This is My Homework From God

Written by Elder Kenneth O’Kelley

When I came to Takabata, we had no investigators.  My companion and I tried various finding activities, with not much success.  We decided to take some time one day to look through old records to find people that had already been found.  We found a record for Mikoto.  She is the youngest daughter of a less active family, and had not been baptized.  The family had been on the “To The Rescue” list for a while, but because of a lack of visable progress, previous missionaries and the ward decided to focus elsewhere.

Elder O'Kelley is in center.

As we started working with this family, we encountered many of the same problems as before:  baseball, girl scouts, and other things took preference over church.  Lessons were suddenly cancelled.  Things never seemed to line up.  Baptismal dates came and went.  Church never seemed to move up on the priority list.  Honestly, we discussed whether or not we needed to focus elsewhere, but while talking, we both felt that we had to keep going.

One day, after teaching Mikoto about the Sabbath Day, we turned to her mother and committed her to keep the Sabbath Day holy, with Mikoto.  Then, something I thought never would happen, happened.  She opened up.  She explained why she stopped going to church, why she had trouble coming back, how she tried to come back but couldn’t, that she wanted to come back.  Then through tears, she said, “Earth is like school.  This is my homework from God.  Thank you for not letting me get away from it.”

At the time, Mikoro and her mother committed to come to Sacrament meeting at least once a month, and improve from there.  Mikoto’s father also started coming.  On July 7, Mikoto’s father performed her baptism.  The next day, I had the privilege of confirming her in Sacrament meeting.

That night, my companion and I went to their home for a barbeque.  There, we became friends with Taken, one of Mikoto’s older brothers.  As we were leaving, we asked if he would come to church.  He said yes, and the next week, four of the family came to church and stayed for all three hours.  The brother is currently working on receiving the Aaronic Priesthood.