To Sabbath School teachers: This story is for Sabbath, July 13.

By Andrew McChesney

The airline representative at the airport check-in desk shook her head.

“I’m sorry, but your ticket isn’t for this flight,” she said.

Sixteen-year-old Catherine Buama looked at her e-ticket. Sure enough, Father and Mother had purchased a ticket with the wrong date. Catherine had just finished a vacation at home on the island of Maré in New Caledonia. She needed to fly back to the main island to resume her high school studies.

But every seat on the plane was occupied, and the plane left without Catherine.

Catherine’s parents decided to spend the night near the airport and to try to get a seat on the airplane the next day.

That evening, Father noticed that a three-week evangelistic series was starting at a Seventh-day Adventist church near the airport. Catherine and Mother had never visited an Adventist church. Unknown to them, Father had read the Bible and decided 10 years earlier that he wanted to become an Adventist. But he didn’t want to be the only Adventist in his family, so he had prayed for 10 years for his wife to become an Adventist.

At the meeting that evening, Catherine began to pay attention when the pastor spoke about alcohol.

“Alcohol destroys the body,” the pastor said. “You shouldn’t drink because the Bible says our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.”

Catherine poked Father in the arm. Father drank every Sunday.

Father felt guilty when he received the poke. He knew that he shouldn’t drink. But he didn’t know what to say, so he smiled at Catherine.

Then the pastor spoke about smoking.

“Cigarettes destroy the body,” he said. “You shouldn’t smoke because the Bible says our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit.”

Catherine poked Mother in the arm. Mother smoked a pack of cigarettes every day.

Mother felt guilty. She knew that she shouldn’t smoke. But she didn’t know what to say, so she smiled at Catherine.

Then the pastor spoke about McDonald’s.

“The food at McDonald’s isn’t healthy, and it can make you ill,” he said.

Father and Mother poked Catherine. She ate at McDonald’s every weekend.

Catherine felt guilty. She knew that she shouldn’t eat at McDonald’s. But she didn’t know what to say, so she smiled at her parents.

When the meeting ended, the family left deep in thought.

The next morning, Catherine got a seat on the plane and flew off to high school.

Father and Mother decided to return to the evangelistic meeting that night. They also went the next night.

During the second week of the meetings, the pastor asked who wanted to give their hearts to Jesus. Mother stood up! Father and Mother were baptized on the last Sabbath of the meetings.

When Catherine returned home for vacation, she saw big changes in her parents. Father no longer drank, and Mother had quit smoking. Catherine liked her new home, and she decided to stop eating at McDonald’s. She is glad that God answered Father’s prayers.

Thank you for your Thirteenth Sabbath Offering three years ago that helped build two children’s Sabbath School classrooms on Maré, where this family lives.