Thanks—I Needed That

Noelle-Marie S., Colorado, USA

All my life I’ve had difficulty adjusting to new places and making new friends. A few years ago, my family and I moved. After being in our new home for only a couple of days, we rose early to attend church on Sunday. I didn’t know a soul, but a few girls from Young Women came up and greeted me. Everyone was very friendly that first Sunday, but I still felt a twinge of loneliness and longing for my old friends.

A couple of months later, I prepared to go to girls’ camp. The first few days were filled with physical, mental, and spiritual activities that drew me away from my personal worries as I enjoyed myself. But sitting on my bunk during a break time, I felt the strain brim over, and I quietly cried. I didn’t understand why we had had to move and break away from all that was familiar to me.

After we shared our testimonies while munching on s’mores by the fire that night, I went up to the cabin with all the other girls to go to bed. As I came to the door, a tall Laurel turned around and said kindly, “Let’s have a good-night hug!” As I embraced her, I could feel tears welling up inside me again, but they weren’t tears of self-pity. They were tears of appreciation and gratitude. She cheerfully said good night and left, but the feeling she’d brought with her stayed. I can still feel it now, three years later. I just want to say, “Thank you immensely, and may the Lord bless you!”