Hwa & Hannah's Wedding in the Manti Temple

Ok, so this last Saturday I was able to go to the Manti temple to see the ordinance of my good friend Hwa Yong Lee and his bride Hannah Harris. It was a fantastic experience to see and be a part of. But first, I want to share a little bit about who Hwa is and how he has blessed my life and many others.

I was Hwa's (pronounced like Wa!) resident assistant in the dorms for the summer of '06. I had just recently come back from Seattle the first time pretty ill and I felt being an RA would be a great way to help others to get on their missions. A few days before the other residents showed up, I got a phone call saying a foreign student that was assigned to my floor was in the lobby and waiting to be let in, "oh and he doesn't speak English." So I go out and pick up this young man from Korea. I quickly got excited to see he was from Korea because my dad served his mission there. Hwa and I had a conversation that night that took 3-4 hours. If he could speak fluent English it probably would have last only 30 minutes. He often pulled out his little language translator machine to help us understand each other. Through that conversation I discovered that he was a recent convert but didn't have a testimony of the Book of Mormon and of the current prophet (then Gordon B. Hinckley) and that he did not want to serve a mission. As the summer term started I felt inspired to hold a little mission prep class at 6 AM each morning. 

Surprisingly a few came, including Hwa. After a few weeks of the class Hwa came up to me afterwards and said, "I do not understand what you are saying, but I feel the spirit." I then told him that he should reconsider going on a mission. "I will, lets fast for three days to find out." I literally would have died if I had fasted for three days with my current health at that time, so I mentioned we should fast until he got an answer. Two days later... I received a little note slipped underneath my door which said, "I go on mission." He did later serve a mission and went to Los Angeles Korean Speaking. He was a great missionary. 

Hwa would give you the shirt off of his back for you. Anything he would do just to bless your life. So we went to the temple in Manti to support him and his decision to follow the counsel of the Lord and be sealed for time and all eternity. 

I traveled with two of the other young men and that same floor with Hwa, Doug Leonard and Stephen Nelson. Both of those men are fantastic. We had a blast getting together and catching up on old times. Stephen was his roommate and he reminded us of some of the funny things that have happened with Hwa. One short story is back when Hwa had asked Stephen what "awkward" is. Stephen couldn't explain it so Hwa could understand. Hwa later asked a girl out on a date which later found out she had a boyfriend. That boyfriend showed up to their dorm door and was a bit upset at Hwa. Stephen remembering the question Hwa had earlier and shouted, "Hwa! This is awkward!! This is what awkward is!" Got to love it...

While in the sealing room before the ordinance was performed, I was looking at Hwa and he was looking back at me. He made the gesture with his two fingers pointing at his eyes and then at me, as if I needed to pay attention and then he mouthed the word, "Thank you." I can't explain the great joy I felt at that point and later when he and his bride, Hannah, were sealed. It was like flying on a cloud and being able to better understand how God works. I am grateful for the amazing experience I had to see Hwa grow in the gospel. Not of my doing, but of his own desire and actions. 

I also in the temple was able to have an incredible experience. I saw my Dad's Dad's (Grandpa Gemmell, which I do not recall any memories of him) sister and her family, the Eldridge's. I had not seen any of them for years and they just so happen to be in the temple for a sealing as well. In fact, for a cousin of mine I had not yet met. Aunt Margaret was introducing me to everyone, especially those I had no clue who they were. It was a great day!