A few years ago, you gave to the mission offering to help buy materials for children in Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. Thank you for supporting the mission offering!
Welcome to the country of Georgia, a small nation in Eastern Europe that was once part of the Soviet Union. Located between Turkey and Russia and along the Black Sea, Georgia is home to some 4 million people. The country is famous for its grapes and a type of bread called puri (poo-ree). Bakers make puri by placing the bread on the walls of a special circular clay oven.
The largest city in Georgia is the capital Tbilisi, which is home to more than 1 million people. Back in 2011, one local boy, Luka, enjoyed spending time with his family and playing at the playground near his apartment. He also liked playing with his toys and on his father’s computer. Five-year-old Luka learned to love Jesus through special time he spent with his family reading the Bible and studying about Jesus.
One day, he heard that his father, a pastor, was going to hold evangelistic meetings at church. Luka knew just who he would invite!
Luka loved his kindergarten teacher, Ms. Keti, and wanted her to learn to love Jesus just like he did. He decided to invite her to the meetings. Luka was thrilled when she came to the meetings, and soon her life was changed.
“When I came to the program, there were 20 meetings. I attended 19 of them. I liked it so much, and I felt that this was what I was searching for.”
Ms. Keti was baptized and became a member of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Georgia. Little missionary Luka was so happy that the teacher he loved learned to love Jesus too.
A few years ago, most Adventist children in Georgia had a hard time learning about Jesus because there were no Sabbath School lessons in their own language. They were lucky if they could even find a Bible to read.
In 2011, part of your 13th Sabbath Offerings helped print children's materials in the local languages of Georgia, Armenia, and Azerbaijan. This helped children grow spiritually, allowing them to be little missionaries who share the love of Jesus with their friends and neighbors.
Luka and all the other children from this part of the world thank you for your wonderful gifts of love through the 13th Sabbath Offering!
“*note for subtitle: Luka’s story originally aired in 2011.”
