Farewell Reese

Maurice's mission farewell was on July 31st at 9:00 a.m., just ten hours after Garrett and I returned from New York. Jill was nice enough to let Garrett and I stay the night at her home. Lisa and her children were also staying with Jill. It was fun to see everyone for a minute before we all crashed for the night.

Reese was very nervous the morning of his farewell. He asked all of us to sit way in the back so he wouldn't have to see us. Of course, we all sat in the very front of the chapel so we could see and hear him perfectly. He gave a tremendous talk. It was obvious that he was nervous, but he shouldn't have been. He spoke as if he gave talks frequently. I was very impressed with his testimony and the experiences he shared. I had him send me his talk so Russ, Grant, and Gracie could read it (they weren't able to make it home from Yellowstone in time for the farewell).

Good morning bros. and sisters
I am so excited to have this opportunity to talk to this morning. I am actually so
excited that my legs are shaking uncontrollably right now. And before I start I
would like to thank bishop Dixon for giving me possibly the hardest topic for a talk
ever.
But when I was 16 I received my patriarchal blessing. I remember fasting before
I went to see the stake patriarch for what it seemed to be for forever. I can
remember driving over to his house being extremely excited and nervous. I
remember walking into his house and sitting on his couch to talk with him for
a few minutes about me and a few things about my life. After we talked for a
couple minutes he sat me down at his table and began to give me a blessing. I
can remember the power in the words that he spoke. I felt an incredible warmth
within me because of those powerful words. I knew this feeling was because
the Spirit was testifying to me. He was testifying to me about the truth of those
words. It was so weird that someone I did not know well could give me a blessing
that was so personal. There is no way that this could be possible without him
receiving revelation from the Holy Ghost. I know at that time the Spirit was giving
him direct revelation in order for his words to be so powerful. I remember feeling
the Spirit very strongly in that room. At that time it was the strongest I have ever
felt the Spirit.
God loves all of us and wants to help us so that we can live with him again
someday. He is anxious to support us in our practical and specific challenges. This
is why he has given us personal revelation, the light of Christ and the Holy Ghost
to guide us down the straight and narrow path.
Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the 12 Apostles, in general conference in the
fall of 2007, said (quote) “Personal revelation is the way we know for ourselves
the most important truths of our existence: the living reality of God, our Eternal
Father, and His Son, Jesus Christ; the truthfulness of the restored gospel;
and God’s purpose and direction for us.” (End quote) We can recognize and
understand the Spirit by diligently seeking through our scriptures. When we seek
through the scriptures we can find we are able to obtain guidance for our lives
and even all the things pertaining to the things in our Fathers kingdom as it says
in D&C 76:7-10 (it reads) Personal revelation is very important. It is so important
that if we did not have personal revelation not even the prophets of old would
not be able to minister to the children of men. Joseph Smith once said “Salvation
cannot come without revelation; it is in vain for anyone to minister without it.”
We can gain personal revelation by, as I said before, repenting of our sins, asking
in prayer, by being obedient, searching the scriptures and thinking pure and clean
thoughts. We can make a setting in order to receive personal revelation. We can
do this by fasting and by developing a spirit of reverence. Elder Boyd K. Packer
of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles once said that “Inspiration comes more
easily in a peaceful setting.” He continued by saying that “Irreverence suits that
purposes of the adversary by obstructing the delicate channels of revelation in
both mind and spirit. And that “Reverence invites Revelation.”
I find that in my life whenever I am seeking personal revelation, I usually go to
one of the rooms that no one goes into very often and wait until I am at home by
myself and pray to my Heavenly Father for guidance.
About a year and a half ago at the start of 2010 I remember I was having a hard
time because I really wanted to get a scholarship to play college football
somewhere. I was calling universities about sending them my game tape and
seeing if they were interested in me playing for them. For about a month or two I
was calling about ten to 12 schools a week from eastern Michigan University to
North Texas University to Utah State, BYU and Utah and asking them if they had
received my film, what they thought about it and you know if I could get a
scholarship. And after about two or three calls to each school they all said were
interested in you but, you know we don’t have any more scholarships to offer
but we would like it if you would come and walk on. And you know I didn’t really
have $15 thousand dollars to go somewhere like Utah State. So I got really
disappointed and went to this room and prayed to my heavenly Father if he
would help me get a scholarship or at least help me to know if you should be
done playing football. a couple days after that I was walking in to basketball
practice and as I was walking past the coaches office and my coach asked me if
everything was ok and earlier I had been a little upset because I wasn’t getting
the results I thought I would be. But I thought that I was playing if off really well
but he caught me and I kind of broke down in his office and he offered me his
help and told me that it would all work out for the better. Later on I got the
inspiration to call my dad and ask him for a little help and at that time we were
not on the best terms and it was really difficult for me to ask him for something
so small. But he decided he would help. About a week later from this I got a call
from Dixie State College, who at that time I never knew even existed, and they
told me that they saw my film and were very excited about me and three days
later I was offered a scholarship to play for them and I excepted.
So I know that by asking for personal revelation about your problems, our
Heavenly Father will help us through our troubles.
The Light of Christ or conscience is another thing that our Heavenly Father has
given to us in order to help us know right from the wrong and help guide us. In
Moroni 7:14-17 or 18 it says… in this it tells us that every person on earth is
given the gift of the light of Christ. Our Father in Heaven gave everyone this gift
so that we can find truth in our lives so that we can find this church and follow
our Heavenly Father’s teachings. The Bible Dictionary tells us that”the light of
Christ is just what the words imply: enlightenment, knowledge and an uplifting
ennobling, persevering influence that comes upon mankind because of Jesus
Christ.” Because everyone has this gift it means that no matter what you do we
will always have this gift with us. President Joseph F. Smith says that this Spirit
of Christ “strives with … men, and will continue to strive with them [if they will
resist the enticings of Satan], until it brings them to a knowledge of the truth and
the possession of the greater light and testimony of the Holy Ghost.” The light of
Christ is an introduction to and prepares us to receive the Holy Ghost. In the bible
dictionary it tells us again that the light of Christ will lead the honest soul who
hearkeneth to the voice’ to find the true gospel and the true church and thereby
receive the Holy Ghost.
The last thing that our Heavenly Father has given us is the gift of the Holy Ghost.
This is the most important thing we need to recognize and understand the Spirit.
The Holy Ghost is the third part of the Godhead after our Father in Heaven and
Jesus Christ. He is also known as the Comforter who the Lord promised the
Apostles would teach his followers all things. President James E. Faust said, “The
gift of the Holy Ghost comes after one repents and becomes worthy… the Holy
Ghost bears witness of the truth and impresses upon the soul the reality of God
the Father and the Son Jesus Christ so deeply that no earthly power or authority
can separate him from that knowledge.” The Holy Ghost testifies of the truth. In
Moroni 10:5-6 it says that.
In article written by Jay E. Jensen he says. “The Holy Ghost manifests itself in
many ways. If we are attentive, we will recognize its promptings.” Some of
the ways the Holy Ghost does manifest Himself is by a burning in the bosom,
a quaking frame, a still small voice, by a stupor of thought, by leading, by
constraining us not to do or say something and by testifying to us in our minds
and in our hearts. In D&C 8:2 it says. Of all of these things this is the one that I like
the most. I think the reason for that is because I think I feel this one the most. Like
when I was receiving my patriarchal blessing, I believe the Holy Ghost told me in
my mind and in my heart that the blessing that I was receiving was and still is a
truth that my Heavenly Father has given me.
Everyone is given, by the Holy Ghost, gifts of the spirit. In D&C chapter 46:11 it
says. And from there to verse 33 it lists out many of the gifts of the spirit. to name
a few there’s the gift of wisdom, discernment, knowledge, tongues, the faith to
heal, the faith to be healed, the working of miracles and to prophesy. I find that in
my life I think I have the gift of discernment. I think use this most when I choose
to be friends with people.
I testify to all of you that this is the true church, that Joseph Smith was a true
prophet that he saw God the Father and Jesus Christ, and the President Thomas
S. Monson is a true prophet and that they both lead our church by revelation
from the Holy Ghost and direction from Jesus Christ himself. And that we by
recognizing and understanding the spirit will help and guide us through all of our
specific troubles and trials. And I am so grateful that I am able to serve the Lord
in Kenya and teach those people the truthfulness of the gospel and I know that I
will be able to teach them these things that they came be the best that they can
be. And I know that if we strive to obtain personal revelation, listen to the light of
Christ and follow the Holy Ghost in our lives Our Heavenly Father will lead us to
truth and light.
And before I end I would like to thank my mom, uncle Kurtis and Russ, my
grandpa all my aunts for being amazing examples to me and for always being
there. I would also like to thank Bishop Dixon, Brother Roger Bulloch, Greg King,
bishop Clawson, Josh Waldren, Kipp Facer,
And all of those who I didn’t name but I was also grateful for I thank all of you
so much and I was so happy to get to know all of you. And I’m not going to say
goodbye but just say I will see you all very soon. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.

There is no doubt in my mind this young man is ready to serve the Lord.

After church, we went to Kurtis and Tina's home for dinner. As usual, they did a fabulous job. It was fun to visit with family.

The toughest part of the day was saying goodbye to Reese. I didn't think it would be so hard. He just hugged me and cried on my shoulder for such a long time. It was really difficult for me and I felt like I was saying goodbye to my very own son. He kinda was mine for a whole year. I will miss him dearly, but there is no where else I would rather him be.

New York, New York

Sometime, back in March or April, Garrett's baseball coach (Steve) was talking to Russ. He told Russ that he was trying to get the baseball team into a tournament in New York. He asked Russ not to say anything to anyone until he saw if it was going to be feasible. As the days/weeks moved along, Steve would give us little updates about the progress he was making. Soon, he contacted all of the parents to see if anyone would be interested in their son playing in a baseball tournament in New York and asked them not to tell the boys just yet. The response, of course, was fantastic. Not only did the parents want their boys to play in the tournament, most of the parents wanted to go as well. I was one of the parents that planned to travel with my son (Russ had used up almost all of his vacation time when he went to the Seychelles in January and was unable to travel with us). Finally, we held a team meeting. The boys were told that they were going to New York to play baseball. Although that in itself was exciting, the boys were then told that they would be attending a Yankees game (including a stadium tour and batting practice) and going to one of the top ten water parks in the nation. Needless to say, the boys were VERY EXCITED! They were able to get some sponsors for the trip and then they held some fund-raising events. We were very pleased at how hard the boys worked to raise money. I had told my parents about the trip when it seemed like it was really going to happen. My dad got very excited about the idea that the boys were going to see the Yankees play (a ranked item on my dad's bucket list). My parents decided to join in the adventure. Then, last minute, Kami decided to come along as well.
The Adventure Begins...July 25th,2011
The day finally came. The team, parents, and my family met in the Smith's parking lot at 2:30 a.m. We drove down to Las Vegas to catch our 6:00 a.m. flight to Baltimore, MD where we would have an hour and a half lay over, and then off to Long Island, New York. Everyone was was in good spirits and thrilled about the upcoming week.The first leg of the trip went surprisingly well. The boys were somewhat controlled and seemed to have a good time. There was a small incident on our flight where medical assistance was needed. It was rumored someone was having a seizure. One of our coaches is a P.A., so he went to assist. That seemed to keep everyone pre-occupied for a while. Turns out the man had been a t a bachelor's party in Las Vegas and was drunk and hadn't eaten forever... stupid is as stupid does. We finally set down in Baltimore and that's when things went sour. We found out our connecting flight had been diverted due to bad weather and were delayed a couple of hours. The boys bought some cards and began playing some games to keep themselves entertained.

That was fun for about an hour. We kept watching the screen to see what time our flight was expected. Every time we looked at the screen, the flight departure time was pushed back 15-30 minutes. When we weren't watching the screen, we were watching the storm outside, dumping water and electrifying the sky with lightning. We ended up having a 7 1/2 hour lay-over with eleven 13 year old boys. To pass by the time, the boys played on the express walkways, played football, slept, and ate non-stop!

And the adults tried to keep their sanity- with NO Southwest workers keeping us updated or making themselves available to answer questions! Things continued to get worse that day. Garrett had slept a ton at the airport, and unlike the other boys, he barely ate. As we got on the plane he asked me if he could sit by me so he could lay his head down on my lap... strange. Luckily, it was not a full flight and we had an entire row to ourselves. As Garrett laid down, I realized he had a fever. He slept the entire flight. When we got off of the plane he looked like crap! His glands were swollen, he was shivering, his teeth were chattering, he could hardly talk because his throat was so sore, and he had zero energy. NOT my kid at all. We walked down to the baggage claim to find ALL of our suitcases and baseball gear completely wet. During our 7 1/2 hour flight delay- due to a storm- all of our luggage was left out in the downpour. When we got to the hotel, Garrett was too sick to eat. We checked in our room and put him straight to bed. Later that night, he was given a Priesthood blessing.

Day 2

I awoke on Tuesday to Garrett still feverish, strep throat-ish, and miserable. The P.A. that was traveling with us had the doctor he works for call in a prescription for a z-pack for Garrett. I spent the first half of the day trying to pick up his prescription. We got Garrett all drugged up and he and my dad left with the team for the Yankees game.The boys had a great time at the Yankees game. There were 2 rain delays and almost a no hitter. They enjoyed seeing batting practice and touring the stadium. Although Garrett was not at his peak wellness, he still managed to enjoy the night. While the boys were at the Yankees game, I was able to go into Manhattan with my mom and Kami and experience the city. We took the train from Ronkonkoma to Penn Station. The train ride was a fun experience. We came out of the train station at 7th avenue and 34th street, right at Madison Square Garden. It was amazing! You feel so tiny and very insignificant in Manhattan. There are hundreds of people on each block and at least 40 taxi cabs and enormous buildings that just tower over you. After the train ride we went to the Hard Rock Cafe for lunch and I had the most amazing salad. It was worthy of a picture. After lunch we walked to Times Square. That was about all we were able to fit in that day. I loved the diversity of the city, the crowds, the amazing architecture, and the crazy cab drivers that honk just to honk- because the person in the car in front of them couldn't move even if they wanted to!

Day 3

On Wednesday, the boys went to Modell's and Dick's sporting goods stores to purchase their Yankee/Mets/Jets/Giants fan wear. Then they actually played a baseball game that night. They won the game 11-5. They were pretty excited. That day my parents, Kami, and I toured Long Island. We drove to Montauk and looked at some famous lighthouse from a distance. They charged $8 to park the car and then $9 per person to walk up to the lighthouse. Although it was pretty in that area, it really was just a lighthouse. We took some pictures and moved on. After the Montauk, we drove to the Hamptons. Wow! Talk about a beautiful area. Everything on Long Island is so green. There are HUGE trees that grow over the roads and 20 foot shrubs that surround every home. Each home sits on acres of green grass, with huge trees and shrubs. After a while I began to feel claustrophobic. A person is unable to see to the right or left because of the trees. You know you are so close to the ocean, but you just can't see it through the foliage. It is weird after having lived in the desert most of my life. When I got back to the hotel, I had dinner with the team and we celebrated one of Garrett's teammates, Bronzen's, birthday.

Day 4- July 28th, 2011

On Thursday, the boys had a baseball game at 8:00 a.m. They had to be at the fields by 7 to warm up. That meant I had to wake them up at 6 so they could get ready and eat before they left. That was 4 o'clock Utah time. They all looked like walking zombies in the lobby that morning eating breakfast. They played like they looked. The boys lost that game 10-0. I am not sure if they were tired or just too excited about their post game activities. As soon as their game was over, the coaches took the boys to Splish and Splash- a water park that is rated in the top 10 of the nation. The boys had a blast! When they got home that night, they were exhausted, but told me every detail of the day. While the boys were at the water park, Kami, my parents, and I went back into Manhattan. I was able to see a little more of the big apple. We went to Rockefeller Center, Central Park, the New York temple, and Canal Street. I was also introduced to the subway system- so crazy, fun.

Day 5- August 29th, 2011

We awoke on Friday to rain, and lots of it. We were supposed to have a game at 8:00 a.m. We kept checking the tournament website and calling the tournament director for an update to see if the games were cancelled, postponed, etc. By 7:30 we had not heard anything, so we headed to the fields. We got there at 7:55 and found that games were on. Fortunately, the other team had just arrived as well and the boys were given 15-20 minutes to warm up. The heavy rain slowed and it just drizzled most of the game. The boys played great and won 4-2. Garrett had a GREAT defensive game at 3rd base. He got cleated a couple of times, but still made the plays. It was a proud day for his mama. As soon as the game was over, we rushed back to the hotel, changed our clothes and loaded up half of our group to tour Manhattan. Me, 3 of the dads, and 6 of the boys took the train into the city for the craziest, fastest, all-encompassing, see everything there is to see in 7 hours, tour of the Big Apple. It was such a fun day. In a nutshell, we saw Madison Square Garden, 34th street (you know the movie Miracle on 34th street), Macy's (as in the Macy's parade), the Empire State Building (including the tour to the top), the famous hot dog stands on every corner of Manhattan, and Grand Central Station where we hopped on the subway to Wall Street. At wall street we saw the Merrill Lynch bull (the stock market bull). Then it was off to see the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, the eternal flame for the 911 victims and the surviving statue that had been by the twin towers when they fell, the Korean War memorial, the Downtown Athletic Club (where the Heisman trophy is given out each year), and then to Ground Zero. The boys were pretty solemn at this time. It was a neat experience to talk to them about what had happened and see so much of the destruction still visible 10 years later. After Ground Zero, we took a subway to Central Park. We then walked over to the New York Temple, Julliard School, Carnagie Hall, and then down to Times Square. We ate New york style pizza at Ray's Pizzaria and then sprinted back to the train station in the rain. It was an amazing, action packed day.

And someone told us New York was big and you couldn't see it in a day... Ha- If you don't spend any amount of time at one place, it is possible. Exhausting, but do-able.

Never a dull moment...

It seems that there is ALWAYS something going on. These past few days have been no exception. On Saturday, we had company from up North. Russ' business partner, Ryan, and his family were on their way to California for the week. On Saturday they came and stayed with us. It was so much fun to have them here and our kids LOVED having their kids to play with. Little Gracie and Caroline were instant friends. They were up so late just giggling in the front room. Sorry Ryan and Julie... we hope Caroline slept on the drive. On Sunday, we got up early and said good-bye to our guests and were off to a missionary homecoming in Las Vegas. Our good friends, the Boman's, had their eldest son just return home from a mission in Orlando, Florida. It was so fun to attend our old ward, see some good friends, and hear about Eric's experiences and listen to him testify of Jesus Christ. Great kid!

On Monday, Garrett and Russ left for scout camp. Luckily, Russ doesn't have to stay up there- just shuttle the boys up and get them situated. Garrett, however, will have to be there all week. In the afternoon, we took Grant to the doctor for a physical and to get his immuniztions to begin 6th grade. He had a slight reaction to the shots, Tetnus in particular. His poor little (now huge) deltoid muscles got so inflamed. They are swollen, red, and hot to the touch. I took some pictures, but they were after we had given him Benadryl and put ice on them. They looked better by the time I took the pictures... should have taken the pictures in the prime inflammatory state. That night the kids and I drove up to Pine Valley with Nana and Papa. We met the Ellsworth's up there for Family Home Evening. It was a fun night. We played in the stream, ate Jimmy John sandwiches, roasted marshmallows for S'mores, listened to story about Kathy Carlisle, and visited about St. George politics. Tonight we went over to Grandma Brooks house to swim again. The kids are loving her pool this summer. Grandma was in Cedar City at the Shakespearean Festival, but we got to visit with Grandpa Paul- which was fun. We got home just in time for Russ to play basketball over at the church. A favorite weekly activity of his.