Last Invitation

To Sabbath School teachers: This story is for Sabbath, November 20.

By Youngsuk Chae

S

ehee moved with her family to the countryside after living in a big city in South Korea.

Mother was excited about the move.

“Moving here was an answer to prayer!” she said.

But Sehee wasn’t so sure about that. She felt sad that she had to leave her friends in the city.

In the countryside, Sehee began to learn new things. Mother planted a vegetable garden, and Sehee and her younger brother took care of the lettuce, cucumbers, and corn. Sehee made sure that the vegetables got enough water. She picked weeds so the vegetables would have plenty of room to grow. Before Sehee knew it, the garden was filled with long, dark-green cucumbers, round heads of light-green lettuce, and green ears bursting with yellow corn. Sehee loved to eat fresh vegetables picked straight from the garden.

Mother said the neighbors also might like to eat fresh vegetables picked straight from the garden. Sehee helped pick long, dark-green cucumbers, round heads of light-green lettuce, and green ears bursting with yellow corn to give away. The neighbors were so happy to receive the vegetables. Sehee felt good all over as the neighbors smiled and thanked her. Neighbors even gave her gifts of homemade bread and pickled vegetables. Sometimes she returned home with more food than when she left. The Bible teaches that the more you share, the more you receive. Proverbs 11:24 says, “Those who give generously receive more” (CEB).

But Sehee didn’t have any young friends at church. She and her brother were the only children there. Mother saw Sehee’s sad eyes and suggested that she pray for her school classmates and invite them to Vacation Bible School at the church. Sehee wrote special invitations for her classmates. But she was shy about giving the invitations to her friends. What if they didn’t come?

“Don’t worry,” Mother said. “It is not your job to persuade them to come to the Vacation Bible School. That’s God’s job.”

Sehee and Mother handed out the invitations to her classmates. Not one of them came to the Vacation Bible School. But one of the boys came to church on Sabbath. The boy lived with his grandparents and didn’t know anything about Jesus. He didn’t have any friends at school. He was so happy to learn about Jesus at church, and he immediately announced that he wanted to come every Sabbath.

At home, Mother told Sehee that even though no one had come to the Vacation Bible School, God had blessed the invitations by bringing the boy to church.

“He received the very last invitation that we passed out,” Mother said.

Sehee was amazed. “He wouldn’t have met Jesus if we hadn’t shared the invitations,” she said.

That night she prayed a special prayer for the boy. “Dear God, thank you for leading him to church,” she said. “Please let him and his family know and trust You. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen!”

Thank you for your Thirteenth Sabbath Offering this quarter that will help children and parents learn about Jesus in South Korea. The offering will help open two important mission centers in two Korean cities.