Dip of Faith

Have you ever dipped into icy cold water in the middle of an abnormally cold winter? Me neither! Who in the world would do such a thing, you'd ask? Every winter, on Epiphany Day in January, many Russians choose this extreme way to be baptized. It takes Faith to do it, no doubt! A couple weeks ago eight grads from the Ivanovo Ministry Center led by our coach Valery took that dip of Faith in the Ivanovo City park. And if you think that one dip is enough you're wrong! The tradition calls for three submersions, and our Ivanovo young men didn't fall short of the challenge. There are several rules to be observed before performing this dangerous act, including making sure one is healthy enough, choosing the place wisely, changing into dry clothes immediately, and most importantly, DO NOT go in the water without a prayer. I admire the faith that our Ivanovo young men showed that cold day. By God's grace they're all healthy today.