STUDENTS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Here is another one that I wrote and never published.  Just didn't want to leave anyone out, but of course, I can't mention all the wonderful students we had the privilege of serving with at BYUH.  We still feel their love for us, even tho we have been home over a month now.  Enjoy.

We are so blessed to be able to mentor the students at BYUH.  It is our favorite thing to do here.  Last week as the sacrament was being prepared and passed, I noted that there were students from so many different countries - Japan, Kazakhstan, Brazil, India, USA, and more..  This University is a place where all nationalities reside in perfect harmony.  Don't we wish the world could be like that.

I was speaking with this young man from Uganda about his sandals. His name is Joseph Batte.  He proceeded to tell me that they were made handmade in Uganda from real skin.  I didn't want to ask what kind of skin.:-)   He is a young man who is never without a smile.  He brings joy to my life every time I have the privilege of seeing or speaking with him.  So positive, so joyful.  The light of the gospel just shines from his face.






This is our friend, Coney Pulla, and he is from India. He has always been so kind to us, always had a hug (Polynesian custom you know) for us and asked how we were and how things were going.  He has been chosen to go to Hong Kong and do a financial study for the Church for a whole semester.  He leaves next month and we will miss his beautiful smile and testimony.

Maxx from Kazakhstan, is quite a young man.  He served a mission to Russia and the Ukrain and speaks 7 languages.  He is engaged to a beautiful young lady from California.  What a wonderful combination they make.  His testimony if one of power and conviction.








It seems that all our friends are male, but that isn't right.  One of my favorite ladies is Lira Polo from the Phillipines.  She is our beloved Relief Society President right now and what a great job she is doing.  She served a mission in Hong Kong.  We always are blessed with a big hug from her.  It is amazing how these young people from all over the world become "Polynesian" once they get here.




The ones that have the hardest time with "hugs" are the Japanese guys.  They are taught to bow, not hug.   However, we notice after a few weeks or months, they are hugging just like the rest of the people.  Sometimes, they become the best huggers.

I could go on and on about how wonderful all these students are. I could put 120 pictures on this blog, but then you would really get tired.   They are definitely the Cream of the Crop and it is our privilege and blessing to be called their friends.  We will never forget them.

Maxwell

In my previous blog, I mentioned a young man from Africa who joined the Church in Russia.  In looking back at my journal.  I found this entry.  In that same week, we had heard Sherri Dew speak, hence, the comment.  She was wonderful, but I remember Maxwell!!

"But, even with these very famous speakers, the one that impressed me the most today was Maxwell.  Maxwell is a young African who told us his conversion story.  He was in Russia studying – he didn’t say what he was studying.  As he was walking down the street one day, two missionaries were standing on the corner.  They hailed him and his friend down and asked them if they would like to hear about the restored gospel.  Maxwell was very hungry and said no thanks. He just wanted to get somewhere to eat.  He did however take a card that they handed to him.

About two months later, he had a dream.  In this dream he saw these two missionaries and they were talking to him.  The dream was so real that when he awoke, he had to search for the card they had given him.  When he found the card and called them, he told them that he wanted to join their Church.  They told him that he had to have the lessons first.  Because of how dangerous it was for the missionaries to come to his home, he told them that he would come to them.  How many of you who served missions would like to have investigators come to you.   He said from the first day he met with the missionaries until now – three years later – he has not missed a day of Church.  His only desire was to be baptized. 

Maxwell comes from a long line of Catholics.  When he told his mother he was going to join the Church, she said ok, but his brother was not happy and desperately tried to talk him out of it.  He was told that if he joined the Church that he would be disowned and have to take complete care of himself, including his schooling in Russia.  After talking to the mission president, it was decided that he would not be baptized right then.  They were hoping that his family would soften their feelings about his baptism.

However, he continued to go to Church and do all the things he needed to do.  After many months and there was no change in their feelings, it was decided that he would go ahead and be baptized.  Three years later he finds himself at BYUH, studying hospitality and hotel management.  He is serving in the Elders Quorum Presidency in his ward. 

He said that he was so amazed that he would find the Church in Russia, because in the area where he lived in Africa, the Church is very strong and many, many people belong to it, but he had never heard about it.  

His unwavering testimony was a testimony to me that many are called, but few are chosen.  He is one of the chosen ones. I know that He will someday be a strong leader of the Church in his country.  Don says that he can see him being a Church general authority some day.  

It is amazing to me that after hearing from such wonderful leaders in the Church that the one whose words I can hear and understand the most are those words of the testimony of a young black man from Africa who gave up everything he had to join the true Church.  I am a changed person today because of his testimony this morning.  I pray that when I waiver at all in anything regarding the Church, that I will remember Maxwell........"

As a PS to the story, just recently the missionaries in Africa found time to go to the village that Maxwell is from.  It was a very long journey and took a long time.  They taught his mother and his brother, and they are awaiting baptism.  Miracle of miracles.