[Subtitle] “The first time that I met him, I was studying in junior high school. At that time, he didn’t study the Bible and his behavior and attitude were not so good.”

[Subtitle] “I wanted to always fight, I got so angry with people--with my friends. But when I studied the Bible I was inspired to change a little bit of my life. And I thank God because God helped me. And then I decided to get baptized and become a Seventh-day Adventist.”

After Mariano’s conversion, he couldn’t keep the things he had learned to himself. Any chance he found, he would get closer to his classmates and share the gospel. When teachers didn’t show up for class, Mariano would seize the opportunity and tutor fellow classmates--pairing each subject with Bible themes.

Many of the students listened with interest to his words. Lola, one of Mariano’s classmates, listened quietly. She didn’t seem interested, but she was actually deeply moved and grew more curious with each lesson.

One day, Lola called Mariano over to teach her about the Bible--she had so many questions! The two started spending time together to learn more and as a result their faith grew. During this time, some of Mariano’s friends decided to get baptized, but unfortunately, their families weren’t happy and threatened them to keep them from joining the Adventist Church. Lola also faced opposition but her family members changed their minds when they saw such a positive change in her life.

The two friends were convinced of the importance of keeping the Sabbath day as commanded in the Bible.

[Subtitle] “We’d always go to church on Saturday. We never attended class at the school. So the teachers decided together to throw both of us out. We stopped our formal study there.”

Their situation was critical, and not many people were there to support them. Pastor Inaciu (ih-naw-see-ooh) was one of a few friends who took the time to listen, counsel, and pray for their situation!

It was only after much prayer and God’s clear intervention that Mariano and Lola found a school that would allow them to take Sabbath off to attend church. For this, the young students had to leave family and friends, and move to the capital city of Dili in Timor Leste.

Today, Mariano and Lola have graduated. And in gratitude to God, they have chosen to give one year of their lives to do mission work in the cities.

[Subtitle] “I really like Compassion activities and also community service because through it we can have more friends. We can get close to many people and it’s easier for us to share God’s love to them.”

Please pray for Mariano, Lola, and the new friends they will make in Timor Leste. Seventh-day Adventists are a distinct minority in this country. But as mission work unfolds here, God can send more workers to His mission field.

[To be continued - GFX]