这是但丁在西班牙复临学院过得十分辛苦的第一年。

但丁用完了他的最后一笔积蓄来支付整年约5千欧元的学费。在上课期间，他努力地为他的妻子和两个年幼儿子赚取另外5千欧元的生活费。

现在但丁必须在暑假离开家，并靠着文字布道工作来支付他第二年的学费。

但丁并不介意工作艰苦，但他还没有在萨贡托复临学院（Sagunto Adventist College）报名卖书的工作。他想利用暑期到各个教会，告诉他们他是一位身上有纹过身的德国人，并向他们分享自己是如何在加纳利岛（Canary Islands），离开原本吸毒的生活成为一名复临信徒。

他需要把自己所面临的经济问题告诉上帝，于是，但丁走到了安静且最喜欢的地方―公寓里的卫生间，他锁上了门，并跪下来向上帝倾吐心意。

「爸爸，第一学期已经结束了，而我也在课程中获得了最高分。我知道是祢呼召我来这里的，」他说。但丁总是在自己的祷告中以「爸爸」称呼上帝。

「爸爸，我知道你为一些学生提供奖学金，」他说，「请帮助我，因为我不想成为一名只专注赚钱的文字布道士。我想传讲耶稣，我需要自由的传道。在我用完了自己的积蓄后，就没有任何的钱了。爸爸，请祢帮助我。」

但丁停顿了一下，他感觉到有个微小的声音在响应着他。「你需要多少？」

「让我想想，」但丁说，「我在大学还有五年的时间，而每年要花费1万欧元。所以我需要5万欧元。」「好的，但丁。」声音说道。「你相信我能把钱给你吗？」「你知道这很难。」但丁说。「但我非常谢谢你能帮助我去相信，而我现在感谢你给我5万欧元。」

在祷告完后，他离开了卫生间，但丁走到客房去看他的母亲「嗨！」他走进房间时说道。「妳知道我爱妳。」

妈妈一动也不动地坐在床上，脸色像纸一样白。她用一只手握着手机。

「发生了什么事？」但丁惊恐地问道。「神奇的事情发生了！」她说。「怎么了？」他说。「你知道吧，我有十年一直在试图把我在德国的房子卖掉，」她说。「然后，我刚刚就在WhatsApp的讯息里，收到一位想要买这间房子的人，而且他开出了5万欧元，比我所开的价还高。」但丁不知道该怎么做，他不觉得自己这样因冲动而脱口而出的话是对的。「那是我的钱，我要为此祷告。」「等等！」他大声说道。「等一会，我需要去洗手间一下。」于是，但丁他把门锁上，跪在地上向上帝祷告。

「爸爸，如果向祢求10万欧元，你会把它给我吗？」他说。

「但丁！」那声音说道。「你向我要了5万欧元，而我给了你5万欧元。」「是的，但如果我向祢求10万，你也会把它给我吗？」「是的，我会给你。但你向我要了5万，所以我给了你5万欧元。」

「我可以改变主意吗？」「不，你不能，」那声音说道。「你要学会看得远一些。你的眼光非常小，你只是为了眼前需要而想。但是我想要给你更多，我希望你能相信我。相信我将会把你所需要的给你。」「好的！」但丁说。「但谁会告诉我的母亲，她应当给这笔钱？」「你相信我能做到吗？」「是的，我相信，我相信！」但丁大声地说道。

他回到客房，他的母亲仍然坐在床上。「但丁，你知道吗？」她在但丁走进房间时说道。「我想如果给你这笔额外的钱，那么你就可以支付你的学费了。」

现年36岁的但丁，已经完成了第二年的课程。他相信上帝会引导着那些顺从和信靠祂的人。「当上帝响应我的祷告时， 我了解到，与上帝同行其实就是与信心同行。」但丁说。「上帝并不一定会向你揭示所有会发生的事。但他只要求你信靠他。」

  Praying in the Bathroom

   It was a tough first year at the Seventh- day Adventist college in Spain.

Dante Marvin Herrmann used up the last of his savings to pay the annual tuition of about 5,000 euros. Between classes, he worked to earn another 5,000 euros to provide for his wife and two young sons.

Now he faced a long summer away from home, working as a literature evangelist to pay for his second year of studies.

Dante didn’t mind the hard work, but he hadn’t enrolled at Sagunto Adventist College to sell books. He wanted to spend the summer traveling from church to church, telling how he, a tattoo-covered German, had left a life of drugs in the Canary Islands to become an Adventist.

Dante needed to talk to God about his financial problems. He made his way to his favorite place of quiet solitude — the apartment bathroom — and locked the

SPAIN | February 29

Dante Marvin Herrmann, 36

door. Kneeling, he poured out his heart. “Papa, the first year has finished. I

received top marks in my classes, and I see that You have called me here,” he said.

Dante always addresses God as “Papa” in his personal prayers.

“Papa, I know You provide scholarships to some students,” he said. “Please help me because I don’t want to work as a literature evangelist with a focus on earning money. I want to preach Jesus. I need freedom to preach. I don’t have any money after using up my savings. Papa, please help me.”

Dante paused, and he sensed a still, small voice replying within him.

“How much do you need?”

“Let me see,” Dante said. “I have five years left at the college, and it costs 10,000 euros per year. I need 50,000 euros.”

“OK, Dante,” the voice said. “Do you believe that I can give it to you?”

“You know that I don’t believe,” Dante said. “But I’m very grateful that You can help me to believe, and I thank You now for giving me 50,000 euros.”

Ten minutes later, Dante received 50,000 euros.

After praying, he left the bathroom and went to the guest room to check on his mother, who was visiting.

“Hi,” he said as he walked into the room. “You know that I love you.”

Mother sat motionless on the bed, her

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Adventist Mission Inter-European Division

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The territory of Spain was assigned to the Latin Union Conference when it was organized in 1902. B.G. Wilkinson, Jean Vuilleumier, and Jules Robert were sent in 1903 to survey the possibilities and to evaluate prospects for evangelism in Spain, giving special attention to the large cities of Barcelona and Madrid. On his return, Jules Robert wrote, “After a stay of four weeks in Spain,

we have only good reports to give of this country, in regard to the facilities for evangelization, because, in spite of existing conditions, God has opened a way” (in “Messager de la Prophétie,” May 1903).

face as white as a sheet. She held her cellphone in one hand.

“What happened?” Dante asked, alarmed. “Something amazing happened,” she said. “What is it?” he said.

“You know, I have been trying to sell

my house in Germany for 10 years,” she said. “Well, I just received a WhatsApp message from a man who wants to buy the house, and he offered 50,000 euros more than I asked.”

Dante didn’t know what to do. He didn’t feel that it would be right to blurt out, “That’s my money. I prayed for it.”

“Wait,” he said out loud. “Wait a moment. I have to go to the bathroom.”

Locking the door, he knelt on the floor.

“Papa, if I had asked for 100,000 euros, would You have given it to me?” he said.

“Dante,” the voice said. “You asked for 50,000 euros, and I gave you 50,000 euros.”

“Yes, but if I had asked for 100,000, would you have given it to me?”

“Yes, I would have given 100,000 euros. But you asked for 50,000, so I gave 50,000.”

“Can I change my mind?”

“No, you can’t,” the voice said. “You have to learn to think bigger. You think very small. You think for only the moment, but I want to give you more. I want you to believe in Me. I want you to believe that I will give you what you need.”

“OK,” Dante said. “But who will tell my mother that she should give this money?”

“Do you believe that I can do it?”

“Yes, I believe, I believe!” Dante exclaimed.

He returned to the guest room, where his mother was still sitting on the bed.

“Dante, you know something?” she said as he entered the room. “I think it would be best if I gave you this extra money so you can pay for your studies.”

Dante, who is 36 and finishing his second year of studies, believes God guides those who walk in obedience and faith.

“When God answered my prayer, I realized that walking with God was walking with faith,” Dante said. “God doesn’t necessarily reveal to you all that will happen. He only asks you to trust in Him. þ