So it's Saturday night and I am making all the last preparations
for the Sabbath Day.,.. Easter Sunday!
I am so excited. I love Sacrament Meeting.
I love my Savior!
While I was getting things done tonight, I turned on the TV
and of course the movie
"THE TEN COMMANDMENTS"
was on.
It's very Dramatic.., but it reminded me that I once climbed
mount Sinai where Moses talked with God
and received the commandments.
I was with our study abroad group in Israel and one of our
big field trips was to Egypt and the Sinai Peninsula.
We camped out on the beach of the red sea.
One morning we woke up to camels
walking though our camp.
We snorkeled in some of the
most spectacular waters in the world. The Sea life was incredible
It was like Dr Seuss meets Jacque Cousteau.
And then one morning we got up at 3 am
so that we could climb to the top of Mount Sinai
and make it around sunrise.
My brother Joe was with me
and we decided to go as fast as we could up the mountain.
We beat everyone up there except for our
Director's son who had climbed it several times.
When we got to the top… which was a difficult hike…
I took out my camera and started taking
amazing photos of the sun just starting to
peak over the horizon.
I was thrilled and couldn't believe where I was standing.
Some how I lost my balance and was so scared
because I was standing near a shear drop off...
so I over compensated and threw myself backward,
my camera fell out of my hands
and went straight down the cliff.
I couldn't believe this. I was physically sick.
I had some pictures in that camera that were priceless...
places and things that I could never duplicate.
I started to get teary and my brother looked over the edge
and said there is no way we can get that camera
It is a shear cliff.
So, I sat down and tried to concentrate on where we
were and what we were doing.
We were starting a beautiful sunrise service…
There were powerful testimonies of
truth and love that were shared
I will never forget what I felt.
Hours seemed like minutes and as we were wrapping up…
I looked over and saw hands coming up over the cliff
where I dropped my camera.
It was my Director"s son Daniel Galbraith
who was scaling that cliff
with my camera strap in his mouth.
He somehow shimmied down the mountain and found the
camera and even more amazing climbed and clawed his way back up.
I don't know how he did it.. but I hugged him and cried again.
The camera was still intact which was even more amazing.
Some of my photos in the camera included the sacred tomb where the prophets have said
that Christ was buried… and was resurrected.
This is the sign that hangs inside...
Other pictures were of the Temple wall… the wailing wall
Our group was able to go down under the wall right next
to the Holy of Holies… Not many get to do this.
The pyramids
Me with President Howard W. Hunter
Jerusalem
Oh and so many more…
I am grateful for the retrieval of my camera
but I am mostly grateful for my experiences in Israel
that strengthened my Testimony of my Savior, Jesus Christ.
I testify that He lives!
He loves us and wants each of us to return to Him.
But we must do our part. We must obey the Doctrine of Christ.
Have Faith in Him, Repent, Be baptized, Receive the Holy Ghost
and Endure to the End.
We must listen and follow the Spirit.
We must do our daily diligence that keeps us on the path
back to Him.
I love Him with all my heart and pray that I may
do all I can to live His Doctrine and Invite others
to Come Unto Christ.
Joy fills our Hearts…. He Lives Again!
