Catalina cried the whole way. The wound hurt when her shirt touched it. Mom lifted her shirt, but the wound hurt when the wind blew against it. The cool wind that felt so nice on hot days didn’t feel so good now.
To Sabbath School teachers: This story is for Sabbath, October 4.
Three-year-old Catalina liked being a missionary kid on Easter Island.
She moved to the island with Mom and Dad from their home on the Chile mainland in South America. Easter Island is part of Chile, but it is located in the middle of the Pacific Ocean — far, far away from the rest of Chile.
Catalina quickly saw that life on Easter Island was different than at home. Many people on Easter Island didn’t wear shoes. Catalina didn’t mind that one bit. She liked going barefoot!
At home, the weather got cold in winter. But the weather on Easter Island was terribly hot all the time. Catalina didn’t mind. The weather didn’t seem so hot when she was barefoot!
At home, the family traveled by car. But on the island, Dad and Mom rode around on a motorcycle. Catalina didn’t mind riding with them. The cool wind felt good on hot days.
Catalina rode on the motorcycle when Dad and Mom visited families to tell them about Jesus late at night. She rode on the motorcycle when Dad and Mom visited the city mayor to tell him about Jesus early in the morning. She was always with her missionary parents.
Everyone adored Catalina. Everyone said she was so cute and so kind. Catalina didn’t mind all of the attention, especially when it meant that people kept inviting her to birthday parties. She liked birthday parties!
For Catalina, being a missionary kid meant lots of missionary visits with Dad and Mom and lots of birthday parties. Catalina liked being a missionary kid on Easter Island.
Then one day something very scary happened. Catalina rode on the motorcycle with Dad and Mom to the airport. They wanted to say good-bye to a group of 30 Adventist visitors who had come to Easter Island for a short mission trip.
It was a very hot day as Dad and Mom said good-bye to everyone in the airport parking lot. As Catalina waited, she bent down near the motorcycle, and her tummy touched the motorcycle’s very, very hot exhaust pipe.
“Wahhhhhh!” Catalina cried.
Dad and Mom looked at the little girl.
“What is it?” Mom asked.
“Wahhhhhh!” Catalina cried.
Dad saw a big red mark on Catalina’s tummy. He immediately knew what had happened. “Oh, no!” he said.
One of the 30 Adventist visitors in the parking lot was a doctor, and he looked at Catalina’s tummy. He said she needed to go the hospital right away.
Dad jumped onto the motorcycle. Mom sat behind him and held Catalina in her arms. Then Dad prayed for Catalina and a safe trip, and they took off for the hospital.
Dad and Mom prayed the whole way.
Catalina cried the whole way. The wound hurt when her shirt touched it. Mom lifted her shirt, but the wound hurt when the wind blew against it. The cool wind that felt so nice on hot days didn’t feel so good now.
“Wahhhhhh!” Catalina cried.
Everything is close on Easter Island, and it took only five minutes to reach the hospital.
Fortunately, the children’s doctor was at the hospital, but he was examining another child. Catalina had to wait 30 minutes. But then the doctor allowed her to cut in line ahead of a long line of other waiting children because she was so small.
The doctor examined the red mark and put a big, white bandage on it. He told Catalina to come back to the hospital every other day until the wound healed.
Catalina felt better with the bandage. Back at home, she prayed for God to heal her tummy. She prayed for her tummy every day. After three weeks, the wound healed completely. The red mark was gone, and only a small white scar remained.
Catalina was so happy! She knew God had answered her prayers, and she told everyone about it.
Before the accident, everyone had adored Catalina. After the accident, they not only adored her but also were impressed with her faith. Everyone said she loved God so much.
Catalina wasn’t only a three-year-old missionary kid on Easter Island. She also was a three-year-old missionary, telling everyone about Jesus.
Catalina and her parents served at missionaries with Adventist Volunteer Service on Easter Island. One of this quarter’s mission projects is a new Adventist Volunteer Service center at Chile Adventist University, where students will learn to be missionaries. Thank you for giving
