The apostle Paul was always on the move, always looking for a new place that needed to hear about Jesus. Paul faced trials and troubles wherever he went. Some people loved his message, and some people hated the messenger.

Near the end of his life, after he had been arrested on false charges, Paul was eager to make it to Rome. As the leading city of the empire, Rome was the place where Paul could defend himself against all the lies people had been telling about him. Paul wasn’t afraid to suffer, but he knew that if he could get a fair hearing in Rome, maybe other Christians would be treated fairly too.

So along with a group of other prisoners, Paul boarded a ship bound for Rome. The sailing went slowly, and Paul warned that the weather would soon be bad and they were all in danger. Sure enough, Paul was right. A violent storm arose and tossed the ship back and forth for days. They tried everything to steer away from the storm, but nothing worked. Everyone on the ship was tired and hungry and scared. It looked like they were all going to die.

Then Paul spoke up. “I wish you would have listened to me earlier. Now we are in serious trouble. But do not fear. An angel appeared to me this night and assured me that no one will perish. The ship will sink, but we will survive.”

After weeks at sea, the ship crashed into the ground and started breaking apart. Those who could swim jumped overboard and made their way to a nearby island, while everyone else grabbed pieces of the ship and were brought safely to land.

The island was called Malta, and the native people there treated Paul and the others with kindness. One day, when Paul was gathering sticks for a fire, a snake jumped out and bit him on the hand. The people on the island figured Paul was being punished for some crime. But then when Paul didn’t get sick or die, they changed their mind and said he was a god. Of course, Paul wasn’t a god, but he did have the power of God with him. (Still, it’s not a good idea to get bitten by snakes!)

After three months on the island, they found another ship going to Rome. It took several more stops—on sea and by land—but Paul finally made it to Rome. He thanked God for bringing him that far.

Once in Rome, Paul was able to live by himself (watched by a soldier) and teach people day by day from the Bible. For two years, Paul welcomed everyone who came to him. He preached about the kingdom of God and about the Lord Jesus Christ with boldness and without hindrance.