Crater Lake!!- Snow-shoeing!!!

This past Monday we went to Crater Lake and went snow-shoeing!! First time ever for me to be able to do something like this in the snow...like TONS OF SNOW!!!!

Anyways, started off great because we had all the sisters in the Klamath Falls Zone ( yeah k-Falls...woohooo) go on this trip with wonderful members who were willing to take us. As we left Klamath falls making our way to the lake the weather was nice and sunny...till we got further in where the clouds started gathering and it started to show snow country. Going and going till we reached the top and this was what it looked like on the road

Oh man!!! I got so excited because I've never seen snow as much as I saw that day. Going up it was really neat seeing all this wonderful things. Then we got to the top and started changing and there was a really strong blizzard. We did not turn back. We put on our snow shoes after a couple of slips and slides..hahaha. Now that hurt :) Anyways as we started our adventure we learnt a lot of things especially about the importance of winter. After we headed off into this wonderful blizzard I did not feel cold at all. Despite the strong wind we were definitely bundled up enough..coming from a very warm country I did not feel cold at all.

Sister Fale and I during one of our breaks..thank goodness for breaks.

Towards the middle part of our adventure there was a really strong wind blowing. As everyone else kept trudging along the snow wit this strong gust of wind blowing in our faces i thought to myself " oh no! i probably will get blown off the side of this mountain" Suddenly I felt this sudden fear  in me. I decided to just stand there and wait till the wind died down. Still feeling a little scared i stood there with the winds blowing against me almost throwing me off me feet to the ground. I was almost in the verge of tears when i felt a hand on my shoulders. This beautiful sister...Falepapalangi asked me "hey are you ok?" Little did she know how much that meant to me. Not wanting to show any sign of weakness but also feeling relieved I said I was fine.

As the wind died down a little bit, I decided to follow along with everyone else.. All in a single file everyone was following Ranger Dave. As I was going along 2 thoughts entered my head..the first is that the Lord has paved our way and if we do the things he would want us to do we will be lead on the right path and eventually we will return safely to our Heavenly father. The second was that no matter the winds, storms, the Lord always provides a way for us to safety and he also provides people in our path to lead us to safety!!!
That day I was grateful for the opportunity to have enjoyed the wonderful gift of nature but at the same time learn some of the most important lessons in life.

Rest from all Cares

Today I have really been thinking of how much my life has been blessed with the opportunity to be better each time I fall. Watching an inspirational video today really made me realize the true value of what the Savior can do for me during times when I feel desperate, lonely and forsaken. He always and I know always will run to me. The atonement makes up for everything wrong that has happened in our life.

Losing my dad at a very young age made me turn to the Lord almost everyday. I wondered, are you really there for me, is this really something that will impact my life forever, who will look after me with the loving counsel of a father? All this different questions would race through my mind. It was during this times that i sat down, and pondered, spending most of my time on my knees asking God, is this it? Was life meant to be this way? I can say with full surety of heart that someone is definitely mindful of us and will always be. I have found solace through prayer, diligent scripture study and loving family who have helped me through.

Being away from home on a mission has been a great testimony builder for me in seeing the hand that God has in the lives of those he loves. Every day we face challenges of mortality, faced with decisions that could affect our eternal destiny, relationships to be made right, families to be strengthened. One sure way in which all of this could be done is through our Savior Jesus Christ. I have grown through the grace of a loving God and Savior, that gives me the strength to go through each trying day of my life. I have seen it in the lives of those I have come to love out here. Just as a cute little 10 year old boy told me once looking up and pointing to the clear blue skies, "God is up there watching over all of us". He is!!! Its an eternal truth!!!

 I have seen with my own life that he is the only one that can get us and lift us from the dumps of the trials of life. But always remember, HE IS ALWAYS THERE!!!

I AM NOT IN CHARGE

Last Sunday I was sitting in church and a sister at church shared that with our lives, we are not necessarily in charge of everything. The Lord is the ultimate captain of our lives. We only have control to a certain point and then we will have to say " Heavenly Father its all you now".
Just as Moses did to the Israelites raising the brass serpent for the people to look to and be healed and live, it was a type of what the Savior would do for us. If we look to the Lord in all that we do, he will heal us from any kind of feelings that give us guilt or shame. I have seen that thru our Saviors sacrifice we can find the strength to overcome the different trials of life. I have seen going to different means of finding peace, it doesn't work. Only the Lord will help us through all the things we go through. Its tough, may even be rough but anything is possible if we will but believe.
He is waiting for you and I with open arms.