The highlight of this week has been the water baptismal service we held this afternoon for the new deaf church. This afternoon we baptised 12 young deaf people. When it is remembered that not all could come, this is an amazing number of people. One young girl, who has been coming regularly over the last week or so, gave her heart to the Lord today as we walked from the church to ITM for the baptismal service. She asked if she could be baptised and so we baptised her as she confessed Jesus as her Saviour.

There are now over 30 Deaf who have been coming at different times when they are able to, due to work, school schedules and distances to travel.

We have been able to establish a leadership team under the care of Ps. Manuel (H) and organize Joao (D) to lead the deaf church. We will need to keep them in our prayer as they are just babies in Jesus although a couple of them have been to hearing churches before. They are already following, providing assistance where needed and generally doing pastoral care work.

Tomorrow morning we will go to the Baptist church in Beira city, where there are a couple of deaf, who have a hearing interpreter, who asked us to go with him.

Tomorrow afternoon we will have our last deaf church here in Manga Laforte before we say good-bye to the deaf until we can come again next year. Eva has cooked some cakes so we will have a little celebration after church.

Again I ask please pray for our new babies in Christ that they will remain strong in the Lord.

Colin (H) & Eva (D) Bevan, near Melbourne, Australia—email, 12 Nov. 2011