From the front lines of mission—straight to your inbox

7dh1763952342639.jpg

fsE1763952331941.jpg

CC71763952320315.jpg

qVm1763952302958.jpg

Related topics Being a “PK” Teodor and Anastasia experience the joys and challenges of growing up as a pastor’s children in Croatia, learning through family worship, church service, Pathfinders, and everyday life to remain strong in their faith.
Teodor, 12, and his sister, Anastasia, 10 have lived in many places. They were born in Croatia. They lived in Maruševec, then Zagreb. For a time they even lived in England while their father studied. Then they moved again. And again. Why so many moves? Because their dad is a pastor. Being a pastor’s kid—a “PK”—is sometimes exciting. And sometimes it’s tiring. “Sometimes it’s fun to travel,” Teodor says. “But sometimes we need to wake up very early.” “It’s a little bit hard,” Anastasia adds. “We are in the car a lot.” Their father preaches in different churches around Croatia and even near the Austrian border. Wherever he goes, the children often go with him. And they don’t just sit quietly in the pew. They help. “We sing,” Teodor says. “We collect the offering. We pray during the service.” They’ve been singing in church since they were five and seven years old. Now they even sing in the adult choir, even though there aren’t many other children in it. At home, faith is part of everyday life. Every evening, the family studies the Bible together. They read a chapter, talk about what it means, and then each person prays. Right now, they are reading about Moses leading God’s people through the desert. “We ask what we can learn from it,” Anastasia explains. They also attend Pathfinders. They’ve participated in Bible competitions and even traveled to Budapest for the Pathfinder Bible Experience. They love Bible camp: making friends, playing games, and learning more about God. But not everything is easy. In public school, sometimes other children tease them because they are Adventists. “They didn’t like that I was Adventist,” Teodor says quietly. Anastasia was teased too. “I ignored it,” she says. “I had good friends.” Living in a country without Adventist elementary schools means they attend public schools. They stand out sometimes. Their beliefs are different. But instead of hiding their faith, they live it. They help their dad. They sing about Jesus. They serve in church. They study the Bible. They pray. And they keep going. Being a pastor’s kid means more than traveling and singing. It means learning that church is not just a building—it’s people. It’s service. It’s family. And when church buildings are damaged, like the Zagreb 1 church that was hurt in the earthquake, children still need a place to gather, sing, pray, and grow. Our Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will help rebuild the Zagreb 1 church in Croatia. A new church building will give children a safe place to worship, sing in choirs, study the Bible, and make friends who love Jesus. Let’s give so more boys and girls can grow up strong in faith—just like Teodor and Anastasia.  Story Tips · Show the continent of Europe on a map, pointing out the country of Croatia. Then show the capital city of Zagreb, where part of this quarter’s offering will go to help rebuild the church that was severely damaged by an earthquake. · Watch short videos and download photos at facebook.com/missionquarterlies · Ask the children how they would share Jesus with children who do not know Him yet. AMAZING COUNTRY One of Croatia’s most famous landmarks is the Pula Arena. Located in the city of Pula, this ancient Roman amphitheater was built nearly 2,000 years ago. It is the only remaining Roman amphitheater in the world with its entire circular outer wall still standing. Get to know the region More Children Mission Stories Topics

Teodor and Anastasia experience the joys and challenges of growing up as a pastor’s children in Croatia, learning through family worship, church service, Pathfinders, and everyday life to remain strong in their faith.

Being a “PK”

Related topics ‘Mission Refocus’ stories challenge Adventist leaders to go where the need Is greatest Annual Council program highlights the need for more missionaries in underserved communities.
Seventh-day Adventist leaders on the second day of Annual Council set aside votes, reports and other agenda items Friday evening, October 9, for worship and reflection on what it means to answer God’s call to mission. More than 440 church leaders from around the world, gathered at the General Conference (GC) headquarters in Silver Spring, Maryland, United States, heard firsthand accounts of faith, sacrifice, and service from missionaries serving in communities where sharing the gospel often begins with building trust, forming friendships, and finding new ways to connect with people. Their experiences, woven throughout the evening with music, Scripture readings, and interactive moments, offered a glimpse into Mission Refocus, the church’s effort to send more missionaries and resources to places where the Adventist presence is limited or nonexistent. The initiative emphasizes the 10/40 Window, major urban areas, and secular and post-Christian societies. The testimonies also reflected this year’s Annual Council theme, “Called for Mission,” through the experiences of missionaries serving across cultures and far from familiar surroundings. “Tonight is a special program centered on the stories and lives of those who have been sent through Mission Refocus,” said Rick McEdward, executive secretary of the GC, as he welcomed leaders. A mission that changed her Among the missionaries featured was Katie Davis, who spent nine months as a student missionary in Cambodia through the Andrews University student mission program. Davis served at an Adventist center of influence where language and music classes, a vegetarian restaurant, and other activities are designed to build relationships within the community. She said she quickly discovered that sharing her faith in Cambodia required a different approach. “My mission changed to be representing Jesus through my actions, my words, and my daily behavior, and completely relying on the Holy Spirit every single day,” Davis said. During her nine months there, Davis said she used her social work training to conduct mental health workshops in villages, help children develop social-emotional skills, form friendships that led to Bible studies, and help a Cambodian teenager prepare for studies abroad. But Davis told leaders that one of the greatest transformations took place in her own life. “My mission experience wasn't about what I wanted to give to my people, but it was the very tool that God used to disciple me, to break my assumptions, and to build my faith,” she said. Now pursuing a master’s degree in community and international development, Davis challenged church leaders to give young people opportunities to serve now. “When you give us, young people, the trust, the opportunity, and the space to go serve, whether that’s across the world in Cambodia or right here locally in our communities, God does incredible things in our hearts.” Building relationships in a post-Christian community For one missionary family serving in a highly secular, post-Christian setting, church planting has centered on building friendships and trust. By creating opportunities for meaningful connections, they have opened the way for people who might not initially connect with a traditional church to explore questions about life and faith. Those connections have gradually opened the way for deeper spiritual conversations. One participant who identified as an atheist began studying the Bible and attending Sabbath worship, while another who had described himself as agnostic expressed a desire to give God another chance. A Bible study group has since taken shape and is being developed as the foundation for a new congregation and a model for reaching other post-Christian communities. That experience reflects a broader challenge across the Trans-European Division (TED). Robert Csizmadia, the division’s executive secretary, pointed to its largest mission field, home to some 65 million people and nearly one-third of the division’s population, where there is roughly one Adventist for every 82,000 non-Adventists. In a region increasingly shaped by secular and post-Christian cultures, Csizmadia said reaching people requires new approaches to mission, describing TED as a “mission lab” for finding new ways to connect with those communities. “We want to be partners in mission,” he said. “We would like to accept you into our mission field. And we would like to support you in your mission field.” An alarm clock for mission Throughout the evening, the sound and image of an alarm clock reinforced a sense of urgency. Bible passages including Romans 13:11-12, John 9:4, Luke 10:2, Matthew 25:13, and Matthew 28:19-20 were used to point leaders toward the urgency of reaching people who have yet to hear the gospel. “These Bible verses are meant to be alarm clocks to awaken us in mission,” said Justin Kim, editor of Adventist Review . Kim then turned that reflection toward the audience, inviting leaders to use their phones for an interactive word cloud. They responded to questions about where they had served, where mission workers are most needed, and what mission needs most. Countries and regions from around the world appeared on the screen, while “workers,” “Holy Spirit,” “love,” and “prayer” emerged among the needs identified for mission. Kim also challenged leaders to consider what they were willing to surrender for mission, calling them to “reconsecrate” and “recalibrate” their lives with a greater burden for other cultures, countries, and peoples. Crossing the barriers McEdward returned to that urgency in his closing appeal, tracing the biblical call to take God's blessings to the nations and challenging leaders not to allow geographic, ethnic, linguistic, or religious barriers to limit the church's mission. “God's people are called to cross barriers for the gospel,” he said. “It's not for adventure that we go. It's not for some kind of extra stamp on our passport that we go.” He also pointed to the relationship between Mission Refocus and OneVoice27 , the church’s worldwide digital evangelism initiative. Digital tools can carry the gospel into new places, he said, but the church also needs people on the ground who can build relationships with those reached through technology. The connection reflected the church’s broader emphasis on being “Integrated for Mission,” bringing missionaries, members, leaders, and initiatives together in a shared effort to reach people beyond the church’s current presence. McEdward challenged leaders to ensure that OneVoice27 extends to languages and populations where the Adventist Church has little or no representation. “Make sure we're doing something for the groups, ethnic groups, and languages which we have no representation in the church,” he said. Pointing to missionaries who had left familiar surroundings and, in some cases, significant security to serve elsewhere, McEdward stressed the need for more workers. “Can we have more? Can we send more like them?” he asked. “Can we see this world have more shining lights like them?” But he emphasized that the responsibility extends beyond those who are sent. Drawing from God's call to Abraham to bless the nations, McEdward reminded leaders of their own place in that mission: “You also are part of the solution to bring God's blessings to the nations The evening closed with a prayer by GC president Erton Köhler, who thanked missionaries for their service and called leaders to renewed commitment. “Keep the mission alive through us,” he prayed. “Help us to be always focused on the mission in everything we do to prepare this world for the second coming of Jesus.” This article was provided by the ANN . Get to know the region More Stories Topics

Annual Council program highlights the need for more missionaries in underserved communities.

‘Mission Refocus’ stories challenge Adventist leaders to go where the need Is greatest

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 Brave for Jesus Fourteen-year-old Lucjica grows in faith through the influence of her grandparents and courageously shares her Adventist beliefs with classmates, showing how young people can stand confidently for Jesus.
When Lucjica was a baby, her grandparents carried her to church. Now she is 14 years old and she walks into church on her own, holding tightly to the faith they helped plant in her heart. Lucjica lives with her mother in Croatia. Her mother believes in God but does not attend church regularly. But every Sabbath since she was six years old, Lucjica has gone to church with her grandmother and grandfather. “My grandma teaches me everything about Jesus,” Lucjica says. “She shows me how to live healthy, how to choose good things to watch, how to follow God’s rules.” Her grandmother reads from the Bible and from Ellen G. White’s books. Since she was just two years old, Lucjica has listened to Bible stories. One of her favorites is Queen Esther—the brave young woman who stood up for her people. Lucjica has learned to be brave too. Her favorite Bible verse is Philippians 4:13: “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” She says she feels safe when she prays. She prays about school grades. She prays about problems at home. She prays when she feels unsure. And God answers. At church she loves Sabbath School. She is in the 5th–8th grade class. They study the Bible, pray together, and learn to forgive, to be kind, and not to judge others. “It’s very necessary,” she says. “Especially for the mental health of kids.” She also loves Pathfinders. They meet on Sundays: sometimes at church, sometimes in the park. She enjoys camping, being outdoors, and spending time with her friends. But one of the bravest moments of her life didn’t happen at church. It happened at school. Lucjica is the only Seventh-day Adventist in her class. All 22 of her classmates are from another religion. One day, she was talking with her teacher about her beliefs. She explained what Adventists believe about the Sabbath, about praying directly to God, and about healthy food choices. Instead of criticizing her, the teacher surprised her. “Would you like to make a presentation to the class about your religion?” the teacher asked. Lucjica agreed. She wasn’t afraid. “God stood by me,” she says simply. In her presentation, she explained why Adventists don’t eat pork. She showed what the Bible says about the Sabbath. She explained that Adventists don’t pray to saints but speak directly to God. Her classmates were quiet. They listened carefully. Many of them had never heard these things before. When she finished, her teacher gave her two “A’s” for her work. But more important than the grades was something else: courage. “It’s rare for young people here to know much about the Bible,” she says. “So, I want to share my beliefs with everyone.” Lucjica knows that being different can be hard. “You don’t always have real friends at school,” she admits. “So, we learn to be brave. We [friends at church] stick together.” Her faith is not loud or proud in a showy way. It is steady. It is grounded. It is taught by a grandmother who loves Jesus deeply—and by a God who answers prayer. This quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will help rebuild the Zagreb 1 Seventh-day Adventist Church in Croatia after it was severely damaged by an earthquake. A new church building will give children and young people like Lucjica a safe place to worship, learn, pray, and grow strong in their faith. Let’s give generously so more boys and girls can be brave for Jesus.  Story Tips · Show the continent of Europe on a map, pointing out the country of Croatia. Then show the capital city of Zagreb, where part of this quarter’s offering will go to help rebuild the church that was severely damaged by an earthquake. · Watch short videos and download photos at facebook.com/missionquarterlies · For children’s Bible studies, resources, and more, visit: children.adventist.org MISSION RECORD Croatia has 40 Seventh-day Adventist churches and 2,389 members. With a population of 3,851,000 people, that means there is one Adventist for every 1,612 people in the country. Most people in Croatia are Christians—nearly 90 percent of the population. About 80 percent are Catholic, 3 percent are Orthodox, and about 5 percent belong to other Christian churches. A little more than 10 percent of the population say they have no religion or belong to another faith. The Adventist Church has had a publishing work in Croatia for more than 100 years. Around 1913, a small publishing house called Život i zdravlje (“Life and Health”) was started in Zagreb, the capital city. It continued its work until World War II. After Croatia became independent in the early 1990s, the Znaci Vremena (“Signs of the Times”) branch in Zagreb later became today’s Croatian Publishing House. Croatia is also home to Adriatic Union College and the Adventist Secondary School in Maruševec, where young people can learn and grow in their faith. Get to know the region More Children Mission Stories Topics

Fourteen-year-old Lucjica grows in faith through the influence of her grandparents and courageously shares her Adventist beliefs with classmates, showing how young people can stand confidently for Jesus.

Brave for Jesus

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 Tea and Cell Phones At Bogenhofen Adventist school in Austria, a girls’ dean sensed something was wrong and prayed for guidance. Her late‑night visit led to an honest conversation that helped a student surrender a hidden phone and overcome her growing dependence on electronics through care, accountability, and God’s power.
Yvonne, a girls’ dean at Bogenhofen, appreciated a rule that limited teenagers to 45 minutes of cell phone use each day. She had seen how addictive cell phones could be, and she noticed that the rule encouraged students to spend more time together—talking, laughing, and doing fun activities such as rowing boats on the campus stream. But she also knew that whenever there were rules, there were students who would try to break them. She suspected that some girls in the dormitory owned second phones, hidden away after they turned in their first phones. But as long as she didn’t see anything, she couldn’t do anything. One day, several girls were sick in their rooms. That evening, Yvonne brought them hot herbal tea. When she brought tea to one girl’s room, she felt that something wasn’t right. To enter the room, Yvonne had to pass through two doors—an outer and an inner door. She knocked on the outer door and opened it. Behind the inner door, she heard the sound of something moving and paused, wondering what was going on. When she opened the inner door, she found nothing unusual. The 16-year-old girl was lying in bed. She thanked Yvonne for the tea and asked, “When are you going to bed? Are you going to check up on me again?” Yvonne thought to herself, What interesting questions. She finished checking on the other girls and, about 10 minutes later, returned to the 16-year-old girl’s room unannounced. She knocked on the outer door, and when she opened the second door, she saw the girl quickly tuck something under her blanket. Now, Yvonne was convinced something was wrong. What should she do? That night, in her home, she prayed, “Lord, help me to help this girl.” At 4 o’clock in the morning, she awoke with a strong impression to return to the girl’s room. She thought, Why? She’s sleeping. You’ll just wake her up. Then another thought came: Maybe she’s sick. Yvonne went to the girl’s room and opened the outer door. A light was shining under the second door. She opened it and saw the girl was in bed, looking at her cell phone. Quietly closing the door, Yvonne went to her office and knelt to pray. “Lord, what should I do?” This time, she felt impressed to speak with the girl. Yvonne returned to the room and spent the next two hours talking with the student. At the end of their conversation, the girl said, “You know, I didn’t want to give you my second phone, and I’ve been using it all this time. But now, it’s easy to give it up because I know you really care.” Yvonne was overjoyed. The girl realized that she wasn’t trying to be unkind but to help her overcome an addiction to electronics. In the early hours of that morning, the girl made God the Lord of her electronics. Thank you for your Thirteenth Sabbath Offering, also known as the Quarterly Mission Project Offering, that leads people to the God Who empowers us to overcome addiction. Bogenhofen, located near Braunau, Austria, received part of the 1986 offering to open the girls’ dormitory where this story took place. This quarter’s offering will help lead more people to God throughout the Inter-European Division, which includes Austria.  Story Tips Show Austria on a map. Then, show Braunau, near the northern border with Germany, where Bogenhofen is located. Know that Yvonne Seidel has been an important part of Bogenhofen’s history. A native of Romania, she has served not only as girls’ dean but also helped open the elementary school on the campus when she was 22 years old. The school has grown from an initial six students to more than 100. Yvonne also has served as a chaplain at Bogenhofen, which includes a seminary. In 2017, she helped launch a school of education to train teachers to teach at Adventist schools. Fast Facts About a quarter of the Austrian population lives in Vienna. The official language in Austria is German. Charlemagne, the king of the Franks, introduced Christianity to the region when he conquered it in 766. Austria is called the birthplace of classical music and was home to Beethoven, Haydn, Mozart, and Schubert. More than half of Austria’s electricity is produced by hydropower. Popular Austrian foods include Sachertorte (a rich chocolate cake), Apfelstrudel (a flaky pastry filled with apples), and Weiner Schnitzel (breaded, fried veal cutlet). Winter sports, particularly alpine skiing, are popular in Austria due to the mountainous terrain. Forests cover two-fifths of Austria, making it one of Europe’s most densely forested countries. Wild animals in Austria include brown bears, buzzards, cranes, eagles, falcons, owls, swans, and storks. Get to know the region Related publications More Youth & Adult Mission Stories Topics

At Bogenhofen Adventist school in Austria, a girls’ dean sensed something was wrong and prayed for guidance. Her late‑night visit led to an honest conversation that helped a student surrender a hidden phone and overcome her growing dependence on electronics through care, accountability, and God’s power.

Tea and Cell Phones

Related topics Hugging Kids and Holding Babies
Kaylee spending time with some of her Bangladeshi “sisters”. Overwhelmed by her new life in Bangladesh, Kaylee learned that God’s love makes room for every child.
If you’ve ever been to a Student Missions Vespers at Southern Adventist University, you probably haven’t forgotten what it was like. The parade of flags from different countries, inspiring music playing in the background, colorful traditional outfits, and testimonies from former volunteers make it the perfect setting to decide to be a student missionary. For Kaylee, it confirmed what she was already hoping to do. Kaylee wants to be a teacher, and mission has always been a possibility in her mind, not just for short mission trips here and there, like the ones she took in high school, but also long-term. She’d traveled to Costa Rica, Bolivia, and the Dominican Republic in high school, and she knew she wanted to take a year off to serve as a volunteer when she came to Southern. God eventually made it clear that He wanted her in Bangladesh, so she signed up, excited about what He had planned. When she arrived at Bangla Hope Children’s Home, it was overwhelming at first. Everyone was trying to talk to her and touch her. “I had kids latch onto my hands, my shoulders, and my arms,” she said. “There were kids everywhere.” The morning after arriving, Kaylee went to speak with the principal to introduce herself and share some of her expectations. He said he would speak to the teachers and, a few minutes later, he called her back to his office. “He told me I was going to teach in about two hours! I was like, ‘I just got here less than 24 hours ago, and they’re already putting me in a classroom?’ I was so scared.” Kaylee prayed and made a rough lesson plan of some games she could play with the kids. “It was definitely a little test of faith, but it was also such a cool moment of being like, ‘All right, God, we’re doing this,’” she says. “It made me really happy, because it’s something I’d been wanting for so many years. Relying on Him was what I was craving before I even got there. So I went to the classroom, and I started learning the kids’ names.” One of her students really challenged her. She would stand right in front of Kaylee after class or around campus and not let her pass until Kaylee gave her a hug. “I didn’t want to hug her,” she said. “Because she was acting so entitled. It was frustrating.” “One day, we were going to lunch, and she was standing right in front of me. Every time she had asked me for a hug before, I just gave her a quick little squeeze. But this one day, when all I wanted to do was eat my lunch, I thought, ‘Fine.’ So, I wrapped my arms around her for that quick little squeeze, and I couldn’t let go. I hugged her more and more and told her, ‘Girl, you know that I love you.’ In that moment, I felt so filled with the Holy Spirit. For a split second, I felt like God gave me the ability to see her through His eyes and to see how valued she was. It made me feel really bad for those times I had only given her a quick hug, and I decided to ask Him to fill me with His love every day.” Another profound experience Kaylee had was when a staff family adopted a five-day-old baby. The kids came up to her to show her the baby, and she hesitated. “Babies kind of scared me, just because they’re so fragile,” she says. “I said I’d wait to hold him until he was a little older, but when we walked in, he was so beautiful, so precious and valuable. I’ve been to the Bolivian Salt Flats. I’ve been to the Grand Canyon and other national parks, but never in my life have I been more in awe of God’s creation than the moment I was holding that sweet, little, five-day-old baby. God put so much work into him. He put so much work into me and into each one of those kids. “God changed my mindset, and I realized the value and worth of each child,” she adds. “I couldn’t love them on my own; I had to draw that love from God. Now that I know that, I think I’m going to be able to love a whole lot better.” More from Mission 360° Magazine   Get to know the region Topics

Overwhelmed by her new life in Bangladesh, Kaylee learned that God’s love makes room for every child.

Hugging Kids and Holding Babies

Related topics Gift of a New Life In Austria, a struggling high‑school student named Juergen found a fresh start at Bogenhofen Adventist school. Through supportive teachers, health training, and Bible study, he discovered faith, accepted Christ, and experienced a complete life transformation—impacting even his family.
Juergen had a bad attitude, and it caused him to be expelled from high school in Austria. Only a year before his scheduled graduation, Juergen was asked to leave school after receiving a failing grade for his behavior. Austrian public high schools graded on conduct, and he flunked because he had a problem with authority and frequently skipped classes. Juergen tried to enroll in another school, but it didn’t work out. However, the high school principal was sympathetic. “Try Bogenhofen,” he said. “They might take you.” Juergen and his parents went to Bogenhofen, a Seventh-day Adventist school campus. Coming from a non-religious family, Juergen was surprised to learn that this school encouraged students to develop a relationship with God. He didn’t really want to attend, but his father urged him to give it a try. Juergen agreed to stay. Although he could have entered the twelfth grade, he chose to repeat the eleventh grade. During his two years at the school, his life changed in many ways. Without even realizing it, he stopped eating pork and drinking alcohol. He wasn’t sure how it happened—it just did. Though he attended Bible classes, Juergen didn’t think much about God in high school. But after graduating, he enrolled in a one-and-a-half-year health training program at Bogenhofen. As he learned the principles of good health, he began to wonder, What do these Adventists really believe? He found a Bible and, for the first time, read it from cover to cover. The experience left him with many questions, and he accepted a classmate’s offer to study the Bible together. The two young men began with the prophecies of Daniel. Juergen was amazed. He saw how all the dates aligned and that every prophecy—except those predicting the second coming of Jesus—had been fulfilled. Everything made sense. He thought, The Bible must be true! It was an easy next step to accept the existence of a Creator God. Even though his family wasn’t religious, he had never fully accepted evolution. He gave his heart to God and was baptized. Some relatives mocked Juergen when they learned he had become a Christian. They taunted him, asking whether he planned to live like a hermit or move to the countryside without electricity and electronics. But when they saw the change that Christ had brought to his life, their attitude changed. His father never regretted sending him to Bogenhofen, calling it the best decision of Juergen’s life. Today, Juergen’s mother is part of a Seventh-day Adventist Bible study group. Now 36 years old, Juergen is grateful he attended the Adventist school. “When I was a student, I didn’t realize what a privilege it was,” he said. “Now I do. I’m happy that I studied at Bogenhofen. It changed my life.” Thank you for your Thirteenth Sabbath Offering, also known as the Quarterly Mission Project Offering, which is helping lead people such as Juergen to Christ. Bogenhofen, located near Braunau, Austria, received part of a 1986 offering to open a girls’ dormitory. This quarter’s offering will help support mission work across the Inter-European Division, which includes Austria  Story Tips Show Austria on a map. Then, show Braunau near the border with Germany in the north, where Bogenhofen is located. Pronounce Juergen as: YOUR-gen). Watch a YouTube video of Juergen at: bit.ly/Juergen-EUD . Mission Post Austria has 60 churches, 9 companies, and 4,419 members. With a population of 9,188,000, that is one church member for every 2,079 Austrians. Some 80 percent of Austrians are Christian, with 80 percent of these Catholic, 7 percent Orthodox Christians, 6 percent Protestants, and 6 percent other denominations. Around 8 percent are Muslims, and nearly a quarter of Austrians do not belong to any religion. In 1895, missionary L. R. Conradi conducted the first Adventist baptismal service in Austria-Hungary at Klausenburg (now in Romania). The first Adventist church was established in Ratzersdorf, Austria, in 1903, by L. Mathe, a German-American pastor. Mathe’s life was threatened on several occasions by local Christians, so he moved to nearby Vienna, where he performed the first Adventist baptism in Austria on July 1, 1903. In 1909, the first native Austrian Adventist minister, Franz Gruber, was ordained in Vienna. The church worked hard to train local missionary workers because foreign pastors were in constant danger of being deported for “disturbing the peace.” The Bogenhofen Seminary and Senior High School are at St. Peter am Hart in Austria. Get to know the region Related publications More Youth & Adult Mission Stories Topics

In Austria, a struggling high‑school student named Juergen found a fresh start at Bogenhofen Adventist school. Through supportive teachers, health training, and Bible study, he discovered faith, accepted Christ, and experienced a complete life transformation—impacting even his family.

Gift of a New Life

Related topics Only Four Yams A twelfth‑grade student in Vanuatu shares how her faith deepened after an earthquake damaged her family’s home, revealing God’s provision through her church community and the lasting impact of past Thirteenth Sabbath Offerings.
My name is Stacey. I come from Vanuatu, a country made up of many islands in the South Pacific Ocean. When I was little, I lived in Beverly Hills—not the famous Beverly Hills in the United States—but a small neighborhood in my country. I grew up surrounded by my family, friends, and church. I’m now in twelfth grade at Epauto Seventh-day Adventist Secondary School. School isn’t always easy, but I’ve learned to trust God. Every Sabbath, my family and I went to church. My mum helped with the children’s classes, and I always joined Sabbath School. I loved singing, learning Bible stories, and going out with other church members to visit people. We would pray with them and share messages of hope. It made me feel happy to help others. As I got older, I began to understand more about God. I saw how my mum always prayed—before we left the house, before we ate, and before making big decisions. Her example helped me grow in faith. Now, I also pray, especially when I must make a tough choice. One of the biggest choices I ever made was to be baptized. I wanted to give my life to God because He had always been there for me. I also joined church clubs such as Adventurers and Pathfinders. Now, I’m part of a club for older children. These clubs helped me learn about teamwork, service, and God. I enjoyed the learning time with my friends. Then, something bad happened that tested my faith. In 2024, an earthquake damaged our home. The small kitchen where my mum cooked food to earn money was destroyed. It felt like everything we needed was gone. We didn’t know what to do. So, we prayed. Every day, we asked God to help us. That same week, our church was having special meetings each night. One evening, before going to the church, I looked in the fridge. We had only four yams. I cooked one, and we saved the rest. That night at church, a woman came up to us with a big bundle of island cabbage. Two days later, another woman gave us a bag of rice. Later, a family from church surprised us with a shopping bag filled with things we needed such as sugar, rice, soap, and washing powder. Other people brought bananas, fish, and more. One man even gave us money. You know what’s amazing? Many of the people who helped us were children my mum had cared for years ago while their parents were studying. All of this showed me something important: when we trust God, He finds ways to care for us—even using people we don’t expect. My faith grew so much during that time. I learned that God never forgets His children. He always finds a way to help when we need Him most. Part of a Thirteenth Sabbath Offering in 2013 helped provide 15,000 Bibles and reading guides for children in the South Pacific islands, so children like Stacey could learn more about Jesus. Thank you for your Thirteenth Sabbath Offering. More from Mission 360° Magazine  See this story in action at m360.tv/s2613 . More Children’s Mission Stories Find dozens of inspiring mission stories for children at AdventistMission.org/childrens-mission-quarterly . Get to know the region Topics

A twelfth‑grade student in Vanuatu shares how her faith deepened after an earthquake damaged her family’s home, revealing God’s provision through her church community and the lasting impact of past Thirteenth Sabbath Offerings.

Only Four Yams

Related topics Miracle Money in Brazil
A university student who gave away nearly all his allowance discovered that generosity can bring unexpected blessings. Tarsis Gomes, a young university student in Brazil, faithfully returned tithe and offering from his small monthly allowance. One Sabbath, he generously promised the rest of his money to two friends in need, forgetting that he still had university fees to pay. Standing anxiously at an ATM, he prayed for help—and witnessed what he believes was God’s answer. The experience strengthened his faith that those who help others will never lack what they truly need.
Tarsis Gomes, a 19-year-old student, received a monthly allowance of 50 Brazilian real (worth U.S.$50 at the time) from his father. After giving 5 real for tithe and 5 real for offering, he had 40 real left for university expenses. One Sabbath, after giving tithe and offering in church, a friend named Nivaldo asked Tarsis for help buying new tires for his wheelchair. Tarsis didn’t hesitate. “Sure, I’ll give you 20 real,” he said. Then a second friend, Jairo, also asked for help. He sang with an a cappella group called Communion that was touring churches in Brazil, and they needed money for lodging. “Sure, I’ll give you 20 real,” Tarsis said. He forgot that he needed 23 real to cover university fees that month. A few days later, Tarsis got in line at an ATM to withdraw money for his university fees. His sister, who also was a student, stood with him. It was then that he remembered that he had promised the 40 real that remained after tithe and offering to his two friends. He began to talk to God. “Why did You allow me to make those promises?” he said, bowing his head sadly. “How can I help people if I don’t study? What will Father say to me?’” At that moment, he sensed God was saying, “Look up at the ATM.” He raised his eyes and saw money sticking out of the ATM’s cash dispenser slot. Then someone approached the ATM, withdrew money, but the banknote remained in the slot. He couldn’t believe it. He prayed, “Lord, if three people use the ATM and don’t see that money, then I’ll know that it’s for me.” The next three people in line withdrew money, but the banknote remained. With a prayer, Tarsis boldly cut in line and walked up to the ATM. Reaching out his hand, he pulled a 50-real banknote out of the slot. All eyes fell on him. His sister later said it looked like he pulled the money out of thin air. One moment there was no money in the slot, and the next it was in his hand. Tarsis couldn’t believe it. He was shaking. The next second, his sister was beside him, asking, “Where did you find that money?” “Right here,” he said. “It was just sticking out of the ATM.” “No way,” she said. “If it had been there, I would have taken it myself.” Tarsis, now a 42-year-old military police officer in Recife, Brazil, has been asked why God provided 50 real and not more. He replies, “Because I didn’t help more people. If I had offered to help more people, God would have given me more.” To him, the 50 real made perfect sense: 5 real for tithe, 5 real for offering, and 40 real for his friends. “We do not become poor when we help people,” he said. “God is the One who sustains us. Be faithful.” Watch a YouTube video of Tarsis at: bit.ly/Tarsis-IS. Get to know the region More Inside Stories Topics

Tarsis Gomes, a young university student in Brazil, faithfully returned tithe and offering from his small monthly allowance. One Sabbath, he generously promised the rest of his money to two friends in need, forgetting that he still had university fees to pay. Standing anxiously at an ATM, he prayed for help—and witnessed what he believes was God’s answer. The experience strengthened his faith that those who help others will never lack what they truly need.

Miracle Money in Brazil

email

FIRSTNAME