People I Remember

This evening during our Wednesday night meal/Bible study our pastor taught from Acts 4:32-37, focusing on Barnabas and his role in the early church as an encourager of the Apostles and his "vouching" for the recently converted Paul.
While listening I began to think back to people in my past who seemed to come along just when I needed them, not family or close friends but those who made a brief appearance with a long-lasting impact in my life. I would like to introduce them to you now over the next few days.

George and Winnie Shigeta
I arrived at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii on December 11, 1991. I was as far away from home as I'd ever been, a lonely situation made worse by the upcoming Christmas holiday. Two weeks later on Christmas Eve, Mike Cross one of the friends I'd made and I traveled down to Honolulu to see the decorations and get into the Christmas spirit. My goal for the evening was to be back at Schofield in time for Midnight Mass so I could enjoy one piece of normalcy.

Around 8 p.m. we started to make our way to the bus stop. We boarded the "Waihawa-Circle Island" bus that would take us back to the town a few miles from Schofield. What we didn't know was the bus had already been to Waihawa, and was on its "Circle Island" route. We rode for over two hours, wondering why it was taking so long to get back, but not knowing enough to ask. Finally we were the last two people on the bus. The driver pulls the bus over and asks us where we wanted to go. We told him and he informed us he was off for the night. Our three-hour bus ride ended only a couple of miles from where we started. We got off the bus and began looking for another bus stop. Apparently we looked as lost as we were, because a older woman and her husband walked up and asked if we needed help. They introduced themselves, George and Winnie Shigeta. We told them what happened, and how I wanted to get back in time for church. They walked with us to the bus stop and showed us the right bus to board. Then Winnie tore the name and address stamp off one of their checks and wrote their phone number on the back. She said if we didn't have anywhere to go for Christmas to give them a call and they would come get us. We thanked them, boarded the bus and made it back in time for Midnight Mass.

The next morning after making a phone call home I found myself with nowhere to go for Christmas. I couldn't find Mike so I decided to take the Shigetas up on their offer. The phone rang and George answered. I asked if the offer still stood and he said they would be up to get me. Looking back now it was probably a pretty silly thing to do, going with someone I'd only met the night before, but at the time the thought never crossed my mind. It could have turned out bad, but instead it was one of my most memorable Christmases. The Shigetas and their daughter (I can't remember her name) took me to a movie (Father of the Bride), gave me a box of chocolate-covered macadamia nuts and took me to their home for Christmas dinner. After dinner and visiting they took me back to Schofield and I thanked them for their kindness and generosity. They honked as they drove away, and I never saw them again. Of the 35 years I've been on this earth, six hours were spent with the Shigetas, and I'm pretty sure I will always remember them.

Well, I hope you enjoyed the story. If I went on too long, it's something I will work on for the next story. Feel free to comment with your own similar experiences.