My Brand-New Life: Adult Mission Story for January 3, 2026

By Hyacinthe Santino

Mom, can we please come back tomorrow?” our two youngest children asked with big smiles.

It was our first time at an Adventist meeting. A friend had invited us, so we came to be polite. We had seen flyers in our mailbox but never planned to go. Before we left home, my husband, Bruno, and I said to each other, “We’re just going to listen. That’s all.”

But something unexpected happened.

Our children saw their friends at the meeting and even made some new ones. They had fun!

After the meeting, we stayed and drank warm herbal tea while talking with friendly people. They told us how God had changed their lives and invited us to come back again.

As the days passed and we attended more meetings, our children said they liked the pastor’s sermons. Sometimes, it looked like they weren’t listening, but they always had something to say about what they learned. They really liked the talks about how God made the world and all the amazing things in nature.

I was also touched. The choir sang powerful songs that brought tears to my eyes. And the pastor always told us not to believe things just because he said them. He wanted us to read the Bible and learn from God’s Word ourselves. I liked that.

Even though I went to church and prayed often, what we were learning here felt very different—and special.

One day during the second week, the pastor asked if anyone wanted to be baptized.

To our surprise, our son said, “Dad, Mom, I want to be baptized.”

We were shocked. While we were still trying to understand everything, his young heart was just excited to know God.

I told him that getting baptized wasn’t like buying a chocolate bar, that it was an important decision. But I realized I didnt know his heart like God did.

God was working on my heart, too, but I didn’t feel worthy. When the pastor asked again for anyone to come forward and be baptized, I wanted to go—but I couldn’t move. I didn’t feel “clean” enough.

That night, I prayed and cried alone. “Lord, what should I do? I want to be baptized.” As I talked with God, I felt a sense of peace and knew I was ready.

The next morning, I packed a special white dress and a towel in my bag. I kissed my husband goodbye as he left with our older kids for a boat trip. Then, I left with our two younger sons, a nephew, and a niece.

I sat by myself at the meeting, tears flowing down my cheeks. An older couple saw me and kindly came over.

“I’m going to be baptized,” I began, “but no one in my family knows.”

They gave me a big, warm hug. It made me feel better.

I stood up when the pastor called for the people to be baptized. I walked to the front, crying—but not from sadness. My heart was full of love for Jesus. My children jumped with joy when they saw me get baptized. They hugged me tightly after I came out of the water.

Far away on the ocean, my husband felt something in his heart. I hadn’t told him about my decision, but he turned to our sons and said, “Your mother is getting baptized.”

Since that day, I’ve grown in faith. I enjoy going to church and studying the Bible in Sabbath School. I hope my whole family will one day choose baptism as well.

I’m thankful to Jesus for the husband He gave me. He doesn’t stop me from keeping the Sabbath. I recently asked him, “How do you feel about God?”

He said, “I feel like a Christian. I believe in Jesus, and your faith encourages me.”

Now, I try to live in a way that shows others who God is—through my words, actions, and love.

Your Thirteenth Sabbath Offering, also known as the Quarterly Mission Project Offering, will have an eternal impact on the lives of people like Hyacinthe. 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.