Sacrifices and hardships to go to church.

I have to write this today before I forget about it. After church today I was giving my visiting teaching lesson to a few of the sisters I meet with. They both live quite a distance from Shekou and have to travel about an hour to get to church each week so we try to visit with them once a month after our meetings. One is single and has to transfer from train to bus to taxi to bus to taxi again just to get here. The other is married with 4 kids and they hire a driver each week to drive them here.

The lesson was on the importance of the roles that men and women have and how their roles are different but are for the same purpose in the plan of our Heavenly Father. We had a great discussion on this.

At the end I told them both how amazed I was at their dedication to coming to church each week. I explained to them that in Utah we sometimes took it for granted how easy it was to go to church each week and participate in church activities. They both expressed their feelings about how they are willing to travel or overcome the trials of coming to church because they so need that uplifting each week. One sister is from Korea and the other is from here. They said that living in China is so hard on a person both mentally and sometimes physically. They said that each week as they go about their daily activities and have to endure the hardships here the one thing that keeps them going is the gospel. Their spirits are slowly beaten down during the week and even though they are exhausted at times by the time it comes to Sunday, they know that if they come they will be blessed. They come each Sunday to get that spiritual uplift each week. Without the gospel and church in their lives they both said they would be so lost and unhappy. They told me that if I would live the life of most Chinese people here that I would understand how important the church is to them.

I was really touched by their comments and started feeling guilty about my complaining each week that I have to walk or ride my bike up a small hill for a short distance to get to church. I'm usually covered in sweat and extremely hot but at least I have a church to go to. It only takes me about 10 minutes to get there compared to their hour or so. I will not complain about it again and will show gratitude that I am able to go.

I will greatly appreciate the time when I can jump in a car and drive a few minutes to church but I am so grateful that I even have a church to go to here in China. I do hope that someday we can share the gospel with the Chinese people here. They so need it to bring hope and happiness in their lives. I know it will happen in time, in the Lord's time.