November 22 - Power of Heaven

Mana Henua's name
means "Power of the Earth."

Mana means "power,"
and Henua means "earth."

But everyone calls him Mana.

Mana is 12 and lives on Easter Island,
far away from the mainland of Chile.

Mana started learning about God
when he was a little boy

and his grandma took him
to church on Sabbaths.

But he didn't go every Sabbath.

Sometimes he was tired
and wanted to sleep in.

Other times,
he just wanted to relax at home.

So, sometimes he went with Grandma,
and other times he stayed at home.

But then a missionary family
moved to Easter Island.

The family opened a Pathfinder club
at the Seventh-day Adventist church

and invited Mana to join.

Mana wasn't sure
that he wanted to be a Pathfinder.

He worried that it might be
too hard for him and he would fail.

Mana thought
about the missionaries' invitation

to join the club for a long, long time.

He really wanted to say "no,"

but then he had a talk with God.

It was a Sabbath afternoon,

and he had not gone to church
with Grandma in the morning.

He felt tired and wanted to rest at home.

Mana was relaxing on his bed

when his thoughts turned
to the Pathfinders.

He remembered the invitation,
and he felt scared again.

Then he told God about his fears.

Then God replied.

Mana didn't hear a voice,

but he felt like God
was speaking to his heart.

God told him not to be afraid

and that if he failed,
he could always try again.

Instantly,
all of Mana's fears disappeared.

He wasn't scared anymore.

He became a Pathfinder.

Mana loved being a Pathfinder,
he loved the club activities,

and he especially loved
learning more about God.

Then Grandma gave her heart to Jesus
and was baptized.

Grandma's sister was also baptized.

Mana saw them go under the water,
and he also wanted to be baptized.

Mana spoke about his desire
with the missionaries,

and they were so happy!

They suggested that he get baptized
at a big Pathfinder camporee

on the Chile mainland.

His mom wasn't happy
about the idea at first.

But when she saw how happy Mana was
in church and with the Pathfinders,

she agreed.

Mana was baptized at the camporee

and became
the first Easter Island Pathfinder

to be baptized.

While Mana's full name
means "Power of the Earth,"

he believes that the real power
only comes from heaven.

Mana joined Pathfinders at the invitation

of missionaries
from Adventist Volunteer Service.

One of the mission projects
for this quarter

is a new Adventist
Volunteer Service center

at Chile Adventist University,

where students can learn
to become missionaries.

Thank you for giving generously
to this important project!