Michigan

Karma Anderson faced numerous challenges in her life in January 2004. To help care for her two children, Cara and Christian, her mother, Marta Acuña, moved from Miami, Florida, to live with her. Soon after, Karma and her mother began to attend the Metropolitan Seventh-day Adventist Church in Plymouth, Michigan. It seemed the sermons preached by the pastor, Robert Stewart, dealt with the very issues Karma struggled with.

Marta became involved in Metropolitan’s First Love Prayer Group that meets every Sabbath afternoon, and the group prayed for Karma and her family situation. On occasion, Karma attended the prayer group with her mother.

In September 2004, the pastor presented the “Hope for Our Day” evangelistic series. Karma attended the series, was impressed by the Holy Spirit, and she believed this was the truth. When the pastor made an appeal to those who wanted to learn more about the Bible, Karma desired to respond but did not want to do so publicly for fear her mother would get too excited and put undo pressure on her.

Karma approached the pastor privately to ask for Bible studies. He and his wife Sandi began the lessons right away. In addition, Karma and Marta became involved in the Yorba Hotel Outreach Ministry in Detroit, Michigan, which provides food and assistance to hotel residents who experience hard times. They found fellowship in service with like-minded Christians.

When people make decisions for Christ, Satan does all he can to disrupt lives and bring difficulties to turn them from the Lord Jesus. In the midst of the good changes, Karma lost her job just before Christmas 2004. Knowing God is more powerful than Satan, Sandi brought Karma’s situation to the prayer group. Within a couple of weeks, Karma found a better job and a much more economical living arrangement in Chicago, Illinois.

By the end of January 2005, Karma had packed her belongings and moved to Chicago with her two children and mother. However, not to be deterred from their Bible studies, Sandi and Karma completed the lessons over the telephone with the moving of the Holy Spirit. On April 2, 2005, Karma returned to the Metropolitan Church and was baptized.

Karma loves her new job, and her family is doing better financially. God works in wondrous ways for His children, and He provided a new church home for Karma and her family. The Vernon Memorial Seventh-day Adventist Church, a little congregation in Matteson, Illinois, was praying for a family with children to bolster attendance and the future of the church. Karma, Cara, Christian, and Marta began attending there and became an answer to their prayers.

Since joining the congregation, Karma and Marta have begun a First Love Prayer Group at the Vernon church on Wednesday night, and they are finding God's answers to many more prayers.

Joy Hyde, Metropolitan Church correspondent