Blessing the One

Blessing the One...

As we continue to serve people here in Japan, a recurring theme we have seen over the past two weeks is the idea of serving and blessing the one. This means no matter what you may be involved with at work, school, community, or even church, the gospel of Jesus Christ allows us to look at others in a different light, as true brothers and sisters, and all children of our Heavenly Father.

March has been American Red Cross month, and as such there have been a lot of opportunities to serve. Yet we were finding that as we participated in each one of these, our thoughts were more on the individuals we would engage with, rather than the actual activities themselves. One of these was support a Red Cross information booth at various locations around the base. These included the Family Fleet and Service Center (FFSC), the Navy Exchange Food Court, and the Commissary. We also supported another coffee cart at the medical clinic. It was probably the busiest day they have had at the clinic with a number of individuals having appointments in preparation for upcoming deployments. Sister Melton also continued to serve at the weekly Area Orientation Briefing (AOB) providing Red Cross information to Atsugi new arrivals. Elder Melton is there too, but assists at the Chaplain's table. Yet in all of these, we always found individuals we could talk to on a personal basis.

We served with the joint operation between the Red Cross and the Chaplain's office once again in making Rice Balls for the local underprivileged children's home. With a lot of other activities coming into full swing at the base, there were fewer volunteers available for this activity, so it was busy to get them done. Because of the smaller group, we actually got to know our team members on a more personal basis.

So with all the service we had with the Red Cross and the Chaplain's office, there were still several times where our calling was to focus on "serving the one." The one-on-one experience is where you can feel even closer to the Spirit as you try to know, understand, and serve individuals on a more personal bases.

A big highlight was traveling a ways out to take one of our Young Single Adults (YSA) to dinner. She is active, but because of the distance from the church, is somewhat isolated from the rest of our branch. While there we got to learn how she served a mission, is of Brazilian and Japanese descent and knows three languages. Her family are all active in the church with her siblings also having served missions. We all need to help one another, even those that seem strong, we do not always know the challenges they may have. The young woman was a delight to meet, she was full of enthusiasm, and was extremely appreciative of simply the fact we would take the time to drive all the way out to meet her.

There are just a handful of YSAs in our branch. Getting to know each one individually has been a blessing to us, as we see the challenges each of them face in the world today, especially when it comes to balancing the gospel with their military obligations.

There was a member who was preparing to move to the US after being stationed here for a few years. He left his family back in the states except for a few times they came to visit. The wife had a testimony of the power of prayer. So much so that when the brother moved here, as he was inactive, she prayed and sent his name to the mission. Our predecessors, the Phillips, contacted and reactivated this brother. Upon getting ready to leave Japan, his wife contacted the branch and again prayed that her husband would receive help in moving on short notice. Again the Lord answered her prayers. Several members of the branch came in over a couple of days to help clean his rented home. It was an honor to be part of that effort as just the two of us arrived for about an hour to clean some large windows, and get to know the brother a little better.

In another case, a Sister who attends our branch, was in attendance at the Camp Zama Spring Festival. The festival allows the local Japanese to visit the base. There are a lot of activities, games and food vendors. It was fascinating that this one sister, along with a lot of the Japanese, wanted to buy Popeyes chicken, which they don't have off the base. Popeyes is so popular they will patiently wait in line for a couple of hours. Although we didn't order any, Sister Melton accompanied this woman through the line to talk and do some bonding. It was quite an experience to see the smile on this little Japanese woman's face.

Serving the one may mean reaching out to the young missionary who may be struggling. At our district meetings, Sister Melton provided requested desserts to recognize and celebrate a couple of birthdays. We discovered that it is not so much having the dessert they like most, but just providing that small attention that lifts the spirit in a challenging mission environment.

The majority of our district proselyting missionaries were transferred to other areas. Some were expected, others were a surprise. Each one always has to come to terms with moving, and occasionally it's not easy for one or two. They lose contact with new friends, members, and people they have been teaching. Serving the one may mean listening to the one who is disappointed in their move, encouraging to trust their mission leaders, and continue having faith in Heavenly Father. For Sister Melton, it also means making individual silk pillowcases for the sister missionaries, or even hemming a new skirt for another. Again, such service carries more than just the act, but also the show of love.

As the new missionaries come in, we again found the blessing of serving each one as an individual. Welcoming each one into the district. Getting to know their names, where they're from, their families, and their interests. We have a couple of guitars in our apartment (we're allowed) which one missionary who left loved to play, and now a missionary who just moved in, loves to play. The world continually changes and evolves, but christlike love is ongoing.

Serving the one may mean allowing someone else to serve you. The father/grandfather of a family in the branch was visiting for a month. Even though in his 70s, he likes teaching pickleball, and is good at it. We had always wanted to learn, but just never got around to it. When we heard no one else would accept, we excitedly took him up on his offer. So we spent three hours with him and his wife learning the game. But the joy was even greater seeing the excitement and joy in his face.

Letting others serve you may come from surprising places. As we have been working to get certified to coach youth sports, we learned the fingerprints we had done back in January, were not delivered. We decided to take a copy personally to the security office at Yokosuka Naval Base to make sure it was done properly and everything was in order. When we handed the officer our prints he immediately put them in the paper shredder. (I think I felt something akin to Martin Harris when Professor Anton tore up his certification of the Book of Mormon figures.) But then the security officer served us by providing the exact service we really needed. He took out some cards for us to fill out and had us redo our fingerprints the correct way. He then told us our approval should now be available in just a few days.

Serving the one may mean serving your companion. We were schedule to assist at a 10k/half marathon on the base with Morale, Welfare, and Recreation (MWR). Donna encouraged Brian to do the actual 10K run, which he did. With some arthritis and tendonitis, he was passed by many. Yet in the end Donna was at the finish line to greet him with the pleasant encouragement that he was still the fastest in his age group; knowing there was probably no one else there older than their mid-fifties.

There are challenges, even being here as volunteers with our primary focus on serving others. We still try to adapt to the Japanese culture and language. We still have to keep on top of things in Utah with our home. Of course we still always have love and concern for our family members and loved ones back home in the states. Yet, as we strive to draw closer to our Heavenly Father, and try to see our brothers and sisters as Christ sees them, our own challenges appear small.

Our love and prayers go to each of you!

Elder and Sister Melton

The Spring Festival at Yokosuka