No Greater Love

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On any given Sunday in a small branch on the Micronesian island of Palau, familiar faces like long-time members Marj Towai and John Ngiraked Jr. can be found warmly welcoming fellow Saints and visitors. Sister Towai sits in “Marj’s corner” chatting with everyone, while Brother Ngiraked greets people at the door, making all feel at home.

What many may not see behind their radiant smiles is the depth of both loss and hope they carry.

Each of their families has suffered the heartbreaking loss of a loved one who gave the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country.

Sister Towai’s brother, Lt. Detective Willy Mays Towai of the Bureau of Public Safety under the Ministry of Justice, Republic of Palau, vanished on April 1, 2012, when his plane was lost at sea during an ocean protection mission.

Brother Ngiraked’s son, Army Cpl. Meresebang Ngiraked, gave his life on June 10, 2007, while serving in Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Both men were honored nationally in Palau as heroes.

Yet more important than how they died is how they lived.

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Willy Mays Towai was a strikingly athletic young man who served in the Micronesia Guam Mission from 1984 to 1985. Elder Scott Lieber, who spent much of his mission on Palau, was Elder Towai’s senior companion on Guam in 1984. They were paired for the last two months of Elder Towai’s mission due to their shared fluency in Palauan—a partnership that evolved into a deep bond and even "blood brotherhood."

“Willy Mays brought light and fearlessness to everyone he knew,” Elder Lieber recalls. “We taught as many lessons on the basketball court as we did in homes. It was no surprise that he chose a life of public service. He truly lived the scripture, ‘Let your light so shine.’”

Sister Towai echoes the sentiment, describing her brother as courageous, service-minded, and exceptional at everything he attempted—because of his huge heart.

Brother Ngiraked remembers his son as “humble, kind, smart, and funny—a young man who loved sports and excelled in school.”

Meresebang’s mother, Thelma Kitalong, adds, “His faith in God was strong from a young age. That’s what I’ll always remember.”

His cousin, Rilang Roberto, recalls him as hardworking, gentle, and the kind of young man who lifted others with his humor. “He had a powerful testimony of the restored gospel,” she says.

Just hours before his final deployment, Meresebang called his father and said, “Papa, this is something I want to do. If anything happens to me, please accept it. I’m good with it. I love you.”

Brother Ngiraked later told Elder Lieber, now a senior missionary once again serving in Palau: “That call from 2007 is etched into my soul. It still brings tears—but also spiritual strength in moments of challenge. Even in the most severe difficulties this statement from my son has carried me through."

Although Sister Towai and Brother Ngiraked still bear the ache of losing a brother and a son, they live with the knowledge that this pain is rooted in a Christlike act of love and service.

They know that such love—selfless, courageous, and eternal—is never lost.

There is no greater love.