“Helping the Stranded,” Friend, May 2002, 33
Helping the Stranded
It was a beautiful autumn day. At school, I was determined to finish all my work so that I wouldn’t have any homework that night. Mom picked me up from school for a special day of shopping with birthday money I had received.
As we drove away from the school parking lot, she started explaining what had happened in America. She told me that there had been four terrible plane crashes and that many people had been killed. I started to cry. I asked, “Is there anything we can do to help?” She said that people were stranded all over the United States because all the planes that were flying at the time of the crashes had to make emergency landings at the nearest airports. She said, “We can still do the shopping, as we planned, or we could go to the airport and see if there is anyone who needs a place to stay. It’s your choice.”
My stomach had started hurting, and I had been scared. But when she said that, I immediately felt the Holy Ghost quiet my fears. I told Mom, “I have two words for you—we’re going!” We quickly printed a sign, then headed for the airport forty miles (64 km) away.
We were happy that we did. We brought home a Marine who was on his way back to his base in San Diego, California. He had just been home in Kalamazoo, Michigan, after completing boot camp. He joined us that night for family prayer. I was, and am, grateful that Heavenly Father helped me to make the right choice that day.