Nie Nie Day

As we arrived at our cupcake activity this week, Linda told us that we would be doing another activity on top of the one originally planned. I shrugged my shoulders and thought to myself, "OK - why not?!"

Walking into her house, we took in the aroma of sugary cakes as we saw a big bouquet of colorful balloons hovering above her dining room table. While Rebecca prepared for the cupcake decorating activity, we were handed a white piece of cardstock and a wide variety of Sharpie markers.

The instructions were simple for "Nie Nie Day": get a group together, write notes, attach them to helium balloons, release the balloons, take pictures and tell their story on your blog.

On August 17th, a young couple from Arizona was in a private plane crash which resulted in life-threatening injuries. The husband, Christian, was burned over 20% of his body but his wife, Stephanie, is in critical condition as she struggles to recover from burns over 80% of her body.

As they both fight to survive this horrible accident, their sister's blog has been filled with the miraculous experiences of a family grappling with loss, the fragility of mortality and a remarkable trial of faith. In the past few weeks, the entries have been heart-wrenching, yet sweet and beautiful in their simplicity as a family shows all of us the way to put our faith and trust in the Lord. People across the world are sharing their support to this amazing couple and their family by releasing balloons with their messages of hope and love.

This story brought to mind one of my favorite quotes, a beautiful elegy on trials:

“Here then is a great truth. In the pain, the agony, and the heroic endeavors of
life, we pass through a refiner’s fire, and the insignificant and the
unimportant in our lives can melt away like dross and make our faith bright,
intact, and strong. In this way the divine image can be mirrored from the soul.
It is part of the purging toll exacted of some to become acquainted with God. In
the agonies of life, we seem to listen better to the faint, godly whisperings of
the Divine Shepherd.” (James E. Faust, “The Refiner’s Fire,” Ensign, May 1979,
53).

I cannot exactly recall the message that I wrote on my wish note, but it went something like this: “I wish faith, love and peace to anyone who has been touched by tragedy or sadness in their lives.”

As my bright, yellow balloon rose into the sky, I thought – “… and who has not?”