The contact that Lilia dos Santos Silva received by phone seemed to be just another job opportunity. On the other end of the line was a woman who had just arrived in the federal capital and came with her two children to take on a new professional challenge. She needed a maid to help her with the household chores, as she would spend most of the day outside of it.
What both did not imagine was that the relationship would turn into a friendship transcending professional disparity. "She came to work at home, and it was through the commonalities that we came closer, like our children, for example," recalls teacher Glaucia Korkischko, a teacher, who identified an evangelistic opportunity there. "We started talking about their Christian upbringing, and I offered Bible studies. But she didn't accept because she said she was already a practicing Christian."
Two years later, in the midst of conversations about spiritual topics and the education of Silva’s children, Korkischko, who had been praying for her family since the first contact, understood it was time to invite Silva again to study the Bible. The answer was the same:
"I'm a Christian and I study the Bible a lot with my children."
From there, the conversation took on new contours. "But what method do you use," Korkischko wanted to know.
"We read a verse every day, and on Sunday, we study material from my church," replied the diarist.
Korkischko asked if, during the week, there was any spiritual activity for the children from that content. With a negative reply, she then suggested the use of something very specific. It was a "magazine" with a lot of studies for each day. At the time, Silva didn't know it, but it was the Sabbath School lesson, a guidebook with guidance and spiritual stories.
As the children are two young girls and two teenage boys, Korkischko understood that the most appropriate lesson would be a version that paralleled these age groups. Therefore, she chose primary lessons, one of the Sabbath School classes for children ages 7–9. Silva, in turn, began to study that content with her children every night after the workday.
Lessons in the Pandemic
About four months after the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, in 2020, Silva commented to Korkischko that she was very sad. That was something atypical, but the reason was revealed: due to sanitary restrictions, she missed being at her church to study the Bible. At that moment, Korkischko said she was also facing the same situation, but God was supporting her during the studies she was doing alone. Then she proposed, "Why don't we do this together?" On that occasion, Silva did not refuse.
"I discovered a Jesus there that I didn't know. What there was in my church was not a Bible study. I was God-fearing, but I didn't know Him. And the care with which Dona Glaucia took to explain it to me made a lot of difference," remembers Silva.
The studies advanced, and little by little, Silva understood the impacts of those teachings for her spiritual life. She decided to visit an Adventist church, but she did it with only one of her daughters, without even telling Korkischko. She found an address near her residence and went there. Upon entering, she was surprised at how greeted she was.
"When I got there, I felt at home. That day, it wasn't even the pastor of the church who was preaching. I thought it was all so beautiful. I stayed there from 8:45 a.m. until noon, and I was delighted. And I decided that was where I wanted to stay. If I hadn't felt well, I would have left," Silva details.
From then on, Silva began to attend meetings regularly. Her daughters soon joined the Adventurers and Pathfinders clubs, two social and spiritual initiatives aimed at children and adolescents. In a short time, they were all integrated into church activities, learning more about the Bible and developing talents.
Prayers that Shape Hearts
The new phase of Silva and her family's story was built on the prayers of other people. In addition to working at the home of Korkischko, current director of Children's and Adolescents' Ministry at the South American Adventist headquarters, she is also a day laborer at the homes of four other Adventist families.
In the Ribeiro family, for example, the daughters of the couple, Marcelo and Neuzeli, formed a small group to study the Bible with one of Silva's daughters. Due to the distance, meetings took place online. When the mother came home, she would lend the little one the phone to connect. "My daughter fell in love," she underlines.
Furthermore, in each of these houses, she found three elements in common: 1) people were praying for her; 2) they proposed to help her know more about the Bible; 3) they were an example and inspiration. "I think the way they treat each other is beautiful. There is respect, affection. I wanted that in my house. We, who work at people's homes, see how relationships are. I saw that, in these cases, it was very different," Silva points out.
This week, Silva was baptized during the South American Adventist Headquarters' 10 Days of Prayer program. Alongside her daughters, she declared her choice for the Christ she now knows. "With living with these people, I came to believe in the power of prayer. I didn't pray. My change was enormous, including in my family," she highlights. "Today, my life is different. It's wonderful. I wish I had known all this sooner."
For Korkischko, this is a result of divine power through the integrated work of church departments such as Pathfinders, Adventurers, Sabbath School, Women's Ministry, Children's Ministry, Personal Ministry, Reception Ministry, and Prayer Ministry. Now, Silva is also influencing other people, like her sisters. "The more I study, the more I know about this love. And I can't keep it to myself," she exclaims.
This article was originally published on the South American Division’s news site