Sunday School Made the Difference A young girl finds the peace that was lacking in her home life. By Valeska Paulsen

God was watching out for me from the beginning of my life. When I was just a tiny baby, there was an earthquake and a brick fell into my crib just moments after I’d been picked up. I’ve thought of that miracle many times when I have needed the Lord to undertake for me. If He spared my life then, I know I can trust Him to help me through any circumstance now.

There were many difficult times in my childhood. My dad was in Guatemala, and we lived with my mother and step-father in Southern California. My mom was extremely strict and did not let us go anywhere except to school and across the street to a parking lot where we roller-skated for hours every weekend.

A life-changing invitation

Then when I was in the third grade, my cousin invited my siblings and me to the Apostolic Faith Church in Los Angeles. Amazingly, my mother let us go. The Sunday school was having a missionary contest, and my cousin took my two sisters, my brother, myself, and some other cousins. As a reward, he received a new Bible with his name imprinted on the cover.

We lived too far from the church for the Sunday school bus to come pick us up. However, one of the church ladies would drive out and get us, and she brought us to Sunday school faithfully for about three or four years. She was always happy to see us and greeted us with a friendly smile. Although the cousin who invited us quit attending, we liked Sunday school and wanted to be there. Church was another place my mom would let us go, and it became my refuge from an unhappy home.

Besides Sunday school, we were allowed to attend some of the other church activities such as special outings and picnics. Once a month, they had Kingdom Kids Club, where we did crafts and games and had a Bible story and a devotional.

During these times at church I began learning about God’s love for me, how Jesus died on the Cross, and about salvation. I had never heard about being saved before, although at various times we went to different churches and at one point even attended some religious classes. Learning about God’s love touched my heart because I questioned how someone who did not know me could love me so much. But, of course, God knew me, and He also knew the hurt and sadness I felt in my heart. I always looked forward to church activities. It was a time to be away from home and a time to be around Christian people. I was very happy when I was away from home.

Difficult times

When problems at home worsened, my mom moved, and we were no longer able to attend church. At Sunday school I had learned to read the Bible and pray, so I did that on my own whenever I remembered. I tried to be good and do the right things, but I felt lonely and unhappy. After a while, my mom sent us to live with our dad. It was a challenge to try to fit in with a new family in a new location, and the unhappiness was still inside me. In a few months, my dad sent us back to live with our mother. In all the difficulties, I always recalled the people from church and how nice they were to us. One time, one of the Sunday school teachers found out our address and sent us a card. I was thrilled to know people remembered us and were praying for us too. I missed my friends and the church people very much, and it hurt to be living far away from them.

Eventually the hurt and unhappiness at home reached a point where I could not take it any longer. One day when I was fourteen years old, my sister and I packed a bag and ran away from home. We were on our own for a few weeks, and in potentially dangerous situations. Then we contacted our older sister, and she helped us get to her house back in Los Angeles.

Jesus is the answer

Once we were living with my sister, we were able to start attending church again. I felt awful for running away and leaving my mother and brother. I knew I was not right with God and that I needed to ask Him for forgiveness. I prayed, and the Lord did forgive me and wonderfully saved me. I thank Him for that and for keeping us safe while we were on our own. A few months later, God sanctified me. Then, at a special service at our church in San Francisco, I received the baptism of the Holy Spirit. The devil put doubts in my mind of what I had received from the Lord, so I continued to pray about the matter for about six months. At a youth camp for our California churches, the Lord reassured me that I did have the Holy Spirit.

At my first youth camp when I was in the fourth grade, I learned that Jesus was the answer to everything that comes up in life. In the years since then, He has proven this to me personally over and over again. When finishing high school looked impossible because of family situations, the Lord allowed me to live with a Christian family and to finish school. Later, in a series of special circumstances, the Lord led me to the right man to marry. It was like God was putting pieces of a puzzle together, working out every detail of my life. The Lord even made it possible for my father, whom I had not seen for ten years, to walk me down the aisle on my wedding day. That was a miracle.

The Gospel at work

After we were married, I wanted a job where I could use my Spanish-speaking abilities, and it was frustrating that nothing seemed to be working out. Then there was an opportunity for me to work at the church office helping with the translation of Spanish Sunday school lessons. I felt as if I received a double blessing—once in English and once in Spanish. Later, God opened the way for me to go to college and become a nurse, and now I have the chance to be a light for Him in the hospital where I work.

One of my privileges for a number of years has been to participate in Sunday school. Because of what Sunday school has meant in my life, I know how important it can be. All of the various aspects of Sunday school outreach—bulletin boards, Christmas programs, curriculum, youth camps, and many others—are important. Most of all, I want the students to feel God’s love coming from my life, just as I felt His love in the lives of those who made efforts for me. 

Sometimes it has seemed as if I have needed to pray a long time before an answer has come, but God has never failed. These are just some of the wonderful things the Lord has done for me. Because of Him, my life these days is very good. The Lord has reminded me of the promise I made to Him when I first was saved. I promised God that I would serve Him—with or without problems, a husband, a career, or money. That purpose is still in my heart. Jesus is my best friend, and He is always there when I need Him. I love Him for what He has done in my life and for who He is. I am so very grateful that He cares about me and has given me so much.

Valeska Paulsen is a member of the Apostolic Faith Church in Portland, Oregon, where she and her husband lead the Junior Department of the Sunday school.