20 May | Youth
«The angel of the Lord encamps all around those who fear Him, and delivers them.» Psalm 34:7
In 2021, pastor Joel Carvalho (my uncle) went to preach at a service under the Reunion program (A special program that aims to bring back former SDA members to the church), in a church in the metropolitan area of Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil. On that Sabbath, he left early with his wife Isaura, since the church was far from where they lived. Halfway along their journey, they realized that the battery of the cell phone they were using for the GPS was running out and there was no way to charge it. Worried, Joel prayed that they could at least get to the church’s neighborhood.
A few minutes later, the cell phone battery ran out. From that moment on, they would need to ask people on the streets for guidance. The first person they saw was a gas station employee, and they asked for information. He said the neighborhood was about seven kilometers ahead.
After traveling a few kilometers, Joel and Isaura finally arrived at the entrance to the neighborhood. They stopped the car and asked several people if they knew the nearby Adventist church, but no one knew the location. As they were leaving, they saw a bus stop.
There was a man there who was looking directly at their car. They said to each other, “Should we stop and ask him? He is staring at us!” They immediately decided to stop. When they rolled down the car window, the man said: “You need directions, don't you?” Joel replied: “Yes, we want to know where the Adventist church is.” The gentleman smiled and started explaining, “Take the first right, then the first left...” Before he finished speaking, he opened the door and got into the car. Startled, Joel asked, “What's your name?” He replied: “My name is Blessed.” Everyone smiled. After a few minutes, they arrived at the church.
When they got out of the car, many people were waiting at the door, including my cousin, who hugged them and said: “I'm glad you found the church!” Joel looked at her and replied: “Yes, but all thanks to Mr Blessed, who helped us.” She then replied, “Who is that? No one else got out of the car with you.” That day, God's angel showed the way to my uncle. The program was a blessing, and many returned to the ways of the Lord. Never forget that, when you pray, angels from Heaven will always be there to help.