Wisconsin

When I, Maria Ranieri, review my life, I can see how God's grace has led me from the very beginning. I was born in Germany to Polish war refugees in a camp organized by the United States. The camp had a hospital where I was born, and we remained at the camp until my family sailed to the United States when I was two years old.

The first time I attended church was on a Christmas holiday when I was four years old. We lived on the north side of Chicago when I started to attend the church's school. I loved going to the church's early morning worship service every chance I got.

Later, we moved to Pulaski, Wisconsin. One day a tornado touched down, destroying homes all around us. Because of God's protection, nothing was touched where our house stood.

By the time I was a teenager, I still felt attracted to God, but my former church was no longer meaningful. However, I did begin going to a different church with a friend on weekends.

After a friend got married, I moved back to the north side of Chicago, and began to manage a fast-food store. One day a bad snowstorm hit the city, so I walked to work. After work, I took a taxi home. Trying to beat a red light, the taxi driver lost control and hit a parked van, a tree, another car and a parking meter before his car came to rest at the side of a funeral home. I prayed for protection while this was happening, and God heard me. All I got was a sprained ankle.

After I was married and my daughter was born, my husband decided to take us to Italy for a visit. It was a sad adventure because he became deathly sick, had five operations and a month later he passed away. I was in a strange country with a small child, no money and unable to leave. However, God always provided food, money and wood for the winter from unknown sources. It took a year for me to arrange my papers to return to America. Before we could leave, our area had an earthquake and we had to evacuate to a mountain dwelling, then to a soccer field for more than a month. But God protected us. Soon after this the embassy gave us permission to return to America, and I thanked God for providing for us. I arranged to leave the next day, and we settled in Illinois until my daughter was in the sixth grade.

Several moves later, I located in Sun Prairie, Wisconsin, where one day I found Three Angels Broadcasting Network (3ABN) as I looked through the television channels. I continued to watch 3ABN programs every chance I got. I was amazed that a television network was actually teaching the Bible, and I could finally understand its messages. Now what should I do? I had learned the Bible's truths and the doctrines of the Seventh-day Adventists, but did not know of any Adventist church where I could attend.

I began going to a restaurant once a month, and on the way I passed a health food store. Every time I passed it, I felt something drawing me inside. So one day I went inside and asked if they had the ingredients I needed for a recipe I had seen on 3ABN. The cashier and I began talking about 3ABN, and I discovered she was a Seventh-day Adventist. She told me one of her friends, Jane, liked company to go with her to church, and she said Jane might pick me up. I left my phone number with her. Months went by, and there were no telephone invitations for church.

By then I had moved to McFarland, Wisconsin. One day as I was driving to my sister's baby shower in Illinois, my cell phone rang. I didn't recognize the number, so I didn't answer the call. At my sister's house, my cell phone rang again from the same number. (You need to understand I don't get cell phone calls unless it is a family member.) Finally, I answered the phone and a lovely voice asked me if I would like to attend the Adventist church with her. I couldn't believe it. Here I was in Illinois and someone calls me to attend church! When I explained I had moved, she said it was alright, since the Adventist church wasn't far from my house.

When I returned to Wisconsin, Jane offered to drive me to my Bible study each Wednesday night, and she drove me and my two grandchildren to church every Sabbath.

I began taking Bible studies in July 2007, and by December 2007 I was converted and baptized. Now I praise and thank God that I have become part of a beautiful church family. At last, I feel that I am home!

Maria Ranieri and Julie Ganski as shared with Bruce Babienco, correspondent, Lake Union Herald