Week 5 - August 17, 2013

Hello, everybody. I have a distressing news update. I realized today that the MTC is voluntary prison. Worse, actually. The food sucks. Horribly so. I have dinner at 4:10, and then I don't have anything until breakfast next day at 6:45. It's pretty brutal. The short time I get to see my friends not in my assigned district are brief moments of delight. Then, it's back to the "cell" where we spend about 45 hours a week. It's less than pleasant. Also, we don't get phone calls or visitors.

Man, if it wasn't for the Holy Ghost, we'd be totally jipped! hahaa :D

So! Speaking of blessings and happiness, I had a completely unexpected run-in with a previous acquaintance. A few years ago, a family came to Utah from Hawaii. My dad in his infinite charity invited them over and we had dinner together. The next day, I went tubing with the Komasario family (spelling could be completely off. Not sure.). Anyway, I haven't thought about or considered them at all since then. In fact, I couldn't even remember them hardly at all. :P 

Anyway, last week, a new set of Japanese Elders came in. One of them, I thought I recognized. He said he was from Hawaii, so I wondered if he was maybe in the ward we visited when we went to Hawaii before my senior year. Turns out, it was Ezra Komasario! Once I brought up that he looked familiar, he whipped both my name and what had happened out of his memory. Yeah. I felt pretty stupid at that point. :P I asked him how he remembered me after so long, and he said, "You never forget an act of pure charity."

I love that very much. :D

Speaking of love, if I asked you to tell me an apostle (not the first presidency) that had almost (if not completely) perfect love, who would you think of? 

Richard G. Scott. That's right. He came to our devotional on Tuesday and spoke to us. And it was amazing. From the get-go, I felt the overpowering love that God had for me, individually. I felt the desire to pray more often, more sincerely, and with more intent to change. I felt pure love towards myself and for everyone around me.

Speaking of love, I had a very interesting experience. Last week, I sent a letter about how the role plays here were divinely inspired so they work, right? Well, my testimony of the MTC experience was deepened this week. I was teaching a lesson to Andrus-san, a young man who had moved to the United States in order to go to school. His lessons were progressing well. We had asked him to pray about baptism. When we went in for our scheduled lesson this Friday, he had a friend there. At first, I was excited to get a referral. But then, Andrus-san said they'd been playing baseball and drinking o-sake (alcohol). Now, keep in mind that this was nothing more than a role play. Yeah, I'm a good actor. Not the best, but not bad. But there is nothing except God that made what happened possible.

As I heard those words, and as I was questioned by Andrus-san's friend (Tanaka-san) as to why we don't drink o-sake, my heart was breaking. Not pressure, not "oh that's tough." My heart literally shattered inside my chest. I have never felt such a feeling before. It was purest love. Heavenly Father had granted me the smallest portion of understanding as to His pure, perfect love. At the end of the lesson, we committed Andrus-san to baptism on September the 14th. But my heart was still heavy. Don't get me wrong: baptism is essential; it is the only gate to the strait and narrow way. But knowing that Andrus-san wasn't happy right then and there absolutely broke my heart. It further increased my testimony of the purpose of missionary work. 

For all of you getting my emails, study Mosiah 18:8-10. Really. Do it. You have a promise to keep. Sure, you aren't set apart as SPECIAL witnesses of Christ. But at baptism and with your confirmation as a member of His church, you were set apart as a CONSTANT witness of Jesus Christ.

So what is our purpose? To tell the world two words:

He Lives.

I never could have imagined my testimony growing as it has here. But I tell you all with the authority of a representative of Jesus Christ that He lives. He cares. He loves. I quote Elder Holland in saying, "If your testimony is a little shaky, I invite you to lean on mine." Any problem, any difficulty, any sadness can and is countered by two words: He lives.

I bear this witness to all of you, with the hope that we never forget those two words, in His sacred name; yeah, even the name of Jesus Christ. 

Amen.