By Bobby Davis
Roberta Rice shared a story recently that many of our viewers and listeners can relate to; and as she spoke with us, it was obvious she was overwhelmed with joy!
“I was born in Galveston, but raised in Montgomery, Texas,” she began. “And when I was a little girl, my parents moved to San Francisco, California, where my father found a job as a longshoreman, and my mother was a ‘Rosie the Riveter.’ Because they worked long hours, they decided to temporarily leave me back on the farm with my grandparents.
“My grandparents were Baptists,” she continues, “and over the years I heard many sermons on Creation. Even though they read the texts that said ‘Sabbath,’ it never occurred to me that the Bible meant Saturday, and it would be many years before I’d finally understand what God was saying!”
Roberta moved to the west coast and back several times before settling in San Pablo, California, at the age of thirteen. She began attending nearby Richmond High, but says her life changed dramatically when she got married at age 15. “I was the first person to graduate from that high school with a child,” she says, “and when my husband joined the armed forces, I moved in with my in-laws and their children, who became like my siblings.
“After three-and-a-half years in Wiesbaden, Germany, my husband returned and we moved to San Francisco, where he began working on the waterfront. Twelve years later, I began college, and then went on to get my master’s degree.
“My first marriage didn’t work out, and I raised three sons by myself. I worked as a counselor for the Educational Opportunities Program and Services at Solano College in Fairfield, California, and then taught English as a Second Language (ESL) in Oakland, where I retired. I also made sure all my boys received bachelor’s degrees, and today, my eldest son Dorsie lives in Portland, Oregon, and my youngest son Ronald lives in Chandler, Arizona. Unfortunately, I lost my middle son Phillip in a car accident when he was just 44 years old.”
Roberta expresses remorse when she thinks about how she didn’t provide her sons with religious training. “Although I was raised in church, I was baptized at the age of five, and never really felt as if it was my choice. So when I became a mother, I didn’t train them in the ways of the Lord, and today, I feel badly that my children didn’t get a good foundation—except from my son who passed away. He’d walk to the nearby Unitarian church every Sunday with his little Bible, and basically, he educated himself.
“During my second marriage, when my children were away at college, my second husband and I found a house across the street from a church. We wanted that house so badly, that I promised, Lord, if you allow us to get this house, I’ll go to church again! So after we got the house, I made good on my promise. My husband and I weren’t evenly yoked, and that marriage didn’t last. When my oldest told me he was an atheist, I understood that all this had affected him—and I still see it with my youngest, and my grandchildren.”
What She Prayed For
In 2014, Roberta had just finished retraining for medical billing and coding when she suffered three mini-strokes. “Those strokes made me ‘inbound,’” she explains, “and while convalescing, I began setting rational goals of what I could do with my life. I also prayed that God would allow me to have a true understanding of the Bible, so I could discuss it with others. You see, I hadn’t memorized Bible verses growing up, and I needed His help to recall them to support various topics.
“Three days after I prayed, I wanted some music while I wrote some letters. So I turned on Dish Network and dialed in what I thought was a music channel. Suddenly, I came across a TV station I’d never seen—3ABN, on channel 9393. I could tell it was a religious station, and thought, I don’t know if I want to watch this or not. But just then, the Holy Spirit whispered to me, Listen a little bit and see what they’re talking about.
“As I watched, I suddenly realized this was just exactly what I wanted, so I kept watching. I had no idea what 3ABN was, and I wasn’t familiar with the Seventh-day Adventist teachings; but as Ranko Stefanovic spoke about Revelation, I suddenly realized this was what I’d prayed for! Then, Terry McComb came on with Origins: The First Week in Time, speaking about the days of Creation and the seventh-day Sabbath. It made perfect sense! Now, I had the beginning, and the end—and I was excited! It seemed like somehow, every issue I had was explained on 3ABN. When the question came up, it was there for me.”
Although most of her friends weren’t receptive to these new truths, Roberta was determined. “I began taking notes, and now I’m on my third composition book!” she says. “When I talk to those who will listen, I have my Bible texts written down; but I want to get to the point where I can go without notes.”
A couple of Bible verses have really given her strength, lately. “The first one is 1 Corinthians 10:13, ‘No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.’ That’s the verse I rely on when I’m tempted by a donut, or a snack!” she says. “Another one is Ephesians 6:10, that says, ‘Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might.’ God is helping me to remember these wonderful verses now, and that’s really a miracle, since those strokes make it hard on my memory!”
Into Action
Roberta didn’t watch 3ABN for long before she took action. “A week later, I called 3ABN to see if there was a Seventh-day Adventist church here in Mesa, Arizona,” she says. “They gave my name to the Mesa Palms Seventh-day Adventist Church, and soon Arlene Beck and Sharon Higginbotham called to ask if I’d like to have someone study the Bible with me. I agreed, and began taking the Amazing Facts lessons. I learned so much, and my knowledge of the Bible became far better than I’d ever had. When Pastor Darnall came to see me, that was quite impressive, so I told him I wanted to join the church!”
Pastor Terry Darnall was delighted. “Roberta joined our Mesa Palms Seventh-day Adventist Church after studying with two of our church members, Michael Battle and Carol Crider,” he says. “We set May 28 of this year as her baptismal date, and when she came out of the water, she was smiling from ear to ear!
Now she has many new brothers and sisters in Christ who care for and nurture her. Roberta is a wonderful addition to our church family, and tells everyone she meets—both friends and relatives—how happy she is to be a Seventh-day Adventist. We praise the Lord for her, and the blessing she is to our church!”
Roberta says she’s grateful for the friends who studied with her, and for Janice Ketchum and Leona Kuhn, who’ve made sure she gets to church each week.
After her baptism, she felt impressed to get more involved. “I’d say to myself, I don’t know what my gifts are—until I watched Jill Morikone on 3ABN. Then I thought, Yes, I can hand out those little gospel tracts when I go to my doctor’s appointments!
“A few weeks ago, my pastor asked, ‘Who all knows they’re going to Heaven?’ and I didn’t raise my hand, because I wasn’t sure. Then, just this week, I heard Shelley Quinn talking about God’s grace, and justification and sanctification became so much clearer!
“Now I know that I can be secure about my salvation—because I’m a work in progress. I’ll still make mistakes. But if I stay with Jesus Christ and acknowledge my sins, I’ll become more and more like Him. I am His temple, and His Spirit lives in me. That’s wonderful to know, and it brings me peace.
“I wasted so much time,” Roberta continues, “and then I felt useless because I couldn’t quote Scripture from memory. But as I listen to 3ABN, I realize we’ve all been given a gift. Even though I’m ‘inbound,’ I know I must evangelize, and God will give me a clearer approach. He’s already instilled in me that it doesn’t matter how much I know about Scripture; He’ll put words in my mouth when the time comes!
“Right now, I’m focusing on my neighbor. We pray together at least three times a week over the phone, and she says that when I pray with her, it’s very comforting!
“I also pray for my children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren who live in different states, since I can’t directly participate in their lives. However, I’m blessed that my oldest son now says he believes in God. I almost dropped the phone when he said that! He went from being an atheist to a believer, and now he says, ‘My God has blessed me over and over again, and I know now through my experience, whereas before, I was leaning on my reasoning.’ I pray for all my descendants, that they will come to know Jesus Christ and will be covered with His blood.”
Mesa Palms Seventh-day Adventist Church
