Rising Star and Meeting Becky Douglas

Traveling to Utah last week was very special, even transforming.  Although I served a full-time mission in Salt Lake City, I don’t know Salt Lake and Utah very well.  

You see, Temple Square is just 10 acres of land and I was a tour guide.  

Ask me anything about that 10 acres, and we’ll have a nice conversation, but the land of Utah is still quite foreign to me.

On Tuesday, June 21, I drove up Provo Canyon to Heber.  While traveling among the mountains and streams, roaring rivers and waterfalls, I peered at the snow-capped mountain tops and thought “What is this place?”  

Pure perfection, crisp mountain air, lakes, big sky, puffy clouds, meadows of flowers, quaking aspen, I mean, it was out of a picture book. 

Why didn’t I live here?

 

I arrived at the Rising Star Presidential Brunch and immediately met with Amy Humphrey, the director of Rising Star.  We’ve only known each other for a few months, but we’d spent so much time on the phone together, we hugged and visited like life-long friends.  She introduced me to various wonderful people and I was able to meet the volunteers that really make Rising Star so successful.  

Authors Richard and Linda Eyre

Brunch was amazing and after I filled my plate with fresh peaches, spinach salad and strawberries, I sat down and listened to Gentri sing their new song about India, reaching out to others and making a difference in the world.  

They are traveling to India next week to produce a video for Rising Star.  Here is a sample of their beautiful music.

Becky Douglas spoke and the stories she told of such extreme poverty in India really drew a picture in my mind of what these people suffered, but these weren’t just sad stories because Becky does something about it.  It seems every time she faces a hopeless situation, she counters it with something beautiful.  She doesn’t let poverty or leprosy get the last word because she get’s to work and confronts it head on. I’m not sure how she does it, only she’s on God’s errand to help, heal and inspire the people of India.   

I was able to give Becky a painting that represented to me her story as a humanitarian, her love for her daughter Amber and her love for the people of India. I may or may not have been crying my eyes out, but the love that radiates from Becky is undeniable.  In the scriptures it says:

Matthew 25:37–40: “Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink?

“When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee?

“Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee?

“And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.”

Becky says she’s not a hero, but she’s certainly one of mine.

I was able to share the poem behind my project My 100 Daughters and had printed off a coloring book with up-to-date pictures I’ve drawn of the girls of India. 

So far, I’ve drawn over 40 girls and will have all 100 girls drawn by September 2017.  The book and coloring book will be released on October 11, 2017, to celebrate and bring attention to the international Day of the Girl.

To read more about My 100 Daughters, you can click here.  I am also working with a very talented videographer and making a short documentary about the project. 

The next day, I was able to meet with the incredible ladies of Big Ocean and share the story of Becky Douglas, Rising Star and how my experience with intermittent fasting and prayer led me to want to help the poor and hungry.  

Big Ocean did video our evening together, so I will post that as soon as it’s available.