With 40 pages and easy-to-read language, the book O Começo da Nossa História (The Beginning of Our History), released by Casa Publicadora Brasileira (CPB), brings a little of the lives of the pioneers of Adventism in an illustrated way and with activities at the end of each chapter. Its target audience are children ages 7–9.
Mirtes Machado, the book's author, is a graduate in pedagogy from the Catholic University of Salvador and a specialist in children's education. In this work, she presents the history of the pioneers of Adventism in a more accessible way so children can better understand the origin of the church and its importance today.
Mirtes says she was part of children's ministries at the Adventist church where she was a member and felt there was a lack of material about the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in a language that would reach the children's audience. That is how the book proposal came to be. However, according to the author, the idea lay dormant for a while.
"It was on a Saturday afternoon, during the pandemic, that I felt a very strong desire in my heart. It was as if I was ready to write,” reveals Mirtes. “That same day, I sat down and started writing the material, and that same day, the first chapter was finished. On Sunday, I wrote the whole second chapter. On Monday and Tuesday, it was time for the third. I wrote the whole book in less than five days. I couldn't believe it."
Background
The narrative is based on the events of 1844 and gradually introduces the protagonists of Adventist Church history, such as William Miller, Joseph Bates, Hiram Edson, Samuel Snow, Joshua Himes, and James White, among others. The last chapter of the literary work focuses solely on the history of the prophetess Ellen White. In addition, at the end of each theme, there is an activity to help children absorb the newly acquired knowledge.
Now, almost two centuries after the Great Disappointment, when scholars at the time thought it was the event of Jesus' return in 1844, children can recall the events that changed not only the lives of many people but also history. O Começo da Nossa História is geared for families who wish to teach their children biblical values and principles in a clearer, more didactic way.
The original version of this story was posted on the South American Division Portuguese-language news site.