Professor Mercia Custodia Lopes had been looking for a church for years. She went through study groups and attended some churches, but she couldn't find what she was looking for. Her story of faith began to be transformed when she moved from Brasília, in the Federal District, to the north of Minas Gerais. In the city of Unaí, she met Daniela Maria de Jesus, a Bible teacher for the Adventist Church, and both Lopes and her 12-year-old son began to study the Bible de Jesus.

Due to the pandemic, face-to-face meetings were not possible, so by video call, Lopes and her son, João Pedro, started to know more about Jesus. 

“The teacher's dynamics and her ease of communication gave me the feeling of being with her in person,” Lopes details. “It was love at first sight. I soon realized that I was on the right path, that I had finished my search.”

While studying with de Jesus, Lopes also followed Bible teachings with Pastor Luís Gonçalves on TV Novo Tempo. As the days went by, her doubts were assuaged, and Lopes made the decision to be baptized--a decision she shared with her son. 

“We received a visit from the pastor at our home and saw how he cared,” João Pedro recalls. “I felt even more how easy and smooth it is to serve Jesus.”

Decision

Mother and son were baptized by Pastor Elias Monteiro during the Week of Hope program at the Central Seventh-day Adventist Church in Unaí.

de Jesus says that the teacher and her son were always receptive to the message and committed to learning. 

“We did two studies and they were always ready to listen,” she says.

Challenge

de Jesus reveals that she had never made a video call before and that it was a great challenge for her to overcome her shyness. 

"Today I see that the online modality is as effective as the in-person one, as it allows us to reach more distant places," she admits.

According to de Jesus, some of her students live in the countryside and, thanks to technology, are learning more about the Bible just as effectively.

This article was originally published on the South American Division’s Portuguese news site