Inside Story for Friday 28th of February 2025

By Andrew McChesney

The Zoom call just wouldn’t go through.

“It’s not working!” Matrona exclaimed.

Over her phone, Colette could hear Matrona typing and retyping the Zoom password on a facility computer.

Image © Pacific Press

It was a call that they had attempted many times that week. Matrona was among many Alaska Native children living in facilities and foster homes in Alaska, and she was eager to get acquainted with Colette.

She tried the password again. “It’s not working!” she cried.

“It’s OK,” Colette said.

“It’s not OK! I want to try again,” Matrona said.

When it still didn’t work, Colette suggested they talk on the phone instead.

Colette Reahl, a Seventh-day Adventist pediatrician in Anchorage, was eager to get acquainted with Matrona, too. An Alaska Native girl, Matrona was eligible for adoption at a facility in Fairbanks, located 360 miles away.

Matrona reluctantly agreed to talk by phone. The first question she asked was, “What are your house rules?”

“That is something we can talk about more when you get to the house,” Colette said. “But respect is pretty big in my house.”

Matrona quizzed Colette for the next 30 minutes. At the end of the conversation, she said, “You know, my foster mom is going to adopt me, right?”

Colette, a Florida native who had lived with her husband in Alaska for eight years, had not known that. She thought, Matrona is so interesting, and she has such a huge personality. This is going to be an adventure!

From her side, Matrona knew that Colette was looking to adopt, but she didn’t want to get hurt. So, she made it difficult for Colette to get close.

Colette asked how often she could call, and Matrona proposed once a week on Tuesdays. But when Colette called, Matrona wasn’t available or didn’t answer. They changed the time to Thursdays and then to Saturdays.

Colette sensed that Matrona was annoyed, but she couldn’t understand why. She decided to keep calling every week whether Matrona wanted to talk or not. As she kept calling with unconditional love, Matrona’s heart began to thaw.

This mission story offers an inside look at a previous Thirteenth Sabbath project. Pediatrician Colette Reahl is also coleader of Bethel (Alaska) Seventh-day Adventist Church, which received part of a 2024 Thirteenth Sabbath Offering. Thank you for helping spread the gospel with this quarter’s Thirteenth Sabbath Offering on March 29. Read more about Colette and Matrona next week.

Print/PDF/Email