In 2005, at least 316 new members were baptized around the world. This compares to 368 reported last year. Here are the baptisms reported at press time:

Argentina — 3
Armenia — 1
Australia — 13
Bolivia — 2
Canada — 20
Chile —14
Colombia — 1
El Salvador — 2
Estonia — 2
Germany — 1
Guatemala — 6
Italy — 1
Ivory Coast — 6
Jamaica — 2
Malawi — 4
Mexico — 14
Netherlands— 2
Nigeria — 3
Peru — 4
Philippines — 23
Rwanda — 5
South Africa — 8
Spain — 1
Sri Lanka — 2
United States — 171
Zambia — 2
Zimbabwe — 3

Johnnie Lambert, an elder in New York who helps serve the Church in Estonia, told about the two members baptized in Estonia this year:

"Imbi Kuusksalu has attended services now in Tartu for four years. She is an English teacher in the public schools in the Tartu area. She was called to attend with us when we needed a translator in order to be able to conduct weekly Sabbath services. Imbi has served almost without absence from that time until the present, and also during the Holy Days. Imbi was baptized by David Baker in New York during a visit to the United States last February.

"Aleksei Matvejev first encountered the Church online. He is a Russian native living in Estonia whose English is excellent. Aleksei had already acquired a substantial understanding of our doctrines before he contacted us.

"He has worked as a translator in the past, so we employed Aleksei to translate our 12 Bible lessons into Russian. Ten are now completed and six are in publication. Aleksei expects to complete the other two early in the year. Aleksei asked to be baptized before the Days of Unleavened Bread last April."