Only Four Yams

To Sabbath School teachers: This story is for Sabbath, February 7.

As told to Maika Tuima by Stacey Joel

My name is Stacey. I come from Vanuatu, a country made up of many islands in the South Pacific Ocean. When I was little, I lived in Beverly Hills—not the famous Beverly Hills in the United States, but a small neighborhood in my country. I grew up surrounded by my family, friends, and church.

I’m now in twelfth grade at Epauto Seventh-day Adventist Secondary School. School isn’t always easy, but I’ve learned to trust God.

Every Sabbath, my family and I went to church. My mum helped with the children’s classes, and I always joined Sabbath School. I loved singing, learning Bible stories, and going out with other church members to visit people. We would pray with them and share messages of hope. It made me feel happy to help others.

As I got older, I began to understand more about God. I saw how my mum always prayed—before we left the house, before we ate, and before making big decisions. Her example helped me grow in faith. Now, I pray, too, even more when I have to make a tough choice.

One of the biggest choices I ever made was to be baptized. That happened on Friday, October 28, 2022. I wanted to give my life to God because He had always been there for me. My family didn’t have much money, and my mum worked hard to care for us. But we always prayed together in the mornings and evenings, which made me feel strong.

I also joined church clubs such as Adventurers and Pathfinders. Now, I’m part of a club for older children. These clubs helped me learn about teamwork, service, and God.

Then something really bad happened that tested my faith. On December 17, 2024, an earthquake damaged our home. The small kitchen where my mum cooked food to earn money was destroyed. It felt like everything we needed was gone. We didn’t know what to do.

So, we prayed. Every day, we asked God to help us.

That same week, our church was having special meetings each night. One evening, before going to the church, I looked in the fridge. We had only four yams. I cooked one, and we saved the rest. That night at church, a woman came up to us with a big bundle of island cabbage.

Two days later, another woman gave us a bag of rice. Later, a family from church surprised us with a shopping bag filled with things we needed like sugar, rice, soap, and washing powder. Other people brought bananas, fish, and more.

You know what’s amazing? Many of the people who helped us were children my mum had cared for years ago while their parents were studying. One man even gave us money.

All of this showed me something important: when we trust God, He finds ways to care for us—even using people we don’t expect.

My faith grew so much during that time. I learned that God never forgets His children. He always finds a way to help when we need Him most.

Thank you for listening to my story. I hope it reminds you that God is near, no matter what you’re going through. He will never forget you.

Part of the Thirteenth Sabbath Offering for the first quarter of 2013 helped provide 15,000 Bibles and reading guides for children in the South Pacific islands, so children like Stacey could learn more about Jesus. Thank you for your Thirteenth Sabbath Offering this quarter, which will help support children’s health projects in the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu.