A Decision at Seven
A young boy makes his own choice to follow Jesus.
Deivi is seven years old. His mother’s name is Celene (His father does not live with them.). His grandmother is an Adventist and lives in the city of Cali. Celene says that her family learned about the Adventist Church when she was very young. Deivi has aunts and uncles who attend the Adventist Church.
Deivi’s story began two years ago when Sister Nancy from the Seventh-day Adventist Church started visiting Celene, who has two children—Deivi, the oldest, and Emerson, the youngest. Celene’s partner, Enderson, lives with them. They lived on the outskirts of La Unión Valle where they took care of a farm in the San Luis area. Sister Nancy traveled to that area to present the children’s course “I Believe” to them each week. This Bible study series covered all of the doctrines of the Seventh-day Adventist church. For almost a year, she visited the entire family, and Deivi showed great interest in the Bible studies.
Deivi paid close attention to every Bible study that was presented. The study about the Sabbath especially caught his attention. He knew that most of the people in their community went to church on Sunday, but he started learning that God’s holy day of rest was on the seventh day of the week, Saturday.
The state of the dead was another teaching from the Bible that captivated his attention. It was a shock to him when he learned that people don’t go directly to Heaven or hell when they die. The Bible spoke so clearly on this subject that it was hard for him to understand why anyone would believe the dead are disembodied spirits which float their way to punishment in hell or the bliss of Heaven.
Celene also played an important role in supporting and instructing Deivi. The dedication of those encouraging him had a strong impact on his mind. The church supported them by holding a communion service on the farm they were caring for. It was a very special Sabbath having many of the church members fellowship with them in their own home.
For a time, Deivi’s family stopped attending church. Several weeks passed. Celene and her partner Enderson, who were not married, began to have problems. Enderson was more inclined toward another church denomination. Deivi could hear them arguing and fighting often over church-related subjects. He started recalling what he had learned in Bible studies about the war between Christ and Satan and that war would happen between the righteous and the wicked.
The Peniel Seventh-day Adventist Church in La Unión Valle held a week of prayer focused on the home and family. During that week, Brother Miguel Echeverry preached. Deivi and his mother attended. Midweek, while visiting our Bible contacts, we visited Celene and Deivi. During that time, we saw Deivi’s firm decision to be baptized. His mother supported his decision. He was a child fully convinced of the teachings of the Bible, and he firmly believed that God wants us to worship Him on the Sabbath.
On one of the last Sabbaths of the Bible evangelistic campaign, Deivi was baptized. The baptism took place at the end of the divine service, under the bright midday sun. We had the privilege of having the presence of the president of the Central Colombia Conference, Pastor Abdiel Trejos, who also performed two other baptisms. It was a Sabbath of great blessing.
In the following weeks, we formed a small group at Celene’s home (currently in Cali), prioritizing songs for the children, including Deivi.
When Deivi grows up, he said that he would like to become a pastor so that he, too, can share the truths of the gospel with those who have never experienced the love of Jesus in their lives. We pray that God will guide his life and use him in a powerful way in the future.
Location
Colombia
Author
Narrated by Celene to Juvenal Galo, the director of the Bible and Evangelism Department at Fundación Las Delicias.
How You Can Help
Pray for Deivi to remain faithful to the message and to be a witness to the power of God in his life.
Pray for Celene as she makes decisions about her standing with God.
Give to the work in Colombia by sending your donations marked “Colombia Evangelism” to:
Mission Projects International
PO Box 237
Kirksville, MO 63501
To give securely online, scan the QR code or visit missionspro.org/donate