Friends Friends are people whom we turn to when our spirits need a lift.

They are always by our side through thick and thin. They stand beside us even when our disposition is not perfectly right and will fight for us if we are oppressed. Therefore, it is clear that friends play a vital role in shaping who we are today. But what qualities exactly do we need to look for in a friend? A friend should always be caring towards you. He or she should take interest in your problems no matter how big or petty your problem may be. A friend should be able to sit beside you and encourage you to keep your chin up even when everyone else is against you. A friends empathy and lovingness will also replenish your worn-out soul and will make you realize how important a friend really is. Apart from that, a friend should be an honest person. An honest friend will dissipate any worries that he or she is lying towards you. A friends honesty will enable you to trust his or shes opinion when it comes to telling you the truth about yourself. For example, an honest friend will remand you on your declining grades and will ask you to work harder while a dishonest friend will see it with a blind eye. Therefore, an overall improvement in yourself will be noticeable if you have an honest friend. Moreover, a friend should be generous both emotionally and knowledge wise. A friend who is generous ought to be able to connect with you and provide emotional support. He or she should also be generous when it comes to sharing knowledge. A true friend must be ever-ready to help you when you are inept in certain subjects. A friend can easily guide you towards understanding the subject matter better as he or she is often on the same page as you. The only difference is that you cant quite grasp the content of the page per se. Besides that, a friend must also be able to humour you. Humour plays a quintessential role in making your day more lively and enjoyable. Friends who pull your leg and mess about will indefinitely make life seem so much better. As they say,

laughter is the best medicine and a little levity on rainy days is always welcomed. In conclusion, friends are people we spend most of our time with. Thus, we have to be selective when it comes to choosing our friends. My Best Pal Close friendships are hard to come by these days. In an everchanging world with people striving to achieve their interpretation of preordained success, it is hard to know who your true friends are. Fortunately, I found my best pal early at the tender age of seven. We were both enrolled at the same school and were at wits ends as we searched tirelessly for our designated classes. Samantha and I got acquainted as both of us were in the same class and sat next to each other. Samantha was a happy-go-lucky girl who always managed to breathe fresh air into the sometimes arid classroom. She always knew what to say and would voice them at the best possible moments. Both pupils and teachers alike enjoyed her company and liveliness. There was hardly ever a dull moment when she was around with her funny quips and expressions. Samantha was born with a silver spoon. Her father was a businessman and her mother owned and ran a boutique. Both her parents were very caring towards her as she, just like I, was the only child of the family. Samantha came to school each day with a perpetual smile. She was a very nice person to be around with. She and I used to go everywhere together and both of us were rarely seen apart. We used to talk about so many things as we walked, thoroughly enjoying our time together. One day, I went to school and forgot to ask my parents for lunch money. At first, I was not hungry and thought I could bear going without a meal but soon, my stomach began to growl. Without asking, Samantha generously paid for my meal and drinks during recess. The incident revealed to me how lucky I was to have such a caring and compassionate friend. As time went on, people started teasing us as we were spending more and more time together. We

seemed to know what each other thought and we cared for each other deeply. Was I in love with her? I did not know then and we both knew we were too young for all that emotional roller coaster. Currently, Samantha and I are studying at different schools. It was hard to be apart at first, but technology in the form of instant messaging and e-mails have helped to bridge the gap in our friendship. I sincerely wish our friendship will never end as it would be equivalent to waking up from a beautiful dream If I had a lot of money When I was small, I often dreamt about being rich as my parents were quite poor. We had difficulty making ends meet each month. So, if I had a lot of money, I would certainly fulfill my dreams. First and foremost, I would buy a house for my parents, preferably a bungalow, in a quiet town. I would equip the house with the latest technology so that it would be a smart home. My mother would have a state-of-the-art kitchen as she loves cooking. I would also get a maid to help her with the household chores. I will ensure that my family is comfortably settled in this house. The second thing I would do is to go on a world tour with my parents. I have never been overseas but I long to see the places I have only read or dreamt about. First, I would like to visit Europe, especially Italy, the city of romance. I would visit all the museums and buildings I have heard so much about. My next stop would be Hong Kong or China. There is something mystical about China and her people. This would be my dream come true. Apart from that, I could finally go on a shopping spree, which is my favourite pastime. Thus far, I could only go window shopping and if I had a lot of money, I would go into these stores and buy whatever I fancy. Just imagine that for once in my life, I do not need to look at the prices of the items that I like. I could just shop till I literally drop. The salesgirls

would be hovering near me with their latest outfits and my wish would be their command. Ah, I would not be ignored anymore as I walk into their stores! Besides shopping, I would also remember the poor and the less fortunate. First, I would certainly build a better home for the orphans in my town. In fact, I would also sponsor their education till they could stand on their own. They would receive an allowance monthly and I would definitely take them shopping. Finally, I would take the opportunity to further my studies. When I was younger, my parents could not afford to send me overseas. So, I would love to pursue a course in interior decorating in London and once I graduate, I would like to set up my own business with the rest of the money. They say that a fool and his money are soon parted. Thus, I would be very careful with how I spend my money. I would invest my money with my parents advice and keep some for rainy days. The Day I Will Never Forget The hardest thing I had to face in my life when I was younger was when I was thirteen. That day would be July 14, 2005 and it is the day my grandmother passed away. My family and I went through so much about seven months prior to her passing. We got through the tragedy. She was eighty-two years old at the time. I will never forget her telling me the night before that she had to go to the doctors for a check-up meanwhile I was in school but when I got home, I would go right up to my grandmas. We lived on the same property. That day I went up there I remember her telling me that she had cancer and the doctors gave her six months to live, maximum. I was devastated and I didnt know what to think. I was so close with her so it was hard for me to handle. We moved into her house three months before she went and we took care of her while no one else. That summer morning on July 14, 2005, I remember my

parents, my brother and I sitting on the porch. My cousin came over to see her around 8:30 and then she left because she had to head to work. It was ten minutes to nine and I laid on the couch that was located on the porch. I remember how everything was set up. I remember the living room, the porch, just everything in that house. The couch was a sand tan color with a floral design and a table diagonal from where it sat. Nine oclock rolled around, my father walked in to see if she was alright but when he came back to the porch he said, Shes gone. Those words hit me like a meteorite falling out of the sky hitting Earth. I immediately started crying because it just didnt seem real to me. The crazy thing is a few days before she passed I made a picture of a cross with the date and year of when she was going to die and my picture was right. It was just scary. That day and the next few weeks were chaos. My father had to call all the family, set up the obituary and the funeral... The Day I Lost My Temper At seven oclock I got into my car, a brand new Proton Savvy, and turned the ignition key. To my great horror, the car would not start. Then, I realized that I had run out of petrol. It was obviously not my lucky day. I had arranged my timetable to meet Caroline outside the Golden Screen cinema in Gurney Plaza at seven-thirty. I was determined not to be late, especially since this was to be our first date. Caroline was the most popular girl in my school. Small, and slender, with a charming smile and a pair of dimples on her ovalshaped face, she was every male students dream date. I knew I must not be late or Caroline would be angry with me. So, I decided to leave my car and catch the bus to town. All of a sudden, I saw the bus turning at the corner and approaching the bus-stop but I was a hundred yards from the bus-stop. So, I ran towards it as fast as I cold but just as I reached there, the bus set off. I banged on the door to get the drivers attention. He turned around and smiled at me, so I thought he was going to stop the bus and let me board. However, to my astonishment, the bus sped up and drove away

without me. I felt so angry and disappoint. I could have strangled him!!! The next bus was not due for another half an hour so I set off on foot, half running, half walking, three quarters of an hour later, I arrived at the beginning of Persiaran Gurney. It was eight oclock and the film had already begun. I was so late that I thought Caroline would have given up waiting and gone home. However, I could see Caroline standing on the pavement when I got nearer to the cinema. A split second later, a boy walked towards Caroline and they seemed to be walking into the cinema. I shouted Caroline, wait!!! as loudly as I could. I sprinted the final fifty yards. Caroline, why are you with another boy? You Hey, Jason! I said in surprise. Oh, Eric! You are the one who invited Caroline, Jason said. How dare you steal Caroline from me? I started to become angry. What? Caroline is mine! You such a failure! he laughed. Finally, I cannot controlled my temper and lost my head. I stomped towards him and gave him a punch in the face!!! The next day, I apologized to Caroline but she kept ignoring me. I was so mad about being late to meet her and punched my best friend, Jason. Since that day, I knew that I lost my first dream date and my best friend because I lost my temper. The Saddest Day of My Life Life of each and every individual is a rare blend of tears and smiles; sadness and laughter; happy celebration as well as mourning. The pity is that tears far outnumber the moments of laughter. Shakespeare has correctly said, The moments of happiness are rare in the general drama of pain. The bitter truth is that there are some days in the life of an individual that are very difficult to forget. The events of those days remain indelibly etched in his memory forever, as they are not ordinary. Such days are often instrumental in turning the course of his life. These days could be sad or happy. I find it really too difficult to forget the 30th of November, 2002, which was the saddest day of my life. The memory of that day still sends shivers. It seemed that life had conspired against me. I had

taken the M. A. (Final) Exam. We were waiting for the results. I had not done the papers well; still I hoped to get through. The day started on a sad note. The results were declared. To my great surprise and disappointment, my name was not among the successful candidates. My failure was a great shock to my ailing father as well as mother and elder brother. As if the shock of the news of my failure and worsening the condition of my father werent sufficiently painful, another tragedy befell. The same evening an additional mishap took place. My elder brother, who was the only bread winner of the family, was charged with embezzlement and misuse of funds. He was working as a cashier in SBI. He was disrespectfully removed from service. This came as a great shock. My father could not bear all this. He could not think of the fate of the family without the job of him. He began to sink and died of a sudden heart attack. We were anyway leading a hand-to-mouth existence. These events plunged my family into utter darkness. Since that day it has been a long story of useless struggle and extreme hard work for my family. We have yet to get rid of hard times and believe: misfortunes never come alone. Working in the O.B. Clinic I am a nurse who has been working in the Taiwan Adventist hospital O.B./GYN. department for eight years. I love this job, because I have the opportunity to see many pregnant women safely deliver normal babies nine months after their prenatal checkup. It makes me happy! That is a very nice experience. Now I will tell you a true story about a patient; I am proud of her courage and goodness. It happened three years ago; the patient was a thirtyfive year old woman. She had a beautiful face, high education level, and a good job. She had a big problem, however. In the seven years she had been married, every time when her pregnancy reached twelve weeks, the baby died. As a

result, she had an abortion three times. The doctor said that her female hormones had some problems. She wanted to have a baby, because her age was older. Her husband was the only son in his family. Therefore, she went to our hospital to see the specialist for artificial reproduction. The doctor gave her many exams and treatments. She went to the clinic every day for blood tests and medical injections. Every time she was crying about her physical discomfort and mental pain. This complicated and hard process was not something that everyone could endure. I always helped her to understand every step that she would need to do and also explained to her husband. I hoped that her husband could help her to decrease her pain. They tried three times for the artificial reproduction operation. The last time, the operation succeeded; she was pregnant, and the ultrasound showed she was going to have twins! After nine months, the babies were borntwo beautiful girls. She was very excited. I was crying with this couple, because I knew this experience had been so hard for them. Now we have become the best of friends; she usually brings her two kids to the hospital to see me. I love them. Moreover, they are the best gifts God gave this brave mother! Every day, many things happen in the hospital, some interesting and some sad. However, I always remember every true story in my mind. Im a woman and I will be a mother in the future; I know having a child is very important to every woman. At my work, Ill continue to help these women to get what they want! The Dream of My Sister Many people have different dreams. So many dreams and so few accomplishments . . . Very often our dream shatters like a champagne flute on the hard floor. My sister Ivoneide Salazar, was the lucky one to have her sacred dream come true. When she was 14, she heard about this fairytale land where everybody was happy and they called this the land of Milk and Honey. Even now at

thirty-nine years old she still remembers her twenty third birthday back in Brazil when she met with her family for the last time before she departed to the United States. This is how she would tell this story if you were her close friend: "Thirteen years ago I was at Rio de Janeiro airport in Brazil, very anxiously awaiting my final departure to Los Angeles. Still in the moment so close to my departure, it was difficult to believe that I was going to finally make my own dream come true. I always wanted to learn to speak English and visit the USA. I had an opportunity to meet with many young American missionaries at my church. The missionaries lived in Brazil and served the Lord by teaching the Gospel to the Brazilian people. One of them invited me to meet with his family and to get to know him better. Two weeks before my birthday, David bought me a present. It was a one-way ticket to America! I flew for many hours, and on top of it, I had problems with the Immigration in Florida. Finally after all the adventures of this trip, I arrived safe and sound in Los Angeles. I was very relived to see my friend's happy face in the airport. David was impatiently awaiting me with a bouquet of red roses. I think he was more nervous than I was. The first place he took me to see was the Los Angeles Temple. He was very nice and took me to see many places every day. We had many opportunities to get to know each other better. I felt that he was glad for his plan that he made to bring me to the US. I felt in love with this wonderful man. To have the opportunity to marry him was like a dream that I never thought could become a reality, because he was always telling me that I was a great friend. But one day, David surprised me when he asked me to become his wife. We got married six months later on December 12, 1987, in the Los Angeles Temple. I become Mrs. Salazar in the presence of his family and friends. The years went by and we had four wonderful children. When I remember the trip that I made to America, I feel very happy to know that I let my doubts become hope, that everything would be all right. My life changed because I

made a decision, even with all my doubts. I'm a very happy person today." She told me that story so many times that I kind of remember every little detail. My sister has four kids and very loving family. Sometime I envy her, but most of the time I'm proud for her success. Some of my dreams didn't come true and some did. But overall I think I was always very blessed with my family and my friends. My First Date in the U.S.A. On Oct 28, I had my first date in the U.S.A. with a guy from my ward named Nathan. He is nice, gentlemanly, and cute. The date was an activity for our ward. The Relief Society and the Elders Quorum decided to set up a dance where everyone would have a partner. Knowing that some of us from the ward would not attend because we didnt have someone to go with, and they decided to set up blind dates. They handed out sheets with the following question, Would you like to come with someone from the ward? If yes, who? However, it didnt necessarily mean that you would go with the person you wanted, but if not, they would find someone else to go with you. They matched the sheets to find out the partners. For me, it worked perfectly. Everything started two weeks before the dance, when they handed out the sheets, and I was sitting by Nathan. I didnt know any boy from my ward well enough to write down. I thought that it wouldnt be fear for me, because maybe the guy, who I would choose, he would have another girl to go with. Then, I asked Nathan, a guy who I had met one or two months before, if he wrote any name on the paper. He told me he did not, because he was new in the ward, and he didnt know many girls there. I wrote his name on my paper. I thought that could be a great opportunity to him little more and have fun. On the following Sunday, the Activities Committee gave an invitation to the activity to each person telling him or her who was their date. First of the all, the ward secretary told us that not everyone had a date yet, because we have more girls than boys in our ward. First, he gave

the invitation to the girls, but I didnt receive one at this time. I was disappointed about not having anyone to go with. I was really frustrated when he gave the invitations to the guys, and Nathan received one. After a while, the ward secretary took out from his pocket more invitations, but I had lost my hope. Finally, he gave one to me. I tried to pretend I was surprised about going with Nathan on the date. I looked around like I was trying to find him. However, I knew exactly where he was sitting at that time. At the end of the meeting, we met in the hall, and we talked a little bit about dressing up for the dance, so that we could match. It was a 50style dance. I felt bad for pretending to be surprised, but at the same time, I couldnt tell him that I wrote his name because it would be an embarrassed situation for me. Anyway, I think he had some idea of my plan. Finally, the big day came. I spent the whole afternoon taking care of my appearance. At 6 p.m., everything was almost ready, but I hadnt dressed up yet. I was nervous about going out with him, because it wasnt his choice at all. Anyway, it was too late to change it. I was putting my make-up on when he arrived. Christine opened the door, and talked to him for about a minute, which was time enough for me to get ready. Before I came down stares, I told him dont laugh at my costume. I came downstairs, and the first thing that he said was, You are pretty It made me to feel flouting in the sky above. I was wearing a long pink skirt, a white T-shirt, white tennis shoes, and bobbie socks. He looked nice, too. He wore jeans and a white T-shirt. During the dinner part of the dance, I was too nervous to talk to him. We both said just a few words like The food looks good or They should start with the music soon Both of us were feeling uncomfortable. It was the worst part, but after dinner when the music started to play, I felt a little better, because we started to dance and we didnt talk as much.

During the dance we played a game. The guys wrote their names on pieces of paper, and after wards girl drew name. Then, the girls needed to find the guy whose name they drew. Whether it was coincidence or not, I drew Nathans name. I was surprised, because I had wished to dance with him in this game, too. Well, like a dream, it had its end. He drove me home. He walked with me to the front door of my house, and he gave me a hug and said bye. That night I could not fall asleep immediately. I wanted that night wouldnt have end. I found myself making plans to go out with him again. These last two weeks, we have been seeing each other often. I think I am interested in him, but I know that he is not interested in me for sure. He just thinks about me like his friend. He has come to my house to help me with my homework, and we go together to church, but it doesnt mean any thing to him. I feel frustrated about it, because I cant do anything to change his feeling for me. Anyway, I had a good time going out with him. I hope to have another opportunity to go out with him. Cultural Problems I have been in America for four years. This four years was a hard time for me. Everything for me was very different: different language, different customs, different food, and different people. I was like a newborn baby, and many things I didn't know, and I had to learn everything again. On September 17, 1996, while I was sitting on an airplane from Shanghai to New York, I was thinking about my family, my friends, and my future. I thought, "Why do you want to go to America? We are a rich family in China. Everything here is very good. If you are going to America, you don't know what will happen in your future. My mother is worried about me." Suddenly in my mind I heard these words: "You are a competent lady. You will have beautiful future in America." I thought my friends were talking. Yes, I could do many things in China, but I also

would be able to do many things in America. When the airplane arrived in New York, I walked very firmly. I believed that I would be a competent lady in this new land. During the first two months, I had a very happy time with my husband. This is a beautiful country. Many things were fresh. "I need to do something by myself," I thought. I told my husband, "I want to know this community. I want to find a job." "Are you sure?" he asked. "Yes, I am sure." The second day, I went out wanting to find a job. "How long have you been here? Can you speak English?" everybody asked me. Even though I had studied some English in China, I couldn't speak at all. After a few days, nobody wanted me to work in his or her company. I was very disappointed. I couldn't speak English. I felt very bad. I went to the store, the hospital and everywhere I always needed my husband with me. If we went to some American friends' party, my husband needed to teach me the American customs. I couldn't speak to anybody. I was like a baby. I lost my confidence. I began to hate everything here. I hated the people. I hated that my husband brought me to America. I missed my country, my family, my friends, and my small business. In China I had a beauty salon. I supervised ten other men and women. I could earn two or three hundred American dollars every day. I am a smooth talker in my hometown, and many people trust me. In America, however, I didn't have any good friends to talk to. I started looking and feeling old, and I grew some gray hair. My husband said, "You must go back to China. Otherwise, you will go crazy." But I didn't want to leave my husband, and I didn't want my family and friends to see how I had changed for the worse. After that, my husband spent a lot of time helping me overcome those cultural problems. He took me traveling to Florida, and told me many good things about America. I had some good changes. Last year, my husband sent me to China. I stayed in China half a year. I had a wonderful time with my family and friends. However, I missed

my husband, and I began to miss America. I thought there were many good things in America even though I hadn't liked America before. When I came back to America again, my husband decided to send me to the ELC at BYU to study English. He thought Provo would be a good place for me. There are kind people and good schools there. I very much wanted to go, but I was afraid of English. "Don't worry about anything; you will getting better there," my husband reassured me. Right now I am very happy in Provo. Provo is a really nice place. I feel warm in Provo, because there are nice people, and I have made new friends here. I am happy in the ELC, because here, my English is getting better and better. My confidence is growing more and more. I can talk again. Even though I can't speak very well, I believe I will be able to speak well someday. If you ask me how I could overcome those cultural problems, I will tell you: my husband helps me overcome them, Provo helps me overcome them, and the ELC helps me overcome them. My friends said, "You have become young again!" I have to say, "Thank you ELC, thank you my teachers, and thank you my husband! You gave me confidence, and you gave me a new life." My First Presidency When I was a little kid, I was never a leader or president of my class. I was very friendly and pesky, but I had bad grades. I didn't like the school because it was boring. The teachers were cold and boring. I didn't like math, grammar and natural science. My grades were low. My teachers always said to me, "You need to improve your grades because when you grow up, you will be a carpenter, bricklayer, or stevedore (a man who works in the port carrying bags)." (It is a common phrase in my country). My teachers always said to me, "You are a bad student. Your grades are very low, and you shouldn't be the school class president." However, when I was in fourth grade, my classmates nominated me as President. All my teachers were opposed to this idea. They wanted to elect another kid

because he had good grades, so I didn't worry about it. I was only interested in playing games. I improved my grades, but I wanted to be more popular among my friends, so I enrolled in the school's soccer team. However I didn't play. I was so angry with the coach because he didn't want me to play. There was a tournament. During the whole tournament I sat on the bench. My coach knew about my bad grades, and for that reason he did not let me play. I improved my grades a little. I finished school as an average student. All my friends finished school with the best grades, and they were the best students. I was so sad because I wanted to be together with my friends, and among the best students. I prepared for the test very well, but I got really nervous about every test. For that reason, I forgot a lot of things, and got bad grades. When I entered high school, I continued to have bad grades. My handwriting was very bad, so my dad helped me, and he taught me how to write better. I started to use a quill and Chinese ink. The first few days were very hard, because I spilled ink on my notebook. I had to repeat it all, and sometimes I broke the edge of the quill. "If you are a beginner, you need to write very slowly when you use a quill, " my dad said. I learned it very well. After that I wrote very well, I showed better homework. My teachers were happy, and they said to me, "Congratulations!, your writing improves every day and your grades, too." In my country, the school year is divided into three quarters. During the first two quarters, my grades were very bad. For that reason, my grades weren't enough to pass to the next grade. I studied hard and improved my grades in the third quarter. As a result, I passed to the next grade with good grades. In the second and third grades I had good grades, and I felt so happy. When I was in the fourth grade, I was elected vice president of my class. It was the first time that I was a leader among my classmates. I was very happy,

and I didn't disappointed their trust. Four years ago in the fifth grade, I was elected president of my class. I did many activities, such as dances, raffles, and selling typical food to earn money. It's a tradition for high school students in Ecuador to raise money because in the last grade, the students go on a trip. In the last grade I was reelected as President of my class. I was really happy. My classmates and I did more activities. In the end of the school year, we went to the beach for five days. It was a wonderful experience. All my classmates were grateful for my administration, and I was grateful to them, too. Before we graduated, I finished school very well. I got good grades. I felt really so happy. Now I understand my teachers, I think they always are proud of their students. When one student is good, they are very happy. Sometimes They say many real things about our future. If we don't study, we never reach our goals. I learned from my experiences to be strong in achieving my goals, and to not accept defeat. My Preparation to Pass the Exam When I was a high school student, like most students, I also wanted to go to a wellknown, prestigious university. Thus, I determined to apply to Korea University, which is one of the most prestigious universities. I tried to pass the entrance exam, but I couldn't pass it. As a result, I went to HongIk University, and felt the first disappointment in my life. However, in the president's speech at the entrance meeting, he encouraged me. He said, "A college's fame is made by your effort. Our college is developing right now. Also, our college has many opportunities to develop and improve. You have the opportunity to help HongIk University." In this meeting, I learned how to live in school and society. I made my mind up to do my best at everything and found what I wanted to focus on. I knew that when our thinking changes, our vision

clears. I chose the CPA exam as my new challenge. I began to go to HyungSuSa, which is a circle for studying for the CPA exam, and started my new life. In the circle, there were a lot of rules and friends. At the time, I was happy, because I had a good time with my friends and learned knowledge I did not know before. However, when I took the CPA exam the first time, I scored only 22 points out of 100 on the exam. This was much lower than what I expected, even though I had studied for only one year, and was not ready enough to pass the exam. I felt disappointment again. After one year, I thought I was able to pass the exam this time, but when I took the exam a second time, I received 58 points, and still couldn't pass the exam. I felt disappointment once more. After that, I became a senior. I couldn't afford to spend my time any more for the exam. Because all men must go to the army in Korea, I had only one year for the exam. The time was important to me, so I decided to spend the time efficiently. Before anything else, I set a goal for how much I would study, made specific rules including daily schedules, and bought a clock. I tried to keep the goal and my rules. Sometimes, I wanted to have a rest, but I always thought about my goal and overcame my desire. One night, I had studied hard for the exam in college and thought I did my best. When I was on the way home, I felt comfortable and could have self-esteem. As a result, I passed the exam. I also learned that to do my best brought happiness to me. Though the time was difficult, it was important to me and brought delight to me. I thought that achievement, self-content, and the development of myself were real happiness. This time was one of the best times in my life. My Friend in China I went to China two times. The first time, I met Jie. It was about three years ago. At that time, I was a high school student, and I took part in a project to visit the Chinese sister city (Guilin) of my home city in Japan (Kumamoto). It was my first time to visit a foreign country, so, I was very excited. At first, I didn't know much about China, and I was worried about it, but I learned

about China and Guilin before we departed. I grew to like China the more I learned. When we arrived at Guilin airport, the representatives of Guilin received us. I was excited but a little nervous, because one of them was my partner, but I didn't know about her. When we went outside the airport building, a girl spoke to me. She was my partner, Jie. She was a very cute and kind person, so, I came to like her, and I was glad to meet her. I stayed there about six days. During that time, we talked about many things. We always spent time together. We used English for our talking, because she couldn't speak Japanese, and I couldn't speak Chinese. When we couldn't understand our partner's word, we used our common characters, Chinese characters. In the six days, our friendship grew. When I went back to Japan, we were very sorry to part. We said, "See you again," and hugged. After two years, I had a chance to go to China again. I went there with one third of the members who came the last time. Jie waited for me in the airport this time, too. We were so glad to meet again! As soon as we found each other, we hugged. I stayed there about four days. During that time, we visited her high school, stopped at her house, and went shopping. We walked and rode the bus. When we went shopping, she looked into my wallet to teach me about money. I wanted to be careful to take care of my money, because I knew that Japanese people have much more money than Chinese people. However, I didn't know the value of money in China, so, she said, "You have too much money. You must watch your wallet." I was thankful for her warning. After that, when we were riding a bus, there were many people crowded on the bus. Almost all the people were native Chinese. She put her hand on my bag casually, and guarded me on the bus. Another time, when we were walking in the town with other members of my group, we met one of the other Chinese members from the last time. Her partner hadn't come this time, so she had no partner this time. We walked with her for a while. On

the way, we passed by a lake. Everyone took a picture with their own partner, but the girl was alone. My partner saw it, and she asked me to stand with the girl, and she took a picture of me and the girl. The girl looked so happy! I already knew Jie was a good person, but thanks to those things, I could know her good qualities more than before. I learned many things from her on this trip, so, this trip became good for me. We have been good friends, and we also still keep in touch even today. Missionary Work Ever since I was baptized in 1994, I really wanted to go on a mission for the LDS church. I wanted to share this gospel and my happiness with others. In April of 1998, I got a mission call. It was to the Temple Square Mission in Salt Lake City, Utah. I was so surprised, because I could not speak any English. However, I believed that Heavenly Father would help me on my mission. On July 1st, 1998 I became a missionary in the MTC (Missionary Training Center) in Provo, Utah. I stayed 2 months. It was such an exciting thing. When I put my name tag on, I felt the spirit so strongly. During that time, I learned a lot of things. I especially learned about companionship. I had a total of 25 companions on my mission. Each of them was so fun! When I worked with my companions, I could see a lot of successes, because the blessings became two times as great. My first companions were from Hong Kong (Sister Chau), and from Bulgaria (Sister Demistova). We could not speak English to each other. It was such a terrible situation! We tried to speak slowly and help each other to understand. We tried to stay together all the time. It was a very hard time for me. We prayed a lot for our English. In September 1998, I moved to the Temple Square Mission. At first, I could not understand how what we were doing was missionary work. We always had to give tours or contact with visitors. Sometimes I was thinking about what the difference was between a tour

guide and a missionary on Temple Square. It was a big question. I realized that, if people didn't testify about the gospel, they were just being a tour guide. I learned how to find out people's feelings about our LDS church. One day in October, I was looking for some guests on the grounds. I found a man. He looked so sad. I was thinking that maybe he had some worries. I asked him, "Do you have a concern? I can help you." He looked up at me, and he said, "You can't help me. You can't speak good English." It was very frustrating for me. I got angry about it. I just wanted to say something to him. I told him, "Hmm, I know. Even though you proposed to your girlfriend, she said 'NO', right?!" He looked me and said, "Exactly." I could not believe it. I had been kidding! I had already said it, though. I was praying about what I should do. After my prayer I said, "Keep smiling! Your smile brings happiness." His face became more sad. Suddenly, he stood up, and we walked to the north. He was trying to keep smiling. I felt that he was acting. Suddenly he knelt down and then started crying. I was standing in front of him. He didn't stop crying for a long time. I didn't have an idea for making him stop. A lot of sisters looked at me. They sent me body language that meant, "Did you make him cry?" I turned red because I felt so bad. I felt that I should testify something to him. I found a dead leaf from the ground. I said, "Do you know why this leaf is dead now?" He said, "Because of the fall season." I said, "Yes, exactly. You know that the tree has to throw away this dead leaf. That tree will have a new leaf in the spring." He said, "Yeah." I said, "You also can have a new leaf soon!!" For a while, we didn't say anything. I was praying in my heart, "Please, Heavenly Father, help him to understand what I said about the leaf being like life." Finally, that man said, "Thank you. I can have a new life. I will try to keep smiling." He smiled at me. I was so happy that he understood!

Sometimes life is so hard. We can learn a lot of things from our life, including why we are going on a mission. "Love one another" is a big commitment. I enjoyed serving the Lord. My mission was a wonderful experience for me. I still want to help people in my life. I know this Church is true. The Book of Mormon helps us to find happiness in our life. My desire is to go back to Heaven with everybody, and I still want to share my testimony. Now, I have a calling in my ward. I am a stake missionary. I appreciate that I can get to know more people and love them. I'm trying to find investigators. I hope that everyone will go on a mission. My Tongue I was trying to remember an experience to tell in this narrative when suddenly I remembered this. It's a funny and true experience. Now when I think of it, I laugh a lot, but when it happened, I was really frightened. I'm going to tell it to you. Once when I was a child, maybe eight years old, I had a frightening experience. I think about it frequently. I was in my house will all my family. I cannot remember when it happened very well, but it was possibly at Christmas. We were going to have a big supper and I was very happy because I like to eat a lot. Besides, I hadn't eaten for a long time. (A long time for me may be one or two hours.) Therefore, I was starving. I became very angry, because I saw my mother and my aunt talking for a long time. This made me angry, because I didn't want to wait any longer. Moreover, it was time for having supper. Weren't they starving? "Mother, what happened with the food?" I asked. Then she looked at me seriously and said, "You need to be patient, my honey." "Yes," I replied, "I see. I need to be patient. Nevertheless, I can't be patient today, because I am starving." Time passed, and finally dinner was on the table. The first dish was "puchero." Puchero is one of my favorite dishes; this dish has chicken, rice, vegetables, and pork. Also, it's a very hot dish, so usually you need to wait at least half and hour before you start to eat. You can enjoy its taste better when it's not so hot.

Nevertheless, when I saw it on the table, I got a spoon and started to eat quickly. In a moment, my face was red, and there was a strange feeling on my tongue. I had burned it. Immediately, I shouted in pain and my mother asked me, "What is the matter?" "Mother, help me! I think my tongue is going to fall off!" I screamed hysterically. "Do not worry, my child. Your father is going to take you to the hospital," said my mother. I looked at my mother's face and I could tell she was concerned. Then my father and I went to the hospital. When we arrived there, I tried to tell the doctor my problem, but I could not do it because I was very nervous. My father did it for me. I do not remember my father's words exactly, but he said something like, "Doctor, I think my son burned his tongue, because he ate a pretty hot dish." "Open your mouth," the doctor said after he'd heard my father's words. I did it slowly. He looked at my tongue for a long time. "Do not worry, little guy. Your tongue is very hot, but it will not fall off," the doctor finally said. When the doctor said that, my father started laughing happily. Soon the doctor was also laughing. I was embarrassed. However, I was happy because my tongue would not fall off. I have learned one important thing since that day. Patience is a great virtue. I think this is the funniest experience that I've had in my life. My Weekends at the Ranch When I was a child, I met a new place with my family. This place is very big and beautiful. Its name is Ranchito. It is located in Soyopa town. It is 150 hectares in area. Its weather is very hot in summer, but in fall it is cool. It has a lot of different wild trees. The ranch is one hour away from my home where I lived in Hermosillo. This ranch belonged to my grandparents. My grandfather loved this ranch, but when he died, my grandmother distributed her inheritance to each of her sons and daughters. Each of them received a share in the ranch. After that, The ranch was neglected and deserted because none of her sons wanted to work

on the ranch. It was like this for a long time. Five years later, my father was able to buy the whole ranch for us. He bought this ranch because he wanted to share this with us and his future descendents. Two years after that, he bought several farm animals, such as cows. When I was about 12 years old, my parents, my two bothers and I began to go to the ranch every weekend. There were a lot of things to do. First we spent a long time clearing the forest. After that, we planted many orange and other fruit trees. I learned to drive a tractor; my father taught me. I did that very easily. Then we plowed the whole area that used to be forest. After that, we sowed alfalfa for the cows. Over time, the ranch developed, and when we were finished, it became a beautiful ranch. Nowadays the ranch has many different animals: cows, horses, hens, and ostriches recently. Also, there are two pools. We made those things together. When I was there, my older brother taught me to ride a horse. I learned to do that very well. I always remember that with much love because he rode a horse with me for a long time around the ranch, and we enjoyed those times a lot. Also, my two brothers and I went fishing in the stream that is close to the ranch. I can remember this time very well, because we went fishing every day for about two weeks, and we caught only one fish. Also, I remember the special time with my younger brother, because I went with him to hunt many times. He could hunt birds, snakes, and different wild animals. My mother is also an important part of my memories of the ranch. When we were there, she made delicious Mexican food. She made homemade barbecue, chili rellenos, beans, and beef with chili. She was with me almost all the time. She taught me how I can become a good cook, and also all things about the responsibility of a home. Those times were very unforgettable, special moments in my life. I always keep those

times in my thoughts and my heart, too. I enjoyed every weekend with my family. My family is the most important thing in my life. I love them very much, and I will love them forever. The Happiest Day Of My Life One very exciting and interesting event too place in my life recently. It was the happiest day of my life. I shall never be able to forget it. It was the month of June, 1997. I had been counting days very anxiously for the day when result of our examination would be announced. At last the day came. Our fate was to be decided on this day. The High School result of the U.P Board has already been announced at Allahabad. It was expected on this day, at any moment, at Meerut. Somehow or the other the day passed restlessly. At 8. P.M, I started with my friends for the Meerut City Stations. Though all advised me to keep patience till the next morning, yet we were bent upon seeing the paper at the earliest. There as a huge crowd of students of different institutions. Police arrangements has been made to control the excited youths. Different schools and colleges had deputed their proctors and senior members of the staff to check the students form creating hooliganism. Groups of students were standing in batches discussing their plans to get the paper at earliest opportunity. As the time passed, our anxiety began to increase. To our dismay, we had been three trains one after another, but were disappointed every time. In the end, came the right train at 12.30 A.M. As soon as the students saw the newspapers, they ran towards it. But there were no papers for sale. They were under safe custody of the guard. No sooner did the students know this, than they surrounded the guards compartment. Had there been no police arrangement, it is certain that many would have received serious injuries due to their enthusiasm. After a great struggle, the various agents could get their newspaper. They began to sell them like hot cakes. Some

students tried to snatch the paper from them. After a lot for pushing forwards and backward, I could succeed in getting one copy for rupees ten though its price was only three rupee. My friends hurriedly looked into the paper. For a moment, it appeared to me as if the ground had slipped from under my feet. My heart began to palpitate. I was nervous, lest my Roll Number should not be there, though there was no ground for this fear. The very next moment, I heard the voice of my friend telling me that I was the only boy from my school to have secured the first class. I wanted to see my Roll Number with my own eyes. But around us there was a huge crowd of other students. I took hold of my friend's arm and forced out my way through the crowd. We came outside, took our cycles, and started for our homes. My father, mother, brothers and sister were all waiting anxiously. My friend showed the newspaper to my father. All were extremely happy to see my name in the first division. My joy knew no bounds. My friends refused to go home without sweets. I promised him a good party the very next morning. I could not sleep with joy the whole night. The next morning my friends and relatives began to pour in. They all came to congratulate me. I was the hero, so to say. I had won the goal. Sweets ere given to the, They were all happy. But I as the happiest of all. Some were discussion about my future programes or studies. Some relatives greeted me telegraphically. That was all very thrilling to me. My friends succeeded in persuading my father to allow us to see a cinema show that evening. We enjoyed the picture. Indeed, such self centres day I had never enjoyed before. Even today, I often have before my mind's eyes the actual happenings on the station and at home. Indeed, it was the most exciting day of my life. Such happy incidents happen rarely in one's life. Memorable Day in My Life Certain events happen in the life of a man. These have a lasting impression on his memory. He can never forget them. Such an

event happened in my life. I shall never forget it. I have learnt swimming very early in life. Our house is very near the Ganga. I regularly bathe in the Ganga. During my bath I spend sometime in swimming. I can swim even when the Ganga is very rough. Thus I may say that I am an expert swimmer. The memorable event has something to do with my skill in swimming. It was the month of August. The Ganga was almost full to the brim. The current was very strong. As usual, I went to take bath in the Ganga in the morning. I was about to plunge into the water. At this time I heard loud cries about a hundred yards away. People on the bank cried, "The boy is going to be drowned. Save him, save him." At once I went to the spot. I heard that a boy of about twelve had been carried away by the current. Nobody dared to rescue him. I thought that I should save the helpless boy. At once I jumped into the water. I swam as fast as I could. The boy was about fifty yards away from the bank. He was struggling hard, but in vain. I went near him. He tried to get hold of me. If he did, both of us might be drowned. So I did not allow him to get hold of me. But I caught hold of his hand. I pulled him and swam towards the bank against the strong current. In the course of a few minutes I was within my depth. There was now no fear. Had I been late only by a few minutes, the boy would have surely been drowned. Thank God, I reached him on time. Now I reached the bank safely with the boy. He had struggled hard to save himself. So he was very much tired and weak. People on the bank thanked me for rescuing the boy from imminent death. They said that I had risked my life to save the boy. They praised my courage. I learnt from the boy that he had just learnt the first stage of swimming. He was a novice. He came alone from home. He was caught in the strong current of the river. He was carried away. He could not get himself free by any means. I told him that I would help him to learn swimming within a short time. He agreed to bathe with me. This boy lived very near the Ganga but at a little distance from

my house, I accompanied the boy to his house. He was the only son of his parents. His parents learnt how I saved the boy from imminent death. They expressed their gratitude to me. I told them that God had saved the boy. I had performed my duty successfully. This is very memorable event in my life. I shall never forget it.