CABO WABOOOO

I am in Cabo for four days at the most beautiful house with my mom, sister, and friends. Can life get any better? I will be back to reality hopefully....never! Adios amigos-viva Los Cabos!!

Dreading a few Dreads...

I not going to lie-hair is a pain. In the summer especially because it is so hot and all you do is swim and washing your hair just sounds like more of a pain. I am not sure how after one day of not showering and pool hair can begin some dreads but it is definitely happening to me as we speak. My sister practically laughed in my face this morning when I rolled out of bed and apparently had a huge head of hair puffed up all over the place where you could barely see my face. I used to wish that I would have long thick and luscious curly hair but now that sounds like a nightmare by the way I care for my thin straight boring hair. Sometimes I just wish I could keep it up and tell myself that dreads could possibly be a hot and new look for me but then the image of me someday sitting down on the ground for 20 hours combing out each dread crying brings me back and I immediately pull out the conditioner. Today I actually just laid in bed with a mean migraine wondering why the heat is torturing me but now I come to think of it might be the dreads and knots all up in my hair thats making my head spin. The good thing about these lethargic days where I don't get out is when I get a moment to read an entire Sophie Kincella book where I get lost in some crazy funny story and forget that the whole day has past. This is quite a nice moment where I can say I not only finished a book that quick and enjoyed but I also get to go to spin class at the YMCA with having to wait a few hours wondering how I will fill my time until the one productive thing I have to do that day-the gym. I also think me and my beautiful white cat Bella actually had "a moment" today when I was in my cozy bed reading and she came to lay by me. Normally I am always trying to get this cutest cat ever to like me and my attempts to love her results to me always watching her run away. But of course my 60 year old cat Jazzy who has lived longer than any animal living on this earth, is always down to come sit on my head while I am sleeping or sit on the key board when I am typing something important. Did I mention that this cat does weigh over 20 pounds and sheds like a monster so as much as I adore pets and am always looking for pet attention, Jazzy can get a little clingy if you ask me. So now that I just finished my most fun and pleasant summer read I am wondering what is next. I need a trip to the book store and right away I would head for Sophie's area but I am sad to say I have read all of her hits. I need to find a new author with as much sarcasm imagination and humor that this brilliant london woman has entertained me with... any suggestions?

Obtaining Christlike Attributes

I recall one particular Sunday school meeting I attended a few months ago in Heber, Utah. As about 15 people walked in the Sunday school class of all ages of men and woman, we all sat tentatively prepared to hear and be given a lesson. The teacher of this class walked in with a calm and very precise spirit about him. He sat in a chair at the front, which seemed very different to me, if he were really to be teaching a lesson, and asked someone at the front of the room why they came to church that day. In the back of my mind I was thankful that I was not only visiting this ward that day so the teacher didn’t know me personally to be able to call on me, but I was also in the back. As the person gave their answer to him, he looked at them with a pondering look on his face and said okay now-why did you come to church today to the person next to them. As he went down row by row there was a repetitive answer for each person. A lot of people said they came because it was routine, the right thing to do, make their week go better, or wanted to please their spouse. As this teacher got to me he looked at me and said “now sister, why did you come to church today”. For me, I felt it would have been easier to just agree with the person before me to hurry along so I would not have to be put on the spot but then as I looked at this man in the eye I felt an overwhelming power of the spirit overcome me and I began to cry. I then went on describing the pure truth and strongest feeling of love that I feel every time I come to church and that is what pushes me to be there each week. I feel the love of Christ so immensely with each coming Sunday that I want to be like, emulate, and mirror that perfect and true love of Christ. This overpowering and definite feeling that I had that day continues each week, and the one we all feel in spiritual life experiences is the love of Christ. I can begin today by testifying to you brothers and sisters that this is the most wholesome, absolute, and exact emotion that moves my soul and heart with each waking day of my life. It is the understanding of who Christ is, what he has done for me, the love he has for me, and if I choose to follow him, the promises he can give me.

As members of this church, how do we begin to obtain and cherish Christ-like attributes? Now as I continue to ask and bring up this question, throughout my talk, I want each of you today to pick at least one attribute of Christ that you feel that you need to work on the most and ponder in your heart what you can do to develop and strengthen that one attribute fully. In preach my gospel it states that “the restored gospel enables you to become like your Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.” The Savior has shown the way. He has set the perfect example, and he commands us to become as He is. Learn of Him and seek to incorporate His attributes into your life. Through the power of His Atonement, you can achieve this goal and lead others to achieve it also”. It is vital for us, as his children, to seek and desire to follow and become like him. In order to accomplish this we need to practice and experience the Atonement in our every day lives. Christ-like attributes are true gifts from God and they can only come to us if we use our agency righteously in this earth life. The first thing we need to do to become more like Christ, is to pray to our Heavenly Father to help us recognize certain qualities, ask that He will bless us and give us the strength and opportunities to gain them. It is very important that we are recognizing our weaknesses, and that we are willing to improve and become better individuals. As we have an open mind from praying to our Heavenly Father, we need to then develop a faith in Christ. Having faith in Christ means that you trust in him and have complete surety that he does love you. Once you develop that faith, it will lead to action such as repentance, obedience, and service. When you have faith in the Lord you trust the Savior to follow his commandments. Once you obtain personal faith in the Lord, you are truly able to see miracles happen in your life as well as the lives of others, according to the Lord’s will. As you learn to become better acquainted with him and his teachings, you will learn of his ways and his love for all people. As we prepare to receive these attributes of Christ, it is just as important to acknowledge what they are and how we can obtain them. The first attributes that overpower all and are the most important are charity and love. In a talk by President Uchdorf he states, “Because love is the great commandment, it ought to be the center of all and everything we do in our family, in our church callings, and in our livelihood. Love is the healing balm that repairs rifts in personal and family relationships…when we truly understand what it means to love as Jesus Christ loves us, the confusion clears and our priorities align. Our walk as Disciples of Christ becomes more joyful. -in 1 Corinthians chapter 13: 2-7 it talks of the importance of charity “and though I have the gift of prophesy, and understand all mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing. And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, and have not charity, it profiteth me nothing. Charity suffereth long, and is kind; charity enviteth not; charity vaunteth not itself, is not puffed up. Doth not believe itself, unseemly, seeketh not her own is not easily provoked thinketh no evil. Rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth. Beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth for all things, endureth all things”. Our lives take on new meaning. Our relationship with our Heavenly Father becomes more profound. Obedience becomes a joy rather than a burden”. These powerful words testify to me the complete pureness and true love that Christ has for us. When we are obedient to him and love our brothers and sisters as he would love them, we lose ourselves in their lives and feel the vast and unconditional love our Savior has for them as well as ourselves. -Share Ghana story about my three boys Another attribute we need to obtain from Christ is knowledge. Seek for help, asks questions, look at challenges, and special opportunities through personal study and prayer. Studying diligently and prayerful with pure intent, the holy ghost will enlighten your mind, teach, and help understand the meaning of the scriptures and the teachings of living prophets today. In 2 Nephi chapter 4:15-16 it states “my soul delighteth in the scriptures, and my heart pondereth them…behold my soul delighteth in the things of the lord; my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard.” Once we learn and fully understand the savior and his plan for us on this earth, we will live enriched and promising lives full of gratitude and continuous learning experiences. Two other qualities that we can receive to be more like our savior are Virtue and patience. Patience is the capacity to endure, delay, trouble, opposition, or suffering without becoming angry, frustrated, or anxious. It is the ability to do God’s will and accept his timing. It is so common for us as college students to become impatient with others or ourselves as we make plans for our future and want things to go our way. We sometimes try to force the results such as situations with our friends, our work, our career plans or expectations of parents or other important relationships in our lives. We learn patience as we have faith and turn this and everything over to our Heavenly Father rather than try to control everything. Two more qualities that are vital for us to obtain to be like him are Humility and Diligence. Humility will help you strive to be obedient, to work hard, and to serve selflessly. The last Christlike attribute I would like to address is obedience. In preach my gospel it states: “Obedience is the first law of heaven. It is an act of faith. You may sometimes be required to do things you do not completely understand. As you obey, you increase your faith, knowledge, wisdom, testimony, protection, and freedom”. As we strive to be more like our Savior and obtain all of these attributes of him, we get to know him personally and understand that if we are obedient to him in the things we do, He will bless our lives continually and show us the light and pure joy we feel as we become closer to him. I believe that if we as God’s children can develop and depict these vital attributes of Christ, we show that we are following Him, we will hold onto that feeling, share it with others, receive a better understanding of ourselves and also of our Savior. As we become more like Him and strive to follow His ways, we understand the true purpose of our lives and feel true happiness that we all seek. His way is one we will see the light. Once we commit ourselves into following his path and understanding the importance of his teachings, our love for others and ourselves will increase large amounts and we will understand why we are here and what we need to do to get back to him someday. Right now, try to clear your mind and imagine seeing your Lord and Redeemer in front of you. Try and see yourself standing next to him and feeling his light and love around you. It’s empowering and even incomprehensible to try and feel that type of love but as we see and envision this path for ourselves, it is what will take us and push us to get there someday. Throughout history, we have very limited accounts and descriptions of those that have been in the presence of our Savior…..but the stories that have been recorded are similar and beautiful. At the end of the Pearl of Great Price there is a section where Oliver Cowdery describes his feelings of being in the presence of the Savior. “I shall not attempt to paint to you the feelings of this heart, nor the majestic beauty and glory which surrounded us on this occasion; but you will believe me when I say, that earth, nor men, with the eloquence of time, cannot begin to clothe language in as interesting and sublime a manner as this holy personage”. In Return to Love and other Life after Death accounts, each person describes being in the presence of intense light an incredible and overpowering love. In 3rd Nephi the Nephites describe being in His presence…and similar to other accounts, it is beyond description. “And no tongue can speak neither can there be written by any man, neither can the hearts of men conceive so great and marvelous things we both saw and heard Jesus speak; and no one can conceive of the joy which filled our souls at the time we heard him pray for us unto the Father….and so great was the joy of the multitude that they were overcome.” (3 Nephi 17:17-18) I had the opportunity to see my parents perform in a production called savior of the world that is a depiction written by the church about christs life. It has been performed in salt lake city mainly but also has been spreading to other stakes of the church. My dad had the chance to be james, an apostle, and as the play went on it was moving and such a spiritual experience to see these people of my ward and my actual parents to be apart of a modernization of when Christ was on the earth and to see what it felt like and what the people experienced with him. One of my favorite scenes was after christs resurrection, after he had seen mary, when he went to the upper room to the apostles. As Christ walked into the room with light surrounding him, the apostles fell to their feet in awe. just to imagine and try to feel what they were given as Christ became in their presence was just surreal. As I looked into the eyes of my actual father as he looked to Christ and fell to his feet touching his hands and feeling his presence and unconditional love to all, I become overwhelmed with a very strong and pure spirit and testimony of Christ. Seeing my dad in a reenactment of being with Christ again made me believe with such a strong and personal understanding that one day Christ will come again to us and we will be able to surround him and feel his perfect love for us as his brothers and sisters. One of the most important things we can do on this earth is to feel the Profound Love of God and Christ for us, to strive every day to be more like them, and to emulate these qualities and this Love to all that we come in association with. Is there anything that brings us more happiness and joy than this? When we were baptized we made covenants and promises to take upon ourselves his name and become his disciples….his true followers. May we submit ourselves to His will, become more like Him …. “Have you received His image in your countenance… Does the light of Christ shine in your eyes…. Will He know you when He comes again, because you will be like Him When He sees you will the Father know His child… By His everlasting image in your eyes….” Brothers and sisters I hope that today you have felt a desire to become more like Christ and have had a reminder of how important it is to constantly be working on ourselves to become more like him. I testify to you today that Christ does live and he loves each one of us and if we strive to become as perfect as he is, we will feel emmense joy for this gospel, for others, and you experience Christ unconditional love for youself. Take the time to recognize what you need to work on with these qualities and keep them consistent throughout your life. I promise each one of you that if you continue to live righteously in this gospel and progress daily to become like Him, you will find and hold to a very powerful and true testimony of the church and you will see miracles and joy come to you to experience. I have no doubt in my mind that this is the living truth on the earth today and that Joseph smith did see a vision and restore this church. I know that Thomas s. monson is a living prophet today and the things he teaches are indeed correct. I know that with prayer and diligent scripture study we can expand our knowledge of the gospel and gain true testimonies.

Travel Talk.

Places I have been:

1. Bermuda
2. Cabo
3. Puerta Vallarta
4. Puerto Rico
5. Uruguay
6. Brazil
7. Ghana, Africa
8. Canada
9. Hawaii
10. Seattle

Places I am going:
1. Guatemala
2. Honduras
3. Belize
4. Dominican Republic
5. Argentina

Places I want to go:
NEW ZEALAND!!!!!
1. EUROPE-every part (Ireland and Greece especially)
2. Banff
3. Thailand
4. Alaska
5. Turks and Caicos
6. China
7. Jamaica
8. Micronesia
9. Samoa
10. Fuji
11. Barbados

new wonders of the world to see

Down for Destination BANFF!!!!

So I am obsessed with traveling and because I have free flights since my mom works for the airlines, I think there is no excuse for me to not travel every place in the world. Recently, I discovered a lovely place in Canada called BANFF and I want to go!!!! I love green and the great outdoors and nature and this seems it is just the perfect place for me to visit. I have only been to Canada once in my life but I definitely think it is about time I make a little stop there again sometime soon...

“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.” -Teilhard de Chardin

So I recently just finished a book called "The Messages" which is written by an LDS guy who had actually died and came back to life. It was such an inspirational book and I am so uplifted by the messages and things he had to say about heaven. He gets in a motorcycling accident and is in a very terrible condition where they did not think he would live again. He had to be put in coma for a long period of time after his surgery to heal. It was interesting because this man goes back to heaven and back into his body a few different times. The first time he goes into heaven, he describes it so pure and perfectly it is breath taking. I can only imagine the loveliness and beauty that awaits us up there. He describes that family members are always awaiting the veil for the people that die so they can welcome them with love and open arms. It is so incredible how many things that goes on in heaven and what peace and light surrounds each soul up there. with each spirit he encounters on his experience and for every place he is around, you are awed by how much the heavens and angels are involved in peoples life on earth and the things they can do for us. They are always with us and watching over us. I definitely think that heavenly father had a purpose for this individual so he could have this amazing experience and share it with the world so we are aware and understand the things that are in store for us and what we need to do to get there. One of my favorite parts of the book was at the end where he summed up everything he had learned from this incredible journey and what he felt he needed to teach the people of this earth from coming back. "There were many great and important lessons learned on my journey into the spirit world, but, perhaps the most important of all these was the message I was given concerning service. Service, as explained to me, is the action form of love. The command to "love one another" could have easily been worded, "if you love one another, then serve one another." "I was privileged to witness the paradise that existed in the spirit world, and I was taught that the principle of service had been one of the most important keys in forming such societies.i was through service that the hearts of the people had turned to one another and the "oneness" created. it required a devotion to God, as well. Service became the action form of that devotion and love towards God and others. With service, unity replaced selfishness, as each person became deeply committed to the good of the whole rather than their own self interests". This book honestly open my eyes to a paradise I desire to return to one day and motivates me to work to become a more righteous individual with the time I have on this earth. I am grateful for people like this guy who wrote the book that can share with us the neat and special encounters with heaven so we can get a glimpse of what it is like. I definitely think service is the key factor in the world that people need to live by to find pure happiness and joy. This will bring us together as brothers and sisters but also make us become more like our savior.

I recommend this book to anyone!!! Read it :)

forever daddy's little girl

My sister gave a beautiful talk today in church for father's day and I wanted to share it with all to see. We truly do have the world's greatest day and love him more than anything! we love you pops-this day today is all yours :) enjoy.

There are many things today we have to be thankful for from our fathers. When I think of fathers in general, it seems that they are always there for us and supporting us in anything we do. With the power of the magnificent priesthood that a father holds in his home, there is a peace and beauty that will always surround and protect your family with light and love. Your father is the one who stands at the window in the hospital after you are born and first falls in love with you in that precious moment. Your father is the one that gives you your first blessing in church as an infant that begins your fresh life. Your father is the one that teaches you to ride your first bike and is the one who teaches you how to swim. Your father is the one to bring you into the calm and promising waters of baptism at the age of eight where you are cleansed and become a member of the church. Your father is the one to protect you from heartache from the first boy you like and is the one at all your sporting and school events cheering you on. Your father is the one to giver you away at your wedding day and dances with you to that last song when you are all dressed in white. We are guided and sheltered by our loving fathers on this earth and with everything that comes, they are there to protect and direct you to happiness and a wonderful life. My dad personally, has been a huge influence and example to me since my existence. There has never been a wasted moment since I have been on this earth where I did not feel accepted or unconditionally loved by my father. He truly does see every piece of beauty and promise that I have in me and is always encouraging me to never forget that. One of my most memorable moments with my dad was a few years ago when I was faced with a very scary and painful experience. When I was thirteen years old, I developed a very intense and serious amount of pain in my body and for months doctors could not figure out what was wrong with me. With each week, it got worse and worse and no medicine or any kind of treatment was working. Finally a doctor in Arizona, after months of ultra sounds and check ups, found out that I had a very rare case of something that could only be operated on in St. Louis. I was immediately put on a medical helicopter and flown right to the hospital there with my parents by my side. At this young age and with no idea what was going on, you could imagine the fear I was going through and wondering if I were to be okay. Upon arrival, I was still in agonizing pain and until the surgery, I just had to wait it out and pray I would overcome it all. Each night my parents were right by my side in the hospital, sleeping close to me so I was never alone. Moments before my surgery, my dad offered me a blessing to shelter me and bring me comfort. I still remember that peaceful and pure feeling that flooded the room right when I heard the sound of my dad’s voice. I knew that because of the priesthood, my father was able to administer blessings and angels to be with me through this surgery and I knew that with this specific comfort and power I would be all right. I am so grateful that at such a hardship in my life, my father was there by my side, taking care of me and assuring me that I was going to get through it all. I believe that there is nothing on this earth that can replace a fathers love for his child. I do believe that our fathers on this earth are here to mirror each day the exact and never ending love our heavenly father has for us and in doing so, we are capable of finding our extraordinary selves. May we be thankful on this day for the fathers of the earth and be grateful for all the light they bring to the home. I Pray that each of us can remember to do the will of our father-just as it demonstrates Jesus did in the scriptures in John 8:29. “And he that asent me is with me: the Father hath not left me alone; for I do always those things that please him.” I would like to end with my testimony that I know this church is true and I have a great appreciation for my father; not just today but every day and I aspire to be like him more than he could ever know. I love you dad and I thank you for exercising the priesthood in our home and I am lucky to say that I will be with you, as well as my family, for time and for all of eternity. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

We owe you everything fathers. Thank you.

Birthday Beauty

Happy 17th birthday my darling Camille!

"Sisters by chance, friends by choice."

Ship Shape

Since I am anxiously awaiting all summer to leave on my mission and I am living in the hottest state on the planet, I figured out that going to the gym could possibly be a pleasant and worthwhile thing for me to do with all my time. I have way too much ADD to go run for 2 hours on a treadmill and I refuse to step outside for any kind of physical activity so I have been going to cycling with my dad at the YMCA. It is so intense and it is such a good work out! The instructor places crazy techno and it really pumps me up. I actually think I am getting pretty good at it and think I could someday be a pro cyclist. my goal is to get super skinny before I enter the MTC because everyone told me that is the danger zone of weight gaining-especially for me because I LOVE cafeteria food....Time to start shedding off the pounds.

Here in the Heat

-Arizona-

All this heat is making me quite thirsty for a COKE.

So I just arrived to Arizona yesterday for the rest of the summer and I cannot believe the temp. It is definitely 104 degrees right now and I decided that the rest of the summer I am staying inside a dark and cool room so I will not melt. Thank you Arizona for keeping me indoors and not letting me enjoy the great outdoors and nature...I have a feeling it will be a very long and eventful summer because of you. I also have Arizona to thank for all this sleep I am getting. i get tired around 11 pm and wake up at 11 am. Looks like after this summer I will never need to sleep again.

Getting to Guatemala...

La Antigua

Eight of my closest girl friends and myself are going to La Antigua, Guatemala this July! We are going to be learning Spanish and working in an orphanage. I definitely think this is going to be a life changing experience for all of us and I cannot wait to learn of the culture and the people. My 17 year old little sister is also coming which I think will be so neat because she has never done anything like this before and her eyes will be opened up to a whole new world. We are planning on traveling around Central America the last week we are there so we can see the sights and have some adventures. We all have no idea what to expect but we are all willing and excited to meet people we can inspire and help in some way. We hope that we can leave our trip knowing we shed a little bit of our light to the the people of Guatemala and remember every bit of the journey for the rest of our lives.

ocho meses!

My truest love and best friend has been on a mission in El Salvador for eight long and glorious months now! It has actually gone by super fast and I am excited that both of ours will overlap so we will pretty much get home around the same time. Since July of 2008 when I met this boy, we both have grown and experienced so much together and have come so far. I am just one happy camper knowing he is out there serving the Lord and blessing so many lives. I am so ready to get out there myself and do the same! Only two more months to go and I am MTC bound :)

The Divine Call of a Missionary

By: Elder Rasband

With the encouragement and permission of President Henry B. Eyring, I would like to relate to you an experience, very special to me, which I had with him several years ago when he was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve. Each Apostle holds the keys of the kingdom and exercises them at the direction and assignment of the President of the Church. Elder Eyring was assigning missionaries to their fields of labor, and as part of my training, I was invited to observe. I joined Elder Eyring early one morning in a room where several large computer screens had been prepared for the session. There was also a staff member from the Missionary Department who had been assigned to assist us that day.

First, we knelt together in prayer. I remember Elder Eyring using very sincere words, asking the Lord to bless him to know “perfectly” where the missionaries should be assigned. The word “perfectly” said much about the faith that Elder Eyring exhibited that day. As the process began, a picture of the missionary to be assigned would come up on one of the computer screens. As each picture appeared, to me it was as if the missionary were in the room with us. Elder Eyring would then greet the missionary with his kind and endearing voice: “Good morning, Elder Reier or Sister Yang. How are you today?” He told me that in his own mind he liked to think of where the missionaries would conclude their mission. This would aid him to know where they were to be assigned. Elder Eyring would then study the comments from the bishops and stake presidents, medical notes, and other issues relating to each missionary.

He then referred to another screen which displayed areas and missions across the world. Finally, as he was prompted by the Spirit, he would assign the missionary to his or her field of labor . From others of the Twelve, I have learned that this general method is typical each week as Apostles of the Lord assign scores of missionaries to serve throughout the world. Having served as a missionary in my own country in the Eastern States Mission a number of years ago, I was deeply moved by this experience. Also, having served as a mission president, I was grateful for a further witness in my heart that the missionaries I had received in New York City were sent to me by revelation.

At the end of the meeting Elder Eyring bore his witness to me of the love of the Savior, which He has for each missionary assigned to go out into the world and preach the restored gospel. He said that it is by the great love of the Savior that His servants know where these wonderful young men and women, senior missionaries, and senior couple missionaries are to serve. I had a further witness that morning that every missionary called in this Church, and assigned or reassigned to a particular mission, is called by revelation from the Lord God Almighty through one of these, His servants.

I conclude with the Lord’s words to the Whitmer brothers, who had a profound role in the early days of the Restoration. They were witnesses to the gold plates, and their signed testimonies are included at the front of every copy of the Book of Mormon. They were among the first band of missionaries called by a prophet of God in 1829 to preach the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

“And now, behold, I say unto you, that the thing which will be of the most worth unto you will be to declare repentance unto this people, that you may bring souls unto me, that you may rest with them in the kingdom of my Father.”⁶

At this time in your life, a mission call from the Lord, my young friends, is the most important work that you can do. Prepare now, live righteously, learn from your family and Church leaders, and come join with us in building the kingdom of God on earth—accept your divine appointment in “so great a cause.”⁷ This is my humble prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Homeward Bound

In the quiet misty morning
When the moon has gone to bed,
When the sparrows stop their singing
And the sky is clear and red,

When the summer's ceased its gleaming
When the corn is past its prime,
When adventure's lost its meaning -
I'll be homeward bound in time

Bind me not to the pasture
Chain me not to the plow
Set me free to find my calling
And I'll return to you somehow

If you find it's me you're missing
If you're hoping I'll return,
To your thoughts I'll soon be listening,
In the road I'll stop and turn

Then the wind will set me racing
As my journey nears its end
And the path I'll be retracing
When I'm homeward bound again

Bind me not to the pasture
Chain me not to the plow
Set me free to find my calling
And I'll return to you somehow

In the quiet misty morning
When the moon has gone to bed,
When the sparrows stop their singing
I'll be homeward bound in time

I found my friend..

Testimony of a Missionary

The following event took place in a ward in Salt Lake City in 1974. It occurred during a sacrament meeting and was told to me by a Regional Representative of the Twelve who was in the meeting. A young man, just before leaving on his mission stood in sacrament meeting and bore in essence the following testimony:

Brothers and Sisters, as you know, the past two weeks I've been waiting for my mission call. During the time I was waiting I had a dream. I knew it was not an ordinary dream. I dreamed I was in the pre-existence and awaiting my call to come to earth. I was filled with the same anticipation and excitement that I had before I received my mission call. In my dream I was talking to a friend, and I felt a special closeness to him, even though I've never met him in this life. As we talked a messenger came and gave me a letter. I knew it was my call to go to earth. In great excitement my friend and I opened the letter. I gave it to him and asked him to read it aloud. It said: "You've been called to earth in a special time and to a special land. You will be born to the true church and you will have the priesthood of God in your home. You will born into a land of plenty, in a land of freedom. You will go to earth in the United States of America."

My friend and I rejoiced as we read my call, and while we were rejoicing the messenger returned. This time he had a letter for my friend. We knew it was his call to earth. My friend gave me the letter to read aloud. His letter said: "You've been called to go to the earth in circumstances of poverty and strife. You will not be raised in the true church. Many hardships will attend your life. Your land will be fraught with political and social difficulties - which will hinder the work of the Lord. You will be born in Costa Rica."

We wept, my friend and I, as we read his call. And my friend looked at me with tears in his eyes, and said, "When we are down on earth, you in your choice land and me in Costa Rica, my friend, please come and find me."

The this young missionary, with tears in his eyes, said, "Brothers and Sisters, I have received my mission call. I am going to Costa Rica."

There is a sequel to the story. About a year after the sacrament meeting, the bishop received a letter from the missionary in Costa Rica. The letter had one sheet of paper in it and on that sheet written in capital letters were four words:

I FOUND MY FRIEND

S U N D A N C E

This past weekend my parents came to Provo with me to help move my stuff back home to Arizona. While they were here, we went up to visit Sundance to go hike Stuart falls and it was so beautiful and peaceful up there. Sundance is one of my favorite places in Utah and in the summer it is especially green and sunny and lovely. It was my dads first time there so it was fun to take him around and see all the pretty nature and flowers. We ate at the deli there and all just chatted and bonded outside as we ate. My whole family, Kate, Whitney, and Marrissa all were there together.I do believe that nature is a stress reliever to life. Anytime I am hiking or walking or just sitting around pretty trees and flowers and when its sunny, there are no worries to anything and my heart is full of gratitude and love.

“We do not believe in ourselves until someone reveals that deep inside us something is valuable, worth listening to, worthy of our trust, sacred to our touch. Once we believe in ourselves we can risk curiosity, wonder, spontaneous delight or any experience that reveals the human spirit.”
- E. E. Cummings

The stairway to HEAVEN

Right when I got to Hawaii I was in love with the look, the smell, the sun and the whole place. I just love the people in Hawaii! The first few days we were there, we did so much and got to really see the island. We hiked a waterfall, rode bikes by the beach, went snorkeling, and ate at all the local good restaurants. We got to go to a local singles ward and see the temple. The sacrament meeting was really neat because two girls spoke where one was just arriving at her mission and introducing herself to the ward and then another girl who was in the ward and giving her farewell talk. I was just inspired and so happy to hear from sister missionaries. I just loved soaking up the culture and the sights and beauty of the island. It was almost like heaven. The water was so blue and it was so sunny and green everyday. It was fun to meet people who went to BYU Hawaii and see everything they do and how their life is. The last day we were in Hawaii we decided last minute to hike the famous “stairway to heaven”. I had seen so many pictures from people who had done it and heard of it, but I was nervous for me to actually try and do it. It is a very narrow set of 3000 stairs that goes 3000 feet in the air. You have to wake up at 3:30 in the morning so you can leave by 4 in the morning so you can get there before the security guards do. I am not very in shape and I am not a morning person so this already did not sound too pleasant for me for my last day to relax in Hawaii. I heard it was cool so I figured it was something that I could accomplish and in the end be happy I did. It was pitch black. There was about 20 of us and all we had were little lights. As I started to climb just the first few steps that were exactly going straight up in the air, I almost wanted to turn back. It was so humid and the air was getting thick with water, I could barely breath I was getting so hot. I was at the front of everyone, so I felt I needed to work hard and keep a steady pace so everyone else would stay together. With every step I climbed, my legs hurts more and my arms felt like they were pulling my whole body weight with each step. I didn’t get to eat much before the hike so I was running on barely any food or water and had a slight headache. As I felt all of these problems come upon me and my emotions wanting to take over, I just kept looking up and thinking about what it was like at the top and how it would be worth it to get up there. The idea that it was just called the stairway to heaven really motivated me and wanted me to get there no matter what it took. With each new step I felt a little more pain and with each feeling of pain came doubt. As I slowly pulled myself up these steep stairs I tried to focus on not myself and my body but something else. Christ came to my mind as I kept looking up and seeing the sunrise behind the beautiful green mountains. I thought of the atonement and what pain he had to go through to suffer for all of our sins. I wondered how he even began to bear such excruciating and horrible pain and how small mine felt at the time compared to him. I thought of his generous and loving smile and pondered on how selfless it was for him to take on such a horrific and painful act on himself. I thought to myself if he can do that for me, then I am capable to accomplish anything in my life. If Christ my loving brother did not trust and already know me and understand my limits, I would have not been on that mountain. I then realized that I had a very healthy physical body on this earth and I am so blessed to be able to use it and have it function, unlike so many other of god’s children. This experience I was having was more like an amazing opportunity and privilege and I should enjoy it and make it last. As the pain continued and my legs shook, I pulled on the bars even harder and quickened my pace. I looked to the promising and glowing heavens, smiling and glorifying its most exquisite beauty. I began to say positive and encouraging things to everyone as we all continued up the last set of steps and even sang. I could not believe how high we were in the air and how much of the beautiful island of ocean we could see. Once we got to the top I took in a few deep breaths and was overwhelmed by a very peaceful and quiet spirit. I felt so free and accomplished and happy. I felt on top of the world because it literally was all underneath me. I looked down at the stairs and wondered how I possibly made it up all 3000 of them. Although this is some small physical experience, to me I knew it could only be done with me exercising my faith in my savior and believing in him and myself getting through it. Sitting at the top of the edge of that mountain and looking around me, breathing in fresh and pure cold air, I knew that my savior lived and loved me. He will always be with me and if I just trust in him, I am capable of the impossible. I am able to do anything really. It was light out when we walked down and as we just and landed on that hard soil at the bottom I was beaming with joy. I truly know that in my life, if I am always telling myself that I will get through and do something, it WILL happen because I am the creator of my own life existence and my destiny and my story is in my hands, ready to create and be written.