Jacques Cesaire

As teens my friends and I enjoyed the pleasures of the world. We partied and drank, but I was not satisfied. I was searching for something meaningful, but didn’t know what it was or where to find it.

Often when we were away from the crowd, our conversation drifted toward religious topics. Frequently we talked about the existence of God. One boy, Felix, seemed to know a lot about God. I didn’t know it, but his family was Adventist. Although Felix was not active in the church, his childhood training was having a positive influence on us.

Felix sometimes told us stories that he said were from the Bible. I had never heard these stories and thought they were fairy tales. So Felix brought me a Bible so I could read the stories that he had marked; then I found some prophecies. I didn’t understand them, and asked Felix what they meant. He said that I wouldn’t understand unless I prayed before reading. I laughed, but he insisted. I tried it, and it worked.

As I continued reading, I learned that our bodies are the temple of God, and that we should not defile them with unclean foods or impure habits. I told Felix that I had decided to stop going to dances and parties, and to stop smoking, drinking, and even eating unclean foods. I thought he would be surprised, but he agreed! He told me that I should go to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. He even offered to go with me.

On Saturday morning, the phone rang. Felix had decided to go to work instead of church, but he had been injured in a motorcycle accident. I hurried to the hospital, but learned that Felix had been transferred to another hospital. It was almost 9:00. I prayed, Lord, what should I do? Should I go to the other hospital? Or should I go to church? I felt impressed to go to church, and I’m glad that I did.

I began attending church regularly. When Felix was released from the hospital, he came to church with me once, but never returned. He is still using drugs, smoking, and disregarding God’s laws.

My younger brother saw the difference God was making in my life, and he began attending church with me. Then my other brothers and a sister began attending church. Eventually we all were baptized. But my parents resisted.

The pastor asked me to lead a small group seminar. I had no place, so I prayed and was impressed to ask my parents if I could hold the meetings in their home. To my surprise, they agreed to let me use their front porch. When the small group began singing, I noticed that my mother stepped closer to the window. Soon she came out and sat down. The next evening my father joined us.

When evangelistic meetings began, my parents attended all the meetings, and decided to be baptized. Knowing how they felt when I began attending church, I found it hard to realize that within four years my entire family had become united in the Adventist Church. We are all actively involved in church ministries today, and I enjoy working as a lay evangelist.

Jacques Cesaire is a house painter by trade, and serves his church as a lay pastor and first elder in Morne-Pitault, Martinique.

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