The seventh day really is the day God chose, you know,” The Christian leader said. “Christians say that the day has been changed to Sunday, the first day, but God never told us to do that. Really, the Seventh-day Adventists are right on that point.”

This simple statement, spoken privately in a village that has been the center of Tawbuid opposition to Adventism, has begun to bear fruit. A young lady whom I will call Dyoli pondered those words for several years.

“Aida,” Dyoli confided to our native missionary, “I know in my heart, and from reading the Bible, that the seventh day is the Sabbath, and that God wants me to keep it. What should I do?”

“That’s wonderful!” Aida replied. “Ever since we were friends as kids, I so hoped that we would be united in our faith. Let us be careful, though. Remember that Jesus didn’t reveal Himself fully right away. If we handle this carefully, working through your family ties, your decision to stand for the truth could be the seed of a new church, right in the heart of the opposition!”

And with that, God began Aida’s third church plant. Church planting takes time. In places where Satan has had a strong hold on people for generations, it often takes years before a mature church is planted and begins to plant daughter churches. But a seed like this is where it all starts.

• Twitter