It felt strange to Deymily to go to church on Saturday. In her old town, she had only gone to church on Sundays. But she liked the music and the sermon at the Adventist church.
To Sabbath School teachers: This story is for Sabbath, July 6.
By Andrew McChesney
Shortly after 9-year-old Deymily moved to a new town in Costa Rica, a neighbor invited her to go to church.
“Come with us on Saturday,” Uncle Porfirio said.
Deymily was pleased with the invitation. She didn’t have any friends in the new town, and she didn’t have anything to do on Saturdays.
“I’d like that,” she said.
She asked Mother for permission to go to church. Mother had never heard of a church that worshipped on Saturdays.
“What kind of church is that?” she asked.
But Father knew all about worshipping on Saturdays.
“I grew up in the Seventh-day Adventist Church,” he said. “It’s a good church.”
So, Mother gave permission for Deymily to go to church on Saturday.
Uncle Porfirio arrived at Deymily’s house at 8:35 a.m. on Sabbath and took her on his motorcycle to church. His wife, Auntie Sara, followed them on foot. It wasn’t a very long walk from their house to the Adventist church.
It felt strange to Deymily to go to church on Saturday. In her old town, she had only gone to church on Sundays. But she liked the music and the sermon at the Adventist church.
She returned to church the next Sabbath and the next.
Then she started going to prayer meetings at the church on Wednesday evenings. As she learned the Bible, a love for Jesus grew in her heart.
Deymily was so happy! But she longed for something more. She wished Mother was going to church, too.
One Sabbath, she invited Mother to go to church with her.
But Mother didn’t want to go. “I’m not ready to go to church now,” she said. “Maybe later.”
“Come,” Deymily said. “Come and see me. I’m going to sing the special music at church today.”
Mother went to church with her.
The next Sabbath, Mother didn’t want to go again. But Deymily was leading the song service, so Mother went. After that, Mother went with Deymily to church every Sabbath.
Deymily was so happy! But she longed for something more. She was preparing for baptism, and she wanted Mother to also be baptized.
“You have to get baptized at the church,” she said.
Deymily made her own set of Bible studies, and she used them to teach Mother about God.
Before long, Mother got baptized and joined the Adventist Church. Deymily was also baptized.
But that’s not the end of the story.
Deymily invited her friends to come to church. She studied the Bible with them, using the Bible studies that she had made for Mother. Five friends have given their hearts to Jesus in baptism: three classmates, a 12-year-old aunt, and a 12-year-old cousin.
Today, Deymily may be the happiest girl in Costa Rica! But she still longs for something more.
“Pray for my father and the rest of my family to accept Jesus and join the church,” she said.
Part of this quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will help open a center of influence that will teach at-risk children about Jesus in Costa Rica. Thank you for planning a generous offering on September 28.
