Lydia Kaminaga, like Hirobo Obeketang, was born into the Church but became less active during her teen years. But the story of her journey back is as remarkable as it is distinct.
Lydia and her husband, Kaminaga Kaminaga, both grew up in the Church. "I never had any doubt about the teachings of the Church," says Kaminaga. "I've always believed them."
But life moved differently for Lydia. When she was in seventh grade, she says, "I was the only Mormon in my school, and I felt left out. I did what my friends were doing. I got my priorities wrong."
Lydia's parents sent her to Provo, Utah, USA, to live with family, hoping their influence might inspire Lydia to live the gospel. Though she learned things that helped her later in life, at the time she wasn't interested in Church activity.
Lydia moved back to the Marshall Islands in January 2002, just a month after Kaminaga returned from serving a mission in Japan. They met shortly thereafter. Although Lydia was not living Church standards, Kaminaga kept coming to her house pretending that he wanted to visit her nephew, Gary Zackious.
Eventually, Kaminaga made up his mind to talk to her parents about going out on dates—wholesome, clean activities—with Lydia. Although they initially tried to dissuade him, Kaminaga says he "finally told them, 'There's still a chance for her to change.' When I said that, the whole feeling in the room changed. Her dad cried and said, 'I've always wanted her back in the Church. You can try.'"
At first Lydia didn't take Kaminaga seriously. After all, he was a clean-cut returned missionary, and she hadn't been active.
"But he saw something I didn't see," Lydia explains. Since she wasn't dating anyone, she agreed to go out with him. "He brought me back. Being his girlfriend, I had to set my standards straight. He reminded me of my covenants made at baptism. He reminded me of all the things I really missed a lot, like reading scriptures and family home evening. Kaminaga and I did service projects together. We read the Book of Mormon. We went to firesides. He showed me how to live differently. Going to church was not just sacrament meeting but also Sunday School and Relief Society too."
As they spent time together on dates that were wholesome and uplifting, Lydia's life began to change and her testimony grew. She still had to clear some things up, however.
"It was hard coming back," she admits. "Repentance is not easy, but I have a really strong testimony of repentance. In a lot of ways, our dating was about getting to know each other more and about getting me back to church, to see things differently."
"It's about relationships," adds Kaminaga.
Lydia and Kaminaga were married on November 28, 2002. A year later they were sealed in the Laie Hawaii Temple and attended Brigham Young University–Hawaii. Now they live in the Marshall Islands with their three children. Lydia serves as their ward's Sunday School teacher for the young men and young women, and Kaminaga serves as the Young Men president.
As Hirobo, Patricia, and Lydia testify, when we exercise patience and persistence and seek the blessings of the Lord, many things are possible. Those who follow the Savior and listen to the promptings of the Holy Ghost can, like the ancient mariner guiding travelers home, make all the difference in another person's life.