Friday was a great day and filled with many wonderful appointments. The spirit was strong, we worked hard, and it was one of the better days of the week. We had our recent convert, Brother Shyam, with us on exchanges. He has such a wonderful testimony and he has really helped with the mission work since his baptism 3 weeks ago. As custom, when we take Brother Shyam, we treat him with ice cream to thank him for his work and his willingness to help us. The time was growing late and we really needed to be getting home. We rushed through the ice cream parlor and jumped into a auto to give us a ride back to our apartment. We made an agreement with the auto driver that we would pay him more if he dropped us off first and then he would take our member exchange home, the driver agreed.
As we were getting closer to our Colony, we made the decision to go the back way, which would put us at the top of the hill going down to our apartment building, rather than attempting to drive up a very steep and rocky road. As we looked down the steep road we could see our apartment building, it was several feet away. We were all having a great time laughing and joking around. Those laughs and jokes faded away as we began to realize that the brakes failed and the auto was out of the driver's control. The auto began picking up speed and we were bouncing fast down the hill.
I can recall, as clear as day, the feelings I had and the thoughts that ran through my mind. There was not a doubt in my mind that we were going to crash. I felt like the Lord was comforting me at that time and I felt very calm and at peace. Never have my thoughts been clearer than they were at that moment. I knew that whatever happened was the will of the Creator.
We sped through a small intersection and swerved to the right of a turning car. We barely scrapped past the turning vehicle and then landed right in back of a parked car. It was in slow motion as we were racing towards the back of a suburban. I won't go into any more detail about it, other than saying, imagine yourself as an empty coke can smashed under a child's foot. Right away, my companion and I jumped out of the auto as fast as we could. I hit my head hard and I thought it might have been cut open. But I knew I had hurry because I felt a sense of urgency, but at the same time I was calm and I felt no pain. My companion and I exerted all our energy trying to pry open the crushed auto so that we could pull the crushed driver out of the vehicle. He was bleeding badly and he was in very bad shape. I quickly tore my tie off and wrapped it around his head; he had a huge gash across his head. I got him to the side of the road quickly and a crowd began to form. His leg was shattered and he was cut very deep, but I felt like he was going to be alright once we got him lying down.
Then I ran to the member who was walking in pain. He explained that his knees hurt and that there was much pain. After a quick examination of his injury, I realized that he just had some bruises, but nothing serious. I am so grateful for the Athletic Training class I took at BYU. I turned my attention to my companion who I thought was fine and I realized that he was going into shock. He was white as a ghost. I told him to lie down quickly and try to control his breathing. I asked if he suffered any head injuries and he said that he was fine. I ran as fast a I could to a small shop to purchase water packets for the driver, the member and my companion. I bounced between the three of them until the ambulance arrived. They took care of all of us and then they rushed the driver to the hospital.
As we were leaving the area, a community pastor came up and asked how we survived, and then he said "God surely protected you." I know that my Heavenly Father was there the entire night with me. I have never been more at peace in my life. It wasn't until I jumped in bed that night, I realized that I had cuts across the top of my shins and I had bruises that had appeared all over my legs. As I laid in bed, I could not stop thinking how great is my God and I began to hum my favorite song, "Abide with me tis even tide" as I fell a sleep.
"For, Consider the Lilies of the field, how they grow---" What a beautiful statement of the Lord's hands in the creation of everything. I know that Heavenly Father has his hand directly in our life. We are the balls of clay in the Creator's hands, he molds us and forms us into a beauty that we cannot comprehend, but we must have faith, hope, and know that he does everything for us to bring us closer to him and help us prepare to receive all that he has. I am so grateful for the Gospel and the blessing
it has been in my life. There is not a greater power than that of the Atonement of Christ which grants us the "Power to change" and the possibility of always being able to receive the reward which our Father has prepared.
Love,
Elder Nixon
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