Serving in the Lord's Way

 Serving in the Lord’s Way:

As we finish out the Christmas Holiday, we remind ourselves of the gifts our God has given to all his children.  Christmas is the commemoration of Heavenly Father’s gift to mankind of his only begotten son.  Christ would then sacrifice himself 33 years later to redeem all mankind from death and sin.  This was all part of a plan laid out in the beginning.  We rejoiced at the great plan of salvation where the only person ever to live upon the earth who was perfect in all ways would take upon him all our sins.  There was no one else that could do it.  So, we rejoice that Jesus Christ was willing to suffer and lay down his life for all of us.

In small, imperfect ways, these past two weeks we have tried to serve others as a small token of gratitude for the sacrifice of our Savior.  We can never completely repay this debt, as Christ told his disciples “The things which are impossible for men are possible with God” (Luke 18:25)

During the holidays, the US Post Office is extremely busy with mail coming in from the states.  To help relieve some of the workload on the people working there, we were able to volunteer in distributing packages at the pick-up window.  A small thing, but very much appreciated.  We have made some good friends serving there.  We will be going back at least one more time as the biggest holiday rush subsides.

We have been helping sponsor Family Home Evenings for the Young Single Adults in the Branch.  They are a small group, especially with some of them having left for the holidays.  One Monday we took them to the rec center to play some games such as pool and ping-pong.  The following Monday we were able to arrange a couple of lanes at the bowling alley.  On both occasions we all shared in pizza and pasta.  Again, a small bit of service, but seemed to be greatly appreciated while separated from other family.

Christmas Day was a joyous occasion.  We spent several hours with the younger missionaries in our zone.  The Nelson’s provided lunch for everyone, we did contribute a little bit in terms of dessert and a side dish.  But the greater highlight was some of the missionaries organized a singing session at a local nursing home.  We sang in both Japanese and English.  Of course, Sister Melton and I just moved our lips during the Japanese portions.  It was fascinating  to see how many of the patients knew the songs and, in some cases, would sing along.  Once again, a small kind gesture, but meant so much to these people. 

Another small but blessed opportunity is to travel to Camp Fuji to hold a meeting and administer the Sacrament to a member who is there for a few months of training.  Hearing about his family, we learned that not only was this his first Christmas away from his family, but he was also missing their first wedding anniversary.  It is nice to feel of his spirit and gratitude for our small gestures.

Other small acts of service during these holidays included: making rice balls for local underprivileged children; serving cookies in support of the base chaplain to single enlisted folks on the base; supporting a fun run for base families; and attending a protestant candle lighting program and ceremony.

Another highlight was our first time since we’ve been here to attend a temple endowment session, doing the work for two individuals from my family history.  We also took advantage that weekend to stay at a Navy sponsored hotel in Tokyo.  Serving the Lord and other family members who have passed on provides a great deal of comfort for us.

Donna volunteered us to speak in any upcoming sacrament meeting.  We thought it would be sometime in January, but the opportunity came today where we spoke.  Donna spoke on the Plan of Salvation, while I spoke on applying Christ’s atonement in our own lives.

On a more personal note, we were able to put together a zoom meeting with all our girls and their families on Christmas day.  Actually, it was Christmas Day for them, but the 26^th for us.  It was one of the most personal and joyous moments of the holiday, to spend a few moments with our family. 

We still continue to see small blessings from the Lord in our lives and the lives of others. Serving others continues to bring us joy, happiness, and fulfillment in our lives.  It was also a wonderful way to celebrate our own 41st wedding anniversary!