Emila's Answered Prayers

Emila [EH-mee-lah] lives in Finland [locate Finland on the map.]. When she was little she became very sick. The doctors discovered that her liver wasn’t working, and she had to have a liver transplant to survive. Emila had the dangerous surgery.

Emila would always need special care and expensive medicines to grow strong, and her parents couldn’t give her the care she needed. So Emila was adopted by another family. Emila quickly learned to love her new family. Every night she snuggled in her new mother’s arms and listened to Bible stories. She attended Sabbath school and church with the family, and soon Emila learned to love Jesus, just as her family did.

When Emila started school, she made lots of new friends and often talked to them about Jesus. But some of the children didn’t want to hear about Jesus. Some children even said unkind things about God or made fun of Emila. Emila’s parents tried to explain that some families don’t know what a wonderful friend Jesus is. But Emila still felt sad that her friends didn’t love Jesus.

Emila’s parents wished they could send Emila to a Christian school, but the nearest one was 90 miles away—too far to drive every day. Still, the family prayed that God would make a way for Emila to attend the Christian school.

Emila’s parents decided that they should enroll Emila in the Christian school, even if it meant they must move to the town where the school was located.

One day the family visited the Christian school. Emila liked her new teacher, and the children seemed friendly. After her parents enrolled her for the coming school year, they decided to look for a suitable apartment where they could live in this town. After all, they had been praying for God to provide. Now they had to act on their faith.

That very day the family found an apartment that was close to Emila’s new school. It was perfect! That night the family thanked God for answering two prayers in one day.

Emila is happy in her new school and grateful that Jesus answered their prayers. Many of her new classmates aren’t from Christian homes, so she has lots of opportunities to share God’s love with them.

Emila knows that God loves her. He gave her a new liver and a new family, and now a new school and a new home. “Jesus cares about what happens to us,” she says. “We must trust Him when we have a problem, for He knows what is best for us.”

Boys and girls, we can share God’s love with those we meet at school, at play, and everywhere we go. Other people need to hear that God loves them. Some live near us, and others live far away. Our mission offering helps people we will never meet on this earth know that God loves them, just as He loves us.