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Related topics “Show Me the Truth” Nika’s search for spiritual truth leads her from New Age beliefs to the Bible, the Sabbath, and baptism, and today she serves children through Zagreb’s Prilaz School while helping others discover faith in God.
On weekday afternoons in Zagreb, laughter and quiet concentration fill a church library known as the “Prilaz School.” At one table sits Nika, patiently helping a child work through a difficult assignment. At another moment, she pauses and asks gently, “Shall we pray?” For up to twelve students each week, Nika is more than a tutor. She is a steady presence—someone who listens, encourages, and points young hearts toward God. One day a student’s mother was hospitalized unexpectedly. The children were worried. “Let’s pray for her,” Nika suggested. They did. Soon afterward, the mother recovered. Another child, so happy in the warm atmosphere of the program, once declared, “I want to work here when I grow up!” For Nika, moments like these are deeply meaningful. “I feel very fulfilled and very close to Jesus,” she says. “I know the Holy Spirit is leading me.” But only a few years ago, her life looked very different. Like most people in Croatia, Nika was raised in the country’s traditional religion. As a young adult, however, she began searching for something more. Her spiritual curiosity led her into New Age teachings. She even traveled to India, exploring ideas about reincarnation and participating in elaborate rituals. “But it was empty,” she recalls. “Nothing changed. I prayed, but everything stayed the same.” What troubled her most was the inconsistency. “They talked about good things,” she says, “but they were not living them.” Disillusioned and spiritually restless, Nika returned to Croatia feeling alone and without purpose. Then one day, she met an older woman who invited her to church. There she received a Bible. As she began reading, something caught her attention—the Sabbath. It seemed clear in Scripture. “Why don’t you go to church on Saturday?” she asked the pastor. “It’s not important,” he answered. “It’s only a day.” But Nika could not ignore what she was discovering. “It’s not only a day,” she thought. She began praying: “Show me the truth.” While searching online, Nika came across a YouTube channel addressing topics she had once wrestled with—reincarnation, creation, and the reliability of Scripture. The presentations made sense. She learned the speaker was a Seventh-day Adventist and would soon be lecturing at a local Adventist church. She decided to attend. Again, what she heard resonated deeply. Even more, the people welcomed her warmly—especially Mileta, the church librarian, who asked if she would like to enroll in the Discovery Bible Correspondence School. “I’ll do the lessons at home,” Nika replied, “and come once a week so we can talk.” For three to four hours at a time, they studied together. Mileta introduced her to the writings of Ellen White, which Nika eagerly read. Truth was unfolding—clear, biblical, consistent. When she became convicted about keeping the Sabbath, Nika made a difficult decision. She left her job and accepted night work as a security guard so she would be free during Sabbath hours. The long quiet shifts gave her time to read and reflect. Finally, she knew she had found what she had been searching for. Nika was baptized on December 16, 2023. Because the historic Zagreb 1 church building had been severely damaged in the 2020 earthquake, her baptism took place in another Adventist church. Her family attended. Her stepfather, who had long claimed to be an atheist, told her afterward, “You are in the right place.” Just weeks later, he passed away. Nika treasures those words and continues praying for her mother and brothers. Six months after her baptism, an unexpected opportunity came. The church’s Prilaz School, an after-school tutoring outreach begun during the pandemic, needed help, and Nika gladly responded to the need. The program, supported by the Trans-European Division and the Croatian Conference, was designed to serve families overwhelmed by academic and social pressures. Now, Nika helps children with homework—and gently introduces them to the God who changed her life. She also drives a taxi part-time. In her car, she keeps copies of Steps to Christ and health magazines, praying each day that God will send someone who is searching. “Show me the truth,” she once prayed. Now she helps others find it. Today, the members of Zagreb 1 continue meeting in temporary spaces while they look forward to rebuilding their church home—severely damaged in the 2020 earthquake. But while they wait, the mission continues. Through outreach projects like the Prilaz School, lives are being changed. Your Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will help provide a new church building in Zagreb—a place where worship, Bible study, children’s programs, and community outreach can flourish again. It will be a spiritual home not only for members, but for seekers like Nika who are praying, “Show me the truth.”  Story Tips · Show the location of Croatia on a map. · Download photos for this story from Facebook: bit.ly/fb-mq. · Share facts related to Croatia (see below) Fast Facts · The official name of Croatia is the Republic of Croatia. · The capital city of Croatia is Zagreb in the north of the country. · Croatian is the official language of Croatia. · The Euro is the currency of Croatia. · Croatia’s coastline contains more than a thousand islands, only 48 of which are inhabited. · The Pula Arena, in Pula, Croatia, is an ancient Roman amphitheater and is the only one in the world where the whole circular wall is still intact. Get to know the region Related publications More Youth & Adult Mission Stories Topics

Nika’s search for spiritual truth leads her from New Age beliefs to the Bible, the Sabbath, and baptism, and today she serves children through Zagreb’s Prilaz School while helping others discover faith in God.

“Show Me the Truth”

Related topics From Despair to Destiny: Albin Močnik and the Dawn of Adventism in Croatia Albin Močnik rises from despair to become a pioneering missionary, translator, church leader, and advocate for Adventism in the Balkans.
In the bitter cold of January 1906, a young Slovenian named Albin Močnik stood on a bridge in Bremerhaven, Germany, contemplating suicide. But just as he teetered on the edge of despair, a stranger intervened, directing him to a pair of Adventist shoemaking families who would unknowingly change the course of history for the Balkans. Močnik moved in with the Schiefers and Banas families. Their quiet witness stirred his heart, and by March 1906, he was baptized. This marked the beginning of a lifelong mission that would shape the Adventist Church in the former Yugoslavia. Soon after his baptism, Močnik attended the German Union conference in Friedensau, unaware he was the first Slovene Adventist. Encouraged by John F. Huenergardt to serve his own people, he enrolled in the Friedensau school, where his passion for mission grew. He began translating and distributing Sabbath School materials in Serbo-Croatian, planting seeds for future outreach. In 1908, Albin’s dream took form. Upon completing his studies, he went to Croatia with Pastor Robert Schillinger. Though hindered by language barriers and legal obstacles, Močnik shared the gospel in Zagreb and Split. He moved into Srem, then part of Croatia, and ventured into Serbia, preaching and baptizing new believers, often at the cost of imprisonment. Despite recurring illness and political opposition, Močnik never abandoned his mission. During World War I, he endured army service, severe health conditions, and the grief of separation from his growing family. Yet even in convalescence, he produced the first Adventist hymnal in Serbo-Croatian, composing 120 songs himself. After the war, Močnik led efforts to counter the divisive Reform Movement and rebuild the Adventist Church. This movement started before World War I, when differing opinions on military service arose among German Adventists. At the end of World War I, the Reform Movement also emerged in the newly formed Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (later Yugoslavia), where only 120 of 500 Adventists remained with the main Church. Eventually, Albin’s ministry bore fruit: he revitalized the church, raised up new leaders, and by 1925, was elected the first president of the Yugoslav Union Conference. As president, Močnik gave the Adventist faith a public voice in a hostile political climate. His 1925 book Adventism clarified church beliefs to the government and helped secure legal recognition for the denomination. He spearheaded translation work and edited the church paper Glasnik . He also founded a school for pastors in 1931 in Belgrade, which, a year later, was relocated to Zagreb. Močnik’s legacy was carved through hardship and relentless faith. From the moment he chose life on a bridge in Bremerhaven to his bold witness across Croatia and beyond, Albin Močnik became a pioneer of hope. His story is a testimony to the transformative power of the gospel and the courage of those who carry it to new frontiers. Adapted from the Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists , available at encyclopedia.adventist.org Get to know the region More Inside Stories Topics

Albin Močnik rises from despair to become a pioneering missionary, translator, church leader, and advocate for Adventism in the Balkans.

From Despair to Destiny: Albin Močnik and the Dawn of Adventism in Croatia

Related topics “Change My Life” Mikael’s journey from addiction, isolation, and spiritual struggle to surrender and ministry reveals how God transformed his life and led him to help launch Oikos House, a growing Adventist church plant in Helsinki.
“If You exist, change my life.” It was a simple prayer from a discouraged teenager who felt trapped in habits he couldn’t break. Mikael grew up in a Christian home in Finland, a fourth-generation Seventh-day Adventist on his father’s side. His mother discovered the Adventist faith through evangelistic meetings shortly after marrying Mikael’s father. When she later learned she was pregnant, she made a quiet promise to God: I will dedicate this child for Your service. As a small child, Mikael sensed that dedication without fully understanding it. He remembers pretending to be a pastor at age three, holding “home church” services in his living room. He was baptized at 11 and felt sensitive to God’s leading. But soon after, his family moved to rural Finland, where the Adventist church was small and Mikael felt isolated—both as a believer and as part of an ethnic minority. Wanting desperately to belong, he began smoking, drinking, and partying during his early teen years. Weekends were filled with alcohol, and Sabbaths sometimes found him sitting in the back of church with a hangover. He never stopped believing in God, but he felt torn between faith and the pull of the world. Adventist summer camps became a lifeline. Each year, Mikael felt drawn back to God—but once he returned to school, willpower alone wasn’t enough to change his habits. By age 15, his struggle reached its darkest point. “I made choices I deeply regretted,” he recalled. “It felt like a spiritual battle.” At one camp, Mikael listened as a visiting speaker shared his testimony of transformation. Sitting in the back row, Mikael thought, When I’m 25, I’ll get my life together. Even then, beneath the confusion, he sensed a quiet calling—a purpose he couldn’t fully explain but couldn’t escape either. The turning point came not through self-discipline, but surrender. Late one night, after another weekend of partying, Mikael looked at his reflection at a train station and asked himself, Who am I becoming? Back in his dorm room, he prayed honestly: “God, I love this lifestyle. I don’t even want to change. But if You want to, You have my permission.” Not long after, he prayed again: “If You exist, change my life.” God answered—not with dramatic emotion, but with quiet transformation. Mikael found himself longing for something different. He stopped his bad habits and began spending time with friends who took faith seriously. One evening, after praying with them, he felt no rush of emotion—yet everything changed. “I didn’t feel anything,” he said. “But I was never the same again.” Soon after, God began stretching him in unexpected ways. One Sabbath afternoon, while bored and wandering through a shopping mall, Mikael felt impressed to speak to strangers about God. Though he felt unqualified, he obeyed. As he spoke, faith that once felt distant suddenly became real. “It was like God was teaching me as I spoke,” he said. That experience marked the beginning of a journey into ministry. After high school, Mikael joined a mission training program in Australia. There, a dream began to form: planting a church back home in Finland. In 2019, he contacted church leaders and joined early planning efforts for a new ministry in Helsinki. Then came 2020. The pandemic halted plans, separated Mikael from his girlfriend overseas, drained his finances, and plunged him into deep discouragement. Sleep-deprived and isolated, he questioned why God would give him such hope only to take it away. Yet even in that season, God was quietly at work. That summer, a small team formed. Then a house became available with less than a month’s notice. By August 2020, the doors of Oikos House opened. What began as a fragile step of faith has grown into a vibrant Seventh-day Adventist church plant. Each Sabbath, young adults gather in the home for Bible study, worship, shared meals, and fellowship. People come from many backgrounds, over 30 nationalities, creating a warm, welcoming space where faith feels real. Over the past six years, hundreds have passed through Oikos House. Many have chosen baptism. Others have grown deeper in faith and stepped into leadership. Young people once searching for belonging have found a spiritual family. Mikael sees God’s hand clearly now. Today, Oikos House is outgrowing its space. The dream is bigger now: to plant another church and raise up a new generation of young leaders who will serve across Finland and beyond. This quarter, part of the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will help support future church plants branching off of the Oikos House—places where faith is lived around the table, prayers are honest, and lives are changed.  Story Tips · Show the location of Helsinki, Finland on a map · Download photos for this story from Facebook: bit.ly/fb-mq · Share facts related to Finland (see below) Fast Facts · The brown bear is the national animal of Finland. The national bird is the swan, the national flower is the lily-of-the-valley, and the national tree is the silver birch. · There are more than 168,000 lakes in Finland and 179,000 islands. · Lapland is the largest and furthest-north region in Finland and is partly in the Arctic Circle. The Finnish name for Lapland is “ Lappi ” and in Swedish it is “ Lappland. ” · Finland has been ranked the world’s happiest country for the last seven years. · There are around 3 million saunas in Finland: that is one sauna for every two Finns. · The colors of the Finnish flag represent the blue of the lakes and white of the snow.  Get to know the region Related publications More Youth & Adult Mission Stories Topics

Mikael’s journey from addiction, isolation, and spiritual struggle to surrender and ministry reveals how God transformed his life and led him to help launch Oikos House, a growing Adventist church plant in Helsinki.

“Change My Life”

Related topics To Adventist Leader (Part 2) Marek finds the Adventist Church, accepts Christ, and begins a transformed life of ministry and service.
Marek’s life began to change as he read The Great Controversy in Poland. He decided to keep the seventh-day Sabbath. He read that smoking is bad and decided to quit. But he couldn’t. One Saturday, he passed a street poster offering a five-day stop smoking class. The address was a Seventh-day Adventist church. Marek had never heard of the denomination before, even after reading The Great Controversy and visiting the Adventist bookstore where he had bought the book. Marek went straight to the church. He saw a poster for The Great Controversy on the church bulletin board and knew he had found the right place. It was 2 o’clock on a Saturday afternoon, and the church normally would have been empty after worship services, but a group of literature evangelists were there, and they invited Marek to return the next Sabbath morning to worship. Marek returned the next Sabbath and enjoyed the sermon. He was amazed at the kindness of the churchgoers. They told him that a large group of young people would meet in a nearby city the next Sabbath and invited him to go with them. The next Sabbath morning, Marek waited by a road for the Adventists to pick him up. It was a hot day, and he was wearing shorts and a T-shirt. As he waited, he sensed two voices speaking to him. One said, “Stay outside, and enjoy the nice weather.” The other urged, “Wait here because it’s really important that you go to this meeting.” The Adventists arrived and took him to the meeting. The worship service amazed Marek. Every word was meaningful to him. The preacher, a British pastor from London, spoke until noon. Then he said, “I know I am supposed to end now, but I know there is somebody here who needs Jesus.” Marek thought, “Who told him about me?” The pastor then shared his personal story. He was born into a religious family but had left the church. He had used drugs and drank. His church and even his mother had stopped praying for him. “Then I met Jesus,” he said. “He took me up from the bottom where I was, and now I’m here to tell you about His power. And that He can change your life.” Then the pastor made his appeal. “If you want Jesus to change your life, just come here to the front,” he said. Marek saw 1,000 people in the crowd and cringed at the thought of standing in front of them. With the very next sentence, the pastor addressed his doubts. “Don’t think about others looking at you,” he said. “Just come here. Come to the front. It’s between you and God.” Marek stood up. He couldn’t sit anymore. His heart beat wildly as he went to the front. As the pastor prayed, Marek understood the plan of salvation for the first time. He had lived a bad life, and Jesus had taken his place. Marek began to cry, and nobody could stop him. The tears flowed freely. But Marek also was excited and joyful. “I really feel that God saved my life not only for His kingdom but also from physical death,” Marek said later. While studying at the Adventist seminary, he learned that his childhood friend Matthew was found dead with a knife in his heart. He had been using a lot of drugs, and no one knows what happened. He was only 23. His other childhood friend, Martin, ended up in prison for seven “I really want to help young people find their purpose in life sooner than I did,” he said. “Maybe they will live better lives after hearing my story. I’m really thankful to God. He saved me from everything, and He gave me everything. So, I have given everything to Him.” Get to know the region More Inside Stories Topics

Marek finds the Adventist Church, accepts Christ, and begins a transformed life of ministry and service.

To Adventist Leader (Part 2)

Related topics Every Step a Battle Joe’s journey from grief, anxiety, and spiritual emptiness leads him back to God and to OIKOS House in Helsinki, where he finds healing, belonging, and a calling to pastoral ministry.
Joe almost turned back more than once. The Sabbath morning he first came to OIKOS House in Helsinki, everything inside him resisted going. Though he had recently begun his journey of faith, anxiety pressed hard as he left his home, walked to the train station, boarded the train, and then walked again toward an unfamiliar house. “It felt like every step was a battle,” Joe recalled. “I didn’t know about spiritual warfare then—but I know now that something didn’t want me to come.” The final walk from the station should have taken five minutes. Instead, it took fifteen—and three prayers. Standing outside the door, Joe hesitated. What if this is the wrong place? What if they don’t accept me? he thought. He pressed the doorbell, telling himself that if no one answered within five seconds, he would run home. The door opened almost immediately. With warm smiles and a genuine welcome, the fear that had followed Joe all morning vanished. “It was like crossing a barrier,” he said. “The anxiety disappeared the moment I stepped inside.” For the first time, church felt different. Joe’s journey to that doorstep began long before Finland. Born in Thailand to a Finnish father and a Thai mother, Joe spent much of his childhood attending Adventist schools. He learned Bible stories, sang hymns, and prayed before meals—but faith felt distant. “I believed God existed,” he said. “But I didn’t know Him personally.” When Joe was 13, his mother passed away. Though she had found Christian faith shortly before her death, the loss left Joe deeply confused and bitter. A youth group that had once felt like a refuge dissolved soon after, and his questions about God went unanswered. “I didn’t understand why a loving God would take my mother, and then the youth group,” Joe said. “So, I walked away.” For years, he searched elsewhere for belonging through parties, alcohol, and later alternative spiritual paths. Nothing lasted. What once numbed the pain eventually deepened it. By his late twenties, Joe felt empty and exhausted. Depression and anxiety weighed heavily, and a painful breakup only intensified his despair. “One night, I felt like the world had nothing left to offer me,” he said. As Joe reached the lowest point of his life, a single word impressed itself on his heart: Pray. “I knew exactly who that prayer was meant for—the God I had learned about as a child,” Joe said. That night, Joe prayed honestly and desperately, asking God to take away his pain and give him life. Exhausted from months of sleeplessness, he fell asleep. When he woke, something was different. “The depression was gone,” he said simply. “I knew it wasn’t me. It had to be God.” Days later, biking to work in the cold winter darkness, Joe felt joy rising in his heart. “It felt like the sun was shining just for me,” he said. With a grateful heart, he committed his life fully to God. Not long afterward, Joe followed an invitation to OIKOS House. “I had never experienced church like that,” he said. “People listened. They wanted to know my story. There was no judgment—only belonging.” Joe stayed late that first Sabbath, sharing his testimony again and again with people who genuinely cared. From that day on, he knew he had found a spiritual family. “What struck me most,” Joe said, “was that OIKOS doesn’t just talk about Jesus’ teachings—it tries to live them.” Encouraged by the community that believed in him, Joe began to sense a new calling. Today, he is studying theology, preparing for pastoral ministry. His dream is to serve at OIKOS House and help plant new churches—places where others searching for belonging can encounter God just as he did. “This house is just a tool,” Joe reflected. “What matters is God’s kingdom—and helping others discover the love that changed my life.” Looking back, Joe sees God’s hand in every step, from seeds planted in childhood to a long, difficult walk toward a house where he finally found home. Joe’s journey reminds us that finding faith often begins with finding community. Through ministries like OIKOS House, God is creating spaces where people burdened by loneliness, doubt, or fear can encounter genuine belonging and the healing love of Christ. Part of this quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will support OIKOS as it expands its outreach and prepares to plant new churches for the next generation. Thank you for your faithful giving.  Story Tips · Show the location of Helsinki, Finland on a map. · Download photos for this story from Facebook: bit.ly/fb-mq. · Share facts related to Finland (see below) Fast Facts · The official name of Finland is the Republic of Finland. · The capital and largest city of Finland is Helsinki. · The Finnish name for Finland is Suomi . · Finland’s currency is the Euro. · The official languages of Finland are Finnish and Swedish, although national languages like Sámi, Karelian, and Finnish Kalo are also recognized. · The national anthem of Finland (“Our Land”) can be sung in Finnish (“ Maamme ”) and Swedish (“ Vårt land ”). Get to know the region Related publications More Youth & Adult Mission Stories Topics

Joe’s journey from grief, anxiety, and spiritual emptiness leads him back to God and to OIKOS House in Helsinki, where he finds healing, belonging, and a calling to pastoral ministry.

Every Step a Battle

Related topics From Drug Dealer (Part 1) Marek’s life of drugs and dealing begins to change when a search for truth leads him to Jesus and The Great Controversy.
Matthew and Martin were Marek’s best friends. If a fight broke out at school, the same three teens were always to blame: Matthew, Martin, and Marek. Today, Matthew is dead; Martin spent seven years in prison; and Marek is a former drug dealer who serves as one of the leaders of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Poland. What happened? Marek grew up in a Christian family in southern Poland. His life fell apart at the age of 18 when his girlfriend left him. He stayed home for two weeks, lying in bed and crying. Finally, he decided to pray: “God, I want her back.” Nothing happened. Then he prayed, “God, I don’t want to wake up anymore because it’s so painful.” Still, nothing happened. Marek stopped praying and became an atheist. He started using drugs. Then his friend Martin decided to sell drugs and invited Marek to join him. Marek quickly became successful at selling and using drugs. He thought, “This is great. You have lots of money, and you get to party all the time!” Two years passed, and Marek couldn’t find anyone to join him at a big party on New Year’s Eve. Disappointed, Marek decided to visit his grandmother. That night, he found himself staring at a picture of Jesus in his grandmother’s home. He thought, “Even if I don’t believe in God, Jesus was real. He was here.” His thoughts drifted back to how he read the Bible as a boy. He remembered that the Bible depicted Jesus as a good person who treated people well. Several days later, Marek visited a woman who promised to reveal his future. She shuffled cards and warned about the end of the world. Astonished, Marek asked when the world would end. She said in exactly one year. Marek started reading the book of Revelation, hoping to learn how the world would end, but understood nothing. Turning to the gospels, he was amazed to learn that Jesus had a kingdom where people would be happy and live forever. One night, after a party, he was sitting in a car, eating takeout food with friends. Out the window he saw a bookstore called Signs of the Times. The name caught his attention. The next day, he went to the bookstore and asked, “Do you have some books about Nostradamus?” The woman behind the counter said, “No, but if you are interested in prophecy, we have The Great Controversy .” Marek bought the thick book by Ellen White and was stunned as he read the story of the Christian church from the destruction of Jerusalem to Jesus’ second coming. He double-checked what he read in the Bible and online. Everything seemed to match up. One night, as he read The Great Controversy in bed, he asked himself, “Am I gaining light from reading this book?” At that moment, the light bulb in the lamp above his head began to blink for 10, 15, 20 seconds. That was unusual, and Marek grew nervous. Suddenly, he noticed a reflection of himself in a window. All he could see was his head and the light bulb right above it. The bulb stopped sputtering and shone brightly again. The answer was clear. It was the first time in his life that he sensed God’s presence and love. He knelt and said, “God, if You are like this, I want to serve You.” Get to know the region More Inside Stories Topics

Marek’s life of drugs and dealing begins to change when a search for truth leads him to Jesus and The Great Controversy.

From Drug Dealer (Part 1)

Related topics Finding Family on the Streets of Helsinki Jenny’s search for Christian community leads her to OIKOS House in Helsinki, where friendship, discipleship, forgiveness, and faith transform her life and give her a new sense of belonging and purpose.
Jenny wasn’t looking for a church that winter day in Helsinki’s city center—she was praying for friends. Only three months earlier, she had begun a personal journey of faith. While waiting for her mother at a doctor’s appointment, Jenny wandered through the streets, quietly asking God for Christian community. Almost immediately, she felt impressed to walk down a particular street near a busy square. That decision changed everything. There, she met a small group from OIKOS House, a Seventh-day Adventist church plant in Helsinki. One of the outreach volunteers approached her with an unexpected question: “Has anyone ever written a poem for you?” When she said no, he asked her to share three words. One of them was “peace.” As they talked, Jenny admitted she believed in God, but she didn’t yet realize the group was Christian. When they explained they were inviting people to church, another volunteer, Linda, shared about OIKOS House. Contact information was exchanged, and a simple invitation followed. At first, Jenny hesitated. But she trusted the same God who had led her down that street. “I wasn’t afraid,” she later said. “I knew this was from Him.” Two weeks later, she rang the doorbell of the OIKOS House. “I was expecting a church building,” Jenny recalled with a smile. “I thought, What if there’s just a family having dinner inside? But I prayed, ‘Lord, You led me here—so keep leading me.’” She was welcomed warmly. Worship flowed naturally into small-group conversations, and strangers quickly became friends. “It felt like family right away,” she said. “So, I just kept coming.” Jenny grew up with a mixed religious background, with her parents coming from two different religions. But going to church was never a consistent part of her life. As a young adult, she lived a secular lifestyle and found herself in a painful relationship that left her emotionally broken. “I was miserable and searching for something to hold onto,” she said. “I knew about God, and that was my last hope.” In desperation she prayer, “ If You are really there, please help me.” God answered. As Jenny began forming a personal relationship with Jesus, she found the strength to leave the relationship and her old way of life behind. In prayer, God also did something she never thought possible—He removed her anger and bitterness. “I realized I didn’t hate him [the boyfriend who had cheated on her] anymore,” she said. “And I told him that Jesus had taken the anger away.” Through forgiveness, Jenny was able to share the gospel with her former boyfriend—something she says she could never have done on her own. After stepping away from her old life, Jenny experienced a quiet season of growth—time with God, her family, and prayer for new friends. Those prayers were answered through OIKOS House. “What I love most about OIKOS is that it’s family,” she said. “Everyone is welcome as they are. People from so many backgrounds—and it just works.” Through that community, Jenny met Timi, who had been part of the original OIKOS core team. Their friendship grew into a relationship rooted in faith, prayer, and purpose. After nine months of dating, they became engaged during the ARISE discipleship program and were married in July 2025. Jenny also participated in ARISE Finland, a three-month discipleship and outreach program held in eastern Finland. There, Bible study, community living, and hands-on outreach deepened her faith. “The most important thing I learned,” she said, “was that God is love. When you see that, the whole Bible comes together.” Today, Jenny is studying early childhood education at the University of Helsinki, preparing for a future of service. She and Timi live near OIKOS House, just minutes from where she first rang the doorbell. Looking back, Jenny sees God’s hand clearly: from a simple prayer on a city street to a spiritual family, a restored life, and a heart ready for mission. “I didn’t connect the dots at first,” she said. “But now I see—God was leading me the whole way.” Across Finland, many young adults, like Jenny, are searching for community, purpose, and a place where faith feels personal and lived. Part of this quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will help OIKOS House expand that ministry by launching a new church plant designed especially for families. Just as a simple invitation on a Helsinki street led Jenny to spiritual family and new life in Christ, your mission offerings help create spaces where others can encounter God, find belonging, and begin their own journey of faith. Thank you for praying for church plants and for your generous mission offerings.  Story Tips · Show the location of Helsinki, Finland on a map · Download photos for this story from Facebook: bit.ly/fb-mq · Share facts related to Finland (see below) Mission Post · Finland has 58 Seventh-day Adventist churches, 9 companies, and 4,063 members. With a population of 5,624,000, that is one church member for every 1,384 Finns. · Around 62 percent of Finns belong to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland, 35 percent are unaffiliated with any religion, and only 3 percent belong to other religions. · The first Seventh-day Adventist in Finland was a sea captain—A. F. Lundqvist, who, while docked at Liverpool, England in 1885, bought Uriah Smith’s Daniel and the Revelation and Ellen White’s The Great Controversy from a colporteur. He remained a faithful church member until his death in 1955, aged 97. · The first Church worker in Finland was a Swedish canvassing leader, Emil Lind, who was sent to Finland in 1891. He found the work difficult and was even threatened with exile to Siberia. · In 1892, the Swedish Conference president, Olof Johnson, and two Bible workers, Augusta Larsson and Matilda Lindgren, came to Helsinki. Because foreigners could not hold public meetings, Johnson held them in his own home. · The SDA Church in Finland has one school, Finland Junior College, and one retirement home, Nurmikoti Oy . Get to know the region Related publications More Youth & Adult Mission Stories Topics

Jenny’s search for Christian community leads her to OIKOS House in Helsinki, where friendship, discipleship, forgiveness, and faith transform her life and give her a new sense of belonging and purpose.

Finding Family on the Streets of Helsinki

Related topics “Just One Friend” Stranded in Finland during the pandemic, Kathy finds friendship, faith, and a new spiritual family at OIKOS House, where a simple prayer for one true friend leads her to baptism and a life of welcoming others.
When Kathy stepped off the airplane in Finland, she carried two suitcases, and a very lonely heart. Kathy had grown up in Slovakia, a country far to the south of Finland. She had come to the city of Helsinki for an internship connected to her university studies. She was excited—but also nervous. She didn’t know anyone. She didn’t even know much about Finland before she arrived. Then something unexpected happened. Because of COVID restrictions, the borders closed, and Kathy couldn’t go back home. Suddenly, the adventure didn’t feel exciting anymore. It felt scary. The winter days in Finland were long and dark. Snow covered the streets. The sun seemed to disappear. Kathy missed her family. She missed hearing her own language. Most of all, she missed having someone to talk to. “I just wanted one true friend,” she said later. One day, someone told her about a small church group that met in a house in Helsinki. It wasn’t a big church building with stained-glass windows. It was simply a home where young adults gathered to read the Bible, sing, pray, and eat together. The group was called OIKOS House. Kathy wasn’t sure what to expect. But she decided to go. When she rang the doorbell, she wondered, What if I don’t belong here? The door opened, and smiling faces welcomed her inside. That evening, people talked with her. They listened carefully. They asked about her life. They didn’t rush her or pressure her. They simply cared. Kathy kept coming back. Sometimes they played board games. Sometimes they cooked meals together. Sometimes they studied the Bible. No one forced her to believe anything. But Kathy began to notice something different about these young people. They were kind. They were patient. They seemed to truly love one another. “They loved me even when I felt broken,” she said. As winter continued, Kathy felt both lonely and hopeful at the same time. One night, she decided to try something she hadn’t done seriously before. She prayed. “God,” she whispered, “please give me one true friend.” She didn’t ask for ten friends. She didn’t ask for a big group. Just one. But God had a bigger plan. Little by little, Kathy realized something amazing. The people at OIKOS House were becoming more than friends. They were becoming family. When she felt like crying, someone sat beside her. When she felt homesick, someone invited her for dinner. When she had questions about the Bible, someone opened Scripture with her and read patiently. One evening, she read a Bible promise that said, “When you walk through deep waters, I will be with you” (Isaiah 43:2). It felt as if God was speaking directly to her heart. “For the first time,” Kathy said, “I felt loved by God.” Her simple prayer for one friend had been answered in a surprising way. God had given her a whole church family. In May 2021, as the weather grew warmer and the ice melted, Kathy made an important decision. She chose to be baptized. In a beautiful Finnish lake, surrounded by her new church family, she gave her life to Jesus. It was one of the happiest days of her life. Today, Kathy still lives in Helsinki. She helps welcome other young people who come through the doors of OIKOS House. She knows what it feels like to be new. She knows what it feels like to be lonely. And she wants others to find the same love she found. “I prayed for one true friend,” she says with a smile. “God gave me a family.” Across Finland, many young people are searching for friendship and hope—just like Kathy was. Part of this quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will help OIKOS House grow and start new home church groups, so even more people can find a place where they belong. Your offering can help someone far away discover that they are never alone, because God is always listening to even the simplest prayer.  Story Tips · Show the continent of Europe on a map, and then the countries of Slovakia and Finland. · Watch a short video of the OIKOS House and download photos at facebook.com/missionquarterlies · Visit the OIKOS House on Instagram at instagram.com/the.oikoshouse/ MISSION RECORD The very first Seventh-day Adventist in Finland was a sea captain named A. F. Lundqvist. In 1885, while his ship was docked in Liverpool, England, Captain Lundqvist bought two books from a colporteur: Daniel and the Revelation by Uriah Smith and The Great Controversy by Ellen White. As he read these books, he became convinced of the Bible truths they shared. Soon he was baptized as a Seventh-day Adventist. Captain Lundqvist remained a faithful church member until his death in 1955 at the age of 97. Today in Finland there are 58 Seventh-day Adventist churches, 9 companies, and 4,063 members. Finland has a population of 5,624,000 people—that means there is one Adventist for every 1,384 people in the country. AMAZING COUNTRY The Finnish name for Finland is Suomi . Finland’s national animal is the brown bear. Its national bird is the swan. The national flower is the lily-of-the-valley, and the national tree is the beautiful silver birch. Reindeer roam freely across the northern countryside, especially in a region called Lapland. In fact, Finland is known as “the land of a thousand lakes”—but there are more than 168,000 lakes and about 179,000 islands throughout the country. Get to know the region More Children Mission Stories Topics

Stranded in Finland during the pandemic, Kathy finds friendship, faith, and a new spiritual family at OIKOS House, where a simple prayer for one true friend leads her to baptism and a life of welcoming others.

“Just One Friend”

Related topics A Miracle of Mercy A dying young woman encountered Jesus through the prayers and care of Global Mission pioneers, gaining precious months of life and the hope of salvation.
When we entered the patient’s room, we found a small, weak 19-year-old girl lying in bed. From her mother, we learned that her name was Lina* and that she had thalassemia, an inherited blood disease. There was no cure, and her treatment offered little relief. She seemed to be waiting in the hospital to die. We were friends with several Christians living in the area, and one day we learned they were going to visit a patient at the hospital. We asked whether we could accompany them, and they welcomed us. This is how we met Lina. After everyone in the group prayed for Lina, my husband and I had an idea. We had come to this city as Global Mission pioneers—sent to share the gospel in a place where few had ever heard it. Because hospitals in our country don’t provide food for patients, we wondered whether we could prepare healthy vegetarian meals for Lina to help her feel better. We shared the idea with her mom, and she eagerly agreed. The next morning, we brought Lina breakfast. Before we ate, we introduced her and her mother to Jesus. “He is our marvelous Creator, a loving and merciful God who can sustain us in this life and grant us eternal life,” we told them. Then we asked them to join us in prayer as we pleaded with God for Lina’s healing. When we finished, Lina said, “Amen!” Each day that we visited Lina, we saw small improvements. Then, a week later, we heard the incredible news. Her body functions had essentially returned to normal, and she was discharged from the hospital. The attending physician was astonished. “What kind of miracle cure did you give this young lady?” he asked. “You must tell me so I can help more patients.” We explained that we had simply prepared healthy vegetarian meals and prayed for her, but we made it clear that Jesus alone had brought about her improvement. A few days later, our Christian friends heard about Lina’s recovery and asked us to teach them how to prepare the “miraculous” meals. Again, we explained that the meals weren’t the source of healing. We had prayed to the Lord in heaven, and He had answered. We began studying the Bible with Lina and her mother, telling them about God’s incomparable love. Both wanted to learn more about Jesus. For six months, Lina’s health was relatively good. Then she was readmitted to the hospital. She died shortly after. As we looked back on those six months, we realized how wonderfully God had provided. When we first met Lina, her condition was considered a death sentence. Yet, the Lord had given her precious additional time—and during those months, she came to know and accept Jesus as her Savior. God had transformed her life. He had given her peace in this life and the promise of eternal life free from sickness and pain. We were grateful for His miracle of mercy and for using us to share His love with Lina and her mother. Marvelous things continued to unfold after Lina’s death. We were worried that her mother might lose all interest in Jesus, so we constantly prayed for her. Instead, she not only continued studying the Bible with us, but she also chose to be baptized. She introduced us to her relatives, and we were able to tell them about God’s love. This gospel work began with a girl on the brink of death. Though she now rests in the Lord, the seed of the gospel has taken root in her extended family. God was true to His promise: although we had sown in tears, we would indeed reap “with shouts of joy!” This is what Global Mission pioneers do. And it’s what your support makes possible. * Name has been changed † Global Mission pioneers start new groups of believers in unreached areas or among unreached people groups. They’re paid a small stipend and, where possible, work among their own culture.  Help Reach the Unreached Lina’s mother is worshiping Jesus today because a pioneer couple was there. Somewhere right now, there’s another Lina living in a city where no one has ever told her that God loves her. A Global Mission pioneer is ready to go. Your support helps send them. Give today at gmSDA.org/Give1 or call 800-648-5824. Ways to Give ONLINE Scan this code or visit gmSDA.org/Give1 to help Global Mission pioneers bring the hope of Jesus to unreached communities. PHONE Call 800-648-5824 MAIL In the United States: Global Mission, General Conference 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904-6601 In Canada: Global Mission SDA Church in Canada 1148 King Street East Oshawa, ON L1H 1H8 Transform lives, one month at a time; join our recurring donor family! Please remember Global Mission in your will and trusts. Visit gmSDA.org/PG or call 800.648.5824. More Stories Topics

A dying young woman encountered Jesus through the prayers and care of Global Mission pioneers, gaining precious months of life and the hope of salvation.

A Miracle of Mercy

Related topics Celebrating Hussein’s Birthday A simple act of generosity opened the door to sharing God’s Word with a sincere seeker in the Middle East. Through prayer, friendship, and a gifted Bible, Hussein began discovering Jesus for himself.
I wish you could meet Hussein,* the security guard at the building where my wife and I live in the Middle East. From the moment we met him, we could tell that he was sincere in his faith and committed to living according to his beliefs. We liked him immediately. Over time, Hussein visited our home many times, and he invited us to his as well. We shared conversations about everyday life and, occasionally, spiritual matters. Whenever we invited him to join us in prayer, he graciously accepted. As our friendship with Hussein deepened by God’s grace, my wife and I sensed God leading us to take another step. We began praying for the right opportunity to give Hussein a Bible. One day, I noticed that Hussein seemed upset. He explained that his bicycle—his only means of transportation to work—had been stolen. He was anxious about finding a bicycle to borrow. That day, I began praying that God would provide a bicycle for my friend. Several months later, we unexpectedly received a gift of US$40. I was puzzled. It felt as though God had sent the money directly from heaven. As I prayed shortly afterward, a clear impression came to mind: Show Jesus to your friend. Buy a bicycle for Hussein. I set aside the money and began saving. But the country’s economy was worsening by the day. No matter how much money I saved, it was never enough to purchase a bicycle. I continued praying and saving and began visiting secondhand bicycle shops. I often imagined the joy of giving Hussein a bicycle for his birthday. When Hussein’s birthday arrived, my wife baked a cake, I prepared a special meal, and we invited him to our home for supper at 5:30 PM. Confident that God could still perform a miracle, I spent the afternoon searching for the bicycle we had prayed about for so long. At 5:00 PM, I returned home discouraged and empty-handed. My wife gently reminded me that God knew how much we wanted to help Hussein and how faithfully we had prayed. “He’s taking care of the situation,” she assured me. The evening was a wonderful surprise for Hussein. He was delighted and told us how grateful he was to have us in his life. We enjoyed the meal together, presented him with the birthday cake, and prayed a special blessing over him, thanking God for his life. But we still had no bicycle. The next day, while continuing my search online, I came across an advertisement for a bicycle in excellent condition at an unusually low price. The listing had been posted only 10 minutes earlier. I immediately called the owner and even gathered the courage to ask for a small discount. I was thrilled when he agreed. When I lifted the bicycle into the back of my car, I knew God had answered our prayers. With the discount, the bicycle cost exactly the amount I had saved over many months. As my wife and I admired this answer to prayer, we asked each other, “What if we give Hussein a Bible along with the bicycle?” We wrapped the Bible we had purchased months earlier, wrote a card, and prayed for the right moment to present both gifts. I carefully planned what to say. I knew Hussein would appreciate the bicycle. I hoped he would receive the Bible with the same enthusiasm. Indescribable Joy When we arrived at Hussein’s door with the bicycle, he was overwhelmed with emotion. But nothing prepared me for the expression on his face when he gently held the Bible and carefully turned its pages. He was amazed. He was delighted. And I’m not sure who was happier—Hussein or me. After two years of friendship, I was finally able to give my friend the gift I had prayed about the most. My joy was indescribable. A few days later, Hussein invited me to his home for tea. When I arrived, I found him reading the book of Genesis. His eyes sparkled as he told me that he had never read the Creation story before. I knew we had much to discuss, and I prayed for the Holy Spirit to guide our conversation. That evening, we talked about heaven, death, and God’s promises. I shared several meaningful Bible verses with him. As we spoke, Hussein continued turning the pages of his Bible. He seemed completely absorbed in God’s Word. Sensing God’s prompting, I asked whether he would like to study the Bible together. My heart leapt when Hussein eagerly accepted. That very week, we began studying Scripture together. God has been working in both our lives as we grow closer to Him and to each other. My heart is filled with gratitude. I stand in awe of the privilege of sharing God’s love with Hussein. I’m thankful for my wife’s faith-filled support and for the friends who prayed with us throughout this journey. Most of all, I thank God for providing the money for the bicycle, for giving us the courage to share His Word, and for leading a sincere seeker to discover the joy of learning about Him for the very first time. * Name has been changed  Every dollar given to Global Mission goes directly to frontline mission work, reaching remote villages and overflowing cities where millions of people are waiting to hear about Jesus. Three Ways to Give Mail — In the US: Global Mission, General Conference 12501 Old Columbia Pike, Silver Spring, MD 20904-6601 In Canada: Global Mission, SDA Church in Canada 1148 King Street East, Oshawa, ON L1H 1H8 Online — GMsda.org/Give4 Phone — 800-648-5824 Transform Lives, One Month at a Time: Join Our Recurring Donor Family! Please remember Global Mission in your will and trusts. Visit Global-Mission.org/PlannedGiving or call 800-648-5824.  More Stories Topics

A simple act of generosity opened the door to sharing God’s Word with a sincere seeker in the Middle East. Through prayer, friendship, and a gifted Bible, Hussein began discovering Jesus for himself.

Celebrating Hussein’s Birthday

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