To Sabbath School teachers: This story is for Sabbath, September 25.

By Andrew McChesney

I

t was nearly lunchtime, and the team leader called to say he was on his way to pick up Niang in Maryville, Tennessee.

Niang was hungry.

She was ready to enjoy her sack lunch while chatting with other student literature evangelists about their experiences that morning.

Then she saw a woman packing groceries into her car in the parking lot of a discount store. There was just enough time to talk to one person before lunch.

Niang approached the woman with a bright smile.

“Hello ma’am,” she said. “My name is Niang, I’m a student working my way through school. This summer we are trying to promote family values and to help the community.”

Niang reached into her bag and pulled out a health book that teaches people how to use plants in their natural form.

The woman accepted the book and glanced at the cover.

Seeing that the woman remained silent, Niang took out a cookbook.

“Do you like to cook at home?”
she asked.

Then she showed the woman a devotional book, a version of Ellen White’s thirteen-chapter classic, Steps to Christ.

The woman looked at the three books in her hands. She seemed to be very interested.

“But you’ve caught me on the wrong day,” the woman said. “I don’t have my checkbook on me, and I don’t have any cash.”

“We can take cards if that is convenient,” Niang said.

“Oh, I don’t want to use my debit card because my husband wouldn’t like that,” the woman said.

But she kept holding onto the books. She did not seem to want to hand them back over.

Niang pulled out several more books, including Ellen White’s The Desire of Ages and The Great Controversy. Learning that the woman had children, she showed several children’s books.

“All of these books are so good,” the woman said.

She did not appear to be able to pick out a book.

“You know what?” the woman said, finally. “I am going to take all these books.”

Introducing herself as Cindy, she used her debit card to give a donation for the books.

After completing the transaction, Niang asked whether she could pray with her.

“I would love to pray,” Cindy said.

“Dear Heavenly Father,” Niang prayed, “Thank You for giving us another day of life and this opportunity to meet Cindy. Your timing is perfect. Forgive us for our sins and shortcomings. Thank You that Cindy and her family are safe from all the things that are going on right now. I pray that You may give them peace and comfort amid all the things going on in their lives. Please continue to embrace them with Your love and presence. If Cindy has any unspoken requests in her heart, please grant them to her. Help her to find hope and trust in you through Jesus Christ. Amen.”

Cindy’s face shone with joy after the prayer. The words spilled out of her mouth. She said her family was going through a difficult time after experiencing illness and death. She was searching for a deeper meaning in life and wanted to know more about God.

A short time later, Niang satisfied her physical hunger over lunch with the other student literature evangelists. She prayed that Cindy would satisfy her spiritual hunger through the truth that she finds in the books.

Part of today’s Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will again help refugee children obtain an Adventist education. The offering will also help the North American Division to construct missionary staff housing for the Palau Seventh-day Adventist School on Palau in the Pacific Ocean, to complete the second phase of a multifunctional gym at Holbrook Seventh-day Adventist Indian School in the U.S. state of Arizona, and to open a Seventh-day Adventist church and community center in the remote, northerly town of Igloolik, Canada. Thank you for your generous offering to help spread the gospel in the North American Division.

By Andrew McChesney