Rochers de Naye: No Regrets

My schedule here is a little wacky.  Each day has consisted of something new.  Monday I slept in. Tuesday morning I woke up at 6:00 and attempted a morning run.  Bad idea.  A, I am out of shape. B, I am living at a very different altitude than the one I am use to in Hawaii.  C, it was freezing.

Breakfast is served from 7:45am to 8:30am.  After breakfast, I then head off to trainings which start around 9:30am. There have been about three trainings a day, each lasting about two hours.  One in the morning, one in the afternoon and one in the evening.  In between I have been squeezing in naps and down time.  I'm trying very hard to balance my down time and any sort of social life.  I want to take advantage of the time I have to interact with all these wonderful people but, by the same token, I want to take advantage of any time I can have to myself.  I'm still working that one out.

Last night presented us interns with our wackiest schedule yet.  When Rob (one of our intern directors) suggested we wake up at 1:45am to go on a hike, I was a little surprised.  I was tempted to stay in bed, catch up on the sleep I seem to still be needing and wake up at the usual 7:00am (that was definitely the warmer of the two options). However, I knew it was something I wouldn't want to miss out on and I would regret not going. So, my roommates and I woke up at 1:45am and set off.  I don't know what I expected but, the hike definitely exceeded any exceptions I may have had.  Saying that I was on "Cloud Nine" would probably fit my reaction to the hike perfectly.  I love hiking, I am use to pretty mountains, I enjoy being outside but, this sunrise hike trumped anything I have ever done. 

The mountains here are spectacular.  Besides the absence of large castles, I felt as if I was walking through Rivendell, straight out of Lord of the Rings.  Stone pathways, thousands of trees, rolling hills, and (removing ourselves from the Lord of the Rings imagery) there are numerous cottages spread throughout the woods and hills that fit perfectly any stereotype you may have of a "swiss cottage"--Cute paneled wood, intricate hand carved railings, green shutters and smoke rising out of the chimney. I'm talking about picture-perfect beauty, I am constantly having to ask myself if this is real life. 

We arrived at the summit of Rochers de Naye after about three hours of hiking.  I have survived cold temperatures before but at least those times, I have been properly outfitted.  Ladies and gents, it was bitter cold and howling wind.  There was snow on the ground and I swear ice was falling out of my nose.  My fingers and toes are still unthawing.  The sun came up and the view was breathtaking.  Although I was cold, the smile could not be wiped off my face and my heart felt on fire.  I love nature.  I love God.  And I love connecting the two.  I am so thankful that my parents have instilled a love of the outdoors in me.  Without it, I probably wouldn't have made it very far this morning.  I took my film camera up and I can't wait to get the pictures developed once I get home to Utah.  But, for now, these photos will have to do.

 

As silly as it sounds, I learned a lot from this hike.  Waking up at 1:45am in the morning for thirteen miles and seven hours of hiking can teach you a lot about yourself.

I realized my potential to be positive and how big of a difference it makes in the enjoyment of an experience.  Both for oneself and those around.

I learned how good it feels to help people who may be having a hard time making it up or down the mountain (literally and figuratively).  At one point, I was helping my new friend Rana down the moment and as I held her hand, I felt so much peace and happiness in my soul.  Five days ago, this girl and I had never met.  She was living her life in Egypt and I was doing my thing in Provo, Utah.  Today's hike connected us.  It connected us as interns, as friends, and as Children of God.

I talked with multiple people about religion and faith this morning. The idea of religion and remaining committed and devoted to an idea or being more powerful than ourselves amazes me. When I first arrived here, I felt lonely and that I was lacking spiritual connectedness.  I have rarely had the opportunity or experience of being the only Mormon in a large group of people so, my faith is being put to the test.  I realized today that although I will continue to attend my Sunday sacrament meetings and that I will always read my scriptures and pray, we can connect to God through the sunrise, the smile of another, a helping hand or a conversation.  

When we started the hike, it was very dark.  Although it was hard to see much of anything, through hard work and by putting one foot in front of the other, we eventually ended up at our destination and boy, was it an amazing one.  However, that's not to say the road wasn't steep or rocky.  I think life is kind of like that, at least that is what I keep telling myself.  At times, things will get tough and the mountains we climb can be steep.  We may fall or slip but, through endurance, the journey will be accomplished.

I'm thankful that my journey in life has led me to Caux, Switzerland.  I don't know what tomorrow will bring but, by taking life one step at a time, relying on the help of others and the Lord, and by finding joy in the journey, I know I will one day arrive at my destination in safety. And boy, I know it will be good one.  

tangent

I received an email yesterday morning informing me of my acceptance to a summer internship in Switzerland.  That was the start of what I know will be a beautiful week as well as a wonderful experience.  

I will be working for Caux- Initiatives of Change.  I'm pretty stoked to say the least.  The company is a Swiss foundation that works "to promote peace, prevent conflicts, build trust and encourage intercultural dialogue and ethical conduct in business."

A lot of people have had doubts about what I am studying but, as I have progressed throughout my undergraduate education, I have realized the importance of what I am learning.  There is nothing more important in life than building a relationship with God and with those we interact with.  I believe that understanding how we interact, communicate, and how we develop meaning are the keys to becoming more Christ-like.  We develop love, charity and empathy through the knowledge of each other.  Call me crazy but, I know we can better build the Kingdom of God when we have a desire to see everyone on this earth as children of God who live and interact with each other based on our own personal beliefs and viewpoints.  

A Zion community requires a people who are "of one heart and one mind".   It disturbs me when I hear how absolute people are in their viewpoints of the world.  My belief is that the gospel is true and that my life should be lived in accordance to that belief.  

I recently read a  a talk by Dalin H. Oaks which really hit home for me.  He says that we should "stop murmuring and build. Remember that one of the worst means of tearing down an individual is slander. It is one of the most poisonous weapons that the evil one uses. Backbiting and evil speaking throw us into the class of malefactors rather than the class of benefactors.”  If we can't love, we "have the spirit of faultfinding, of pointing out the weaknesses and failings of others in a destructive manner, that never comes as the result of the companionship of the Spirit of our Heavenly Father and is always harmful."  I don't mean to say I am perfect at this, because I am not.  But through what I am learning, I am trying harder to realize that everyone has their own path to follow.  It is our job to understand that through our differences we can still find love and respect.

Dalin H. Oaks goes on to say that, "Our Father in Heaven has not compelled us to think the same way on every subject or procedure. As we seek to accomplish our life’s purposes, we will inevitably have differences with those around us—including some of those we sustain as our leaders. The question is not whether we have such differences, but how we manage them. What the Lord has said on another subject is also true of the management of differences with his leaders: “It must needs be done in mine own way.” We should conduct ourselves in such a way that our thoughts and actions do not cause us to lose the companionship of the Spirit of the Lord."  We are to build the Kingdom of God and be "in the world but not of the world".  Understanding our differences and focusing on our similarities, will allow us to come together, build peace and establish Christ's Kingdom.  

"Those who govern their thoughts and actions solely by the principles of liberalism or conservatism or intellectualism cannot be expected to agree with all of the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. As for me, I find some wisdom in liberalism, some wisdom in conservatism, and much truth in intellectualism—but I find no salvation in any of them."

Our job is to lift, build, serve and "love our neighbor as ourself".  I'm thankful that my understanding of this topic is growing through my studies.  I'm excited for the opportunity I will have this summer to continue on my own path of progression and becoming more like my Savior Jesus Christ.