Galina's Prayers

I was so excited! I wanted the world to know that I love Jesus with all my heart.

To Sabbath School teachers: This story is for Sabbath, Oct. 28. Click here for photos to share while telling the mission story.

Last week we met Galina, who lives in Kyrgyzstan [KEER-gih-stan]. [Ask a child find Kyrgyzstan on the map.] Galina’s mother became angry when Galina told her that she wanted to be baptized and join the Adventist Church. Galina’s mother wouldn’t let Galina go to church on Sabbath. But Galina asked God to help her, and her mother changed her mind. Galina’s mother not only allowed her to attend church again, but she enrolled Galina in the Adventist school in her city. Galina continues telling her story:

One Sabbath, the pastor announced a special camping trip for teenagers. I wanted to go, but the camping trip was only for teens who were baptized or were planning to be baptized. I asked my mother to allow me to go on the camping trip and be baptized. To my surprise, Mother agreed. She said I was old enough to make my own decision.

I was so excited! I wanted the world to know that I love Jesus with all my heart. I went on the camping trip and was baptized.

Trouble

My mother was the only person in my family who was happy with my baptism. My grandparents—especially my grandfather—opposed my decision to join the Adventist Church. He did not understand why I refused to eat pork. I would try to explain that the Bible tells us to not eat any unclean food, and I didn’t want to disobey God.

But still my grandparents tried to feed me pork. It made me very uncomfortable. Once when my grandparents invited us over to eat, my mother asked what they were preparing. They said they were making something I liked. But when we arrived, we found only pork on the table. When I looked for something else to eat, my grandfather became angry and said, “Eat what we made for you.”

My mother finally told my grandfather, “Look, we are not going to come over again unless you will provide food that Galina can eat.”

Three Prayers

I am praying for my grandfather. He does not believe in God. But I think God is changing his heart. My mother once heard my grandfather talking on to the phone to a friend. He said with pride, “My granddaughter is such a nice girl, and she goes to church.” I hope this means that my grandfather has accepted me as an Adventist.

I’m praying for my mother, too. So far she has not come to church with me, but I can see changes in her. When I return home from church, she asks me what the sermon was about. She asks a lot of questions about Jesus. My mother tells other people at her work that Saturday is the right day to worship. I can see that God is working in her heart, and I pray for her every day.

And I pray for my church and my school. I am who I am because of the Seventh-day Adventist Church and the Adventist school. I want to become a teacher and teach people in my home country about Jesus, my best Friend.

Part of this quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath Offering will help my school, Heritage Christian School, build a gym where children can take physical education classes in the winter. Children who live near the school will be able to come to the gym and learn to play soccer and maybe other sports as part of the school’s outreach program. Please remember this school in your prayers and with your Sabbath School mission offerings.

For more photos, visit the Facebook page for the Mission quarterlies

For activities to accompany this and other mission stories, download the Children’s Mission quarterly (PDF)