On Sabbath afternoons, we conduct Bible studies for some of the non-Adventist staff at the school. This last week, the local person leading the study concluded our time together by asking the participants a question. “We have been studying for several months now. What changes do you see in yourself as a result of studying the Bible?” Each person around the circle shared a short testimony of how God was working in their life.
“I pray more. I cannot read, but I can pray,” said one.
“I did not understand clearly about the Sabbath before, and now I understand clearly and want to follow it,” said another.
One of the participants was a student who began studying at the school this year. The leader asked how the school had made a difference in her life. She replied, “Before, at my old school, I was a loner. When I did not understand something at school, I got angry and tore my paper up. Here, if I do not understand something, I ask my friend, and she explains it to me. I have learned more about the Bible, too.”
Another response was, “I have wanted to be a Christian for a while. Only one other person in my family is Christian. I would read the Bible, but I never understood what I was reading. Now, I understand a lot more, and it makes sense when you explain it.”
It is exciting to see these people grow in their faith. The Holy Spirit is working on their hearts and changing their lives.
On another occasion, I had a conversation with another non-Adventist staff member. We had recently surveyed the school regarding continued growth. I asked her why she wanted the school to continue to grow. She said she wanted her daughter to be able to attend here from kindergarten through twelfth grade because the school was close to home and had good morals. She then told me how her four-year-old daughter is in the childcare room during the mornings while she works.
One day, they were in town, and her daughter asked her to buy a big cake. She told her daughter no and that they could not afford it. Expecting the usual begging to start, she was surprised when it did not. Her daughter instead said, “Okay, Mom.” In return, she praised her daughter for being so smart not to beg for it after she had told her no. Her daughter replied, “Jesus is helping me to be smart.”
I smiled and asked her, “If your daughter studies at our school through twelfth grade, are you not worried about her maybe becoming a Christian, especially after that comment?”
“No, if she wants to become a Christian, that’s okay,” she said.
Interesting, I thought. I pushed further into the conversation. “You have been working at the school for quite a while now and have attended worships each morning. What do you think about Christianity?”
“It’s good,” she said. “I have not heard anything bad.”
“So, do you want to study and learn more?” I asked.
“Yes, I would like to learn more,” she replied.
I then invited her to the Bible study on Sabbath afternoon. She did not commit, saying she was quite busy on the weekends and has not come yet. Please pray that the Holy Spirit will continue working in our staff and students’ hearts and that opportunities for conversations like the one above will come about more frequently.
