Time to Quit?: Adult Mission Story for October 12, 2024

By Andrew McChesney

It was a tough day. Pedro decided that it was time to resign as principal of Holbrook Seventh-day Adventist Indian School in Arizona.

“I think this is it,” he told his wife. “I think it’s time for me to find another job.”

It was the beginning of Pedro’s 12^th year as principal. He had just finished difficult conversations with several staff members. He had just reflected on the challenges of the school year. The burden seemed overwhelming.

But then Pedro remembered that he had made a promise to God on his first day as principal. He had prayed, “God, You have a big job to do to help me with this job. I’m going to stay here until You say otherwise.”

Now, on the tough day, Pedro had another chat with God.

“I remember my promise,” he said. “I don’t want to be a liar. So, is it You who is telling me that it is time to go?”

He didn’t receive an immediate answer. So, he did what he often told Holbrook teachers and students to do. He waited for God to be God.

A week passed.

Then Pedro heard that a girl who had finished first grade at Holbrook two years earlier wanted to return. The girl, Raine, was precious and very smart. Her mother had kept her out of school for two years amid the Covid scare. Many Native American parents kept their children out of school for those two years. Pedro had been sad to see her leave, and he now wished that she would return. But he was skeptical about the news that she wanted to come back. Two times already he had heard that she might return, and she hadn’t.

A short time later, Pedro heard that Raine’s mother was ready to schedule an interview with him. Pedro interviewed all returning students who had been gone for a long time.

He felt a flicker of excitement. But he didn’t get too excited because he wasn’t sure that she would show up.

When the mother scheduled an interview for 10’clock on a Friday morning, the emotions hit. Pedro thought, “This is actually happening!”

On Friday morning, Pedro saw a car pull into the parking lot. He kept looking until someone got out of the car. It was Raine and her mother. They were walking toward the administration building.

Pedro went to the glass front doors of the administrative building to greet them, He crouched down, pressed his face and nose against the glass, and he peered out.

Raine saw him and ran excitedly toward him. As she approached, Pedro opened the doors, and she ran into his arms. It was pure love. At that moment, Pedro knew that he had his answer. It was not time to leave Holbrook. God still had a plan for him at the school.

“I missed you,” he told Raine.

“I missed you, too,” she said.

“It’s good to see you.”

“It’s good to see you, too.”

After the interview, Raine asked if she could play on the playground. She had missed the swings, the slide, and the other playground equipment.

“Yes, but please tell me before you leave so I can say goodbye,” Pedro said.

A little while later, Raine returned to his office.

“OK, we are going to leave now,” she said.

“I can’t wait to see you on registration day on the 13th,” he said.

“Can you make that sooner?” she said.

“What? You want to come back here sooner?”

“Yeah.”

“I wish I could do that.”

“Aren’t you the principal? You can do anything!”

It was true. Pedro could do anything —with God.

“I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” (Philippians 4:13, NKJV).

Thank you for your Thirteenth Sabbath Offerings that have supported Holbrook Seventh-day Adventist Indian School. The two most recent Thirteenth Sabbath Offerings for the North American Division, collected in 2018 and 2021, are helping to construct a new gym and multipurpose building on the campus.