As he listened, the words made sense for the first time. He understood that the seventh day of the week, Saturday, was an important day.
To Sabbath School teachers: This story is for Sabbath, April 8.
By Andrew McChesney
With a bright smile, Mother called over her 10-year-old boy, Catalin.
“Let’s go to visit Mrs. Marinela,” she said.
Catalin wasn’t very excited about visiting Mrs. Marinela. Mother and Mrs. Marinela read the Bible together, and Catalin didn’t understand what they read.
But he liked one thing: Mrs. Marinela always gave them savarina, a delicious Romanian cake with whipped cream and a cherry on top.
Today, Catalin wanted cake.
“OK, I’ll go!” he said.
A short time later, Catalin was sitting at a table at Mrs. Marinela’s apartment. Mother also sat at the table, and Mrs. Marinela served them savarina.
Catalin took a bite of the sweet cake with whipped cream and a cherry on top as he listened to Mrs. Marinela and Mother read the Bible.
He didn’t understand what they read.
The cake was more interesting.
One day, something changed. Catalin sat with Mother at Mrs. Marinela’s table and ate the sweet cake with whipped cream and cherries on top. He listened as Mrs. Marinela read from the Bible, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work” (Exodus 20:8-10, NKJV).
As he listened, the words made sense for the first time. He understood that the seventh day of the week, Saturday, was an important day.
After that day, he stopped doing homework on Sabbath. He stopped doing chores on Sabbath. He began to go to an Adventist church on Sabbath. He kept the Sabbath holy.
From then on, Catalin didn’t only eat cake at Mrs. Marinela’s apartment. He participated in the Bible study with Mrs. Marinela and Mother. He asked questions about what they were discussing.
At home, Catalin began to read the Bible on his own. He found a favorite verse in the Bible, which says, “Those who are wise shall shine like the brightness of the firmament, and those who turn many to righteousness like the stars forever and ever” (Daniel 12:3). The verse means that people who bring others to God will shine like the stars forever. Catalin wanted to bring his friends to God.
As Catalin read the Bible, he told friends about what he was learning about God. One Sabbath, a friend came to church with Catalin.
Catalin was so happy!
Catalin wanted more friends to come to church. He prayed and remembered a friend named Vlad. Once Vlad had asked for a Bible, and Catalin had found one for him.
Catalin thought, “I could invite Vlad to read the Bible with me, just like Mother and I read the Bible with Mrs. Marinela.”
It was kind of scary to call Vlad and invite him to read the Bible. Catalin prayed again and picked up the phone.
“Vlad, do you remember that you asked me for a Bible and I gave one to you?” he said. “Do you want to study the Bible together?
Vlad agreed! He liked studying the Bible so much that he invited his friend Andrei to join them.
Today, Catalin goes to church with Vlad and Andrei every Sabbath. He is so happy! He plans to invite many more people to church on Sabbath. He wants to introduce many people to Jesus.
Part of your Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will help open a school and an after-school center in Romania where children like Catalin can also read the Bible and learn about Jesus. Thank you for planning a generous offering.
