An Amazing Story...

[eensor]

God's Elephants

An amazing story you may not have heard before:

No one is insignificant in God's eyes, and His care for sparrows,
finches, eagles, and elephants is a constant reminder that He cares for
you, and for me. What He makes, He cherishes.
Consider the elephants of the Pavilion Hotel in Phuket, Thailand,
where one of the most popular attractions is elephant rides. As many
as eight people on one elephant, first into the surrounding forest, then
down to the beach, to lunch at a fresh water lagoon, then back to the hotel.
"Our nine elephants," writes Pavilion Hotel Group manager Jim
France, "are kept chained to in-ground posts, not because they need to be, but
because it makes the tourists feel better because their children seem
safe from a tromping when they're feeding the beasts."
"About twenty minutes before the first wave of the recent Tsunami
hit, the elephants became extremely agitated and unru ly. Four had
just returned from a trip and their handler's had not yet chained them. In
a desperate panic, the four elephants helped the other five tear free from
their chains. They all then climbed a hill and started bellowing. Many
people followed them up the hill. Then the waves hit.
"After the waves subsided, the elephants charged down
from the hill, and started picking up children with their trunks and running them back
up the hill. When all the children were taken care of, they started
helping the adults."
"God's elephants" rescued forty-two people that day. Then, they
returned to the beach and carried up four dead bodies, including one of
a child. Not until the task was done did they allow their handlers to
mount them. Then, with handlers atop, they began moving wreckage.
So remember, whatever God makes, He cherishes... including elephants,
sparrows, and you. Especially you!

God is so good!!

[red98vett]

WOW WAS THAT A COOL STORY ! Just amazing. It gave me a new perspective on Elephants - I saw something on animal planet about them once and was so upset about it ...it involved an outcast baby and I thought the elephants were just so mean - I had DREAMS about that poor baby - then I see this and it just changed my views again ! lol - I'm SO easy.....

[kp&nala]

According to snopes.com that it didn't really happen that way. Read this http://www.snopes.com/critters/defender/elephant.asp

[red98vett]

Originally Posted by kp&nala

According to snopes.com that it didn't really happen that way. Read this http://www.snopes.com/critters/defender/elephant.asp

Bust my Bubble ! Rats - it was still a cool story ... A little of it was true - they did use elephants to rescue people

There were rescues of tsunami victims by tamed elephants, but they were not of the ilk described in the account quoted above — they were far more prosaic and far less heroic.

[kp&nala]

I'm sorry I didn't mean to bust your bubble. I always check everything out on snopes before I foward it on. I just thought you might want to know the "real" story. I wish people would just pass on the truth. Not that this e-mail was hurting anyone by stretching the truth. Guess I'm just picky.

[kp&nala]

This is one I got this morning. I couldn't find out if it's acutally true or not.

I just returned from a trip to New Jersey. While en route there, I
was stuck in traffic on Interstate 81, just below the Virginia state
line, (Bristol,Tennessee), due to a traffic accident with a fatality
involved. This accident involved a tanker truck hauling a hazardous
material load that developed a leak, which meant that we weren't
going anywhere for several hours.

After being told by the Tennessee state troopers that we would be
sitting still until the clean up was completed, I set my brakes on the
truck and got our to stretch my legs. Other truck drivers did the
same, and at one point there were 5 of us standing there by my truck, complaining.

Sitting right beside me in the left lane, were two elderly people in a
Silverado pick up truck, which was loaded quite well. The man, (Joe), lowered his window and asked what was going on regarding the traffic situation.

Soon we were all talking with this couple. I mentioned that if I had
known about this, I would have bought something to drink, (water), for I was becoming thirsty. The lady, (Anna), said that they had plenty of water, and sodas in the cooler in the bed of the truck, and offered everyone present something. While she was back there, she said that she had plenty of tuna salad made up, and asked if we would be interested in a sandwich.

After some urging from Joe, we agreed to a sandwich. While Anna was making the sandwiches on the tailgate of the truck, she was singing like a songbird. To be close to 70, (I guess), she had a remarkable voice.

When she finished making the sandwiches, and putting everything up, Joe raised the tailgate of the truck to close it. I noticed a
Mississippi license plate on it. I inquired as to what part of
Mississippi they were from. Joe said Biloxi. Knowing that Biloxi had been ravaged also by hurricane Katrina, I asked if they sustained any damage. Joe said that they lost everything but what they had on and what was in the pickup. All of us drivers tried unsuccessfully to pay them for their drinks and the sandwiches. They would have nothing to do with it. Joe said that their son was living around Harrisonburg, Virginia and that they were going there. He was in the real estate business and that there was a home that became open, and that they were going to start all over there. Starting over at their age would not be easy.

I will soon be 48 years old, and I have say that I have never eaten a
tuna sandwich with side orders of reality and humility. These people
lost everything except the pictures, important documents, and some
clothes. Joe had managed to get their antique heirloom grandfather's
clock into the bed of the truck and Anna got her china and silverware, but that was all. These wonderful people lost practically everything they owned and still would not accept any money for their food and drinks. Joe said that "it was better to give than it is to receive."

They sought refuge behind a block wall that he had built years ago,
and they watched their belongings and their home disappear in the
winds of Hurricane Katrina. Joe said that during all this he had one
hand holding onto Anna and the other holding on to God. Their truck and themselves came out of Katrina unscathed.

As I stated before, Anna was singing a song while making the
sandwiches. The song is titled "I know who holds tomorrow," an old gospel song. She knew every word, and was quite a gifted singer of it. Have you ever heard it?

The chorus of this song is, " Many things about tomorrow, I don't seem to understand. But I know who holds tomorrow, and I know who holds my hand."

There is no doubt, in my mind, who was holding both their hands. I
know there have been many, many emails that have circulated over the years about things that will touch your heart, but this one I
personally was involved in.

Forget all of the politics that the news is striving on, and think
about people just like Joe and Anna. If you can, help out with the
victims' relief funds.

If you cannot, at least offer a prayer for everyone. Do what you wish with this email, forward it, delete it, whatever.

I know that these two elderly people got to this old country boy. I
will always remember them. Joe and Anna, if by some strange way you, or someone you know gets this, and shows it to you, God Bless you!

Mike Dowdy
Hartselle, Alabama

[eensor]

Originally Posted by kp&nala

This is one I got this morning. I couldn't find out if it's acutally true or not.

I just returned from a trip to New Jersey. While en route there, I
was stuck in traffic on Interstate 81, just below the Virginia state
line, (Bristol,Tennessee), due to a traffic accident with a fatality
involved. This accident involved a tanker truck hauling a hazardous
material load that developed a leak, which meant that we weren't
going anywhere for several hours.

After being told by the Tennessee state troopers that we would be
sitting still until the clean up was completed, I set my brakes on the
truck and got our to stretch my legs. Other truck drivers did the
same, and at one point there were 5 of us standing there by my truck, complaining.

Sitting right beside me in the left lane, were two elderly people in a
Silverado pick up truck, which was loaded quite well. The man, (Joe), lowered his window and asked what was going on regarding the traffic situation.

Soon we were all talking with this couple. I mentioned that if I had
known about this, I would have bought something to drink, (water), for I was becoming thirsty. The lady, (Anna), said that they had plenty of water, and sodas in the cooler in the bed of the truck, and offered everyone present something. While she was back there, she said that she had plenty of tuna salad made up, and asked if we would be interested in a sandwich.

After some urging from Joe, we agreed to a sandwich. While Anna was making the sandwiches on the tailgate of the truck, she was singing like a songbird. To be close to 70, (I guess), she had a remarkable voice.

When she finished making the sandwiches, and putting everything up, Joe raised the tailgate of the truck to close it. I noticed a
Mississippi license plate on it. I inquired as to what part of
Mississippi they were from. Joe said Biloxi. Knowing that Biloxi had been ravaged also by hurricane Katrina, I asked if they sustained any damage. Joe said that they lost everything but what they had on and what was in the pickup. All of us drivers tried unsuccessfully to pay them for their drinks and the sandwiches. They would have nothing to do with it. Joe said that their son was living around Harrisonburg, Virginia and that they were going there. He was in the real estate business and that there was a home that became open, and that they were going to start all over there. Starting over at their age would not be easy.

I will soon be 48 years old, and I have say that I have never eaten a
tuna sandwich with side orders of reality and humility. These people
lost everything except the pictures, important documents, and some
clothes. Joe had managed to get their antique heirloom grandfather's
clock into the bed of the truck and Anna got her china and silverware, but that was all. These wonderful people lost practically everything they owned and still would not accept any money for their food and drinks. Joe said that "it was better to give than it is to receive."

They sought refuge behind a block wall that he had built years ago,
and they watched their belongings and their home disappear in the
winds of Hurricane Katrina. Joe said that during all this he had one
hand holding onto Anna and the other holding on to God. Their truck and themselves came out of Katrina unscathed.

As I stated before, Anna was singing a song while making the
sandwiches. The song is titled "I know who holds tomorrow," an old gospel song. She knew every word, and was quite a gifted singer of it. Have you ever heard it?

The chorus of this song is, " Many things about tomorrow, I don't seem to understand. But I know who holds tomorrow, and I know who holds my hand."

There is no doubt, in my mind, who was holding both their hands. I
know there have been many, many emails that have circulated over the years about things that will touch your heart, but this one I
personally was involved in.

Forget all of the politics that the news is striving on, and think
about people just like Joe and Anna. If you can, help out with the
victims' relief funds.

If you cannot, at least offer a prayer for everyone. Do what you wish with this email, forward it, delete it, whatever.

I know that these two elderly people got to this old country boy. I
will always remember them. Joe and Anna, if by some strange way you, or someone you know gets this, and shows it to you, God Bless you!

Mike Dowdy
Hartselle, Alabama

If anyone finds out that this one isn't true, PLEASE don't tell us!

I still like the elephant story and choose to believe it! How dies Snopes know everything anyway?

[red98vett]

Originally Posted by kp&nala

I'm sorry I didn't mean to bust your bubble. I always check everything out on snopes before I foward it on. I just thought you might want to know the "real" story. I wish people would just pass on the truth. Not that this e-mail was hurting anyone by stretching the truth. Guess I'm just picky.

lol...I was yankin your chain - I DID like the story but it did sound a bit TOO good ... like eensor.... I want to still believe it and can to a degree

& like Muldar of the X Files....the truth is out there..

[kp&nala]

Originally Posted by eensor

If anyone finds out that this one isn't true, PLEASE don't tell us!

I still like the elephant story and choose to believe it! How dies Snopes know everything anyway?

People send them e-mails they get that sound "fishy" and the research them. There's a lot of e-mails going around that I thought were real until I check snopes. I promise I'm not trying to ruin anyone's day or anything. A lot of the ones I check out are stories like this b/c I know that it's only half truth so I check it out on snopes to see what actually happened. Of course it's never as good as they make it out to be.