My Grandfather's God: Adult Mission Story for January 10, 2026

By Hyacinthe Santino

Stanislas was raised in a Christian home rich in culture, faith, and tradition. He was the second of eight children, and his early memories were filled with love and the rhythms of family life. But tragedy struck when his father died in a car accident. At the time, Stanislas’ mother was pregnant with his youngest sibling.

Unable to care for the children on her own, she sent them to live with their grandparents. It was in his grandparents’ home that Stanislas first witnessed deep spiritual devotion. Each morning, he would wake up to the gentle scent of a candle burning and the sight of his grandparents on their knees in prayer. His grandfather, a faithful church worker, had dedicated his life to serving God.

Yet even as a boy, Stanislas began to wonder: If God is good, why would someone like my grandfather, who loved Him so much, suffer so deeply? That quiet doubt would grow in the years ahead.

By the time he reached his teens, Stanislas had drifted far from his roots. He turned to smoking, drinking, and eventually, stealing. What began as small acts of rebellion led him into a dangerous lifestyle of crime. He got involved in burglaries, car theft, and drug trafficking. The streets taught him a different set of rules—ones that say only the strongest survive.

Then, one night, everything changed. Drunk and behind the wheel of a stolen car, Stanislas suddenly heard a voice in his heart. “What are you doing? Is this how you want your life to end?”

Shaken, he knew he couldn’t continue living this way. The next morning, he decided to walk away from crime and start over.

He returned to his hometown to rebuild his life. It wasn’t easy—it took a year and a half—but Stanislas was determined. At 18, he joined the military, completed training, and eventually found steady work.

Later, he met a woman, and they began a life together. They had two children, and everything was going well for a while. But old wounds and unresolved pain began to surface, creating tension in their relationship. Eventually, the couple separated.

Not long after, the woman’s father called Stanislas and asked him to give her another chance. He agreed, not knowing what to expect.

His partner had grown up in a Seventh-day Adventist family. Though she had been away from church, she still read her Bible every day. One day, she told him, “I want to go back to church.”

Stanislas replied, “Why not? I’ve tried everything else—maybe it’s time to try Jesus.”

She began attending church on Sabbath, while he started going to church on Sunday. Sometimes, she joined him, but he never went with her. Still, he noticed something had changed. She was calmer and happier. There was a peace in her that he couldn’t explain.

One day, he asked her, “Why do you spend all day at church? Mine only lasts a couple of hours.”

She smiled and said, “Come with me. You’ll understand.”

He agreed—and that first Sabbath at her church was a turning point. The message touched his heart in a way he didn’t expect. He didn’t yet fully understand Jesus, but something stirred within him.

The pastor invited him to begin Bible studies. Stanislas accepted.

As he opened the Bible, he began to find answers to questions that had haunted him since childhood. The image of God that had been damaged by doubt was slowly healed. He realized that the same voice he had heard years earlier, in that stolen car, was now speaking to him again—this time through Scripture.

One night, after a study session, he turned to his partner and said, “I think I have faith now. I finally understand what it means to believe.”

Not long after, they were married and baptized together.

Two years later, Stanislas enrolled at the Adventist university in Fiji, where he earned a degree in theology. Today, he serves as a pastor in New Caledonia, the same island where his journey began.

But now, he serves the God of his grandfather—not out of tradition but out of conviction, love, and a personal relationship with Christ.

Your Thirteenth Sabbath Offering, also known as the Quarterly Mission Project Offering, will have an eternal impact on the lives of people like Pastor Stanislas Weneguei. It will help establish a center of influence in Wallis, which will help Adventists build bridges of understanding and friendship with the people in the New Caledonia Mission territory.