Red Motorbike


 


Papua New Guinea


 


 


God uses lots of ways—even a red motorbike—to lead people to Jesus


 


 


Eleven-year-old Aloyis ( Ah-LOYS) lives in a little village on the island of New Ireland, part of Papua New Guinea.  The village sits near the main road that runs the length of the island.


The motorbike


One morning Aloyis heard the vroom, vroom, vroom of a motorbike.  He ran to the road in time to see a red motorbike roar past.  That evening Aloyis heard the motorbike roar past again.


 I wonder where that man has been, Aloyis thought.


The next day Aloyis heard he motorbike again.  For several days it passed his home every morning and again every evening.  What is going on? Aloyis wondered.  He decided to find out.


Early the next morning, Aloyis started down the road in the direction of the man on the motorbike would be going.  Soon he heard vroom, vroom, vroom, behind him. He stepped off the road and watched the man and the motorbike whiz past.  I’ll bet he’s going to the next village!  Aloyis thought, and he ran down the road toward the next village.


 


The bamboo church


 


Sure enough, when Aloyis arrived in the next village, he saw the red motorbike parked under a tree.  Nearby was a half-completed building made of bamboo.  Aloyis saw one of his friends nearby, and asked him, What are they building?


“A church,” his friend answered.


“Who owns the red motorbike?” Aloyis asked.


“That’s Pastor Maisi (MY-see),” his friend said, pointing to a man working on the church. “He’s the pastor of the new church.”


Aloyis walked over to the pastor and asked, “May I help?”


“Sure,” Pastor Maisi said.  We need help thatching the roof.”


At lunchtime someone gave Aloyis a plate of food to eat.  Pastor Maisi brought his plate of food over to where Aloyis was eating and squatted down nearby.  You are a good worker!” he said.


Another man who had been working on the church stopped under the tree to eat.  Do you think the church will be ready in time for worship this Sabbath? He asked.


“If we keep working as hard as we have been, it should be done before Sabbath, the pastor answered smiling.


“Sabbath?” Aloyis asked his friend.  “What is Sabbath?”


“Saturday,” his friend answered.


Aloyis decided to attend the church meeting on Saturday.  After all, he had helped build the church, and that way he could see Pastor Maisi—and his red motorbike—again.


 


Aloyis goes to church


 


On Sabbath morning, Aloyis awoke early and jumped out of bed.  He dressed in is everyday clothes and put his best shirt and shorts into a bag. Then he set off down the path that led to the church in the next village.


I wonder what the meeting will be like, Aloyis thought as he hurried along the path.  I think it will be great because Pastor Maisi is such a nice man.


Aloyis stopped at a creek and washed the dust off his arms and face and legs.  Then he changed into his good clothes and stuffed the old clothes into the bag, he hurried to the church.  He was the first one there!


 


Sabbath school begins


 


The new bamboo walls smelled fresh and good.  He looked around at the neat building.  I helped build this! He thought.  Pastor Maisi said I was a good worker.


Soon Aloyis heard the vroom, vroom, vroom, of the red motorbike as it cruised into the village.  He ran outside to greet the pastor.


“Hello there!” Pastor Maisi called, smiling at Aloyis.  “I’m glad you came to Sabbath School!”


People heard the pastor’s motorbike and walked toward the church.  Soon the church was full.  The people sang many songs that Aloyis did not know. He listened carefully, and soon he could sing along.  He loved the Bible stories and found Pastor Maisi’s sermon interesting.


After the meeting everyone shared a big lunch.


“Come back next week,” Pastor Maisi told Aloyis when the afternoon program was ended


“I will!” Aloyis promised.


Aloyis started toward home. Outside the village he stopped to change into his old clothes before he hurried home.  He slipped into the house without his parents seeing him.  He was not sure they would want him to be going to church, and he did not want them to stop him from seeing his new friend, Pastor Maisi.


The next Sabbath Aloyis got up early again, dressed in his old clothes, and ran along the dirt path to the next village.  Once again he stopped to wash and change onto his good clothes before going to church.  When the meeting was over he changed clothes, and ran back home. No one seemed to notice that he’d been gone.


 


Caught


 


The next week Aloyis again went to church.  He had such a wonderful time!  As he walked home he thought about the stories Pastor Maisi had told.  He was so busy thinking that he forgot to change his clothes.  He walked into his house wearing his good shorts and shirt.


“Where have you been in your good clothes?” his mother asked.  Aloyis looked at his shirt.  He told his mother he had been to church.


“I don’t want you going to that Saturday church!” his mother said.


Aloyis did not answer.  He still wanted to go to church.  That week he was extra helpful at home, and he told his parents what he had learned at the church.  On Sabbath his mother let him go to Sabbath School.


Aloyis parents noticed that Aloyis was changing.  He had become more obedient, kind and helpful.  His parents asked Aloyis to ask Pastor Maisi to visit them.  When he came they asked him to teach them the Bible.  Before long others in the village began to study the Bible with Pastor Maisi.  Soon there were enough people in Aloyis village to have a church of their own.  Today Aloyis no longer has to run to the next village to attend church.  He and his parent walk to church in their own village.


 


Charlotte Ishkanian


 


 


 


Maye Porter


  


 


AdventistMissions.org