Brian Blackwell/Baptist Message

NAKARU, Kenya (BP) -- Even as family and friends mourn the loss of a loved one, they are celebrating the Christ-honoring legacy left behind by Emily Martin, an interim youth leader who died Jan. 1 while serving on her third mission trip to Kenya. Martin, 21, of Hebron Baptist Church in Bush, La., passed away following complications from a blood clot that developed inside her lungs shortly after arriving in the country. Martin organized the trip, traveling with her brother Joshua, cousin Ashtin Mullett, and friend Vally O'Connor. While in the country, she worked alongside missionaries Len and Susan Eastwood, who represent Neighbors Outreach Worldwide ministry in Nakaru, Kenya.

BATON ROUGE, La. (BP) -- The time for a spiritual harvest has arrived, Louisiana Baptists were reminded during the 2017 LBC Annual Meeting Nov. 13-14 at Istrouma Baptist Church. Amid the largest statewide evangelism effort by Louisiana Baptists on record, 873 congregations have signed on through Nov. 15 to participate in a commitment to "pray for every home and share Christ with every person." After two years of developing a strategy, enlisting churches and piloting methods, a strong push will take place in 2018 for concentrated prayer and intentional soul-winning. The cooperative effort includes a diversity of mass evangelism strategies as well as one-on-one evangelism approaches: multi-church crusades, door-to-door outreach, one-on-one evangelism, single-church revivals and other activities which leverage compassion ministries to share about the love of Christ.

LEESVILLE, La. (BP) -- Sherry Slaydon gave her daughter, son-in-law and grandchildren a priceless gift -- the opportunity to celebrate her new life in Christ by being present at her baptism. "I pray watching their grandma proclaim her love for God was an inspiration to them," said Slaydon of her baptism that took place at East Leesville Baptist Church in Louisiana shortly before Christmas this past December. "I had people tell me I had a glow afterward … words can't describe the feeling."

SHREVEPORT, La. (BP) -- Just two years ago, little Hayden Heaberlin was facing the fight of his life, one that no 4-year-old should have to face -- a battle with cancer. But family and friends affirm those days of darkness were pierced by the light of God's mercy and provision. There was the time when 50 people from his church surrounded his home in a prayer circle while his family was with him in Memphis, Tenn., where he was receiving treatments; and there were countless times when his family relayed to him text messages, phone calls and letters of encouragement.

BRUSSELS, Belgium (BP) -- A Louisiana Baptist music minister is thankful to be alive after surviving a terrorist attack March 22 at an airport in Brussels, Belgium. Jeff Slaughter, an interim music minister at First Baptist Church in Greenwood, told the Baptist Message he had just walked into the airport departure area to check-in for his return flight back to Shreveport when he heard the first explosion, just 200 feet away. Moments later, a second bomb exploded. CNN reported today (March 28) the death toll for the bombings -- that also included a subway station -- has risen to 35 and more than 300 were injured.

LAKE CHARLES, La. (BP) -- Trinity Baptist Church planned to baptize 24 people one Sunday, as a special celebration of how God has blessed the congregation's evangelism efforts this year. But by the time the last person came out of the baptismal waters, 46 had been baptized. They join 108 others who have been baptized this year at the church in Lake Charles, La. "When people started responding to that call to come, everyone stood up cheering and clapping," said Greg Bath, minister of evangelism at Trinity Baptist. "It was unbelievable. During our second service of the day, we were here way past 12 p.m. (when the service was scheduled to end) and no one had left.

PINEVILLE, La. -- Trustees of Louisiana College have elected Rick Brewer as the college's 9th president. They announced their unanimous decision during a special called meeting March 5. Brewer will begin his duties April 7. He is a New Orleans native, and his father attended seminary there. He grew up mostly in North Carolina, and for the past 28 years has called Charleston Southern University in North Charleston, S.C., home.

NEW ORLEANS (BP) -- Traditional marriage gained a win in a federal court Sept. 3 after a string of losses at the federal level. The ruling is the first time a federal judge has upheld a state ban on same-sex marriages since the Supreme Court struck down key elements of the federal Defense of Marriage Act in 2013.

ALEXANDRIA, La. (BP) -- Churches are beginning to add a stipulation in their bylaws that their ministers perform only traditional marriages on their premises, in response to the Supreme Court's same-sex marriage decisions in late June.