From Ethan: Mon,
Oct 20, 2014 12:32 pm
This week started
with a lot of disappointments and frustration with no one being home and not
having anything to do, that all changed on Thursday after Elder Baggins
(Bagley) and I watched a video during companionship study time. It helped get
us into the Spirit! And want to go out and get stuff done!! After that we had
some awesome contacts with people, service opportunities and lessons.
Noelle
Pikus-Pace, American Skeleton racer, Silver Medalist in the 2014 Winter
Olympics came to Burley for a youth fireside! She and her husband gave some
really amazing talks about how the struggles and failures in her racing has
shaped them into who they are. Noelle gave some really good insights on what
she learned from her crashes and other disastrous events. Here are two stories
that I loved!
The first
story is from the World Championship preliminary race in Germany when she was
19 years old. Because she was young and
new to world championship races, her team mates gave her advice about this
German track. They told her to look out for different turns in the track telling
her they could flip her off her sled. As she approached the starting line she
watched a Japanese woman and a Canadian woman both crash on this track. She
started down the track already nervous and scared. Having made it through the first 9 turns, she
was approaching turn #10 and recognized it as a full 360 degree turn with 3
"pressures". The pressures are dips in the track designed to bring
you up to the roof or down to the bottom of the track. She had the thought,
"I'll just go with the flow." Then
she let the pressures bring her up high and down low. To her demise, the third
pressure brought her up way too fast. She
crashed into the roof of the track losing her sled and ending her run. The thing she learned from this run was to
avoid the pressures of the world. Do not
go with the flow of society. We need to steer through the evils in this world
and keep our focus on the straight and narrow path leading back to our Heavenly
Father.
The second story
is of a miraculous Priesthood blessing of healing. She noticed that the man transporting the sled
weighing 65-70 lbs. from the truck to the plane was a little older. Not wanting him to throw out his back from
lifting her sled she quickly cut in front of him and lifted it herself. Well, you can guess what happened! She threw out her back, the DAY before her Olympic
trials! The pain was incredibly terrible,
she couldn't sit up straight. With faith
that her Lord could heal her to perform her best, she asked her husband for a
Priesthood blessing of healing. The next
morning after a terrible night’s sleep with her back still out, she knew she
needed to show her faith in the Lord by going to work no matter what the pain. Jogging
like a cripple on this track, she was praying in her mind. About five minutes
into the run on a random step her back popped back into place and the pain was
gone!! WHOOO! She went on to make the Olympic team and win the Silver Medal!
The Priesthood Power of God is REAL. I can tell you first hand that I have seen
it work in my life and the lives of other. We are so lucky to have the restored
gospel in our lives accompanied by the true Priesthood authority and power of
God. It's amazing!
I was super lucky
and blessed to be able to meet Noelle and her husband. When she was bearing her
testimony she asked, "Are there any missionaries here?" Five minutes late to the fireside, we were way
in the back but we raised our hands proudly!
Pointing to us she said, "Look at those servants of the Lord! If
you haven't read the Book of Mormon, get one from them and read it! Good job,
Elders". Holy smokes! We also got to meet her and get some pictures with
her :) I got to hold the Silver Medal, Check it out!!! That definitely made my
week :) Check out her story at http://www.noellepikuspace.com/
-Elder Howard
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