Thanksgiving was good. I felt thankful
and happy all day... despite the weather. and despite the fact that our
DA cancelled on us as well. we were in Barry. It was raining. Alot.
and we were walking (thankfully... we get so much wetter on bike..) but
our shoes are only water resistant... not water proof. and sis. m flat
out has holes in her boots. so our feet were wet and cold. I just felt
happy. how could i not? Though i was thinking all day about the
tradition i have with Lexi to watch a kung fu movie after thanksgiving
dinner... that wasn't exactly going to happen... but then i had the
idea.... and Sis. M. is wonderful and humoured me (though the day
wasn't anything special to her besides the fact that it was to me...)
We went to the Flaming Dragon... a chinese buffet! And i ate FAR
too much. It was great! yummy food. I tired this clam thing... like the
whole thing was just boiled... i could see all it's different parts and
it was still connected to the shell. it looked fancy so i tried it.
kinda bland. and some other random things that i didn't even have a name
for. We even asked to keep some of the chopsticks (for £11 a person we
deserved to keep some) and then went home and took ninja pictures in
front of our christmas tree with the chopsticks... i don't have a usb
reader on this computer or i'd send you them. they're great though. we
were laughing so hard that night. about the most random things... and
we were so pooped by the time we were supposed to be planning.
we're both generally pretty quiet... but when we get going.... oh
boy! lol. she says she was kinda nervous about me at first... she
thought i was the quite serious type... well i was. at first. :D i guess
i've always been that way.
so. i was asked to speak in church on sunday. well. not asked.
told. cuz i was informed about 5 minutes before. Brother Rasmussen got
up after we finished with the sacrament and told us the line up. so and
so was speaking "and then Bishop has asked if sis. Boots and (another
person in the ward) will come up and share with us their testimonies
and some of their experiences." ok. lol. so i did.
i tried super hard not to worry about what i was going to say....
remembering the verse (D&C 88:84) 'neither take ye thought before
hand what ye shall say, but treasure up in your minds the words of life
and it shall be given you in the very hour what ye shall say...' ok. i
though. so i tried super hard to pay attention to Anu's talk. it was
quite good... though i don't really remember what it was about. "come
follow me" i think. and a lot of good quotes by elder Wirthlin
so then i got up... and just started making it up... though i guess
no one ever needs to make up their testimony. i got them to laugh. i
cried a little bit. told how foreign it seemed here at first (the
toilets, the lights, the words... they laughed at the toilets part...
they are different!) told them about how our faith and testimonies are a
constantly progressing/fluctuating thing.... how i struggled at times,
but always could look back on the good times... to remember the strong
feeling i've had in the past... the reasons i determined to come halfway
across the world from home and do something that is so awkward and out
of the ordinary for me. then i told a story about faith that i heard in
my mission prep class last year. at the time that i heard it i thought
it was just a silly story... but i like it more now... and several
people told me they really liked it.
so.
One day a man was hiking. He was alone and in the mountains; just
the way he liked it. As he was hiking he stepped on some loose gravel
and slipped. Not a big deal - normally. But this time it was; he was
hiking along the side of a cliff, and this little slip sent him
careening off the edge; supposedly to his death. As he fell he flailed
his arms about wildly, snatching desperately for something to grasp.
Finally, after what felt like ages he caught ahold of something: a tiny
little branch growing out of the rocks. All of the face of the cliff was
sheer rock; there was no possible way to climb up, even if he had that
particular talent.
There was no way down. and no way back up. The only thing he could
think to do in his desperation was to pray. Which he did. He pled and
pled... for a miracle. that was all he could hope for. He prayed for
someone to come along and hear his holloring pleas. No one came; but he
kept praying.
Finally, after what felt like hours, he quit his loud hollering,
his voice gone totally raw, and in the silence he could hear a still
small voice.
"I will save you, but first you must let go of the branch."
Despair washed over him; now he was going insane. There was no way
he could let go of that branch. "I can save you, but only if you let go
of the branch. You have to let go." the man cringed and looked down and
shuddered. It was still a long way down, but he knew that there was no
other way; he had to rely on God.
So he let go of the little branch, and immediately began to fall
again, his heart aching for the loved ones he thought he'd never see
again. Just as despair had almost completely overwhelmed him and the
ground grew ever closer, a giant wind swooped down and lifted him up.
The wind was so strong that it swept him right to the top; to the
very place that he had slipped from, and it deposited him there without a
scratch and dispersed.
Sometimes our faith can be like this man's. We believe, but taking
the action is sometimes hard. We don't know what the outcome will be;
it's a step into the dark with only a hope to rely on. But this is what
we must do... it's what we do everyday. Let go of the branch! Rely on
the Lord! He will be the light, but first we must take that step into
the dark - the unknown. It truly is a leap of faith, but we must always
remember... we are NEVER alone!
anyways.. just about out of time now.
i love you tons!
have a great week! thanks for the prayers and your love... i feel it every day!
love
Ashley
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