The Boy They Called “Pastor” - Part 2
By Andrew McChesney
(To read part one of this testimony, click here)
The pastor told Rompas, a Maasai boy in Kenya, that Seventh-day Adventists were devil worshipers. He also said Adventists entered church backward on Saturdays and worshiped without wearing any clothes.
When he was 16, Rompas decided to find out if the pastor had told the truth. Early Saturday, he walked from his village home to an Adventist church several miles away. He hid in the hills near the church and watched.
Before long, the first person arrived. The man was not walking backward, and he wasn’t naked. Rompas was impressed that the man was wearing a nice suit and tie. The boy wished that he had a suit and tie. He was half-naked, wearing only a traditional Maasai shuka, a red cloth with black strips.
Then the pastor and other church members arrived. They also did not enter the church backward, and they also were nicely dressed.
Then the church choir began singing. as the words of the song “Oh Happy Day” drifted to Rompas’ ears, he couldn’t resist. Walking to the church, he sat in the back row and listened with great interest.
After the sermon, a young white man approached him. It was a missionary from the United States whom he had never seen before and never saw again. The man spoke with the help of an interpreter. “These are your pants,” he said, handing Rompas a pair of pants with many pockets.
Rompas was excited! He had never owned a pair of pants. He put them on and tore his shuka to make a belt to hold them up.
Back at home, his 82 brothers and sisters were surprised to see the Maasai boy wearing pants. They surrounded him and asked, “What happened?”
Rompas placed the prized pants under his bed that night. He only wore them again when he returned to church the next Sabbath. Putting on the pants attracted the attention of the children and women of his village every Sabbath. Some of them began to follow him to church.
Several months passed, and Rompas and his mother gave their hearts to Jesus in baptism on the same day. The first two members of a family of nearly 100 people had become Seventh-day Adventist. Rompas felt free for the first time in his life. Jesus told His disciples, “And you shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free” (John 8:32, NKJV). “The truth has set me free,” he said in an interview.
(to be continued next week…)
Andrew McChesney is the editor of Adventist Mission. This story has been shared with permission of Adventist Mission.
World Church Prayer Requests
February 28 — March 6, 2025
United States: Pray for the AIM SDA Church as the members and leadership seek ways to impact the community around them. Pray that God will inspire those consecrated to Him with ideas and opportunities to reach out.
Ethiopia: Pray for the people in the Gambella region of Ethiopia as they combat a dangerous cholera epidemic. Pray that while they do what they can to prevent the spread, God will pour out His healing power and protection.
Moldova: Pray for a group of students from Washington, USA, as they prepare to conduct an evangelistic series in Pociumbeni, Moldova. Pray that the Holy Spirit will be poured out on the team during the preparation process and that God would prepare the hearts of those that will be in attendance.
United States: Pray for the Shiloh SDA Church’s Personal Ministries Department. They are hosting "Watchmen, Arise," an ongoing ministry designed to teach and train the membership to become more involved in soul winning.
Tanzania: Pray for the Mwasonga SDA Church as the government supported mining industry is seeking to purchase their property for their own use. Pray that they will be able to maintain control of the property. Pray also that they will be a mighty witness to the other faiths already showing interest in learning more.
Papua New Guinea: Pray for the Ramazon church plant, a new result of the PNG4CHRIST campaign. This area has been unreached and is the location of many cult practices. Pray that the people in this church plant will be grounded in God as they seek to build a church and pastor’s house in this region.