For me it was especially strange since I was in Uruguay and didn't have any access to the media. the only reason I knew anything had happened was because I was walking to teach English with my companion, Hermana Hamilton, and some people motioned to us and had us come into a restaurant, pointing to the TV. Since we weren't supposed to watch TV as missionaries, I didn't really know what to do, and just looked briefly. It was really hard to tell what was going on... lots of smoke and building, but I really couldn't tell what I was looking at. There were words on the screen -Torres Gemelas- but at that time, I didn't know what gemelas meant and was just confused. When I got to our English class, a new missionary knew what it meant, and the magnitude of what had happened began to sink in, though to be honest it was very hard to grasp and I know I didn't react with as much horror as I now feel when I think of that day.
A day or two later we got to see our mission president, but he seemed to assume we all already knew what had happened, so he didn't really give any details. It wasn't until weeks later when I received detailed letters from my brother Brian that I finally began to understand everything that had happened. The only thing I knew was that no matter the horrors in the world, His plan could bring peace and that's what we focused on as we continued our missionary service. The kindness of our neighbors was incredible as those who before wouldn't talk to us now stopped us and expressed their condolences.
-Bree
5 comments:
Great tribute :)...it's weird to actually be here today. We really got a feel for the chaos that would have been caused in a city like this that day. But so true that Heavenly Father's plan is what brings us lasting peace.
I was washing windows at home that day, getting ready for Joe to return on 9/13.
Gratefully Joe was safe-and-sound in Brasil. Imagine what a mess it would have been for him to be stranded in the air or at some strange airport on his way home?
Needless to say, he DIDN'T come home on the 13th.
Instead he and his comps were camped out at the mission home, eating brownies and watching movies.
I think he finally came home on the 20th.
We all became more God-fearing after that day. But the feelings have pretty much faded I'm afraid.
~Dad H
Yo estaba viajando en avión de Utah a Georgia ese día. Por dos semanas hubo una cobertura ininterrumpida sobre lo que sucedía en Nueva York. Para mi fue emocionante ver como la gente se unía sin importar color, raza o religión. Recuerdo haber pensado como me gustaría estar ahí para dar una mano y de repente, mientras lo pensaba, darme cuenta que la mejor ayuda que podemos dar es dar a conocer el Evangelio. Sin ese conocimiento, nos derrumbaríamos ante cosas como estas.
Hey Hna. Lemke,
I love your blog...I was remembering on Thursday how I felt that day too. I will never forget being down in UY and being with Hna. Maguna. That was so hard and surreal at the same time being so far from the US. Anyway, I saw you on facebook and I wanted to give you my blogspot since I use it the most. I hope all is well...I see that you have a princess now. Congrats...they are fun.
Love,
Sarah (Garrett) Allred
I had a similar experience in UY, I just remember seeing the images on the television without any understanding of what was going on. Asking Uruguayans didn't seem to help as the explanations I got were so disjointed I thought for days that some Middle-Eastern country had dropped a bomb on the buildings. I also remember news reports of Palestinians celebrating in the streets of Chuy and how the Uruguayans were apalled at that reaction. The next day was our P-day and as I was in Melo we went across the border into Brazil. I remember seeing an image of the flag over the White house being at half mast. The image was on a tiny black and white television in the market at Jaguron. It struck me that here I was a half a world away when my entire country was in mourning. Very Surreal.
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