December 2004 Ensign - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...

eason. Such was the case with Elder
Wagner. After a while he got up from
his desk and said he had a plan. “Why
don’t we take some of our wrapped
copies of the Book of Mormon, go
down to the metro station, and talk
to those who also feel lonely on
Christmas Eve?” he suggested. I said I
would join him, although I was pretty
reluctant about the whole idea. I just
wanted to sit in my chair and feel
sorry for myself.
We left our apartment and started
walking toward the metro. The closer
we got to the station, the more I felt
this wasn’t such a bad idea and might
possibly turn out to be a good experience.
When we boarded the metro, it
was nearly empty. A few people were
scattered about. I approached a man
who was sitting alone by a window.
Introducing myself, I asked if we
Iapproached a
man who was
sitting alone
by a window, and
we started talking
about our families
and Christmas.
could join him. He
agreed. We started talking
about families—his
family, my family—and
Christmas. He told me
he was a refugee and
had had to leave his
country and his family. He told me
about his wife and child and how
much he missed them. Though our
situations weren’t the same, I could
sympathize because my family was
also far away. Then I started talking
about Jesus Christ, how much He
meant to me, and how much Christmas
meant to me. “The Savior came
to earth,” I testified.
Instantly there was a fire burning
in my soul. I felt the same burning
sensation later that evening while I
talked and testified of Jesus Christ to
other people on the metro. When my
companion and I finally left
to return to our apartment,
I was filled with a wonderful
sense of appreciation. As we
discussed the events of that
evening I learned that my
companion was feeling the
same thing. We had truly felt the
spirit of Christmas, and I felt as if my
heart would burst with joy. The Savior
was born in Bethlehem for me and for
the entire world! How blessed I felt to
have the gospel in my life and to have
felt His love for me that night.
It was a Christmas I will always
cherish, for it was on that Christmas
Eve I finally learned what Christmas
is all about. It is about Christ and
sharing my precious testimony of
the living Son of God. ■
Rémy van der Put is a member of the
Kirkland Second Ward, Kirkland
Washington Stake.
ENSIGN DECEMBER 2004 63