December 20, 2018
Paul Harp tells an amazing story. Listen to his words: “Cherry and I don’t live in the same country or on the same continent. She’s in China, and I live in Arkansas.
“She was on the Internet looking for help to improve her English when I was introduced to her. We started meeting weekly, using Skype, and began our face-to-face encounter. The Bible was used as our study text. As we studied together, her English skills improved greatly, and her faith blossomed. In time she asked to be baptized, but we had a problem—who would do the baptism?
“Finally, she told me about a large water tank on the roof of her house, and she asked if her husband could do the baptism. I agreed. I sent an email carefully laying out the procedure to be followed. She was to place her laptop on a shelf overlooking the water tank so that I could observe and ask the appropriate question.
“As she stood in the tank, I asked, ‘Cherry, do you believe with all your heart that Jesus is the Son of God?’ She replied, ‘Yes, I do.’ I then said, ‘Cherry, you are now being immersed in the name of the Father and the Son, and the Holy Spirit for the forgiveness of your sins and that you may receive the gift of God’s Holy Spirit.’ ‘Sam put her under the water.’ When she arose from the water, I said, ‘Congratulations, Cherry! You are now a child of God, a Christian, a member of Christ’s church!’”
Cherry and Sam have visited the Harps in Searcy several times, and Paul has baptized Sam into Christ. Cherry and Sam continue to study with Paul via Skype every week.