Lost in Disneyland

by Trent Stoker

When I was seven, our family vacation was a driving trip to Southern California to visit my grandma and grandpa Robbins. The highlight of the week was a day at Disneyland. It was a dream come true. I loved everything about it; the little cars that kids could drive, the characters walking around the park, the shows, the Matterhorn and “It’s a small world”, Pirates of the Caribbean, and so much more.

In the afternoon, we took a boat to Tom Sawyer Island. It was wooded and had trails leading to things like a treehouse, and the largest slide I had ever seen. My brother Randy and I climbed to the top of the slide and went down while my father waited at the bottom. It was amazing.

I don’t recall if it was because I went back around to climb up the back of the slide a second time or for some other reason, but when I got to the bottom again, I couldn’t see my brother or my father anymore. I wasn’t worried, but began walking around certain I would see them. I didn’t.

I walked further into the woods looking for them without success. Several minutes had gone by and now I was getting worried. Where had they gone? Had they left for the boat without me? What would I do if I couldn’t find them?

Suddenly, the seriousness of the situation hit my seven-year old heart and mind like a ton of bricks; I am all alone. I’m hundreds of miles from home. I don’t know how to get home. I can’t find my parents. What am I going to do?

I started to panic and tear up and run all over the island trying to find my dad. I went everywhere on the small island in just a few minutes, including the boat dock. No sight of him.

At this moment I remembered what my parents and my primary teachers had taught me; that if I ever needed my Heavenly Father’s help, I could pray to Him and ask for it. But I needed to ask in faith. So I found a quiet spot off the trail, bowed my head and poured out my fears and plea for help to my Heavenly Father: “Please help me find my dad.” When I finished, I remembered that I had to have faith. I didn’t know exactly what that meant other than believing that He could answer my prayer. So I began repeating to myself quietly under my breath over and over “I know He can do it. I know He can do it.” I opened my eyes and felt a strong prompting to begin walking straight ahead. Within 30 seconds, I saw my dad walking a few steps ahead of me. I ran up and gave him a hug. Heavenly Father had answered my prayer.

That day, I learned that Heavenly Father is real. That He hears me when I pray with real intent and have faith, believing that He will help me. Prayer was different for me after that. My relationship with God was different after that. My understanding of the Holy Ghost was different after that. I had personally experienced an answer to my prayer that was very direct, very personal and timed in a way that left no doubt for me that I had interacted with God.