Believing, Obeying, and Enduring down the Pongakawa.

    This is my first time posting on the blog. I love the idea, and that our YW leaders decided to create this website for us. 

    Although I didn't have the chance to take my gnome with me to New Zealand, I thought I would share one of my favorite pictures from the trip. 

    You are probably wondering why in the world I chose a picture of me in a plastic floater going down a river, while showing off the best smile ever. Let me give you some background knowledge.

    

    I am very much a city girl. I love nature. But when it comes to swimming in water, I would prefer going down the lazy river at Seven Peaks than going down the Pongakawa River with fish, greenery everywhere, and an electrical fence along the outside, forcing me to stay in the water till we reach the end, which is an hour and a half away. Long story short, it was fun for the first five minutes (which is when this picture was taken), it was very cold, I ended up getting shocked by the electrical fence, and found out from my Aunty that there were no eels in the water, and that my cousins were just trying to scare me. 

    In a talk given by the Prophet last May, he spoke to the Young Women of the church on Believing, Obeying, and Enduring. When I was going down the Pongakawa with all my family, I had to believe I would make it to the end without dying from hypothermia. I had to obey my father and trust in him when he told me to just keep swimming till I reach the end of the journey. I had to endure though all the tough parts of the ride (crawling under fences, curling over when low bridges came our way, avoiding being dunked by cousins, and pushing along when it got tough), just so I could say I made it all the way, through the ups and downs. 

    Here are two of my favorite parts from the Prophets talk he gave;

"What does it mean to endure? I love this definition: to withstand with courage. Courage may be necessary for you to believe; it will at times be necessary as you obey. It will most certainly be required as you endure until that day when you will leave this mortal existence.

You are precious, precious daughters of our Heavenly Father sent to earth at this day and time for a purpose. You have been withheld until this very hour. Wonderful, glorious things are in store for you if you will only believe, obey, and endure. "

    Love this. Floating down the river was hard for me. But there was so much beauty that came with it. A natural silence that was so calming, beautiful trees and plants everywhere. It was quite the adventure for me, and I don't know if I could have done it with out believing, obeying, and enduring. 

    So excited to see what the rest of you guys have to say and post on the blog! What a great idea, and I know we can have tons of fun with this. 

   - Kowhai