[Photo credit: Andrew McChesney]
Dr. Viriato Ferreira says 10 days is often all that is needed for guests attending his health programs in Portugal to accept the seventh-day Sabbath.
Take, for example, a successful middle-aged businesswoman who enrolled in a 10-day program at his VitaSalus Wellness Center, perched on a lush-green mountain overlooking the medieval town of Penela.
The woman had decided to visit after reading a patient’s account of VitaSalus — which means “life and health” in Latin — and its depression recovery program in a popular magazine. She nearly changed her mind when an online search found that the center was operated by Seventh-day Adventists. But she had suffered a painful divorce, and she showed up for the start of the program on a Sunday.
For the next week, she joined all the activities, which included working with other guests in VitaSalus’ outdoor gardens. She ate vegan food three times a day in the cafeteria. Every evening, she attended a health class.
On Friday evening, the guests expected another health class and were surprised to find the VitaSalus team present and not dressed in their ordinary work clothes.
Ferreira stood at the front of the room and introduced the 20 staff members and five volunteers.
“You might be wondering why these people are here,” he said.
A Look at Creation
With their full attention, he related the story of the six-day Creation week and, opening a Bible, read Genesis 2:2-3, which says, “And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. ‘Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.”
“This happened years ago, but then God had to remind people in Exodus,” Ferreira said, turning in the Bible to Exodus 20:8 and reading, “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.”
“That is why we are all here and dressed up this evening,” he said. “We’re celebrating Creation.”
At the end of the 10-day program, the businesswoman wept. She didn’t want to leave.
“Sabbath will never be the same for me,” she tearfully told the staff.
The next Sabbath, Ferreira’s cell phone vibrated with the arrival of an e-mail. Ferreira didn’t usually read e-mails on Sabbath, but he saw that the message was from the businesswoman.
“Hello, dear friends,” she wrote. “Today is the Sabbath, a special day for all of us. I am longing for you all, your company, your peace.”
Ferreira, who related the incident in an interview, said his heart was touched that the woman had remembered the Sabbath.
“The only Bible study that she had was the 10 days at the center and the two Bible verses in Genesis and Exodus,” he said.
Viriato Ferreira says 10 days is often all that is needed for guests attending his health programs in Portugal to accept the seventh-day Sabbath.
Take, for example, a successful middle-aged businesswoman who enrolled in a 10-day program at his VitaSalus Wellness Center, perched on a lush-green mountain overlooking the medieval town of Penela.
The woman had decided to visit after reading a patient’s account of VitaSalus — which means “life and health” in Latin — and its depression recovery program in a popular magazine. She nearly changed her mind when an online search found that the center was operated by Seventh-day Adventists. But she had suffered a painful divorce, and she showed up for the start of the program on a Sunday.
For the next week, she joined all the activities, which included working with other guests in VitaSalus’ outdoor gardens. She ate vegan food three times a day in the cafeteria. Every evening, she attended a health class.
On Friday evening, the guests expected another health class and were surprised to find the VitaSalus team present and not dressed in their ordinary work clothes.
Ferreira stood at the front of the room and introduced the 20 staff members and five volunteers.
“You might be wondering why these people are here,” he said.
A Look at Creation
With their full attention, he related the story of the six-day Creation week and, opening a Bible, read Genesis 2:2-3, which says, “And on the seventh day God ended His work which He had done, and He rested on the seventh day from all His work which He had done. ‘Then God blessed the seventh day and sanctified it, because in it He rested from all His work which God had created and made.”
“This happened years ago, but then God had to remind people in Exodus,” Ferreira said, turning in the Bible to Exodus 20:8 and reading, “Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy.”
“That is why we are all here and dressed up this evening,” he said. “We’re celebrating Creation.”
At the end of the 10-day program, the businesswoman wept. She didn’t want to leave.
“Sabbath will never be the same for me,” she tearfully told the staff.
The next Sabbath, Ferreira’s cell phone vibrated with the arrival of an e-mail. Ferreira didn’t usually read e-mails on Sabbath, but he saw that the message was from the businesswoman.
“Hello, dear friends,” she wrote. “Today is the Sabbath, a special day for all of us. I am longing for you all, your company, your peace.”
Ferreira, who related the incident in an interview, said his heart was touched that the woman had remembered the Sabbath.
“The only Bible study that she had was the 10 days at the center and the two Bible verses in Genesis and Exodus,” he said.
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