Scared of the Night

To Sabbath School teachers: This story is for Sabbath, November 18.

By Andrew McChesney

M

other called out to little 5-year-old Adama in their home in the African country of Guinea.

“It’s time to go to bed!” she said.

Adama didn’t want to go to bed.

“No,” she said, looking up at Mother. “I don’t want to go to bed.”

Mother didn’t look happy.

“Come on, Adama,” she pleaded. “It’s time to go to bed.”

“No,” Adama said. “I don’t want to go to bed.”

Now Mother was angry.

“Go to bed!” she demanded.

But Adama still didn’t want to go to bed. Fear showed on her face. She began to cry.

“No,” she whimpered. “I don’t want to go to bed.”

Adama didn’t want to go to bed because she was scared. She was scared of the night. Every night for the past week, she had had the same bad dream at night. She couldn’t remember the dream when she woke up, but she always woke up screaming and crying.

Now Adama looked at Mother’s stern face and saw that there was no point in arguing with her anymore. She had to obey. With great reluctance, she slowly made her way to bed.

But she was too scared to sleep. She tossed and turned for what seemed like a long time. Finally, she fell asleep.

Then, in the dark of the night, she woke up, screaming and crying. “Mommy, come here!” she shrieked. “Help me!”

Two years passed. Every night it was the same. Adama grew weak and sick from a lack of sleep. She was so scared of the night. She didn’t know what to do. Mother didn’t know what to do.

Then Auntie heard about Adama. She lived far away in the big city of Conakry, the capital of Guinea. Auntie had an idea.

“Let me take the child to the Seventh-day Adventist church,” she told Adama’s mother. “The pastor can pray for her.”

Mother was not a Christian. Adama was not a Christian. Auntie also had not been a Christian at one time. But she had been terribly sick, and an Adventist missionary had prayed for her. Jesus had healed her, and she had given her heart to him. Now she lived next door to an Adventist church.

Mother agreed to allow Auntie to take the girl. Adama packed her small bag and went with Auntie to Conakry.

The pastor looked kindly at Adama as Auntie told him the story. He was sad that the little girl hadn’t been able to sleep well for two years. He asked all the church members to pray for Adama. “If these are demonic attacks, we will ask in the name of Jesus that the attacks stop,” he said.

That night, the pastor and other church members prayed for Adama.

That night, Adama slept soundly. She didn’t have any bad dreams. She was so happy when she woke up in the morning. Jesus had heard the prayers! For the first time in two years, she had slept the whole night.

A year has passed since Adama had her last bad dream. She is now 8 and is no longer scared of the night. She lives with Auntie next to the Adventist church and now and studies at an Adventist school.

“I’m no longer afraid,” she says. “I’m living a good life. Jesus has answered our prayers.”

Part of a Thirteenth Sabbath Offering three years ago helped add new classrooms to a Seventh-day Adventist school in Conakry, Guinea, so more children like Adama can learn about the Jesus who answers prayers and takes away bad dreams.