Keoni Chuang (Day 15)

-How do I spell your Grandmas first name-

how do I refer to your grandma respectfully in Taiwanese-

is it by the first name, last name? 

-Yeah, the last name- Chin, C-H-I-N.

-If you dont go now, you will regret it for the rest of your life!- repeated Keoni Chuang. Those were his father's words, used to spur Keoni in the direction of a mission. His father had not served a mission. He was baptized when he was 17, he and his mother, Grandma Ching, were some of the first members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and he felt he was not prepared to serve. If Keoni were to go he would be the first LDS missionary of his family.

- I don't want to because I don't want to lie to people, because I don't even know myself, how can I teach people this is true.- Keoni rebuttals. He was born into the church and says that he just believed what his parents told him, but that he had never known for himself. At this time he and his family had been living in Kirkland, Washington for a few years. Keoni and his sister came over from Taiwan first, and stayed with some friends; his parents later followed. He was now faced with this decision: to give up two years of his life for something that might be true, or to shirk the responsibility and move on to other things. He decided to attend Bellevue Community College for a few semesters and think things over alittle. 

Time went by, and a few months later he found himself riding on the Seattle Metro. Most likely it was overcast outside the tinted windows of the bus and Mt. Rainer was nowhere in sight, and a slow incessant drizzle that had been around since the end of last winter, that had no intention of leaving, dripped on the road. Why do we tint our windows in Seattle?

 -It wasn't his voice but it was those words that echoed in my head- If you don't go now you will regret it for the rest or your life.- It just clicked. His father's words came to him like the Nephite Prophet Enos recieved his fathers words before his time of prayer and repentance. Keoni realized on that bus that he had to serve a mission. His life just did not feel right where he was. He had his friends. He had school. But something was not right. He says that the Holy Ghost testified to him that day that he had to go. 

He turned in his papers and a few months later he was on his way to the MTC, to prepare for his service in California. He knew his father was full of joy inside his heart, even if he did not express it outwardly. The Taiwanese are more reserved. There he was in the most spiritual environment available- missionaries working twenty-four hours a day to be missionaries- to know their material and learn to teach it by the spirit, but still, Keoni did not know for himself- he did not have his own personal testimony of Christ and of his Church. 

It was in a devotional. They were not speaking of  God and if he exists, or  of Christ's existence, but Keoni decided then and there that he would find out if God existed. - So i pray in my heart, do you exist if you are there let me know, and i just had this strong feeling go through my whole body- he is there.

-So you would recommend it?

-Yes, highly recommended.

...

-And your sister? first name?

-Leilani, L-E-I-L-A-N-I.

-Is that Hawaiian? 

-Yeah.

-I have a friend over in China right now. Alright.