Inside Story for Friday 12th of September 2025

By Andrew McChesney

Sixteen-year-old Domenico didn’t want to lose Fulvia after meeting her at a dance in Florence, Italy. So, he lied when she asked about his parents.

“What do your parents do?” she asked.

“My parents are rich,” he replied. “They own a beautiful car.”

Then Fulvia asked where he lived. Without thinking, he gave her the address of the orphanage where he lived.

But when she went to the address and found the orphanage, Domenico couldn’t lie anymore. “I’m an orphan,” he said. “I live there.”

Fulvia told her father everything, and Domenico thought their relationship was over. But her father’s response surprised Domenico.

“We have three children,” he said. “Invite him over. We’ll have four.”

Fulvia’s family accepted Domenico like a son, and he visited their home regularly. Wrapped in their love, Domenico experienced God’s love for the first time. He had heard about God, but now he saw His love in real life. A desire grew in his heart to know God, and he began to pray.

Image © Pacific Press

Years passed. Domenico left the orphanage and married Fulvia when he was 22. He still wanted to know God. He had watched the 1956 U.S. movie The Ten Commandments in the orphanage, and he wondered if there was a church that kept all Ten Commandments. He wondered if anyone lived a Christian life as described by the Bible.

One day, when he was 30, Domenico switched on the radio and heard a voice say, “Now we’re going to talk about the apostle Paul.” Domenico listened and noticed the radio show hosts spoke differently from any other Christian he had heard. He began to listen to the radio station regularly. When a speaker mentioned Ellen G. White’s Steps to Christ, he called to ask for a copy. He also asked if the book could be delivered to his house by someone who could answer questions about what he had heard on the radio.

Emmanuel and his wife showed up at Domenico’s house with the book. Emmanuel opened the Bible to answer Domenico’s questions and, at his request, shared the history of the Seventh-day Adventist Church. Wishing to know about the history of Christianity, Domenico then read The Great Controversy.

After seven months of Bible studies, Domenico felt wrapped in God’s love, and he was baptized. “I’m grateful to Adventist radio because it changed my life,” said Domenico Civardi, now 68.

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