Shane: On the Hurricane

Elder Shane Washburn is serving in New York, specifically in Richmond Hill on Long Island. So I admit to feeling a little panicky as I listened to last week's news reports on the rapidly approaching hurricane Irene. Soon emails started pouring into my inbox from the missionary moms group I joined when Shane was in the MTC, and before too long I was reminded and reassured that our sons and daughters were in the very best hands possible (the Lord's) and that all would be well with them. After this, I watched the news with interest rather than with fear. But was I ever eager for Shane's Monday morning email, although I knew it might be delayed. Much to my joy, it arrived at about the usual time. This is how he started his email:


"Well, Dear Family,


Here I am, alive and well. I survived the storm, just barely. I was afraid it was going to wake me up during the night as I slept, but luckily it didn't disturb my sleeping pattern in any way at all."


He wrote that they had been instructed to remain in their apartment beginning at 5PM on Saturday until they were given the all clear, which came at 5:30PM on Sunday. They spent the afternoon looking for ways to help get people prepared to ride out the storm, but everyone they contacted was already prepared. He said that an Area Seventy, Elder Jeffery Olsen, had prophesied a few months ago that a hurricane would come to New York before the end of this year. He and his padmates stocked up on bottled water and canned soup, and borrowed a TV with Church videos from the church, and waited for the hurricane to come ashore. They were a little disappointed by the storm. When he ventured out, he said that the damage was minimal, just a couple of downed trees, 1 or 2 crushed cars, and a couple of blocked roads. All else seemed fine in his area. I expect he'll have more to say about helping with clean-up next week.





I posted part of his letter to the other missionary moms, some of whom were still anxiously awaiting word from their sons. Julie Bazzle, a nearby member of the group whose son is also in the NYNY South Mission, looked up her son's email from July 8th. She quoted from his letter:


"Wow... *so an Area Seventy pretty much prophesied that a hurricane will hit east New York around the end of next month.* It was nuts!" Those were his words. So we asked him what he was doing to prepare for it. (Never answered that question). By the way, I kept thinking they were given this knowledge for a reason. Sometimes I was worried that he was not going to heed the warning. So, praying one night that if this was to be, that my son would prepare and listen to their leaders, I got the distinct impression to send both of my missionaries flashlights and batteries. Although because of my New York missionary's wording (east New York) I did not think about VA getting hit. But I sent my D.C. missionary son one also. And yesterday, his email said, "Mom, I pretty much consider it a miracle that you sent me a flashlight last month, as we were without power along with thousands of others here in Virginia."

It was very cool to read Julie's email, and to have yet another example of the Holy Spirit''s guidance. For now, I do not know why some are spared and others are taken, but I am very grateful that Shane is safe. He will be flying home from NY on Nov. 23rd, the day before Thanksgiving, and I am so happily anticipating that wonderful day, and hoping other friends and family members will be able to spend some time with us that week as well. Another family, though, will not be able to have a joyous reunion with their daughter in this lifetime. A young sister missionary in the Utica NY Mission, Vanessa Bentley from Tucson, AZ, was killed in a car accident this week. Our prayers are with her loved ones, and with her companion, too. Always, always, during mortality, there will be joy and sorrow, good and bad, life and death. Through it all, we grow, one way or another. Our task is to grow closer to God, to become more like Him, and to learn to trust Him completely. We can't do it without The Holy Spirit's help. So we have to tune out the world, and tune into heavenly things, like love, service, repentance, forgiving (a hard one for me sometimes, and so on.. Can we do it? Yes we can!