I tore open my cousin’s letter and began reading. “I’ve given my life to Jesus,” she wrote. What does that mean? I wondered. I’d sometimes attended Sunday School, but I’d never heard of giving my life to Jesus. I longed for a similar experience with God, but I wasn’t sure how to have it. I attended several different churches, but I didn’t find what my cousin had described.

After finishing university, I moved to Helsinki, Finland’s capital city. There I met my future husband. I invited him to attend church with me, hoping that he would find God and then show me how to find Him, too. But it didn’t work.

Our children were born, and life became busy. I had everything I wanted—except God. I continued visiting churches and prayed, “Lord, I can’t find you. Please find me.” Background©iStockphoto.com/Hector Joseph Lumang

Our teenage daughter decided to study in Australia for a year. I was worried about her, and I prayed that she would find a good family to live with. And she did! We kept in touch through instant messaging and got to know her host family that way. As we chatted, I got to know Greg, the father,  and told him of my search for God. He told me he had drifted away from his childhood church, but suggested I read his favorite book, The Desire of Ages. I found the book on the Internet and read it. It changed my life! I read it again, this time comparing it with my Bible. At last, I sensed I was finding answers to my questions and a closer walk with God.

Greg’s father was a former missionary who answered my questions about God. He told me he was a Seventh- day Adventist, but I had never heard of them. He explained that Adventists keep the Bible Sabbath and look forward to Jesus’ return.

Then Greg invited me to visit an Adventist church. I didn’t expect much, but when I arrived at the church, I was overwhelmed with the love people showered on me. I was amazed to hear the Bible discussion. These people knew so much about the Bible! I loved the sermon too. I returned to church the following week.

I fell in love with Jesus, just as my cousin had done so many years earlier. That summer I visited the church’s Bible camp, where I studied the Bible deeply and came away spiritually refreshed.

I returned home from camp rejoicing. As usual, I shared my love for God with my husband, but this time I felt compelled to urge him to make a decision for Jesus. I didn’t know it then, but this was our last conversation about religion. Two days later he died in a car accident.

I couldn’t understand why God would take away my husband so soon after I had given my life to Him. Now I understand that God gave me a church family to support and pray with me during those difficult days. The Bible texts I had memorized gave me peace, and the Holy Spirit comforted me.

I went to work for the church’s Bible correspondence school, where I help others who are struggling with some of the same issues I have. I met a good man at church, and eventually we married. God has given us a ministry together. As for Greg in Australia, he returned to the Lord as well. God surely works in mysterious ways!