Nothing Is Impossible for God

It seemed impossible. How could something lost so far away ever be found? And yet God had not forgotten the heartfelt prayers from nearly 16 years ago.

The story began in Livingston, Zambia, as Pastor Ted Wilson, who was serving as a general vice president of the General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists at the time, boarded an airplane heading for South Africa with his wife, Nancy. They had just been with Garwin McNeilus, a Seventh-day Adventist lay philanthropist deeply committed to global mission, visiting numerous one-day church construction sites with Maranatha Volunteers International, and preaching in various places.

While boarding their flight in Zambia, Pastor Wilson was informed that only his briefcase would be allowed on board—his carry-on item would have to be stowed below. Quickly removing his Bible from the carry-on, he placed it, along with his briefcase, in the luggage compartment above his seat.

After landing at the airport in Nelspruit, South Africa, Pastor Wilson quickly grabbed his briefcase and deplaned, not realizing his Bible was left behind. Before long, however, he discovered the terrible truth—his Bible was missing!

A Tremendous Loss

Reflecting on this tremendous loss, he later explained, “If you have ever lost a Bible, you know that it is one of the most catastrophic things you can encounter. It’s underlined. It has notes in it. You know the Bible. You know what page to turn to. . . . It was my study and preaching Bible.”

Hoping someone would find the Bible, messages were sent to the airport describing his lost item: “Please, can you find this Bible?” Someone even went to personally search for the Bible, but nothing came of it. Time went by. Garwin McNeilus even posted a reward for whoever would find the Bible. Still no word.

Month after month went by, then year after year, and Pastor Wilson slowly came to the realization that his Bible was really lost. Nevertheless, he continued praying, hoping that someone would find the Bible and read it.

A few months after this beloved Bible went missing, Pastor Wilson was elected president of the General Conference (GC) at the 2010 GC Session in Atlanta, Georgia, United States. He had bought a new Bible that would serve as his study and preaching Bible throughout the 15 years of his term as president.

An Amazing Call

Then, in early September 2025, just two months after Pastor Wilson retired following the 2025 GC Session in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, a phone call came into the president’s office at the General Conference.

“Hello,” said a man with a South African accent. “This is De-Wald Steyn. I have something that may interest Ted Wilson.”

Jackie Smith, the interim executive assistant at the time, took the message and passed it on to Pastor Wilson.

Not knowing anyone by that name, nor what the person was calling about, Wilson asked the assistant to gather more information if the man called again. Nevertheless, Jackie decided to pursue it further.

“The Lord prompted Jackie Smith not to wait, but to call him back,” recalled Wilson. “And what she heard was amazing—De-Wald Steyn had my Bible. I called him immediately, and he told me his story.”

Here it is in his own words:[*]

De-Wald’s Testimony

“Between 2011 and 2013 I worked at Kruger Mpumalanga International Airport in Nelspruit, South Africa. I was a ramp coordinator, responsible for ensuring that aircraft were properly serviced, passengers were safely handled, and luggage was correctly balanced and loaded.

“Lost-and-found items were part of the daily routine. Passengers often left behind things that carried pieces of their lives. One day a cleaner brought in a Bible that had been discovered in the terminal. It wasn’t just any Bible; its pages were filled with handwritten notes, underlined verses, and reflections. You could tell it belonged to someone deeply devoted to their faith.

“At the time, I was also growing in my own faith, having recently been baptized and eager to learn more about the Word. So that Bible spoke to me. I placed it in the lost-and-found office, but I often found myself paging through it, reading the marked passages, and feeling connected to the unseen owner.

“Two years passed, and no one came to claim it. When I prepared to leave the airport in 2013 for a new opportunity, I couldn’t bring myself to leave the Bible behind. Something inside me—a quiet conviction—told me that it was meant to stay with me. I asked my supervisor if I could take the Bible, and he agreed.

“That Bible would go on to travel the world. In 2014 I came to America for the first time, working for nine months before returning to South Africa. Later I took a job in Qatar for a year. Through every move and every challenge, that Bible stayed with me—a silent reminder of faith and purpose.

‘Sometimes we don’t understand why certain things stay with us, but I’ve learned that everything happens for a reason, and God’s timing is never wrong.’

“Life moved on. I returned to South Africa, got married, became a father, and faced the trials of the COVID years. In time my heart began to long for America again. In 2022 I came to North Dakota to work as a beekeeper. The next year my employer helped make it possible for my family to join me. We sold everything we owned in South Africa and came to the United States with nothing but our faith, our hope, and a few suitcases. And the Bible, of course, came with us.

“By 2024 we had settled in northwest Kansas, where I began working as a ranch hand. One day in 2025, while organizing my closet, I came across a small shoebox—my little treasure chest filled with mementos from my life’s journey: a captain’s wings, old photos, and among them, that same well-traveled Bible.

“As I opened it again, I felt something stir deeply inside me. It was as if the Holy Spirit whispered, ‘De-Wald, it’s time to give this Bible back to its rightful owner.’

“I had always known there was a name written inside—Ted N. C. Wilson. But I had never searched for him seriously. This time I did. I opened Google, typed in the name, and the very first result stopped me in my tracks: Pastor Ted Wilson, a church leader in America. Could it really be him?

“I contacted his church office, explaining I might have something that once belonged to Pastor Ted. Later the woman I spoke with called me back. She was curious, so I shared the full story—from the airport in South Africa to Kansas. She was amazed. That same evening, my phone rang. It was Pastor Ted himself.

“Our conversation was emotional. After so many years, the Bible that had journeyed across continents was finally being returned. He thanked me deeply, and I could sense the gratitude and wonder in his voice. After nearly 16 years, that Bible’s journey would come full circle.”

The Bible Returned

Rather than having De-Wald mail him the Bible, Wilson invited De-Wald, along with his wife, Melanie, and their children, Matthew and Liam, to join him at the GYC convention in Orlando, Florida, United States, where he would be delivering the Sabbath sermon, titled “Nothing Is Impossible for God.”

It was there, on January 3, 2026, in front of a live audience of nearly 8,000 young people and thousands more watching online, that De-Wald placed the lost Bible—that had also become very precious to him—into Pastor Wilson’s hands.

It was an emotional moment. “Brothers and sisters,” exclaimed Wilson, “this is the first time in almost 16 years that I have even touched or seen this Bible.” Then turning to De-Wald, he said, “Thank you for your faithfulness to God, and to God’s Word. And thank you for returning my Bible.”

In reflecting on his experience, De-Wald wrote: “Sometimes we don’t understand why certain things stay with us, but I’ve learned that everything happens for a reason, and God’s timing is never wrong. The Bible wasn’t just something I found; it was something that found me, guided me, and carried me through every chapter of my life until it could be returned to where it truly belonged.”

Watch Pastor Wilson’s sermon and De-Wald’s testimony here.

[*] From an email written by De-Wald Steyn and sent to Ted Wilson on October 15, 2025.