Busy Busy Busy

So I have been a little busy lately....

Went to our first Stevens Family Reunion in Long Beach, Washington...

 

Stayed with our friends in their newly-built cabin in Eastern Washington over Labor Day...

 

 

Started a new website....

 

 

Took Heidi to college at BYU-Idaho....

 

 

Went through the Idaho Falls Temple with Eric's sister Michelle and her family....

 



And spent time with family while in Idaho....

 

Life has sure been good.
 



Featured

My ultimate dream...

 

Another one of my essays was featured on our writing group's website recently. This is neither surprising nor special, since our group has taken a summer hiatus and I am running the website on my own. Just out of sheer boredom, I have been trying to add some interesting things to the site, trying to keep all 24 of our readers interested.

 

I also redesigned the website.

 

And added a twitter account.

 

If you haven't visited it lately, you should really check it out.

 

Who knows, maybe next I will record our stories onto audio tape and have a running story-time every time you visit the site. You better check it out just to see if I really go there....

 



Tender Mercies

A very tired little girl :(

 

This last week was a difficult one. Elise caught a stomach virus which lasted for a couple days. Unfortunately for her, little stomach bugs turn into big problems. We weren't able to get her to eat or drink anything, including her anti-seizure medications.

 

Elise became very sick very quickly. She started on Wednesday night at dinner, not wanting to eat and starting to look a little green. She vomited not long after that. I left her with Heidi while I went to work on Thursday, stocked with Gatorade, Sprite and ice cream. Basically anything that would tempt her to take a drink of something. By the time I got home for lunch, she had had five seizures (two of them were the night before), one of which was terrifying for the kids to watch. Heidi had immediately called Eric, who came home right away.

 

I only had two more patients for the day, so we decided to take her to the hospital when I was done with work and try to get some fluids into her. We took her to the ER at Providence Hospital in Everett. We were there for about five hours, where she had two more violent seizures. One was exactly like the one that Heidi described from earlier that day. Her eyes suddenly shot open, her pupils were huge and black, and she started screaming hysterically while her entire body stiffened. It was the most terrifying thing that I have ever witnessed. I will never forget the look of sheer terror on her little face.

 

We had been sitting in the hospital room already for a long time, with hardly anyone coming in to check on us. Her first seizure had started directly after the doctor left the room. I ran out of the room to notify the nurses in the hall, but by the time they came in she was already self-stabilizing. When she had the second seizure, however, we were certainly not ignored. Three nurses and her doctor came running into the room as soon as they heard her screams. I was trying to console her, but didn't know what to do. I was crying, trying to talk to her and touch her face, hoping that somewhere inside of her she could hear my voice. The team immediately threw an oxygen mask on her face and a dose of Atavan (a strong form of Valium) was ordered for her.

 

After three needle sticks, the nurses were able to get an IV into Elise's arm. The Atavan was pumped in and she almost immediately quieted down.

 

The ER doctor who was helping Elise out decided that she was beyond the scope of their care. She needed a pediatric neurologist, who could get her seizures stabilized. They decided that we needed to transfer her down to Children's Hospital in Seattle.

 

Elise and I rode in the noisy, bumpy ambulance down to Children's at around midnight. She had another minor seizure in the ambulance, but it was very small. The EMT who rode in the back with us gave her a cute little teddy bear, with a few injuries of his own. He had a bandaid on his head, a cast on his leg, and carried a crutch.

 

We arrived at Children's and went through all the test results and interviews with multiple doctors. Elise had another seizure while everyone else was out of the room, but it was pretty mild. I mentioned it to them when they returned and they were stunned that I hadn't notified them. I hadn't gotten much help before so it didn't occur to me to call for anyone again, especially for a small one. But they were flabbergasted. It was pretty funny actually.

 

Elise was put onto a loading dose of Keppra, one of her main anti-seizure medications. After that we were finally admitted. We didn't get to our room until 4:00 am. By then I was so tired I thought that I would fall asleep on my feet. After getting her situated in the room I was finally able to get a few hours sleep until morning.

 

The next day Elise did well. She was very sleepy and nonresponsive, but that was understandable. The important thing was that she was no longer having seizures. Now the waiting game was just to see when she could manage drinking on her own, in particular to take her medications.

 

Eric came to Children's at about noon and I was able to step out of the room for a few minutes to get us some lunch. We coaxed Elise all afternoon until finally she was ready to really wake up. At last she was drinking enough and alert enough that the doctors felt comfortable to release her. We got home around 6:00 that night, just in time to make some dinner for the kids. 

 

On our way home!

As I have reflected back on this experience, I have been amazed to notice all the tender mercies that we received during Elise's illness.

 

Although it was scary to watch my child go through so much trauma over something as small as a stomach virus, I have felt so incredibly blessed. She is healthy and doing well. She was a bit wobbly today still, but by this evening she was laughing and babbling just like she always does. We have our little Elisey back, with no apparent damage.

 

The amazing thing was, however, that I felt so much peace during the entire event. I knew without a doubt that she was going to recover, that she was in excellent care with all the doctors and nurses who handled her case, and that we were going to pull through this as a family.

 

Several times the nurses and doctors mentioned how surprised they were about our calm demeanor. They said that most parents would be panicking at what they saw and what was happening with their child. We laughed it off, saying that it wasn't our first time dealing with these issues. But the more I have thought about it, the more I realize what a beautiful gift we were given of peace and comfort. It was a blessing straight from our Father in Heaven and I am so thankful for it.

 

I was also never concerned about the other kids at home. Heidi did a wonderful job holding down the fort, feeding the kids, and managing all that needed done in our absence. What a blessing she is to our family as well.

 

While we watched over our sleepy girl in the hospital, on Friday we had a visit from a woman in one of the wards located around Children's Hospital. She came asking if we needed assistance with anything, if we needed Priesthood blessings, and if we wanted our names submitted on the temple rolls for strengthening prayers and blessings. I was so touched by her visit, a complete stranger, who came bringing the love of the Savior into our room. She seemed to look right into me and see exactly what I needed to hear at that time. Among other things, she said that I needed a chocolate milk shake and gave Eric the charge to find me one. I felt incredibly blessed to be so looked after.

 

And then there were all the prayers from friends and family. It only took a few little posts on Facebook for me to have an entire support group rallying around our family. I can't even express how very much I felt those prayers. The power of prayer and faith is real. It is so real that I feel that I could tangibly reach out and touch it. I am still basking in the warm afterglow left over from it's encompassing glory. God's love for us is real. His love for my family is real. And His love for my little girl is as wide as the universe.

 

I am so grateful for tender mercies, and their affirming and absolute confirmation of my Heavenly Father's tender love for each of us. 

The Case of the Dog-Napper

The following is an experiment that I played with for my writing group. I took one of my favorite memories of Erica growing up, and wrote it in story form. The story was featured on our website, but I included it in it's entirety below.

 

Happy Reading!!

 

I sat on the step of my front porch, watching my four-year old daughter, Erica, as she was playing with our neighbor's dog. It was time to make dinner, everyone would be hungry and complaining soon, but I just couldn't tear myself away from watching the girl and dog. The sounds of her laughter, intermingled with the joyous yips of the little black puppy bounced off the grass and seemed to fill the culdesac which we lived on. They were currently chasing each other around in circles, the dog making almost instantaneous changes in direction and reversing the circular pattern, teasing my giggling girl who could not possibly keep up. Her short legs tripped over the grass, the exertion creating a ruddy pink flush in her round cheeks.

"Ebony!" Erica called out, gasping between laughs, as the pup darted again in another tangent, sending Erica spinning.

I laughed too. Nothing could warm a mother's heart more than seeing her child blissfully happy. The stress from the day, all the pent-up frustration from working with irritable patients, along with the physical exhaustion associated with leaning over a dental chair for nine hours, all seemed to melt away, dripping off my person and depositing itself onto the pavement below my feet. The longer I soaked up the joy shared between my daughter and the neighbor's dog, the more at peace I felt with the world.

We had only just pulled into the driveway, arriving home at the end of a long day. Before the car was even in park, Ebony was outside Erica's door yapping excitedly. Erica quickly slid the door open and was off playing with her little buddy. This was the new routine. Our neighbor, Denise, was always out in the yard, working in her garden while Ebony would chase insects and run laps around the dogwood tree with the white blossoms. As soon as she saw our car coming around the corner she would start barking and jumping excitedly in our driveway. Then, when a car door was opened she was jumping on our legs and yipping happily. It was our own little welcome party every evening.

Tonight I hadn't even made it into the house. Too tired to care, I had sat right on the porch step in my grey and blue scrubs.

Obviously hearing the commotion, my husband Eric came out the front door and sat down next to me on the step.

"What are you doing?" he asked, even though the answer was apparent.

"Sitting," I replied, and then sighed blissfully.

We watched the two play-pals scampering around in the grass. Denise was still weeding in her garden, but she would look up every once in a while and let out a little chortle of amusement.

"That kid needs a dog," Eric said for probably the hundredth time.

I sighed again, this time not so peacefully. We had been over this so many times.

"Every kid needs a dog," Eric muttered under his breath.

"Hey, not every kid," I said. "I never had a dog growing up, and look how I turned out."

"Yeah, look how you turned out, you animal-hater," he responded, but he chuckled and bumped my shoulder with his teasingly.

"I am not an animal-hater," I retorted. "It's not my fault that I'm deathly allergic to all of them."

"Nah, you're just pretending," he said. "You're just faking all the sneezing, drippy noses, and red eyes."

"Hey, what can I say? I'm good at what I do."

Although he teased me about it, he knew that owning a pet was not an option for us. We had tried it before with abysmal results. Seven years earlier we had acquired an adorable black kitten, with soft white paws and a star on his nose. I had only been able to tolerate living with him for a year before my allergies became so severe that we had to give him away.

When my oldest daughter, Heidi, was ten years old we got her a black hamster which she named Little Bear.  The kids had a lot of fun chasing the little fur ball around the house until the week that my daughter was gone to fifth grade camp. I neglected to feed or water the poor creature and it didn't survive. I almost bought her a new hamster to cover up my mistake, but then decided that she would probably figure out the truth immediately. We held a simple burial service in the back yard instead, placing three large stones in the soft dirt to mark the spot.

Thinking that it was a no-brainer, our latest venture was an aquarium. The fish did not last very long, however, owing mostly to the fact that one fish in particular seemed to enjoy eating the others. The kids soon lost interest in the quiet, non-furry and non-cuddly creatures, so that when the last fish finally died we got rid of the tank altogether.

No, it was much better to have a next-door type of pet. Similar to the joys of being a grandparent, with all the fun of spoiling the little tykes and none of the responsibilities associated with it. Erica could play with the dog all she wanted, but we did not have to walk her, or feed her, or clean up her messes in the grass. We could simply give the dog a farewell pat on the head and go into the pet-free environment of our house.

Except that Erica never seemed to want to leave Ebony. She asked to play with her all the time, and when it was time to come inside for the night, a serious meltdown would occur. She loved that dog and Ebony loved her right back.

The next day I was washing the dishes in the kitchen, while Erica was playing outside in the backyard. It was a beautiful day and all my doors and windows were open to take advantage of the cool breezes which would occasionally sweep through. Suddenly I heard the front door slam shut and the unmistakable clicking of puppy paws on the hard wood floor.  I turned to find Ebony rounding the corner into the kitchen, with Erica right on her heals.

"Ebony's here to play with me!" Erica stated proudly.

"Umm, I don't think so," I said, bending down and picking up the little dog. Ebony gave a cheerful yip and licked my hand.

I took the dog out through the front door, thinking that Denise was probably working in the garden and that Ebony had followed Erica into the house. There was no one outside.

"That's strange," I thought. I started to walk across the yard and up our neighbor's driveway. Before I reached her front door, however, Denise came running out, breathless.

"Are you missing something?" I asked, laughing, as Ebony squirmed out of my arms and ran over to her, yipping and jumping on her legs.

"You won't believe what just happened!" Denise said, after greeting Ebony with a loving scratch behind her soft ears.

"What?" I asked.

"I was napping on the sofa, when I was woken by Ebony barking at the end of the hall. Suddenly Erica walks right past me, picks up Ebony and takes her out through the front door. For a few minutes I thought that I was dreaming, but then I realized that I was awake and that Ebony was gone!"

My jaw must have seriously dropped to the pavement.

"Erica was in your house?" I asked, dumb-founded. "And she took Ebony?"

"I guess so. It was all so strange, because I had just been asleep...."

I could not have been more mortified. "Oh, Denise! I am so sorry! I will need to talk to her about this. This is unacceptable."

Denise seemed to take stock of the situation then, and started to chuckle. "It's okay, really. I know she loves that dog. She probably just wanted to play with her."

I apologized all over again, letting her know that I was taking it seriously. It would never happen again.

Back in the house, Erica stood in front of me, her face downcast and tear-stained.  I was just explaining to her that we cannot go into our neighbor's houses, and we certainly cannot take their puppies home with us, no matter how much we love them.

"But Ebony wanted to play with me!" she cried, her bright blue eyes brimming with large wet tears.

I sighed, not sure if my message got through to her.

When Eric got home later that night and was told about the puppy-napping incident, he immediately began to laugh.

"This isn't funny!" I cried. "Our daughter is turning into a felon, and all you can do is laugh?"

"I still can't believe she walked into their house," he replied. "Denise must have been in shock."

I couldn't help but chuckle over the scene playing through my head. Denise, in her sleepy state seeing a phantom child whisk away her precious little pup, and then jolting awake several minutes later to discover that it was her precocious neighbor girl.

"Maybe we need to get her a dog of her own," Eric said, unhelpfully. Again.

"You know that we can't," I said. "We would fall in love with it, and then I would get so sick I couldn't live in my own house. Then we would have to give it away and it would break all our hearts."

Eric sighed.

Over the next few days I kept a vigilant watch over Erica, only allowing her to play in the fenced backyard, but she proved to be a highly capable escape artist.

The doorbell rang, and there was Denise standing with Erica and Ebony.

"Erica!" I cried. "You were just in the back yard!"

Apparently, Erica had shaken the gate open on our side of the yard, found a hole in Denise's fence which was covered with vines and a low hanging tree, and slipped into their back yard. She had then walked right through her back door into the kitchen and started to take Ebony out the front door with her. This time, Denise caught her.

What was I going to do with my child? Denise laughed and was very nice about everything, but I just wanted to sink into the earth. I was so embarrassed.

We had many long talks about going into other people's houses, uninvited. Then I started to get paranoid and had to cover the topic of stranger danger and not going near anyone at all. What if she marched right in to someone's house that was dangerous, or if she walked off with someone who was supposedly looking for their "lost puppy?" My paranoia seemed to rub off on her, and she was constantly on the lookout for "bad people." When we were driving in the car one day, Erica heard police sirens and said that "the police were going to get the bad people, so they don't take me away." I knew at that point that it had gone far enough.

We needed a new tactic.

A lovely pink tricycle, decorated with several popular princesses and shining tassels streaming from the handlebars was just the trick.

Now as I sit on the front porch, the culdesac is once again full of my daughter's laughter. She is pedaling merrily on her princess bike, and although it is still difficult for her little legs to push the pedals in a full rotation, she doesn't seem to notice. Ebony is jumping around her feet, making her progress slow, but the yips and laughs make it clear that the two of them are enjoying themselves. Ebony starts off in a quick lap around the bike, egging Erica on to go faster. She pushes her legs down harder, propelling the bike forward in a smooth and quick movement and Erica squeals in delight.

I close my eyes and soak in the sounds, letting the outside world just melt away.

Erica, with her buddy Ebony.

 

The above story is based on one of Heather's favorite memories of her daughter growing up, written in story form. All characters are real people and a real dog. No animals were injured during the making of this story, except of course the hamster, the dead fish, and the poor cat whose fate is unknown.

Cluttered Mind

I posted this picture on my writing group's Facebook page a while back. I love it. Makes me feel better about my non-empty desk (and house, for that matter).

Yes, my house is cluttered and is a mess, but according to Albert Einstein it means that my mind is so full of ideas it can hardly contain them.

I'm not sure if Einstein's "clutter" consisted of the same type of clutter that resides in my mind, though. Somehow I don't think that he spent an exorbidant amount of time going over grocery lists, doctor's appointments, the daily schedule of six separate people in the same household, or seventh grade math assignments.

Then again, I could be wrong....

Tiffany's Journey

 

In January Eric and I started attending the missionary discussions with a girl that I had never met before, Tiffany Clark. The first time I met her was at the church after she had gotten off work at Wendy's, which is just up the street. It was a gray and drizzly evening, and Tiffany came rolling up to the door in her rollerblades, with a huge set of headphones on, and with a lot of spunk. I immediately thought to myself, "Well, this is going to be interesting!" Little did I know at that time what an amazing experience I was about to have with someone who appeared to be my total opposite.

 

Tiffany was looking for truth, and she was intrigued with the church. She had so many questions. I was immediately impressed with her voracious appetite for knowledge. She wanted to know everything, and with every answer we gave her, she would nod her head and say, "I like that. It makes sense."

 

Tiffany had come from a life of difficulty. She had been homeless as a teenager, pregnant, and abandoned by nearly everyone she knew. She went through so many trials at such a young age, and yet through it all developed an inner strength and resilience. I admired her right away for her drive to find truth and meaning, and her amazing sense of integrity to not involve herself in the garbage that surrounded her.

 

The longer we went with the discussions, the more Tiffany wanted to be baptized. I couldn't be more thrilled. The first step, however, was to marry the man that she was living with, and the father of her two youngest girls.

 

Tiffany and Kiel make a wonderful couple. In Kiel, Tiffany has found unconditional love, total commitment to their family, and a solid support for her. Although he has not shown interest in the church yet, he has been completely supportive of Tiffany as she was exploring her interest in the church and eventually wanted to become a member.

 

The thing that sticks in my mind the most that Tiffany said about Kiel is that he loves it when Tiffany and the girls go to church, because he can feel a difference in their home when they return. What a beautiful comment on what an impact the church can make in a family, even if it is a part-member family.

 

Tiffany and Kiel were married on June 21, 2014 in Brother and Sister Jensen's backyard. It was a gorgeous day, with a beautiful setting. What a special way to unite this family!

 

With the help of several ladies from the Ward, we put together a sweet little party. The decorations were simple. The bride was lovely. The food was delicious, and the spirit which was in that backyard was precious. Several of Tiffany and Kiel's family members and friends were able to attend the ceremony, along with a number of people from our Ward. It was wonderful to have so much support for this new family!

 



 

The elders were very excited for this wedding, since it meant that Tiffany could take the next step and be baptized!

 

 

Tiffany's second daughter Kaylee was baptized first, on June 15th, 2014. It was a really special day for her, and I was so proud of her for taking that first step to becoming a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

 



Then it was Tiffany's turn! Tiffany was baptized on July 6th, 2014. It truly was an amazing experience to witness her baptism. The Spirit bore testimony to me of how sacred this ordinance was, and how much it meant to Tiffany. As I stood on the side of the font, watching my dear friend be fully immersed in the water, just as Jesus Christ himself had done two millennia ago, my heart was brimming with pride and love. I knew that our Heavenly Father was so proud of her and the decision she made to be baptized. I knew that even though Tiffany had struggled through so much heartache in her young life, the Savior was watching over her and was with her for every step of her journey. He was preparing her and her heart for this special moment.

 



 

I was able to assist Tiffany as she stepped out of the font. Although she was dripping wet we embraced in a hug and I couldn't help but exclaim in excited whispers, "You did it! You did it!" Later on I discovered that our gleeful exclamations had echoed around the font and that everyone who had attended the baptism were witness to our joyful moment. I heard from many people on how sweet the Spirit was which was present in the room, and that our greeting was an incredibly touching moment. It was a moment that I will never forget.

 

 

Tiffany had started the missionary discussions with two sister missionaries, Sister Adams and Sister Garn. Both were able to attend the baptism, which was incredibly special. Sister Garn, who flew up for the event from her home in Utah, gave a beautiful talk on baptism. I was privileged to give the talk on the Holy Ghost.

 

  

The elders who completed Tiffany's discussions were Elder Paul and Elder Galante. They did such a wonderful job bringing the Spirit into all the discussions with both Tiffany and Kaylee. I was constantly impressed with their zealous dedication, their hard work, and the absolute love which they were able to share with us.

 

I feel a special connection with each of these missionaries who played such an important role in Tiffany's journey. They were all in our home so much, they almost feel like a permanent fixture there. What a wonderful blessing it has been to have them in our home.

 

I will forever be grateful for the opportunity which I have had to be a small part of Tiffany's journey to baptism. No one could have possibly guessed that two people who are so different, with such different backgrounds and different personalities could become such wonderful friends. Tiffany is not only my friend, though, she is my sister.

 

We are sisters of the heart and sisters in the gospel, linked forever through love and sacrifice, healing and hope, renewal and rebirth.

 

My sister, my friend.

 



Tee Shirt Designer

You're Just My Type

 

 Last week I made some iron-on transfer shirts.

 

I'd rather be at Pemberley.

 

What can I say, I'm dorky like that.

 

Keep Calm, Write On

 

I've gotten several comments on them already, so I must not be the only dork out there. Too bad they probably won't last through very many washes.

 

typewriter keys

 

So then I decided to take my favorite image and start up a new tee shirt campaign for my writing group! Here is my lovely creation!

 

Order your shirt HERE.

 

  I am super excited to launch this new tee shirt campaign with a new fun design! If you would like to order your own, please see the link attached to the image above. Featuring a vintage typewriter and a note saying, "You're just my type!" this is a fun way to show your love for the Six Chicks!

Shirts are available in women's sizes, as well as unisex, and offer a variety of styles. You can choose a V-neck shirt, hoody sweatshirt, or go for the traditional tee! As before, the shirts will be available for a limited time, so get yours today!

Super CUTE, and they are only $12! Plus free shipping if you have it delivered to me! I can't wait to get mine!!

I Want Jesus To Walk With Me

Last weekend I had the privilege of attending an amazing concert put on by the Ensign Symphony and Chorus, with special guest Alex Boye. What a wonderful evening! I have know about Alex Boye' for a while now, since he started singing as a member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir (of which he just recently retired from) and also recorded "Peponi" ("Paradise") with one of my favorite groups The Piano Guys. When I found out he would be coming to Seattle I knew that I had to make it to that concert!

Alex Boye' performing with The Piano Guys

Alex's story is an amazing one in itself. He told the audience a little about his history. Of Nigerian decent, he had a difficult childhood growing up in a rough neighborhood in London. Abandoned at age eleven, he lived homeless on the streets of London until he was placed in a number of foster homes. At the age of 16 while working at McDonald's he became acquainted with a pair of missionaries. He began taking the missionary discussions and was eventually baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served a two-year mission for the Church in Bristol, England. As he prepared to return home, his mission president mentioned that he hoped that Alex would pursue a career in music, as it was an integral part of who he was.

When Alex returned home from his mission he was signed with a recording agency to be part of a boy band, and began touring around Europe. He said that although he gained a lot of experience with this venture, performing with big name acts like George Michael, he felt like he was surrounded by a lot of negative things which were not bringing him closer to God. He said that he didn't think that this was what his mission president had had in mind during his counsel to him. Alex eventually left the band, an act which required a lot of sacrifice on his part, as attorneys were brought in by his record label for breaking his contract. They stripped him of everything he had: apartment, car, savings. Eventually, without a penny to his name, he made his way to the United States where he settled in Salt Lake City, unsure of what to do next with his life.

It was while he was in Salt Lake that he started performing as a special guest for different groups, and eventually was invited to perform with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, first as a guest performer, and finally as a member of the choir.

Alex told a very touching story about the song that means the most to him. He was asked to sing "I Want Jesus to Walk With Me" with the choir, and to add his African flair to the song. The song was such a success that he was asked to travel to Africa for a music video shoot. He was excited to go. He and the film crew traveled to Ghana, without having any preconceived ideas of where they should do the shoot. They left it up to chance and the Spirit to help direct where to go.

Alex was drawn to a beautiful old building nestled in the rocks on the coast of Ghana and asked about doing the shoot there. He was told that they would probably be denied. Even Oprah Winfrey and President Barack Obama himself had had a difficult time cutting through all the red tape necessary to secure filming on the location at previous times. The location was a building of great historical significance, being the largest holding place on the coast for slaves which were taken to America and England. The prisoners were held captive there, crammed by the thousands into holding cells which were meant to contain hundreds. The conditions were unimaginable. Starving and disease-ridden, they were held for up to six months before they were loaded onto boats and sent throughout the world.

Alex knew that this was the place which they were meant to film the video. It took a lot of work to get permission, but with what he felt like was some divine intervention, it was made possible.

As the film crew climbed down into the depths of the prison, it was evident that they were walking on holy ground. Alex said that as he looked up through the tunnels he could see the sky, and the place from where the slaves' captors worshipped.

An intense feeling overwhelmed Alex as he stood there in the bowels of the prison, but it wasn't one of despair or anguish like you might expect. It was an immense feeling of God's love. He bore a strong testimony of how much he could feel God's love for each of His children, and the power of the Atonement, which gives us the peace and comfort we need through our trials, no matter how big or small they may be. The Spirit was very strong in the auditorium as Alex bore his testimony. I was deeply touched by his spirit and the message which he shared. He then performed the song which meant so much to him.

I felt so blessed to have had the opportunity to feel of this great man's spirit in person. The example which he is to the world is a testimony to me of how God brings miracles through the meek. Alex had a difficult start in life. Many could have said that he would amount to nothing. But through his continued perseverance and unquenchable faith in God, he was able to rise above the darkness and enter the light of Christ, allowing us a glimpse of that brilliant light through him.