Raul lived in a small town. He loved to build things, play ball, explore the small mountain on the other side of town, and to tease his little sister. Maria could be very annoying at times, but other people knew that if they were mean to Maria, they would have to face Raul. He would defend her fiercely, and no one wanted to be on Raul's bad side!

Every morning as Raul and Maria walked out the door for school, his mom called after them, "Take care of your sister, Raul!" "I will!" he would call back, "I promise!" One day, however, that promise was put to the test. The sky had been dark with clouds all morning. Raul was sitting in class when he heard what sounded like a train. No one had to be told that a tornado was on its way! The students dove under their desks and prayed. The fragile walls of the old school building cracked and groaned with the pressure of the winds. Somehow, Raul and his classmates were able to escape harm, but when the dust settled, he saw that where his sister's class had been there was nothing but rubble, and none of her classmates were in sight. Raul ran to the pile and began taking off one stone at a time. Others joined him, but soon gave up hope. No sound could be heard from under the broken walls. "There's no way they could have survived, young man," the people would say, "It's no use."

But Raul kept going, one stone at a time. His muscles quivered with exhaustion. He was so tired he didn't know how he would keep going. Rescue work continued around him, but no one wanted to waste their effort on a lost cause. No one, but Raul. "Please God," he prayed, "Give me strength to find my sister. Somehow keep her safe until I get there."

Raul, looking at the large stone before him, didn't think he had the strength to move it. Pushing with all his might, the rock only shifted a few inches. Fighting back tears, he sat down beside the crack in the dirt he had made. "What do I do now, Lord?" he asked.

A quiet voice whispered to his heart, "Listen." Putting his ear to the crack, Raul held his breath and listened. Then he heard it--a sound from the other side of the crack, a faint cry for help.

"Over here!" Raul yelled, "Someone is alive in there!"

Suddenly, people appeared from everywhere. Two men helped Raul move the big stone, and through a much larger crack, they saw a hand waving at them! When the crack was big enough, all of Maria's class mates were rescued. Last to come out was Maria. She was bruised and dirty, but otherwise fine. Running into her brother's arms, she cried, "I told them not to be afraid. I knew you would take care of me, and God would give you the strength!"