Despite heavy rain and wind, 23 people were baptized in Forok Village, Turubu LLG, Wewak, on February 24. The baptism was a result of a two-week evangelism series conducted by Joe Philip, sponsored by Maur Seventh-day Adventist Church and assisted by Wei and Koil Island Adventist Choir groups of the East Coast Schouten Island district of Sepik Mission.

The baptism ceremony itself took place during the rain, with the nearby creek swollen and overflowing its banks. The rain and the flood did not stop people from neighboring communities and new interests to witness the baptism. The baptism was conducted by the mission president of Sepik Mission, Pastor Henry Monape, assisted by the outgoing district director Pastor Tony Peter and the newly appointed district director Pastor Rayden.

Pastor Monape commended the church for their commitment and perseverance to stand in the rain to worship on the sabbath and to conduct the baptismal ceremony. He said, “𝙄 𝙖𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙙 𝙩𝙤 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙝𝙪𝙧𝙘𝙝 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙚𝙤𝙥𝙡𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙅𝙚𝙨𝙪𝙨 𝙞𝙣 𝙨𝙥𝙞𝙩𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙗𝙖𝙙 𝙬𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧.”

The program was a pre-evangelistic event preceding the upcoming PNG for Christ campaign that would be held nationwide here in Papua New Guinea on April 26th to May 11th. There is great interest in the area after this event prompting Maur church to further focus its efforts in other such programs in Forok and the surrounding communities.