HAVASUPAI

A couple weeks ago I spent an amazing weekend at Havasupai Falls. If you have never been, you've got to go. My first time there was right after I graduated from high school, but I hadn't been back since. 

Havasupai is an Indian reservation down in the Grand Canyon with amazing falls and turquoise pools. It really is an oasis in the middle of nowhere. After a 10 hour drive, we arrived at the top and geared up for a mile and a half of switchbacks, then 8 and a half more into the falls. I don't know if you've been to Arizona this time of year, but it's hot. We started the switchbacks, hoping the sun would set soon, but I thought I was going to die of heat exhaustion. 

When we got to the bottom, we were finally out of the sun, so the rest of the hike was fine. It is the most amazing feeling after 10 miles of dry dirt to all of a sudden hit a majestic fall in the middle of nowhere. We stopped for pictures then made our way down to the campsite and set up for the weekend. The next couple days were spent hiking, swimming, rope-swinging, and jumping.

Since we were camping over a Sunday, we decided to go back up to the village for church. There is a tiny branch there at a small home/meeting house where a senior missionary couple live. Each Sunday they helicopter in 2 people from neighboring wards to speak. So at 10:00 we started the 2 and half miles up to church. The problem was, by this time it was already almost 100 degrees and there was very little shade. The sun burned and I can't remember the last time I was that hot.













So an hour later with mild symptoms of heat-exhaustion, I arrived at church. It was one of the most moving experiences of my life. Maybe it was because it had taken so much from me physically to get there, but I just remember walking in and seeing everyone dirty and sweaty but peaceful. As we sang the hymn for the sacrament, I couldn't help but understand just a tiny bit better the suffering that occurred so that we could all be clean. I'll never forget that Sunday.