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Reading others’ writings, I realized how much time has passed with the teacher, and I feel grateful to God for calling each one of us through the difficult processes we faced when we first came. Though the paths we took to get here differed slightly, I saw how God called each person one by one—some living like orphans amidst sorrow, despair, and hardship. Without the teacher, we wouldn’t have known God’s love, nor could we have found the truth or learned the Word. Some came through a sea of tears amid despair and hardship, and as I saw each person’s story, I felt the pain of those early days again. Tears flowed, and the first love I felt when I came to know God came back to me. Before I knew it, 15 years had passed.
Just as the fruits of a tree, though nourished by the same nutrients, taste different, the differences among us were stark despite living together and learning the same things for years. Some have received grace and are bearing fruit, while others grow so slowly, like tiny sprouts. Some are like trees with only stems or lush leaves but no fruit. Just as Christ cursed the barren fig tree, if we fail to bear fruit even after all this time, we are sinners destined to be burned. The saying, “The first shall be last, and the last shall be first,” is a word spoken to us. I hope we pray more earnestly with tears for the teacher, pray for the Word to be spread across the earth, pray for one another, and pray for our own weaknesses as well.
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