To Sabbath School teachers: This story is for Sabbath, October 11.

Mana Henua’s name means “Power of the Earth.” Mana means “power” and Henua means “earth.” But everyone calls him simply Mana.

Mana is 12, and he lives on Easter Island. Easter Island is part of the country of Chile. But it is located far, far away from the Chile mainland on the continent of South America. Easter Island is in the Pacific Ocean and far, far away from everything.

But Easter Island is not far, far away from God.

Mana started learning about God when he was a little boy and his grandma took him to church on Sabbaths. But he didn’t go every Sabbath. Sometimes he was tired and wanted to sleep in. Other times, he just wanted to relax at home. So, sometimes he went with Grandma, and other times he stayed at home.

But then a missionary family moved to Easter Island. The family opened a Pathfinder club at the Seventh-day Adventist church and invited Mana to join.

Mana wasn’t sure that he wanted to be a Pathfinder. He had never been a Pathfinder. He worried that it might be too hard for him and he would fail. He felt scared.

Mana thought about the missionaries’ invitation to join the club for a long, long time. He really, really wanted to say no.

But then he had a talk with God.

It was a Sabbath afternoon, and he had not gone to church with Grandma in the morning. He had felt tired and wanted to rest at home.

Mana was relaxing on his bed when his thoughts turned to the Pathfinders. He remembered the invitation, and he felt scared again. “God, what should I do?” he said. “Should I join or not?”

Then he told God about his fears.

“I’m scared,” he said. “I feel like I won’t do it right. I don’t want to fail.”

Then God replied. Mana didn’t hear a voice, but he felt like God was speaking to his heart.

“Don’t be afraid,” God said. “If you fail, it doesn’t matter because I’m going to lift you up and you’re going to be able to try again.”

Instantly, all of Mana’s fears disappeared. He wasn’t scared anymore. He became a Pathfinder.

Mana loved being a Pathfinder, he loved the club activities, and he especially loved learning more about God.

Then Grandma gave her heart to Jesus and was baptized. Grandma’s sister also was baptized. Mana saw them go under the water, and he also wanted to be baptized.

Mana spoke about his desire with the missionaries, and they were so happy! They suggested that he get baptized at a big Pathfinder camporee on the Chile mainland.

Mom wasn’t happy about the idea at first. But when she saw how happy Mana was in church and with the Pathfinders, she agreed.

Mana was baptized at the camporee and became the first Easter Island Pathfinder to be baptized.

Back at home, Mom saw that he was even more happy than before. She wanted to be just as happy. So, she got baptized. Mana watched with a big smile as Mom went under the waters of the Pacific Ocean exactly four months after his baptism.

Mana’s full name means “Power of the Earth.” But Mana believes that real power only comes from heaven. It is the power of God in heaven that took away his fears about becoming a Pathfinder. It is the power of God in heaven that led Mom to be baptized. It is the power of God in heaven that gives happiness.

“God can reach any part of the world,” he said. “No matter how far away you are, God can go there.”

Mana still gets scared at times. But whenever he is scared, he remembers what God told him in his bedroom on that Sabbath afternoon.

“Every time I feel scared, I remember that God promises to lift me up,” he said.

Mana joined Pathfinders at the invitation of missionaries from Adventist Volunteer Service. One of the mission projects for this quarter is a new Adventist Volunteer Service center at Chile Adventist University, where students can learn to become missionaries. Thank you for giving generously to this important project.