Different decisions and paths led Neucir Orechio Barros, a nurse, away from the Adventist Church. However, it was during Women's Evangelism Week in June 2023 that she decided to write a new story in her life. In a ceremony that took place in the Holy Spirit, she was baptized in the presence of her mother, who never stopped praying for her daughter and mobilized the church to do so as well.
Celma Orechio's 92 years have not allowed her to forget Neucir's favorite hymn. Demonstrating a skill acquired during the years she taught music, the golden-hearted mother played the accordion during the baptism, thrilling everyone present.
The special moment, experienced by mother and daughter, underlined the power of faith and highlighted the theme of Women's Evangelism Week 2023, "Turn the Page—He Rewrites History." Like Neucir, another 1,510 people gave their lives to God through baptism in the Brazilian states of Rio de Janeiro, Espírito Santo, and Minas Gerais. The figure shows a 23-percent increase in the fruitfulness of women's evangelism compared to the same period in 2022.
"In addition to the baptism results, we see growth in women's personal development. They have participated in more training, for example, in partnership with departments such as evangelism and personal ministry. These women are increasingly prepared and motivated, resulting in blessings for the church," said Ester Leal, director of Women's Ministries for the Southeast Brazil Union of Seventh-day Adventists.
In 2023, there were 1,701 program points during Women's Evangelism Week, with more than 22,000 women involved in transforming the lives of thousands of people in different contexts.
The original version of this story was posted on the South American Division Portuguese-language news site.