Kelsy's Baptism Story
In this story series, we’re focusing on some of the life-changing baptism stories that have emerged here at StoneBridge Christian Church. As you’ll see, each story is different, and each person experiences his or her own unique path to Christ. We hope you’ll feel inspired and uplifted through these transformational stories from the StoneBridge community.
An everyday neighborhood drive in the summer of 2022 turned into a harrowing but life-changing experience for Kelsy Becerril, a single mother of four and member here at StoneBridge. It’s no secret that traumatic experiences can – and often do – lead to us to make significant changes in our lives moving forward. Kelsy’s story follows a similar trajectory.
Before we dive into the story of the day that eventually brought her to Christ, let’s talk about the twists and turns of Kelsy’s journey leading up to that point.
Why My Child?
Kelsy says she has always believed in God, but her personal relationship with Him developed in adulthood. Raising four children on her own wasn’t easy, and she had experienced ups and downs in her personal life. But the most devastating blow to her faith came when her nine-year-old daughter was diagnosed with a rare terminal neuromuscular disease.
“I didn’t lose my faith in God, but I started to pull away because I was angry,” Kelsy says.
She gave up praying, except to rage:
Why my child?
Why is this happening to her?
If there’s a God, why would He make her suffer?
“I stopped going to church, I stopped praying, and just really spent time with my daughter,” she says.
Kelsy also began to cope with the emotional devastation through drinking and going out with her friends. She was dating someone at the time, too – but that relationship ended in June 2022. It was the worst heartbreak she had ever experienced, but it also pushed her to begin praying again.
She has always been a committed parent, but she had experienced some difficult, unhealthy dating relationships. Her gut told her that God wanted something different for her and her family.
Kelsy clearly remembers the night she asked God for a better way. As she sat in her room in tears, she called out to Him.
Okay, God, I’m listening.
Please show me the path.
What do you want me to do?
Over the next few weeks, Kelsy continued to ask God to show her the path. About three weeks later, her life changed forever.
The Day Everything Changed
One afternoon, Kelsy was driving her children through a residential neighborhood when their van was T-boned at 60 miles per hour. The van was totaled, and the impact flung the vehicle about 100 feet down the road.
“When we finally came to a stop, I remember being scared to look in the backseat,” says Kelsy. “I didn’t know if my kids were injured, so I was freaking out.”
Her oldest daughter had suffered a minor concussion and an ankle injury. Otherwise, the children suffered no significant injuries.
“By the grace of God, when I got out of the car my kids were pretty much untouched,” she says.
The most eye-opening moment came when Kelsy realized that her nine-year-old’s wheelchair ramp had saved her life. When the other driver smashed into the van, the impact had forced the ramp all the way to her daughter’s wheelchair armrest.
First responders told Kelsy, “This wheelchair van literally saved your daughter’s life.”
God’s Wake-up Call
The accident left Kelsy with severe injuries. She underwent full hip reconstruction surgery in October 2022, and had a second hip surgery this summer. As a result, she was confined to eight weeks of bedrest.
“It was God’s way of waking me,” Kelsy says. “I couldn’t walk, couldn’t drive, and I spent a lot of time alone in my bed.”
During that time, Kelsy was forced to slow down from the pace she had been living at for so long. She spent time praying for strength, recovery, and guidance. Eventually, doctors cleared her to drive again, and she was able to resume many of her normal everyday activities.
“Maybe God is trying to tell you something.”
Kelsy had been baptized into the Catholic church as an infant. However, she had never felt like she had a true relationship with Jesus. Her aunt, Tammy Cervantes, had invited her to worship StoneBridge many times over the years, but Kelsy had not taken her up on the offer. Still, Tammy always prayed for Kelsy’s wellbeing.
Over the years, when Kelsy experienced hardships, Tammy would say, “Maybe God is trying to tell you something, and you’re not listening.”
After the accident, Tammy invited Kelsy to worship with her at StoneBridge. This time, Kelsy and her family began attending church in earnest.
“I literally fell in love with StoneBridge,” she says.
Gradually, her life and priorities changed. She grew closer to her children and became better equipped to cope with her daughter’s terminal illness. The changes in her heart and home became obvious to others.
“People around me asked, ‘You are a completely different person—what is going on?’” she says.
Some of her friends didn’t understand the new Kelsy, but she has also convinced others to worship with her in the months since the accident.
Kelsy’s Baptism
During one church service, Kelsy witnessed a baptism. She got what she describes as an “overwhelming feeling” to be re-baptized and asked Tammy, who sits with her at church, to do the honors.
“Coming out of the water was such an overwhelming feeling,” says Kelsy. “After I got baptized – as well as after the car accident – I am a completely different person.”
Kelsy’s family is overwhelmed with gratitude for the positive changes in her life. Like Tammy, her parents had prayed for her for years. Her relationship with her dad blossomed, and he encouraged her to share her testimony, even though she felt uncomfortable doing so.
Her father told her, “That’s the point of a testimony, Kelsy. You shouldn’t be embarrassed. It’s okay, because that’s not you any more.”
An Amazing Transformation
The power of prayer profoundly affected Kelsy’s path to Christ – her own, and that of her family. In the aftermath of the accident, Kelsy was blessed with a settlement that helped her purchase a new handicap van for her family. It also provided financial relief for the struggling single mother.
But above everything else, Kelsy emphasizes her spiritual blessings. It’s all a testament to the transformative power of Jesus.
“My life is the biggest transformation,” she says. “I haven’t had a drink in ten months. I left people who I thought were my friends and have developed this new life. I don’t feel like the same person. I look back and am just like, wow.”