The family can be a place of great security, warmth, and growth. We can extend that to families and singles struggling under the burden of transition and loss.
"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord. And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers” (Malachi 4:5-6).
"Parents, will you not cherish the faith that works by love and purifies the soul? If you do this, everything is gained. Your children will be imbued with the spirit you cherish, and a light will shine forth extending from the home....
Look upon the family circle as a training school, where you are preparing your children for the performance of their duties at home, in society, and in the church. Seek to cultivate every power of mind and body in order that the whole family may be soldiers for Christ” (The Signs of the Times, September 10, 1894).
"In everything I did, I showed you that we must work hard and help the weak. We must remember the words of the Lord Jesus. He said, ‘It is more blessed to give than to receive’” (Acts 20:35 NIRV).
"Much remains to be done within the shadow of our doors....Wake up, wake up, my brethren and sisters, and enter the fields in America that have never been worked. After you have given something for foreign fields, do not think your duty done. There is a work to be done in foreign fields, but there is a work to be done in America that is just as important. In the cities of America there are people of almost every language. These need the light that God has given to His church” (Testimonies for the Church, Volume 8, 34-36).
“Get out of your country, from your family and from your father’s house, to a land that I will show you. I will make you a great nation; I will bless you and make your name great; and you shall be a blessing" (Genesis 12:1-2 NKJV).
“God calls for Christian families to go into communities that are in darkness and error, and work wisely and perseveringly for the Master. To answer this call requires self-sacrifice….
Where are the men and women who will move into regions that are in need of the gospel, that they may point those in darkness to the Redeemer?
If families would locate in the dark places of the earth, places where the people are enshrouded in spiritual gloom, and let the light of Christ's life shine out through them, a great work might be accomplished. Let them begin their work in a quiet, unobtrusive way, not drawing on the funds of the conference until the interest becomes so extensive that they cannot manage it without ministerial help” (Adventist Home, 480).
Adriana had always wanted to be a missionary. Somehow life had kept her in the United States. Her husband Carlos was excited when he learned that a team of volunteers were reaching out to Afghan refugees right nearby in Houston. "Maybe we can help!" he excitedly told his wife.
Adriana wondered if this was the answer to her prayer to be a missionary. However, she answered Carlos, "How on earth could we find time. You're an elder, I'm a Sabbath school teacher, and we are co-directors of our local Pathfinder club! We have to save some time for our family."
The desire to help wouldn't go away, but something was going to have to radically change.
