A Giant in My Neighborhood ...

I am a pretty simple person. It doesn't take a lot to impress me, but I have a giant of a person in my neighborhood and he has impressed me for as long as we have lived here and even before that, and his life's assignments have just taken a new direction, or have they? Elder Yoshihiko Kikuchi is my neighbor, not large in stature, but huge in spirit, and he is my examplar. I think he would say he is quite simple also. He knows what he believes and he lives it. He is true to who he is and to what he believes. This past General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter- Day Saints he was released from full time status as a member of the First Quorum of Seventy in the Church and placed on emeritus status. Today he sat in church with his wife for the first time in forty-seven years, not because they do not love each other, not because he doesn't go to church, but because they love the Savior and he has served in leadership postions in the church for all those years, and she has sat with her children or alone ... Elder Kikuchi's father was killed by Americans during the war. He has said that he hated Americans, so was not receptive when, at the age of fifteen, two American missionaries knocked on his door. As they left one of the missionaries told him that he had a message about a boy near his age, who, wanting to know the truth talked with God. Elder Kikuchi gave them ten minutes ... and he has served ever since. For three and a half years he served a full time mission in his country for our church. Two months after coming home he married his sweetheart and two months later he was called as a Bishop (similar to a pastor or preacher) for his congregation (Branch) and that is why they have not sat together in forty-seven years. They have served together in different ways. She has supported him in his work both out of the church and in the church. Together they have raised four children. She is a sweet lady and they are both humble, loving, compassionate, and in every way true servants of the Lord. At the age of thirty-six he was asked to give up his secular work and was called as a fulltime authority to the First Quorum of Seventy, a leadership quorum in the church. The first talk he gave in a LDS General Conference was titled, "Why Me, O Lord? "http://www.blogger.com/ As I listened to Elder Kikuchi bare a powerful testimony today in our church service (Sacrament Meeting) I was so moved, even quieted ... I don't know how to describe the feeling. Mesmerized sounds too worldly, speechless doesn't describe it, but peaceful and respectful may come close. In a religous venacular I would say the the Spirit spoke peace to my soul. I knew what he was saying was true. His words are powerful, but his spirit is even more so. He is a servant of God, who has given his all to move the gospel forward. I can honestly say that I love he and Sister Kikuchi and their family. I love them for what I know about them and what I don't know. I love them because of what they have given and the example they have set for our family, our neighborhood, our ward, and for the rest of the world. I will miss seeing him sit at the front in our church, but he will now sit with his wife, after forty-seven years. In that first talk he stated, "My dear brothers and sisters, I never expected to be called to such a heavy responsibility. I'm still asking myself and the Lord, "Why me O Lord? Why me O Lord?" Yet, my brothers and sisters, still within my soul I hear in the bosom of my heart, I will go where you want me to go dear Lord, overmountain or plain or sea." They have gone and done and gone and done over and over again! "Well done good and faithful servant(s), thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of the lord (Matthew 25:23) ..." I have been reading some of Elder Kikuchi's talks. This is one I just read. What he said is true ... This I Believe ... You can too! http://lds.org/ensign/2000/05/heavenly-father-has-a-special-plan?lang=eng&query=*+(name%3a")