EFY, Ladies and Gentlemen

Hey guys, guess what? EFY was amazing, as usual!! It was SO amazing that when I got home yesterday, I took a six-hour nap. I was that exhausted!
Of course, at EFY, my favorite parts are the devotionals, dances, and awesome people that I meet. But really, the best aspect of EFY is the incredible Spirit which always envelops us. It is that Spirit which teaches us and helps our testimonies to grow. There were several people who got up to bear their testimonies at our testimony meeting on Thursday who explained that they didn't really know the church was true until they came that week and felt the Spirit bearing witness of the truth to them. Many others, myself included, watched their already-present testimonies increase right before their eyes.
Before EFY I had a very solid testimony of Christ and His atonement. But now my understanding Jesus' love and my love for him have grown so much. It's beautiful. It was so wonderful to feel the Holy Ghost teach all of us. I learned how I can apply the atonement to my life to fix and heal any problem or trial.
The people who surrounded me at EFY were such great examples of righteous living. They all came because they wanted to come closer to Christ and learn more of Him. I was particularly impressed by the young men I was with last week. They were wonderful examples of the kinds of guys I should date when I'm able to. They were thoughtful, respectful, chivalrous, and had awesome testimonies of the gospel. Plus, they were so much fun to be around, and super cute! At our company's testimony meeting, there were a few girls who cried, but mostly they quietly felt the peace of the Spirit in the room. The boys, on the contrary, were all crying so hard. Their eyes were wet the whole time, and they were all sniffling a lot. I thought it was the most awesome thing ever to see the guys be so visibly touched by the Spirit. It was adorable, and I loved it.
I'm so grateful for the opportunity I had to go to EFY. It's truly the best week of my year, every year. If you ever get the opportunity to go, seize it, and cherish every minute. Milk it for all that it's worth, and let me tell you, it's worth a lot.

Our company! I love every one of them!

Besties with one of our awesome counselors!

We love Mormon Boys.

These are some amazing young men.

Chicken Soup, Hospitals, and Mother

There is something so comforting about chicken noodle soup. Even more so when it's homemade and the best soup you have ever tasted. And, it's even a step better if it was made with love. Does this sound cheesy? Perhaps. But it comes from the bottom of my heart right now.
Yesterday morning my mom came in and woke me up for church. Except instead of gently waking me and then arousing my sister, she urgently told me to get my sister ready for church that morning because she wasn't feeling well. After our shower and we were dressed, I heard my mom on the phone with a nurse. When they hung up, my mom told me that my dad was coming home from his before-church meetings to take care of her. As I finished getting my sister and I ready, my dad ran upstairs to my mother's bedside. He picked up the phone and called an ambulance. My mother instructed me to make up a hospital bag for her. The paramedics arrived, and my parents left.
My brother, sister, and I were picked up for church by some friends in the ward. During the sacrament, I sat reflecting on the events of the morning. Strangely, I wasn't that worried at all. I had kept calm. And I felt that things would be okay. Then, I glanced over towards my brother as he passed the sacrament. I remembered the deer-in-headlights look in his eyes when I explained what was happening that morning. As well as I had been doing, when I imagined little brother's fear I couldn't stop the tears from coming. And then I started to wonder about my mother. What if she were to die? I hugged my toddler sister closer to me as I imagined her growing up with only me as a mother. I saw my future before my eyes, mother-less. 
But it wasn't that bad because I knew then and know now that my family has been sealed in the temple and I'll be with them forever. Even though it was sad to think about my mother passing away, I knew I wouldn't be devastated because I knew she would be in a better place and that our family would be reunited once more.
Thankfully, my parents arrived home in the middle of the afternoon. My mother's condition isn't serious and once she rests up she will be back to normal. What a blessing this is!
When our ward found out that my dear mama was in the hospital, everyone made sure that we knew they cared. They're bringing meals for us since my mom has to stay in bed. Today we had delicious home-made chicken noodle soup which I know was lovingly prepared by a sister in our ward whom I adore. It's so comforting to have such a loving ward family.
I love my family so much. This small ordeal has brought us closer together. I am so completely grateful to my Father in Heaven for providing this wonderful gospel which lets me live with them forever in eternity. I know He loves us a lot.

"Today we had delicious home-made chicken noodle soup which I know was lovingly prepared by a sister in our ward..."

Help From Both Sides of the Veil

Several days ago I had a really rough day. I'm still not really sure what triggered it or why I felt so down, but I did. Both my parents were gone, and it was only my pre-teen brother and I in the house. But, he was outside gathering sticks for a campfire. So I was left alone with my feelings.
Aaaand, my feelings felt awful. I'll spare you the details, but I was miserable. So, I texted some of my closest friends and tried to lean on them for comfort. I told them how I felt and they responded as best as they could with hopeful words to comfort me. However as much as they tried, it didn't work. I just couldn't be happy. So, I prayed. Usually that is one of the first things I do when I'm upset, but that day I think I was being stubborn. But I communed with my God and told Him how I was feeling. Then, I asked Him to please send me an angel to comfort me. I know that He does send angels in times of need, whether we see them or not, and I knew then that He would if I asked. At the conclusion of my prayer, I felt a little better. Soon, though, I began crying again and felt just the same as I had before praying.
I carried on like this for a while, until I head a knock at my door. Knowing it was my little brother, I quickly pretended I was asleep. I didn't want him to see me like that. He walked in and shook me "awake".  My brother asked me if I would gather sticks in the woods with him. But I was in no mood for any such activity. I grunted a "no", but he kept begging. Soon, he began poking and tickling me in an attempt to force me to a standing position. Somehow, I think he truly believed that poking me would totally make me want to change my mind. But I was miserable, so why should I collect sticks with him? I didn't even want to.
After a few minutes of enduring his harassment, however, a thought suddenly came to mind, "You prayed for an angel to comfort you. Here he is!" The thought startled me, but it made me laugh. This boy, this goofball who was currently driving me crazy, was only trying to show love. He really wanted to be with me. He could probably tell that something wasn't right with me, and that was his way of trying to help. A sudden surge of affection for my little brother flowed through me. I stood and agreed to accompany him. The delight on his face was priceless, and I immediately felt better.
That day proved true the words of Elder Holland when this conference he said, "...[when dealing with trials] the Lord will send help from both sides of the veil." I know this is the case.

My brother and I.