Stanislas was raised in a Christian home, the second of eight children, with early memories of a loving family life. But tragedy struck when his father died in a car accident. At the time, Stanislas’ mother was pregnant with his youngest sibling.
Unable to care for the children on her own, she sent them to live with their grandparents. It was in his grandparents’ home that Stanislas first witnessed deep spiritual devotion. Each morning he would wake up to the scent of a candle burning and the sight of his grandparents on their knees in prayer. His grandfather, a faithful church worker, had dedicated his life to serving God.
Yet even as a boy, Stanislas began to wonder, If God is good, why would someone like my grandfather, who loved Him so much, suffer so deeply? That quiet doubt grew in the following years.
By the time he reached his teens, Stanislas had drifted far from his roots. He turned to smoking, drinking and eventually, stealing. What started as small acts of rebellion led him down a path of crime. He was involved in burglaries, car theft and drug trafficking. The streets taught him that only the strongest survive.
Then, one night, everything changed. Drunk and behind the wheel of a stolen car, Stanislas suddenly heard a voice in his heart. “What are you doing? Is this how you want your life to end?”
Shaken, he knew he couldn’t continue living this way. The next morning, he decided to walk away from crime and start over.
He returned to his hometown to rebuild his life. It wasn’t easy—it took a year and-a-half—but Stanislas was determined. At 18, he joined the military, completed training and eventually found steady work.
Later he met a woman and they began a life together. They had two children and everything went well for a while. But Stanislas’ old wounds and unresolved pain began to surface, creating tension in their relationship. Eventually, the couple separated.
Not long after, the woman’s father called Stanislas and asked him to give her another chance. He agreed, not knowing what to expect.
His partner had grown up in a Seventh-day Adventist family and though she hadn’t been attending church she still read her Bible every day. One day she told Stanislas that she wanted to go back to church.
Stanislas replied, “Why not? I’ve tried everything else—maybe it’s time to try Jesus.”
His partner began attending church on Sabbath, while he started going to church on Sunday. Sometimes, she joined him, but he never went with her. Still, Stanislas noticed something had changed. She was calmer and happier. There was a peace in her that he couldn’t explain.
One day, he asked her, “Why do you spend all day at church? Mine only lasts a couple of hours.”
She smiled and said, “Come with me. You’ll understand.”
He agreed, and that first Sabbath at her church was a turning point. The message touched his heart in a way he didn’t expect. He didn’t yet fully understand Jesus, but something stirred within him.
The pastor invited him to begin Bible studies. Stanislas accepted. As he opened the Bible, he began to find answers to questions that had haunted him since childhood. His image of God that had been damaged by doubt slowly healed. He realised that the same voice he had heard years earlier in that stolen car was now speaking to him again, but this time through Scripture.
One night, after a study session, he turned to his wife and said, “I think I have faith now. I finally understand what it means to believe.” Not long after, they were married and baptised together.
Two years later, Stanislas enrolled at Fulton Adventist University in Fiji, where he earned a degree in theology. Today, he serves as a pastor in New Caledonia, on the same island where his journey began. Now, however, he serves the God of his grandfather, not because of tradition, but because of his conviction and personal relationship with Christ.
Adapted from Adventist Mission
