Stories: Elder Ralph C Jones Testimony
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| Wayne:
Thank you very much for forwarding the message from President Andrus. Since receiving this letter, my thoughts and prayers are certainly for President and Sister Andrus. I agree with what he said in that we are all getting older and more feeble. However, that doesn't diminish the love we have for them. I wish to forward a short tribute to them and, maybe through your valient efforts you can do this for me as I don't have their e-mail address.
I well remember the day that the seven of us arrived in Japan and were met by President Andrus and the mission presidency. The following day, after receiving our assignments, I was really scared as Elder Norman and I were sent off into oblivian to our first assignments. I had to transfer to another train at Takasaki and hoped that I would be able to somehow arrive there in one piece. As everyone, including young men wore uniforms, I thought that they were all in the military and I prayed that the war was really over. Of course, I arrived safely and, after waiting at the Maebashi train station for a half hour before Elder Heise and Elder Beaman arrived to meet me, everything worked out ok. I wondered then if the mission president had really been inspired in making this assignment.
For the next three years, though, I came to love President and Sister Andrus. I well remember the interviews with him and know that he was inspired in making pertinent changes when I needed them. I had great and wonderful experiences with my companions and learned to love the members of the branches where I was assigned. I, unlike the current young missionaries, was assigned to only four branches plus a two week interim stay in Tokyo during the three years that I served in Japan. The assignments as branch president in both Yanai and Muroran helped me "grow up" and made the transition back to the states with important assignments possible.
My wife Rae and I have had two wonderful missions as a couple missionary going back to Japan. We served in the Tokyo North Mission from 1998 until the year 2000, then again in the Hiroshima Mission for two years 2005 until 2007.Both of those missions were wonderful and I was so appreciative in having had the earlier experience and having had the Japanese language background to assist in our assignments in both of these areas. People would comment on my Japanese language ability and I told them that I had spent 10% of my life in Japan and could speak and understand 10% of the language.
I would like to relate one of many many experiences that I had as a young missionary that has brought wonderful blessings and remembrances to me in my later missionary assignments. While my companion and I were tracting in Muroran, we came upon a young girl who let us into her home where we gave the first lesson, the Joseph Smith story. She didn't hardly say a word and appeared to be quite frightened in that we gaijins were in her home and she was alone. We left, after teaching the lesson and giving her a Book of Mormon and a pamphlet showing where the church was, and having invited her to church the following Sunday. Neither my companion nor I expected much results from that visit. However, when Sunday rolled around she showed up and appeared to be very excited. She had read much of the Book of Mormon and requested more information. We gave her a copy of the Japanese bible and any tracts that had been translated into Japanese that we had. She read all of them in short order and, in a very short time was baptized. I didn't hear any more about her until my wife and I served in the Tokyo North Mission nearly 50 years later. Brother Kawakami, who had been a member of the Muroran Branch when I was BP met us at the Tokyo Temple when we were fortunate enough to attend. He was an ordinance worker there. Soon before we were to return home, he invited my wife and I to his home for dinner. Of course, we accepted. When we arrived, Sister Kawakami ran from the home to greet us and was very excited. She informed us that she was the Sister Yamada that we had found tracting in Muroran those many years before. She ran and retreived the baptismal certificat and pictures of her baptisim and showed us with my signature on the certificate. It was an exciting time. We have corresponded at Christmas time since that reunion. Both Brother and Sister Kawakami live in Okinawa and are very active members of the church. The other wonderful thing about this reunion was finding out that their children and grandchildren are activie in the church, some who have served honorable missions. Thank you President Andrus for transferring me to Muroran so many years ago.
Now, just a short note regarding our health and activities. Rae and I have been richly blessed with 4 children, two boys and two girls. Our boys have served missions for the church, Devin our oldest in Guatamala and our youngest son Sean in Osaka, Japan. Our daughters have both married returned missionaries. They all have fine families giving, collectively 12 grandchildren. Both Rae and I serve as ordinance workers one day a week in the Manti Temple and one day a week in our stake family history center. Our health is fairly well although I have some artheritis in my knees which slows me down some.
We live in the home, where we returned after I retired from 33 years of government service, that I was born and raised in. We have added a master bedroom and bathroom on the first level which makes it much easier to get up and down, especially at night. Our home, which is about 110 years old, had our bedroom upstairs and the bathroom downstairs.
We were able to attend the NFEM reunion in April and enjoyed seeing old missionary companions and friends, who like me, are suffering some from 'old age'. Rae and I love the Gospel of Jesus Christ and have firm testimonies of the reality of gospel teachings.
President and Sister Andrus, our love certainly goes out to you and we look forward to meeting you and being with you again, either here or on the other side of the veil. Our sevice in the Manti Temple confirms in our hearts and minds the reality of the work of the Lord and know that Jesus is our Savior. We still do the "live" sessions in the Manti Temple and as I perform the various parts, it solidifies in my heart and mind the seriousness of the covenants we make. Again, we love you and certainly wish you the best.
Sincerely you brother in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Ralph C. Jones |
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