Someone gave Suren a paper with bright pictures on it. Suren studied the paper for several minutes. He couldn’t read well yet, but he knew the paper talked about God. He took it to his neighbor, Susanna. She was a believer; surely she would want to read the paper.
Suren [SOO-rehn] is 7 years old. He lives in a village in Armenia. [Locate Armenia on a map.] Suren was just Suren until one day last year.
The Pamphlet
Someone gave Suren a paper with bright pictures on it. Suren studied the paper for several minutes. He couldn’t read well yet, but he knew the paper talked about God. He took it to his neighbor, Susanna. She was a believer; surely she would want to read the paper. Suren ran to Susanna’s home.
“Auntie Susanna, I have something for you,” he said, holding out the paper. “It’s about God. I want to give it to you!”
Suren’s Surprise
Auntie Susanna took the paper and smiled. “Thank you, Suren,” she said. “And I have something for you!” Auntie Susanna picked up a book and held it out to Suren. It was a children’s Bible!
Suren opened the Bible and looked at the brightly drawn pictures. He tried to read the words, but some of them were too hard. “I’ll help you learn to read the Bible,” Auntie Susanna said. Suren smiled and thanked her for the wonderful gift. Then he ran home to show his mother his new Bible.
Auntie Susanna helped Suren learn to read the Bible and told him stories as he looked at the pictures. Suren told his mother the Bible stories while he showed her the pictures. Mother was glad that Suren wanted to know about God.
Auntie Susanna invited Suren to a small-group meeting in her home on Sabbath. All the grown-ups loved having Suren at the meetings, and he loved their attention, too. Auntie Susanna lets him take up the offering; and there’s always a children’s story, even if he’s the only child there.
Sharing His Discoveries
Suren invites his mother to attend Auntie Susanna’s small-group meetings, and Mother goes when she can. Soon she will start studying the Bible with Auntie Susanna.
Suren wishes there were more children in his neighborhood so Auntie Susanna could start a children’s Sabbath School. But she has promised to take him to visit the church in a town not too far away. There are many children there. Suren is eager to visit a real children’s Sabbath School.
In the meantime, Auntie Susanna encourages Suren to study well in school and obey his parents so he will be a good example to his friends. Then he can invite them to come to church where he can help them learn to follow Jesus. Suren already tells his classmates about God. “I am not just Suren anymore,” he says. “Now I’m Suren the Believer!”
Boys and girls, we can share our faith with our families and with our classmates at school just as Suren is doing. Someone in your class may be waiting to hear about Jesus right now. Let’s not disappoint them. And when we give our mission offering, we’re helping grown-ups and children we may never meet to know about Jesus.
