Where There's a Will, There's a Way
Vida Li Sik • December 7, 2020
Baptism in Mauritius
Helping a family member become a follower of Jesus is super special, even if it is from a distance. Sweta Balloo is a member of the church in East London (UK), and she had to be content with watching her mother Manoo Narroo’s baptism in Mauritius via Zoom.
God is not limited by time or space and, thanks to technology, nor are his children. Sweta’s mother studied the Bible over a period of three months. The disciples in London, Johannesburg (South Africa), Mauritius, and Bangalore (India) all helped. This team effort took place over Zoom, and Manoo impressed everyone with her humility and desire to know Jesus.
“December 6 was the most wonderful day of my life–seeing my mum baptised. I was anxious beforehand (with all the planning). But when everything was ready, I was overjoyed with happiness. Up until now, I was the only one saved in my family, so this means a lot to me,” Sweta shared.
This story about love and unity started in March when the global Covid-19 pandemic restricted in-person meetings. There are only five disciples in Mauritius. So a small group of brothers and sisters in South Africa, England and Australia decided to form a virtual mission team to encourage them.
Coordinating a Bible discussion over five different time zones was no mean feat. But, the team managed to hold virtual Bible discussions twice a week–one at lunchtime and the second after dinnertime in Mauritius. Manoo faithfully attended both.
The Bible studies also presented a challenge. The sisters had to conduct the studies in English, have Manoo read the scriptures in French, and had translations in Creole (the home language in Mauritius). She also came from a Hindu background, and that’s where Teacher Raghu Katharga assisted from Bangalore.
“My mum appreciated the meetings and the teachings, and the chance to know the true living God better. She’s had to work hard and dig deep into the Bible to know more about him,” Sweta explained.
The day of the baptism finally arrived. Organising a baptism remotely took prayer, faith and fasting to make sure everyone was able to meet up and followed the Covid-19 regulations in Mauritius. Such was the enthusiasm that one sister, Marie-Therese, arranged for a taxi to pick up the disciples from their various homes across the island. At eighty years old, another sister, Mala, then helped to baptise Manoo.
From her home in London, Sweta, watched with pride, along with the rest of the virtual mission team, as her mother made Jesus Lord of her life.
“I’d like to thank all the sisters and the virtual team for all their hard work these past months. I also want to encourage everyone to find time to pray for their family members. God will do the rest,” Sweta said.
More from Southern African Churches of Christ
Imagine you are at a neighborhood barbecue. Your new neighbor arrives late, dressed casually, and barely speaks. Someone whispers, “She thinks she’s too good for us.” You feel the quick sting of that snap judgment. Later, you learn she just lost her husband and is quietly grieving. In that moment, you sense the discomfort of judging wrongly, a rush to conclusions that harms relationships and reveals more about our own hearts than the other person. Yet, the same evening, when another guest makes a racist joke, you feel an inner nudge to speak up. Is that also “judging”? This everyday tension captures what Jesus presents in Scripture: a divine balance between grace-filled restraint and righteous discernment. The two commands in tension “Do not judge, or you too will be judged.” – Matthew 7: “Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.” – John 7:24 At first glance, these seem contradictory. Don’t judge. Judge correctly. Which is it? Matthew 7 warns against a critical, hypocritical spirit that condemns others while ignoring our own faults. The context continues: “For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you” (Matthew 7:2). Jesus then uses the vivid image of someone with a plank in their own eye trying to remove a speck from another’s. Notice the aim: “then you will see clearly to remove the speck.” Self-examination is not a reason to stay silent. It is how we become safe enough to speak (Matthew 7:3-5). John 7, however, shows Jesus defending his healing on the Sabbath. He challenges the religious leaders: stop superficial, appearance-based judgments and instead apply right, truthful judgment aligned with God’s character and Word. This is not a contradiction but a divine tension, two truths that must be held together. We are called to humility and self-examination (do not judge harshly or hypocritically), while also exercising discernment and moral clarity (judge correctly, according to truth). Christianity rejects both naive permissiveness (“anything goes, no one can say anything”) and harsh legalism (constant condemnation without grace).
Welcome CJ and Sheree Wakefield to Cape Town! With decades of ministry, leadership and teaching experience, they are passionate about forming apprentices of Jesus.
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about next year’s trip to Mt. Kilimanjaro.
