Thinking
back on this study abroad experience here in Beijing, there is one person and
one event that will stand out far above the rest. Before coming to China, I
couldn’t have imagined the opportunities for missionary work here.
Having served full-time missions in
Taiwan speaking mandarin Chinese, Brett and I were called to serve as branch
missionaries. This came with a variety of responsibilities including teaching
new member lessons to the handful of recent converts and translating sacrament
meeting for the members of our branch who don’t speak English. As there are no
full-time missionaries here in China, we would also take the responsibility of
teaching investigators. I remember one particular phone call that began it all.
I guess they say ‘A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.’
Teasa is Joseph’s sister and works
for the Ugandan embassy here in Beijing. I don’t know all the details, but she
was praying to find the truth, and God led her to find our church. In early
November I was given the assignment of contacting her and her husband to see if
they would be willing to hear the missionary lessons. It was Teasa who answered
the phone, but she would be leaving for Uganda later that day and would be gone
for two months. She told me that her younger brother had recently moved in with
them, and that he and George could meet with me the next day.
The following afternoon, Brett and I
were sitting in their living room sharing about Joseph Smith and the
restoration of the gospel. While George was very passive about everything,
Joseph on the other hand was thinking very deeply about the things we were
sharing. He expressed concerns he had, asked questions when he needed
clarification, and asked well thought-out questions. When we left them a
chapter to read in The Book of Mormon, it was Joseph who called me the
following morning to discuss what he read.
To help make Joseph’s transition
here in Beijing a little smoother, Brett and I decided to teach him how to use
the subway. We not only found him a map, but also explained about transfer
stations, choosing exits, and determining direction. The subway is huge and a
little intimidating at first if you aren’t familiar with how it works, but such
a convenience once you figure it out. We pointed out particularly important
stations and then showed him how to get to Brother Stratford’s house where we
attend institute each Wednesday night. Since we were out and about, we also
took him to the top of the tallest skyscraper in Beijing. Coming back down to
the lobby, we sat and discussed The Plan of Salvation. Joseph had mentioned
before that he was baptized into another church as a child, so we specifically
discussed the need to have authority from God. This was only the second time we
had sat down to teach Joseph, but we challenged him to prepare to be baptized. We
didn’t feel that we had received a
strong commitment from Joseph that night, but we knew it was something he was
now thinking seriously about. It wasn’t a week later, talking to Joseph on the
phone when unexpectedly he asked: “What day in December was that baptismal
service?” When I replied December 17th, he told me with felt he could
be ready by that date. That was November 29th. Two weeks later he
passed his baptismal interview with the Branch President!
I think every convert has a turning
point where everything begins to fall into place for them. I think that moment
came one evening as we sat in our dorm room discussing The Book of Mormon. As
we read through the introduction, we discussed more than just the origin of The
Book of Mormon, but what it meant to us personally. The Holy Ghost was present
and he recognized that. I’ve watched during the weeks that followed as The Book
of Mormon became an ever important part of his life.
The week of his baptism Joseph
invited us over to his house to meet one of his friends. Julie is also from
Uganda, and Joseph wanted us to share the gospel with her! She is much like
him, having so much desire to know truth! That all so familiar spirit was
present in the lesson, and I felt in my heart that one day this wonderful woman
will have the gospel in her life.
There is no baptismal font in the
skyscraper the church is using for our church, but there is a swimming pool on
the fifth floor. The church is able to rent it out before opening hours on
Saturday mornings, so that means our baptismal service would have to be early
morning. We rolled out of bed at 6am and on the subway by 6:30am. I can’t
remember seeing anyone as excited for their baptism as Joseph was yesterday
morning. I could feel his excitement as we had the opening prayer and listened
to the talks about baptism and the Holy Ghost. It then dawned on me: ‘I don’t
know the baptismal prayer… I’ve never done this before in English.’ I wasn’t
expecting to be the one to actually baptize him. (In my mission, the
missionaries rarely if ever did the actual baptizing. It was always ward
members.) You can imagine my surprise when Joseph asked if I would be the one
to baptize him. I hadn’t brought a towel or under-clothing or anything, but I
couldn’t possibly turn pass up this opportunity.
Who would have thought that Beijing,
China would be the place this young man from Uganda would find the gospel.
Those were the thoughts running through my mind as Joseph entered the waters of
baptism that day. He mentioned to me later on that he knew it wasn’t by coincidence
we are both in Beijing right now, and I knew it was true. Standing there
together in the water and seeing him emerge cleansed of all sin will forever be
a sweet, sweet memory I will always cherish. I wish you could see the joy on
his face at that moment. Drying off in the locker room, he continued to smile.
At one point he looked up at me and said: “I can’t remember ever feeling happier
than how I feel right now.” It showed in his countenance!
Going back into the chapel, Joseph
shared a beautiful and powerful testimony. Have you ever felt so happy that you
couldn’t help but cry? He talked about the power of the atonement he had felt
in his life, remarking that he now was “clean like stainless steel or a white
cloth.” He talked about how he felt having the commandments in his life gave
him direction. He talked about having a personal relationship with God. I
believe one thing he said summed it up well: “I feel that this has been the
best decision I have made in my entire life.” In sacrament meeting today,
Joseph was confirmed a member of the church.
Tonight I saw Joseph for the last time.
He invited us over to his house for what he called his ‘baptism celebration.’
The spirit was strong as we watched ‘The Testaments’ and afterwards talked more
about the Savior’s visit to the American continent. It was almost like a little
testimony meeting. I marveled at the love I felt for my friend from Africa, and
realized how much I would miss all the times we met together to talk about the
gospel. Before we parted, we exchanged gifts. I gave him a dragon tie to wear
to church and to remember the time he has spent here in Beijing. To remember
him, I was given traditional clothing worn on special occasions in Uganda. I
loved the gift, because I knew it was special to him! This man will forever
hold a very special place in my heart!
No comments:
Post a Comment