Inside Story: Marshall Islands
By Andrew McChesney
The year couldn’t have gone worse for Elisa Albertsen, a native of Palmer, Alaska, who quit a promising career as a hairdresser to volunteer at a mission school in the Marshall Islands.
Image © Pacific Press
Just three months into the school year, she had to be airlifted back to the United States after dislocating a kneecap while playing soccer at Ebeye Seventh-day Adventist School.
After four months in the United States, Elisa was still recovering and realized that she would have to break her promise to her students to return before the end of the school year.
Then she and her long-time boyfriend broke up.
Disappointed and discouraged, Elisa decided to take a 40-day fast from secular music, books, and movies, and to immerse herself in the Bible and the writings of Adventist Church cofounder Ellen G. White. It was then that she started a joy journal.
“I wanted to count 1,000 gifts God gave me”, she said.
The daily entries in the joy journal began with simple things. Elisa wrote that she was grateful for clean water and the sunlight shining through the window. As she continued to write, she remembered the words of the apostle Paul, “Rejoice always” (1 Thessalonians 5:16; NKJV).
When she discovered ants swarming over the food in her dog’s bowl, she thought, “This is so frustrating. I hate ants!” Then she remembered the joy journal and, peering closely at the busy ants, marveled at their perseverance, teamwork, and ability to carry a load many times their size.
In her joy journal, she wrote, “I thank God for ants. Through God, we can accomplish things that are much bigger than us”.
Elisa also found joy in other negative circumstances. When someone criticized her, she wrote, “Thank You for that critical word because it puts me on track to improve and draw closer to You”.
She thanked God for her dislocated kneecap, realizing He strengthened her mentally and physically through the injury.
Elisa is now 21 and back at Ebeye as a second-grade teacher. She pulled out the joy journal after catching a flu going around the island.
“When I lost my voice, I said, ‘Praise God because now I can hear my children better”, she said.
Produced by the General Conference Office of Adventist Mission. Find more mission stories at adventistmission[dot]org
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Wonderful way to live and react to others and God. A good example to follow. Too often we are inclined to find fault with those trying to help us. “Nothing tends more to promote health of body and of soul than does a spirit of gratitude and praise. It is a positive duty to resist melancholy, discontented thoughts and feelings–as much a duty as it is to pray.”–MH 251 (1905). {2MCP 797.1}
What an uplifting story coming from someone handling challenging times. This encourages me to look at the way I spend my time in media and make some changes. What a sweet spirit in this fellow Alaskan! I wish her all the best in her journey of faith and know that she is doing God’s work in a very special way. May God bless her in all she does!
Thank you for this inspiring story. It is true that we should see the good in all most circumstances, the bright side of life. Doing so makes as see, appreciate and praise God making one closer to him, bringing forththe fruit of the spirit in you.