Meet our baby.
The Lord protected our little one through a 41-week pregnancy (mostly) on the road and a scare at 24 weeks. He carried mama and baby safely through delivery on August 3, and now we’re all together–all ten of us…and the dog and a kitten.
Those of you who follow us on Facebook as The Travel Bags, Stephen Bautista Music, or The Simple Homemaker, or on Instagram as The Travel Bags have been nagging asking us for a name.
He has a name at long last.
His name is Judah Ebenezer Robert Bagasao.
Judah means “to praise.” Our lives as music missionaries and as Christians are (or should be) acts of continual praise. Praise God for this healthy baby, for sustaining our mission, for holding our family together. Praise God for the bumps in the road, even the big ones like Crohn’s disease and losing loved ones. On a personal note, our traveling music mission shares the Word through our musical praise of an amazing God.
Ebenezer is a Biblical place-name meaning “stone of help.” God is and has been our rock. When we started this music mission with $500 to our name, a sick child, and a singer with stage fright, He was the steady one we could depend on. When we face a new trial, a new baby, a new decision, we know that no matter what happens, God–our stalwart rock–will help us through until we see Him face to face.
As far as Ebenezer’s popular namesake from Charles Dickens A Christmas Carol, you really must read the book to fully understand this. Known to most of you as merely a “scrooge,” Ebenezer makes a miraculously dramatic transformation at the end of the book, becoming an amazingly generous, loving, involved, joy-filled man, a servant to all. His is the quintessential story of redemption and grace. Isn’t that every true Christian’s story, too? I know it’s ours. Our dark, selfish natures are transformed through Christ.
A Christmas Carol was also the family read-aloud we were enjoying when we first learned about our baby, and Eb is the nickname he bore all those months while we waited to see his little face. We couldn’t imagine changing his name after all that time.
Robert is my (Christy’s) grandfather’s name.
Grandpa was like a father to me when mine was out of the picture. He was a very special man to our whole family. Losing him last year hurt, but he shared his faith with his family, and I know we will be reunited again, thanks to our mutual Stone of Help, our Savior Jesus. His was not a feel-good faith; it was the real thing. He let his faith shine through his generous and caring spirit and, at times, through his Jesus-in-the-courtyard style anger at the atrocities of this world. Robert means “shining,” but to us it also means a very special, God-fearing, irreplaceable man who let his faith shine, which is what we pray Judah will be and do as well.
While some of you know us as the Bautistas, meaning “baptizer,” our legal name is Bagasao, meaning “sower of seed” or “spreader of wise words.” Both Bautista and Bagasao are a call to obey God’s Great Commission–sharing the Word with all the world and baptizing in His name. Judah was baptized shortly after his birth, and he will be raised to know and share the wise life-giving words of Scripture.
Judah Ebenezer Robert Bagasao — Praise our Stone of Help
Praise our Stone of Help as we fulfill His call to shine our faith into all the world. It’s a big calling for such a little guy and his family, but all things are possible with our Stone of Help.
What do we call him?
Some of us call him Little Bobert (after a pet name for Grandpa).
Some of us call him Judah Ben-Bob (after Judah Ben-Hur–a favorite book).
Some of us even call him Judah–imagine that!
Most of us still call him Eb.
Praise our Stone of Help!
I love the name Ebenezer! I never would have thought to use it, but the meaning is so beautiful! We have a baby due in February–your baby might have a name-twin! 😉
Congratulations. I think Ebenezer is a beautiful name, too! Most people associate it with Ebenezer Scrooge, but I love how you look at it as an example of redemption. Blessings on your baby!
Hi Bautista Family! Congratulations on your eighth blessing! He is beautiful! We met you at New Hope and our kids had a great time playing with your kiddos (in case you are wondering who we are)! You have a very sweet family and we really enjoyed your music! My kiddos have been “blasting” your “Flowers are Dancing” song and listening to the rest of the songs quite often! Thanks for giving of yourselves to make this ministry happen and blessing others in the process! We would love to see your family again if you happen to be in our area and you of course are welcome to come to our home!