Church of the Nazarene. In addition, 12 others are on track to be baptized this year.

--Church of the Nazarene Mesoamerica Region