After 3 failed attempts (the weather wasn’t very helpful over the last
month) me and my wife Daiane finally got baptized. Here are some
photos. We are members of Igreja Batista Nacional (National Baptist
Church) Agape, from the neighbor town of Bento Goncalves.

Was a very exciting event. It’s the most important event in the life
of a Baptist convert.

BTW, if you pay close attention to the meaning of the word convert, it
doesn’t just mean changing your religion. Convert also means a
change of direction:

From Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary (1913) [web1913]:

Convert \Con*vert"\, v. t. [imp. & p. p. {Converted}; p. pr. &
   vb. n. {Converting}.] [L. convertere, -versum; con- + vertere
   to turn: cf. F. convertir. See {Verse}.]

...

   4. To produce the spiritual change called conversion in (any
      one); to turn from a bad life to a good one; to change the
      heart and moral character of (any one) from the
      controlling power of sin to that of holiness.

            He which converteth the sinner from the error of his
            way shall save a soul from death.     --Lames v. 20.
...

Just about two years ago, when I had just converted myself, I got a
strange disease, and had to go to the hospital for almost 20 days. For
5 days I’ve been into a Intensive Care Unit. The doctors couldn’t
figure out what problem I had. I made more than 100 exams, all sorts
of stuff from urine to HIV. Nothing was found. Nothing. They tried
some fancy imported remedy, but it was pure experimentation as they
had no clue at what was happening. The doctor told my family there was
a chance that I would not survive if I didn’t get better in 72h from
the time they gave me the remedy. Then I got better, and 3 days later
I was back home.

Regardless of all that was happening, I really didn’t feel like I was
so bad. When my family tells me about all the conversations they had
with the doctor and how bad the situation was I just can’t believe
it. To me it was like a bad flu. I was always very calm and
comfortable.

At the time I didn’t understood what happened. But now, looking back,
I believe that Jesus was there with me all time, taking care so
nothing bad would happen. A month and a half after leaving the
hospital I went to Paris with Daiane. It was my first trip outside
Brazil, and it was an amazing experiecne. None of this would be
possible without His mercy. Jesus had a purpose for me. And he
certainly has a purpose for you. He wanted me to go through all of
this to get here where I am and be a witness of the love he has for
us.