Miracle Bananas From Man in White Hood
Little Albert wanted bananas, but Mother didn't have the money.
Eleven-year-old Albert Andrea was hungry when Mother picked him up at school in Noumea, capital of New Caledonia in the South Pacific.
He had only eaten half his lunch because he didn’t like the other half — spinach.
“Mommy, I would really love to eat a banana,” Albert said. “Can we go to that little market not far from school and buy a banana?”
Mother also wanted to go to the market to buy parsley and spring onions to make tuluk, a traditional Vanuatuan dish made of cassava and coconut milk. But she only had enough money to buy the ingredients.
Albert, however, couldn’t forget the banana. He was hungry! As they drove to the market, he spoke about how nice it would be to have a banana.
“Albert,” Mother said, “you need to pray about that banana because you really want to eat one.”
Albert prayed out loud, “Please, Jesus, can I have a banana? Amen.”
Mother was happy to hear the prayer, and she smiled.
“That’s good,” she said. “You’ll see that Jesus will answer your prayer.”
Arriving at the outdoor market, Mother told Albert to wait in the car while she shopped for parsley and spring onions. Albert waited as long as he could, but the car grew terribly hot in the bright sun. He got out to wait.
The first thing that he saw was a man selling bananas. He was eating one of the bananas.
Someone walked up to Albert. The boy turned and saw a white man wearing white clothing and a white shawl over his head. He held a bunch of yellow bananas.
“Albert,” the man said, softly. “Here are some bananas for you.”
Albert was surprised and wondered, “How does he know my name?”
But he accepted the bananas and said out loud, “Thank you!”
“Bye-bye, Albert,” the man said.
“Bye-bye,” Albert replied. “Thank you!”
Albert sat inside the car and peeled a banana. It was nice and ripe and soft. Just perfect!
When Mother returned, she was surprised and worried to see Albert eating bananas.
“Where did you get those bananas?” she asked.
“From a man in a white shawl,” Albert said.
“But, Albert, where is the man?” Mother said. “Let’s thank him.”
Mother and Albert looked, but they couldn’t find the man. Tears filled Mother’s eyes as she realized that Jesus had answered Albert’s prayer. She asked whether Albert had thanked God.
Albert, holding a half-eaten banana in his hand, prayed, “Thank you, Jesus, for my bananas. Amen.”
Albert believes that the man in white was an angel.
“I prayed to Jesus, and Jesus must have told an angel to give me bananas,” he said. “The bananas were really nice!”
Praying for a Big Fish
Albert says God has answered many prayers.
Albert lives near the ocean, and he is saving money to buy a speargun, so he can catch and sell fish to help his parents. He is earning money by catching fish with a fishing rod.
One day, as Albert was fishing, Mother walked by and saw a big fish in the ocean.
“Wow, that’s a big fish!” she said.
Albert fell on his knees and prayed, “Can I have that fish?”
He threw out his fishing line and immediately caught the fish.
Longing for Scoubidou
On another day, Albert told Mother before school that he wanted scoubidou, colorful plastic threads that children weave into keychains.
“Mommy, I want you to buy scoubidou for me,” he said.
Mother, who works as a housekeeper, cleaning someone’s house, said she only had enough money for bus fare to go to work.
Albert prayed.
Later that day as Mother was cleaning, the house owner said, “Here is a big basket of scoubidou. Do you want to take it for your son?”
Mother looked at him in shock. “Wow!” she said, finally. “This is an answer to my son’s prayer this morning. He really wanted to have scoubidou.”
At home, she greeted Albert after school. “Look in the hall,” she said. “I have a surprise for you.”
The boy went to the hall and spotted the basket.
“Oh Mommy!” he exclaimed. “Where did you get them from? Thank you, Mommy!”
Albert Andrea says he prayed for bananas and Jesus sent an angel. In English and French. (Andrew McChesney / Adventist Mission)
Donate Online
Sign Up for Mission Stories
More Recent News