Happy chatter filled the early morning air as the eighth-grade class of Redlands Adventist Academy arrived at the Loma Linda Vietnamese church. They were on a mission to restore the exterior of the church to the respect and beauty that it deserved. The church struggled to find an affordable contractor to paint the outside after graffiti was sprayed on the walls. Peeling old and outdated paint did not reflect the love the church held for its building. They prayed for an answer which arrived in the form of 30 eighth-graders, supportive parents, and their teacher.
After a word of prayer for God’s blessings on their efforts, the students and parents were divided into groups to commence work. Scrapping, sanding, and masking up windows were skills quickly developed. The class worked with determination. It was Friday and the goal was to paint all the exterior walls in time for Sabbath. As soon as a section was prepared, airless spraying of a new coat of paint started, with students coming behind to “cut in” the places the sprayer could not get.
The school carefully planned a food sale to raise funds to support the cost of materials. A paint store providing their best paint at discount price and a local sign company agreeing to make a new sign for the church at low cost was just two ways God was opening doors for the project.
Breaks, music, and a pizza lunch kept the group’s spirit strong and driven to finish the task. By the end of the afternoon’s work, the job of painting the walls was completed and cleaned up for Sabbath worship. “Painting the church was a great experience that brought me closer to my friends and God!” stated Thomas Bullard, an eighth-grade student.
To celebrate the completion of the work, a special Christmas program was held by the Vietnamese church members on Sabbath. The class was invited and honored with gifts. Joy filled the church and hearts of those present as they retold how God had made the transformation possible. “It was a unique experience and left a good feeling,” student Enzzo Kramer stated. Eighth-grader Zara Matthew summed it up by sharing, “The church was truly grateful, we were a miracle to them and an answer to prayer.”