DORA DID NOT GIVE UP by Nkaminen Sainapoi Mercy  (This story has been slightly edited.)

Dora was the only girl in her family who kept the Sabbath.  She was only 13 years old when she decided to do what Jesus wanted her to do and told her parents that she wanted to keep the Sabbath.  To do that she would have to work twice as long on Sunday.

“You will get too tired if you work so much in one day,” her parents told her.  “You cannot do that.”
“I can work from sunrise to sunset,” she argued.
“No.  You must not o to church on Saturday.”

But the next Friday, Dora came home from school earlier than usual.  She did not stop to play and she did the work she would have done on the Sabbath.  Very early Saturday morning, Dora took the sheep and goats to pasture and eat, then went to church. Afterwards, she came home and brought the goats and sheep out again in the afternoon.  But her parents did not like this and were very angry.  “If you do this again we will put you in a cave and the leopards and hyenas will eat you,” they warned.

“I won’t worry, for when Jesus comes I will wake up and live with Him.”

Her parents didn’t say more and waited until next Saturday to see what she would do.

Dora went to Sabbath again and that evening her father tied a rope around her and took her to the cave.  He really didn’t want to hurt her, but felt she was wrong.  Her mother went along with it and dora was left in the cave.  Her parent went a little distance away and she thought they had gone back home.  But they loved their little girl too much to let her stay out the the wild animals and after a while the mother decided they should talk to their daughter again.  “Have you decided to stay home on the Sabbath?”
“No,” she replied.  You go home to bed.  I will stay here, but I can’t promise to miss the Sabbath.”

Now what should they do?  Her parents talked together.  They were very tired.  “Let’s take her home and let her do as she wishes.  We cannot change her.”

The next day Dora went to Sabbath.  In fact she went very early and after going for many months her mother said one day, “I will go too.  I believe I will be baptized because you did not give up.”