Tennessee Tornado Experience

This was our life last night:

So, life was great last night. Elder McDermott, one of our assistants to the President in our mission came and spent the night with us. We split up into two and two and went out to find people to teach. In all, we found 8 new investigators in 3 hours. The Lord's choicest blessings were upon us. We all got back to the apartment on time and we were tellin stories and cuttin up and we all hit the sack at 10:30, like we are supposed to. Well, I was out. My legs are sore from our morning work-outs (Elder Barnes is in shape!) and we did a lot of bike riding earlier in the day so I was exhausted. So there I was, gone, and I get woken up abruptly by Elder Baker, "Stringam, Get up!" I popped outta bed and looked at Elder Baker and saw a sheer look of fear. I looked out the window and I thought we were in the middle of the perfect storm. Wind was blowing hard, trees were whippin around, tornado sirens were blaring, thunder was crashing, and lightning was striking. It felt like all hell was breaking loose. Elder McDermott popped up right after I did and he woke up Elder Barnes. We grabbed Elder McDermott's mattress and we all crowded into the bathroom. Protocol in the mission is when a tornado threat is happening, get into the bathtub and have a mattress ready to pull on top of ourselves. McD sat on the toilet, Baker was in the bathtub, Barnes was half-asleep sitting on the bathtub, and I was on the floor between the tub and the bathroom scale, trembling. I have NEVER trembled because of fear before, but last night it happened. I didn't think I was that scared. I knew that God would protect his missionaries like he has done in the past...side note...Today was interviews and Sister Hutchings gave us a training. She told us that during the mission president's seminar she was talking to another mission mom who keeps in contact with the mission president and his wife in Japan. I guess during the tsunami up there, all the missionaries were at a zone conference in the inland most part of the country. That was no coincidence...un-side note...and I also knew that we had a mattress to protect us, but just the thought of being sucked up by a tornado and throw like a ragdoll across the city was not a pleasant thought in my mind. As I sat there, in the dark, looking at my hands, and shaking uncontrollably, my thoughts turned directly to my family. Memories, what has happened, who I am, the past, my mission, etc. It was a surreal time to reflect on my life. Elder Baker suggested that we all say a prayer and we did so. After that, hope came to me. Hope only in the atonement of Jesus Christ. Looking back to last night, that hope came from the Holy Ghost. He testified to me that Jesus is real. That he did suffer and die for my family and me, and because of that, we can always be a family. Forever. We gave President Hutchings a call and reported what was happening. We were probably in the bathroom for about 10 minutes and then the storm started to subside. The lightning and thunder kept on, but the wind slowed down a little bit and the rain started to cut back as well. We all watched the lightning strike out the window and we were in awe at mother nature. Eventually, we all got back into our beds and everyone fell asleep. I stayed up for a little while. My uncontrollable shaking had subsided once we left the bathroom. Elder Baker sounded like a tornado of his own with his snoring, so I took my mattress into the family room and kicked it out there for the night. While out there, I looked out the window at the lightning and just meditated. I got on my knees and thanked my Heavenly Father for my life and my family. I asked for his comfort and his peace, and it came. I will never forget my Tennessee Tornado Experience, because the Lord taught me so many lessons last night, and none of them had to do with tornadoes. I Stand All Amazed...at the love of our Heavenly Father and his Son Jesus Christ.     ....the tornado weather was pretty amazing as well. :)