As BYU-Hawaii student Asala Wickramaarachchige grew up in Sri Lanka, he was no stranger to great danger. The country had been at war for many years and had witnessed much violence.
"On the average of twice a month suicide bombs would go off in public places. My mom was scared to send me to school and my dad to work because she didn’t know if we would come home."
"When I was 14 the terrorists blew up a shell plant three blocks away from my aunt’s house, where I was sleeping. I looked outside and saw people shooting, it looked just like fireworks," said Wickramaarachchige.
The courage Asala gained from these experiences would follow him through his life.
When Asala was 19, he saw two white men walking down the street. He was extremely cautious when they approached him having been warned by his parents to never speak to white people, as they had brought foreign diseases to Sri Lanka. However, Asala was curious as to what they had to say.
"They came up to us and started to talk. The only thing I understood was the time and date. We waited and they came to our house and started teaching us about the gospel," he said.
He soon learned that these men were Christians, missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, sent from America to teach about Jesus and the true church on the earth. After several discussions Asala gained a testimony and wanted to be baptized.
"It was the missionaries’ example that made me want to be baptized. I liked the way they behaved and how they treated people. I went to church and the people were so kind," explained Wickramaarachchige.
Even though this new religion went against religious beliefs that his parents had taught him growing up, Asala knew he had a testimony of what the missionaries taught and was baptized later that year, becoming the 29th member of his local congregation.
Asala sacrificed a lot when he became a Latter-day Saint.
"I lost a lot of my friends when I joined the Church. They just stopped talking to me. They were still polite, but it was not the same," he said.
Asala was a prime example to his family, particularly his parents. Eventually they were curious about their son’s mysterious religion. They agreed to take the missionary lessons and eventually gained testimonies. Before Asala left on his mission, he had the opportunity to baptize his entire family—his parents and sister.
Asala was called to serve his own people in Sri Lanka. He was often threatened and yelled at as a result of his Christian efforts.
One Sunday afternoon would change many of the Sri Lankan people’s preconceptions of the "Mormon Missionaries." As Asala sat in church that day, the first wave from the 2005 tsunami hit the shores of the country.
"I was in sacrament meeting when people started running around and yelling that the ocean is coming to the land. The ocean came to the land once and then people thought it was over. They went down to the ocean and were marking land for themselves and picking up fish off the sand to eat."
The dramatic scene continued: "And then the second wave came and washed them all away. I remember one man saving himself by climbing a coconut tree and hanging on."
Immediately the mission leaders ordered all of the missionaries to put together relief kits and food packets to provide relief to the thousands of people.
Because of the vast amount of assistance provided by the LDS Church to the people, the missionaries began to enjoy greater friendliness.
"Before the tsumani came, there were certain areas where we could not go because if we went there, we would have been killed. After the tsunami came, people knew that we were doing good things and helping. They did not want to hear the gospel, but at least they opened the doors for us to communicate with them," Wickramaarachchige said.
Before Elder Wickramaarachchige completed his full-time missionary service, his mission president inquired as to his future plans and suggested he consider attending BYU-Hawaii. Asala had always wanted to pursue higher education, but it was not possible for him to do so in Sri Lanka. When he learned about this option he was immediately interested and soon applied.
Being accepted to the university was not an easy process. His first attempt at being admitted was denied, based mostly on his lack of English skills.
"I lost my confidence about coming to BYU-Hawaii but I put it in the Lord’s hands and waited," he stated.
This initial rejection gave Asala the determination to try harder. He hit the books making English one of his strong points. Feeling better about his application, he applied again.
While he waited for a response, Church officials asked Asala to assist in the translation of The Book of Mormon into Sinhalese, his native language.
Thinking that he would not be accepted to BYU-Hawaii, he welcomed the opportunity.
As he was set to review the translation, he received a letter from the university congratulating him on full acceptance. Now in a dilemma, he was unsure what route to take. Seeking advice, he approached a district leader and asked him his opinion on what direction he should go. His district leader encouraged him to attend BYU-Hawaii, that he would learn valuable skills and come home better able to lead.
Now in his junior year, Asala is majoring in information systems. He considers his greatest accomplishment at BYU-Hawaii marrying his wife, Yuka Wickramaarachchige, from Japan, he says. The couple married in August 2007 in the Tokyo Japan LDS Temple (pictured at right).
With his beloved Yuka at his side, Asala, upon graduation, plans on returning to Sri Lanka to help build the church. "Because I served in Sri Lanka, I know the work that needs to be done there. I think the Lord chose me to come to BYU so that I could learn leadership skills in Church callings," he stated.
Asala Wickramaarachchige saw moments of disaster and war in Sri Lanka. However, those moments have not made him bitter and pessimistic. Through faith and determination, coupled with a BYU-Hawaii education, Asala seeks to bring a lasting message of peace. He also has full support from his wife.
"Ever since we talked about his dream to build the Church there, I’ve had an impression that I should follow it. That is truly the greatest cause to follow."
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