Alright, this week has been absolutely insane!! First things first, we get our travel plans tomorrow, and are headed to Korea in 11 days!! We received our Korean tags and everything! It's gettin' REAL up in here! I was even called as our new District Leader! ..I really wish I could say that I remember every day of this week but.. let's be honest, I'm stuck in limbo at the MTC. However, last friday, the day right after P-day (which always happens to be amazing) was ...well.. amazing! Check this out. Most spiritual experience ever.
However, first, to keep you drooling in suspense, I'm going to tell you about last Tuesday. (hehehehh..)
Tuesday was.. incredible. We met a new Elder who had flown in from Australia (Queensland) named Elder Dixon. He is straight skuxx. (New Zealander for "Swag", although you can't have Skuxx, you are Skuxx.) We also received a whooole new bunch of fresh missionaries on Wednesday, but .. well.. we're talking about Tuesday so.. they're not quite here yet. Anyway, on Tuesday, during classtime we had some good teaching practice and then had an incredible discussion with our teacher, Brother Campbell. He is amazing. His spiritual countenance is unbelievable. His capacity to love, understand, and help is so Christ-like, and I look up to him so much. Our discussion was about a topic that's rather difficult to explain. As a missionary, and normal human being, you feel inadequate almost consistently. We all know the feeling. It's really hard to stay positive, especially when you're learning a new language.
We, as missionaries, get so hung up on trying to understand the words coming out of our investigator's mouth that we fail to give ourselves time and allowance to make room for the Spirit and God's will. That's what we talked about today. "How can we understand anything if we don't know everything?" As the discussion began, unlike most discussions, Brother Campbell asked us how we felt about this dilemma. How were/are we to cross this impassible bridge of understanding if we don't know what everyone is saying to us? We had a few comments here and there, and then he had us take some time to prayerfully turn to our Preach My Gospel's for an answer. This was a new approach for sure. To my surprise, almost all of us had found one in around 7 minutes. We shared, every other person in a companionship, and the Spirit was starting to find its way into our classroom. More comments, more questions, and then the as the discussion came to and end, Brother Campbell testified of his knowledge of this, and asked if there were any more questions. Sister Hoffman then humbly raised her hand and asked if he had any experiences with this out in his mission. He was almost immediately brought to tears as he replied that he had. Brother Campbell almost never speaks English to us, and he told us his story the same way he always speaks to us, almost entirely in Korean.
Through intense pauses, and perfect words, Brother Campbell told a story of a man he had met while on his mission. He said it was 8:50pm, and he and his companion decided they would try to find one more person to talk to before they were supposed to be homeward bound at around 9pm. They walked a block or so, wound up in a park, and found a man taking a break from work walking by himself. They approached him, told him who they were, and got a reply from the man that they would never forget. He said, I know who you are. I was baptized as well, many years ago, after being taught by missionaries like you. I then became a missionary, and served a full-time mission, was married in America to an incredibly worthy woman, and was sealed for eternity in the temple, and later returned to Korea for work. He then continued to tell his story as the missionaries sat with him on a bench, giving their full attention to this lonely man. He explained that when he came back to Korea, he got caught up in work, and lost everything. He got into drugs, alcohol, smoking.. he was unfaithful to his wife, and he lost every blessing God had ever given him. After he told his story, he ended by stating that he was sure the missionaries wouldn't want to talk to this man anymore, because of his heart-shattering tale.
At this point in class, Brother Campbell had almost begun sobbing, and explained to us that he didn't know what to say to that man at all. All he could feel for him was love. Never had he experienced such love for someone in his whole life, nor understood what love truly felt like. But this night, and that man changed all that. All he could say to the man was how much he loved him, but he'd only known him for 5 minutes. Later, the man left, and Brother Campbell never saw him again. Brother Campbell was torn apart. You could see the agony and sadness for this man as he sat in the middle of the classroom pondering the story he just shared. He then said a few words in the heart-breaking silence that I will never forget. He said, "Open your eyes to the people around you. ..Notice them. Invest in them. Love every single person. Love everyone. That is true happiness." ..He was so right. My dad told me countless times growing up that "You can never have too many friends," and that, "You never know someone's story, or what their life is like." My father, of all people, has found that happiness in loving each and every individual for who they are, regardless of how they act, think, or speak like. Forget how they look too. None of it phases him and today I am so grateful to be reminded of Christ's pure charity and love for everyone on earth. When thinking something like, "How could God love that person?" instead.. turn inward and ask, "How could God love me?" ..Love everyone. Even as He loves you. That is true happiness.
..Now, I bet you're pretty stoked for what happened on Friday, huh?
Haha. Here's where we get to the good part. ...Most spiritual experience.. ever.
The moon rose slowly, the dust settled upon the earth, and the planets all aligned...As wolves howled at the moon, and my companion and I walked epic-ly to 18M to teach a man whom we had never met, our minds were collectively blown. The experience caused us both to level up simultaneously. ..However.. ...let me back up.
...I couldn't sleep at all the night before Friday. Nightmares, sickness, the usual. I woke up and all I wanted was good health and more sleep, tempted to say I wasn't feeling well enough for class. Our first class went well, and as I began to wake up we had a great teaching experience with Sister Lee, our female progressing investigator, and later had an opportunity to teach fellow classmates. As I taught Elder Meeks, I found a great scripture on "light" and how the scriptures can show us the way in Luke 1:78-79. It tied in really well with what I was teaching. ..However, all day I hadn't been able to get this particular story out of my head. It was the story of how I became really close to Zac Wilson. ..I don't have time to share the whole story, but basically, as most of us know, Zac had a tragic incident at the Grand Canyon and was hospitalized. I was in Colorado with my dad at the time, and had the opportunity (because of my father's kind heart) to go and see Zac in the Flagstaff Arizona hospital on my way home, about 2 1/2 hours out of the way. As I made my way to his room, a nurse stopped me from entering. She said only family was allowed in the room. .. Before I could say a word, Cari Wilson (Zac's mom) was right by me, telling the nurse that I was his brother and permitting me to go inside. ..As I entered, Cari told Zac that I was there to see him. ... for the first time since he had entered his coma, he stirred, and spoke. I approached him and called him by name, and he opened his eyes and looked right at me as I came toward his bed. He weakly thanked me for saving him, in a humble voice, and I told him with teary eyes that it wasn't me, but him. He wouldn't have it. ..He told me he heard my name, and all he could see was light as I walked toward him. He called me his Savior. ..I'll never forget that day. (True & Zac on choir tour 2012)
As we talked/taught our investigator/volunteer at TRC that friday night, we made small talk, introduced ourselves, and decided to teach about the Book of Mormon, and it's power. We started off alright, and then came to a loss of words as our investigator became more and more intimidating, and emotionless. I felt the spirit prompt me to share 2 Ne 4:35-35, about trusting in the Lord. We talked a little about it, and I received a very strong impression to share Luke 1:78-79, the scripture I had just barely bookmarked a few hours ago. I turned there, shared it, and saw complete astonishment and sincere emotion in our volunteer (Brother Brandon). He was deep in thought, so I asked him how he felt. He said he had read the Book of Mormon and Bible many times, and had never seen this verse. He confirmed that they had never stuck out to him, and thanked us so humbly (literally the way you thank Heavenly Father in your prayers). He said it was a scripture that he really needed. His sincerity was unmistakable. Then, I had an even stronger prompting to share my story, so I did. I tied it together by saying that just as I was my friend's light, the Book of Mormon can be our light, and in turn we can be the light for others. He was blown away, and I (being my mother's son) was sobbing. Then he shared with us something so incredibly personal. He shared that a "brother" of his had died three months ago in an ATV accident and that this was something he had really been needing to hear. He thanked us so humbly, and closed with a beautiful prayer. That day was unreal. I know the Lord made me arrive at TRC at that time, think about that story today, and find that scripture for Brother Brandon. He needed help, and we were the Lord's tools to get the job done. How wonderful this work is. And how true this gospel must be. I know it is, with all my heart!
I love you all so much, and wish I could tell you everything from every day here. Press forward!! You are all so amazing!
-Elder DeMille
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