Photos

I've been a bit remiss with this blog. I've been on a huge learning endeavor in regards to education and reading and writing as I strive to become a better teacher. I've made considerable growth just from where I was two years ago. Sadly this little blog of mine had to take back burner.

However, my goal this Christmas break was to learn how to teach writing in a better way to little 8 year olds. If I want them to write better, I told myself that I need to write more.

That said, I'm leaving 2020 with photos instead. I didn't take very many as I sat and relished the moment of having our grandbaby and MOST of my kids with us. It was simply glorious.

Christmas break began with a quick trip to Ferron. This was a run/hike I went on one morning. It was absolutely beautiful with cool, crisp, clean air.

Nate accompanied the sister missionaries on a Christmas song. Thanks to some pretty remarkable technology, we were able to "zoom" in and watch.

The cutest baby in the world; no biases here.

Our traditional Christmas meal of Korean bulgogi was moved from Christmas Day to Christmas Eve since we were losing KJ and baby to the other inlaws. It was a great present to me. I LOVED not having to make a meal on Christmas day.

Nate left behind a bag for us open on Christmas (or any other time . . . We chose Christmas Eve). In September while he was busily getting ready to leave home for 2 years to bring people to Christ, he was also exemplifying Christ's attributes of thoughtfulness and kindness by preparing that bag for us. It was a bunch of random gadgets from work but I was touched that he was thinking of us months in advance.

I also discovered a shared family photos album where Nate had uploaded some photos from his mission. He hasn't been as diligent with attaching photos to his weekly email as Erik did. I was extremely happy to peruse and save.

Goodbye Brighton

Good morning! I hope you all had a fantastic week!

We had transfers on Thursday, and I am now serving in the Peoria ward in Aurora. I didn't realize how nice my other apartment was until coming here. It's still pretty good, but I now wake up at 2 in the morning to hear our neighbors screaming at each other, or the cops show up at our complex. We don't have a washer or dryer, the shower randomly switches back and forth between scalding hot and ice cold, and I'm back to not having a car. It's honestly been a lot of fun, but it's a very different place than where I was just at.

I'm now with Elder Gulbransen and Elder Stastny. I came in with Elder Gulbransen; we actually spent the first night in a hotel together. Elder Stastny is leaving on Thursday to go back to his original assignment of Durban, South Africa.

The ward here has a lot more older people, so it's very difficult with COVID because many can't go to church. Many of the ward members won't answer calls from us either, so it will be a lot harder to get the system going that we did in my last area. We're going to have to be more creative, but it will be good to have that challenge.

The Christmas devotional was awesome! For those that didn't watch it, I'd encourage you to go back and do so. I loved all the talks, about "swaddling" others during hard times, about appreciating the true Gift of Christmas, of how the Savior's birth brought about the reality of many people's hopes and dreams, and of our Prophet's message about the symbolism of His birth. I am so grateful to celebrate His birth, the birth prophesied of by countless prophets throughout history. I know as we ponder on the gifts He's given us, and on how He is the Gift we can give to others, that we will feel more peace, and that our Heavenly Father will help us find opportunities this Christmas season to share about Him with others. I promise that if you are bold this season in testifying of your love for the Savior, then our Heavenly Father will help you feel His love and you will have joy in Him. I say this in the name of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, amen. 

- Elder Leary 

On the 12th Day of COVID . . .

There was a great surprise.

12 rolls of toilet paper
11 ounce of Clorox
10 mandarin oranges
9 ripe bananas
8 ounce of cheese
7 cans of soup
6 slice of bacon
5 rows of Oreos
4 cubes of butter
3 macaroni
2 chips and salsa
and a loaf of Grandma Sycamore's white bread!

I took some liberty to make that little song work. 

But seriously. This is the third time in 4 years that we've received such an abundance on our doorstep, but this time the good elves revealed themselves. People are so good. Especially the people at Beehive Wireless whom Erik works for. They take such good care of him. He worked for them the summer before his mission and he impressed them so much then that they immediately hired him back. 

Erik joined the COVID club and Beehive wanted to make sure he was taken care of EVEN THOUGH he lives with his parents who are pretty capable people. We put Erik and Ash (she had a slight fever) in isolation for a week until tests came back. Tyler, Alex, and Ash negative. Erik positive. I opted out since I had no symptoms and it had been 9 days since Erik's exposure when they all decided to test.

His symptoms were a mild cold.

Satan sure unleashed a good one this year. The "last days" always conjured up images of war and fires and earthquakes and drought . . . Okay that pretty much sums up this year if you consider civil unrest and rioting as a form of war. However, I never imagined something so small could take down an entire planet. I never dreamed I would be wearing a mask and hiding from people. I never imagined the backlash among friends and neighbors that could come over "to wear a mask or not to wear a mask."

If Satan's intentions were to create division, he's sure done a pretty good job. Even within my own home this past week it's been pretty divisive and ugly at times. That is not the Lord's way.

I've never been more grateful for the presence of the Holy Ghost in my life as I have been this year in navigating some pretty turbulent times. I know the decisions I make with regards to my own health and the health of my family have brought peace to me. I've received that quiet witness that we're going to be okay. That is the Holy Ghost confirming that my decisions are good ones. 

I choose to live by faith, not fear.

I'm also grateful for a prophet I can look to for guidance. Our government leaders at times have asked us to do some hard things. One of the articles of faith that I live by is that I believe in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law. President Nelson also lives by this article of faith because I've watched him as he too quietly obeys, honors, and sustains these government mandates.

There is hope. There is victory around the corner. 2020 has certainly been a year of ups and downs. For our family, the ups far outweigh the downs. 

Be a pineapple: Stand tall. Wear a crown. And be sweet on the inside.

Thanksgiving!

Last week we got up do some fun service. On Wednesday we got to go to Barr Lake and put up Christmas lights all over. I generally don't think Christmas decorations should go up before Thanksgiving, but this year was definitely an exception. Thanksgiving morning, we got to go to the cemetery and get all the snow off the graves and dig out the grass covering them so they'd look nice. On Friday and Saturday we had the awesome idea of taking around plates of cookies with Light the World calendars to the ward members. We left them at the door and ran, and had a little note on them that said to do the same thing to three of their neighbors. It was a lot of fun, and we're hoping that they'll help light up their neighborhood around them. 

Thanksgiving was super cool. We had that service, and then had a devotional as a zone which was a lot of fun. The stake had ward members bring food, and the Stake President dished us all up and sent us home since we're no longer allowed to eat in churches with COVID restrictions. That night, we got to watch The Fighting Preacher over zoom, and it was kind of weird to watch a movie again, but it was a lot of fun. 

It is now December, and that means today kicks off Light the World! We have our p-day today because we used yesterday to get as many people as possible to sign up for Light the World. I want to share something I came across this week, and I'd encourage you all to go read Daniel chapter 5 to read the whole story. The king throws this feast, and during it, this writing shows up on the wall. He asks all these wise people to interpret it, and none of them can. His wife, the queen, ends up telling him to ask Daniel, and Daniel is able to interpret it. However, what I love about this is that the king, when he goes to ask Daniel, says that he knows he is a man of light and understanding. I LOVE this idea that Daniel's reputation had preceded him as a man of light. He had stood out by how he acted and his devotion to God, and it was seen as Light. I'd invite you all to be known as People of Light this Christmas season. Serve others, show them love, be an example, and invite people to learn more about Christ this Christmas season. I know as you do so, the Lord will pour out blessings upon you and those you serve, and I say that in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

All my love,
Elder Leary 

We got a car . . . and a companion!

This week has been so much fun!

Last week, we challenged all our members in our weekly message as a family to go serve someone who needs it. The Vera's did that for some people, but also showed up at our apartment with Crumbl cookies and an entire cheesecake! We ended up giving some of it away by dropping it off at the doorstep of a family who is in quarantine right now, but I can't believe how nice people have been to us.

We also invited them to do Come and See Me- to invite 10 family or friends to come watch their son speak in church- and they invited Brother Vera's brother and his family! His brother is inactive and his family aren't members, but they all came and brought a friend that was visiting them for the weekend!

Thursday night, right before a lesson, President Blake called us and asked if our apartment could fit three people. We said it could, and he said that's all he needed to know, so we thought maybe at transfers we were going to get a new companion, or two new ones if one of us left. However, the AP's called later that night and said we were getting a new companion the next day, and what do you know, but it's Elder Ogden!

Elder Ogden and I went to high school together, and ran cross country together, so I was super excited. He's two years older than me, so he's finishing his last 3 weeks, and I'm finishing my ... last 22 months. Sorry to my mom if that sounded like a long time, but I'm still super excited to be out here. Anyways, the AP's were on an exchange with the zone leaders, so they drove me to the mission home the next morning on their way back to their area. I got to have waffles with President and Sister Blake, and then me and Elder Ogden drove back to our apartment. That's right, we drove. It's been so nice to have a car the last couple days.

Anyways, we had an awesome couple days with him, and then we received another call from President last night, and Elder Ogden was transferred to Aurora to be a zone leader for his last two weeks. He packed up his things in twenty minutes or so, and then he was gone as fast as he came. I did learn some things from him so I'm so grateful for that. And ... we kept the car! So we now have a 2020 equinox with only about 2000 miles on it. We'll keep it at least until the end of the transfer, but then it might go back to its old area. We also kept the new mattress we got, and the bunk bed, so Elder Hales sleeps on the top bunk (he likes being high up, he tends to just chill out on top of our fridge) and I get a double decker bed.

I want to testify that I know families are central to our Heavenly Father's plan for us. I'm so grateful to all of my family who have all supported me in coming out here, and for all they've done for me. I'm grateful to know that we can live forever with our families, that we can be sealed together. I know our Heavenly Father loves us as His children, and wants us to return to Him, just like any father would with his kids. I bear testimony of that in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

All my love,

Elder Leary 

God Plays Deep Chess

I was asked to talk in our sacrament meeting last week. As I sat writing it late Friday night, the thoughts just came to me. I realized I could not take credit for this talk. Afterwards I had many who reached out with words of appreciation and love. This talk came from the Lord. I was simply the conduit.

In 1988 I became the 6th grade chess champion. My dad taught me how to win in 4 moves which proved to be unstoppable.

A few year later, I met Tyler who plays chess, who plays much deeper chess than I had ever played.

To play “deep chess” you are thinking several moves ahead and anticipating your opponents moves.

Chess is not a game of chance or coincidences. There is design and purpose to each move.

Our lives are like a chess board. Our Father in Heaven is orchestrating moves far in advance, moving us from place to place. He is playing ‘deep chess’ and if we are receptive to spiritual promptings, we will be able to look back and see the Lord’s hand or at least his fingerprint in those moves.

Gerald Lund in his book Divine Signatures says “Sometimes, the Lord sends His blessings in such a highly unusual, dramatic, or precisely timed manner, that it might be likened to a ‘divine signature.’ It is as though the Lord ‘signs’ the blessing personally so that we will know with certainty that it comes from Him.”

Many years ago as I was struggling through a pretty significant trial, I was worrying to my dad about my life. He reminded me that this trial of mine had not caught the Lord by surprise like it had me. He knew this was going to happen and he had designed a different path for me.

God was playing deep chess. And through that trial he placed me in circumstances where my faith could deepen. Looking back I know for deep certainty Heavenly Father was watching over me and my family. I could see the tender mercies and divine signatures in my life.

God is in the details of our lives and when we recognize those small instances of his divine signatures then when the small instances become pandemic proportional problems, we will take comfort that he still has our back and that things will be okay.

I remember very clearly the phone call I got from Dr. Affify telling me that Ashlyn had neuroblastoma. The immediate peace I felt after that sentence was palpable. I knew that everything was going to be okay. That was a divine signature from a loving Heavenly Father. He was playing deep chess, bolstering my faith for bigger things to come.

Currently we live in a world that is just a tad bit unsettled and less than peaceful.

"To yearn to go back to a world that cannot be lived in now; to be perennially dissatisfied with present circumstances and have only dismal views of the future; to miss the here-and-now-and-tomorrow because we are so trapped in the there-and-then-and-yesterday are some of the sins of Lot’s wife."

Elder Holland goes on to remind us that

*Faith is always pointed toward the future.

*Do not dwell on days now gone, nor to yearn vainly for yesterdays, however good those yesterdays may have been.

*The past is to be learned from but not lived in. 

*Faith always has to do with blessings and truths and events that will yet be efficacious in our lives. So a more theological way to talk about Lot’s wife is to say that she did not have faith. She doubted the Lord’s ability to give her something better than she already had.

*Faith trusts that God has great things in store for each of us and that Christ truly is the “high priest of good things to come."

God is playing deep chess. This pandemic did not catch him by surprise. He is moving us into positions to strengthen our faith, to strengthen the church, to create more effective missionary service. Technology has allowed us to stream sacrament services and classes. Missionary work is taking on social media. Erik's last 6 months of missionary services was more or less survival mode as they tried to figure out how to do missionary work differently. Nate hit the ground running  using technology to do missionary work. His mission president recently reported that his mission is finding people to teach at twice the rate than it was at this time last year.

Several weeks ago in our Relief Society lesson, the question was asked “What do you do to be spiritually prepared?”

I thought about that during the week and the thought kept coming back to me that I have looked for God’s hand in my life and recorded it faithfully. When we are consciously looking for God’s divine signatures, we will find them and they will help us through not only the small moments but especially when the biggies hit in pandemic proportions.

This might not be the year any of us envisioned. Personally my family missed out on 2 graduations, a senior year of tennis, vacations, a niece’s wedding. We’ve missed getting together with family and friends and just doing our normal stuff. BUT the Lord in his mercy has given us a beautiful grandbaby whom we can’t get enough of. He’s given us good health even though our missionary ended up with the virus. We had a missionary come home and another depart within weeks of each other. We got to experience missionary life first hand with home-MTC. We got to attend a very sacred, intimate temple experience with just our family. Our high school graduation experience was much more personalized and up close than the Marriott Center and we have a new driver in the house.  Um . . . actually scratch that last one. So even though 2020 might be a year to just flush down the toilet, I wouldn’t trade it for all the great things we got to experience this year. Our family was so blessed.

"Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed." D&C 123

Cheerfully. The Lord wants us to cheerfully do what we can. Lately, I’ve heard a lot of grumbling about wanting this pandemic situation to be over. To never have to wear a mask again. Challenge 1. Do what we’ve been asked to do by our prophet and our governor because as members of the Lord’s church we believe in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law. But not only do but do it cheerfully. And Challenge 2. Look for God’s arm to be revealed through those divine signatures that will come to you and your family this week.

May you forever stand still with the utmost assurance that God loves you, cares about you, and he is playing deep chess to give you something better than you already have.

Taco Bell and Roger

Hello everybody!

We got out of quarantine last Monday, and it has been so nice to have a normal week again. We're both feeling back to 100% normal by now, and we had a crazy week!

On Wednesday we got to go to Barr Lake State Park, where we helped build a split rail fence and lay down some decomposed granite for a trail. I think it was decomposed granite anyway, don't quote me on that. It was so nice to get out and just do something physical for once.

On Thursday we went and raked some leaves for people, and I got to go to my first district council with my new district because Elder Hales and I have been quarantined since transfers.

Friday we found out we had surprise interviews with President Blake, and afterwords we went to Taco Bell with Elders Beal and Ellis. We pulled out from the street next to Taco Bell and made a left turn into the middle lane, but another car from a street on the other side didn't see us and tried to make a left turn as well and hit into us. The streets were a little off center so we were both turning through that lane in the same spot, but we had actually turned and slammed on our brakes when we saw him. He had just started to turn and didn't see us until the last second. We're all fine, it was just a little bump, and he didn't really have any damage. He hit the front and twisted his license plate a little, but we were turned already and he put a dent in our front bumper. We had turned first and actually tried to stop so I think he's at fault, but I don't know what that'll mean for fixing the damage, or if it's even necessary. It was the first "wreck" any of us had been in, but it was an interesting experience. We filed it online and exchanged insurance information, but we're still waiting on the mission office to hear about what will happen.

On Sunday Brother Thatcher brought someone to church! His name is Roger; he works with Brother Thatcher and approached him about our church because he's trying to change some things in his life. Brother Thatcher invited us over to his house after to talk with Roger, and it was so much fun. We taught him about our church and answered some questions, and talked a lot about what changes he wanted to make and how he was going to be able to do that. It was the first time that I've taught someone since coming out, and the first members house we've been in. It was so much fun!

In closing, with Thanksgiving around the corner I want to say how grateful I am for all of you, my friends, family, neighbors, and examples in life. I am so grateful to be out here serving and to have the chance to meet all these new people. I'm grateful for the chance to live in this time where we have so many blessings that we too often take for granted. Above all, I'm grateful for my Savior, for His teachings, His atonement, and His death and resurrection. I can't imagine a world where I couldn't lean on Him to support me as I try to change, and where I would live without the knowledge of life after this one and eternal families. I know He lives, He loves you, and He's reaching out to you. I say that in His name, Jesus Christ, amen.

All my love,
Elder Leary

p.s. I think all you Utahns got a bunch of snow but it hasn't hit us yet so we'll see what we're in for.

p.p.s. Also some missionaries are leaving for their assigned country, I'm not on that list yet, but I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Australia!
 

Cold Weather and Corona

What a strange week it's been!

Last Monday night, Elder Hales started feeling mild symptoms of COVID,  and we went to get tested the next day. They couldn't find our results in the system when we called, so we went back to get retested, and on Saturday morning we got the news we had tested positive. We were honestly not that surprised; we've both been super tired all week, and Elder Hales has had 9 of the 11 symptoms. He got worse throughout the week but started to feel a little better Saturday and Sunday.

We've quarantined from Tuesday on, and we'll continue until next Tuesday as far as I'm aware. With that being said, it has been a frustrating week. I haven't felt super sick, so I've still tried to do some missionary work, but with almost no success. With all our member lessons last week, we asked if we could call and share a quick testimony instead since Elder Hales was sick, but out of 30 lessons we now have set up, we only were able to call 4 of them, everyone else cancelled or just didn't answer. It's been super strange to be out on a mission and to want to serve and share the gospel, but to have no energy and be unable to leave our apartment. This week I have definitely turned to prayer more, though, and I'm grateful for this challenge and what it's done in strengthening my relationship with my Father in Heaven.

In other news, our zone leaders called yesterday to check on us, around 11:00, and I heard someone in the background say how cold it was. We opened our blinds for the first time that day, and what do you know? There was SNOW everywhere. I'll admit, I did not see that coming! My first thought was maybe we could shovel the sidewalks at the church, but then I remembered I'm kinda in this quarantine thing.

I realize this might have sounded a little depressing which isn't really what I want. I honestly had some of the happiest or most peaceful moments of my mission this week. They were kind of random little moments and reminders that I still have a Heavenly Father that cares about me. I know even in our hardest trials that He is there for us, and that you can still feel joy! I testify of that in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Love you all!
Elder Leary

Transfer/Exchange/Fishies

Hey guys!!

A lot happened this week: I had my first exchange, we had transfers, we had some cool service opportunities, and my family got to visit!

On Tuesday I had my first exchange with my district leader, Elder Borla. It was a lot of fun, he's a really funny guy, and we got a lot done. We contacted some people about service, had four member lessons, went shopping for some things for district council, and he gave me some good advice.

On Thursday we had our first transfer, but only a few sisters changed, and we got a new zone leader. Our districts got rearranged, but just about everyone stayed in our zone. The new zone leader has really been cracking down on some things, and we could be more efficient with our work, but I feel like some of the rules they're making don't matter, and it's driving missionaries away from wanting to obey them on the one's that should matter. We'll see how it all plays out here over the next week.

We also got to go to Barr Lake on Thursday to do some service, and they had us pulling out carp since they ruin the ecosystem. We got waders on and pulled out these giant fish and chucked them in the back of a truck for a couple hours, which was so much fun. We also planted about 50 trees on Friday at a cemetery to replace one's lost from arson, and we helped out with a food drive on Saturday and then went and moved some dirt for someone in our ward. We were really struggling to find service the last couple weeks before this so it was super fun to get out and help people.

Lastly, my family came to Denver for UEA this week, and they got permission from my mission President to see me! We got to go to Ihop and hang out for a while. It was a weird feeling to have said goodbye for two years and then to see them just three and a half weeks later, but I'm so glad I got to see them.

I just want to close with my testimony; I know that Christ lives, that he suffered and died for us. I know, without a doubt, that Joseph Smith was called of God to restore His church. I know this because of the study I've been able to do in the Book of Mormon. No man could have written what is in there; it is the product of centuries of prophets' accounts of their knowledge of the Savior and their efforts to bring others to Him. I say that in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

I love you guys, and hope you had a great week! Let me know how your lives are going!

Elder Leary 

 

COVID-19

In the beginning . . . as in last March . . . it was rare to know anyone with COVID-19. Over the past seven months, it has slithered and crept and inched itself ever so close to our family and finally struck this past week.

The day before our fall break trip, I got the dreaded Scarlet Q letter from the high school informing us that Ashlyn has been exposed to someone with COVID. She immediately knew it was her tennis partner whom she sits by in seminary.

Now what to do?

It had been eight days since that day of exposure and Ashlyn was showing no signs.

Do we go?

Do we stay home?

The decision was made to get her tested and head out.

First stop was Moab and a sunrise hike to Delicate Arch. As we came around the bend to find the arch, we also found others who had the same idea. Quite a few in fact. But you never would have known that many people were up there due to the silence. It was a very reverent few minutes as we all watched the grandeur and beauty of the morning unfold before our eyes.

In Denver we loved on our baby, hiked some more, and took our missionary Nate and his companion Elder Hales out to dinner (with permission).

Upon returning home, there was a message about Ashlyn's test. I called the next morning.

Negative. She was free to return to school.

Fast forward a few days. Kiersten informed us that her and Jason had been exposed to COVID. Jason stayed home from work for a day or two and got tested which came back negative.

Fast forward a few more days to today. Nate messaged us to say that Elder Hales had been feeling sick Monday night. They both got tested. Elder Hales's came back positive while Nate's was negative. However, Tuesday night Nate began getting little headaches which have been on and off for 5 days along with a sore throat. He's pretty sure he has COVID too.

There is nothing worse than being sick when you are away from home. I sure hope those two boys are going to be okay and that someone is taking care of them. I know they are in the Lord's hands. This is where faith steps in. When you are powerless to do something for yourself, Jesus Christ is the one with power to heal and save and make things right. I have to trust that they will be okay.

And so with that little bit of news . . . we are all lying low for a few days.

Week Numero Dos

Hey guys! This week honestly flew by faster than any week ever has. I'm worried I'll wake up tomorrow and have a month left, but I guess that's the way it goes. I am still not teaching anyone, but we've gotten a lot done.

In chapter 9 of Preach My Gospel (PMG), it says (paraphrasing here) that missionary work is most efficient and effective when people are found through members who are friends or usually become that way. Our goal as a mission is to become the best member mission in the world, so we've done a lot to get going on that. We've set up weekly 10-15 minute lessons with many of the members, and eventually we'll ask them to invite a friend to join in on these or share with them what they learned.

We spend a lot of time at our apartment planning, doing those lessons, and working to reach out through Facebook, so we decided to give out free snow cones at a park on Friday to meet people. We invited the ward, and got to know some of them, and got to talk to one man named Sahim who had a lot of questions. We aren't teaching anyone currently, since we're both new to the area and trying to set up a lot of new things, but Sahim asked for our number so we're hoping he reaches out to us soon.

We had a greenie conference on Friday during the day, and that was a lot of fun. President Blake talked about the importance of good goal setting, and there was one quote mentioned that I loved which goes, "You can serve without loving but you can't love without serving." We also had general conference which was absolutely fantastic, with a lot of focus on preparation, being good citizens, and changing our nature to be like Christ. Elder Holland made me rethink how much effort I should be giving, and I'm still not sure what continents the first two temples announced are being built on, but it was all in all amazing. We're so blessed to have a prophet on the earth today. My favorite quote was, if I wrote it down right, "I too suggest that life cannot be faith-filled and stress-free." I believe it was Elder Holland quoting Neil A. Maxwell.

I hope you all had a fantastic week, let me know if I can pray for anything for you guys! I love you all,
Elder Leary

Our second missionary has embarked

We dropped our missionary son, Nate, off at the airport to begin his missionary service.

Tyler helped him with his bags and getting to security while I made a loop through the new airport. It was surprising to Tyler how much Nate stood out. Everyone knew he was a missionary and went out of their way to help him and ask where he was headed.

I was forever grateful to a sweet soul who took several photos of the missionaries at the airport and texted them to me. I was nervous for Nate who had never been on an airplane and was having to navigate the airport by himself AND a new airport at that. I couldn't even tell him what to expect and where to head because I'd never been in this new airport myself. But Heavenly Father was aware of my concerns and sent me some relief from a total stranger.

I've included his first email below. I don't know if we will get the photos like we did with Erik. I can hope. But he's already been challenged by not having a car or a bike and he's witnessed God's hand with a little miracle that came to him and his companion.

MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 28, 2020

Hey Everyone!

This week has been craziest week of my life. I flew on an airplane for the first time, which was super cool. I had the window seat and I spent half the flight just looking at the clouds right next to me. It's a super short flight to Denver (I've been reassigned to the Denver north mission), but I loved it.

The first night we had dinner at a church and President Blake and his counselors and their wives all spoke. We stayed at a hotel, and then went back the next morning for more instruction and we met our companions.

Elder Hales has been out about a year, he's from Mesa, Arizona. That first day he told me that I was in charge, and that I was supposed to lead on everything, which I was not expecting. Instead of just learning what to do, I decide what to do, and he gives suggestions. This has been challenging, because everything they taught us in the mtc was about teaching, which we haven't done a lot of. We're both new to this area so we've been trying to contact all of the people the sisters before us had contacted, and we're working on doing member lessons and setting up our Brighton Facebook page.

In other news, I live outside my area by a ways, and though I was told it was a driving mission, due to the number of reassigned missionaries here, my companionship doesn't have a car. I do not have a bike at this point either, since I didn't think I needed one. We do all our work online for the most part, but we do go to the church and other places to do service. We've been able to get rides places, but on Friday we walked 3 1/2 hours back from a service project. I've emailed my Mission President and we'll see what he thinks I should do.

A mini miracle happened on my first full day. I've decided to pick an attribute of Christ to work on each day, and I picked faith that day, and I prayed in the morning to be able to have more faith. We went to the church to create a video introducing ourselves to put on the ward Facebook page, and then walked to Walgreens so Elder Hales could get a flu shot. We got back and called for a ride, and then realized we didn't have the flash drive with the video. We looked everywhere and couldn't find it, so we prayed and asked for help. We checked everywhere again and then felt impressed to check in the rocks along the fence out by the road. We went and sure enough there was the flash drive.

I know that prayer works, and that our Heavenly Father wants to hear from us. If any of you are struggling with anything, or just got out of the habit, I'd invite you to make prayer a goal. He will answer your questions if you continually pray in faith, and you will feel his love as you do so.

With that, I found out last night that my grandpa has the coronavirus, so if you could all pray for him I would appreciate that. I love all of you and I'm excited for the work to come!

- Elder Leary

p.s. if any of you got sent this by mistake, if there's a better email to use, or don't wish to be on my email list let me know. Also if you know anyone that does want to be on the list let me know, sorry if I missed anyone. 

Hear and Hearken

 It has never been more imperative to know how the Spirit speaks to you than right now. -- Elder Russell M. Nelson, April General Conference

Over many years I have worked to learn how God speaks to me. While living in Salt Lake City, we lived by Nancy. She was an older lady who had fallen, broke her leg, and eventually had it amputated below the knee. I was asked to help her and we became good friends. In our conversations she often told me how she had powerful burnings in her bosom that came from God. I had never felt such things and frankly did not know what she was talking about. But those conversations led me to seek how my Heavenly Father communicated with me on a very personal level.

I learned that God speaks to his children today just as he did millennia ago.

I learned that God speaks to his children individually.

I learned that revelation is a constant stream much like a rain shower, but we have to come out from under the umbrella to access it.

I learned that revelation is very personal and tailored to our individual needs and circumstances.

I learned that thoughts that tell me to do something good, especially if it involves other people, is from God. AND really, does it matter if it is my thought or God's thought is it's leading me to do good and be good?

A week ago I was in Vernal, attending a temple, in a session that was anything but ordinary.

With COVID-19 temples have been temporarily closed. Only recently have they begun opening up for limited ordinance work. I was praying and hoping that Nate would be able to go before his mission. It just seemed a little weird to send an unendowed missionary out although I know it's been done before. One Friday in August I received an email from Nate's mission president in Denver saying that when temples opened up there, they would schedule times for the missionaries to go and parents could come and go through with their missionary at their own expense. I cried a little when reading that email because I knew that my Father in Heaven was so aware of the turmoil my heart was in over this. I just didn't want Nate to have that temple experience by himself.

A week later Utah had several temples open up for own endowments for missionaries so I emailed Bountiful, our temporary temple. Several weeks later I received a generated reply that they were all full through October and had no available openings. I was a little saddened but held on to possibly going to Denver. A few days after that I got another email from Bountiful from a real person who said the same thing that there were no openings but that I might try Vernal. Vernal? I didn't even know Vernal was open yet.

I was hastily walking out the door for a half-marathon but decided to make a quick phone call to Vernal KNOWING I would get a voice mail with an email address to send my request (just like with Bountiful). I was taken back when a real person answered the phone and we had a real conversation and they had several days and times available!

So that is how we ended up in Vernal, three hours from our house, on a Wednesday night.

Although, in reality the Lord put us there.

After making that appointment the THOUGHT kept coming to me that I needed to contact my cousin Craig who lived in Vernal to see if he'd like to come. We were told we could have up to 16 and we weren't even close to that number. I kept brushing that thought aside. Life was incredibly busy.

Two days before our scheduled trip, I was sitting at the light headed to school. I had turned off the radio because that's when I get revelation which comes to me most often in THOUGHTS. I wasn't seeking any real revelation but that thought came back that I need to contact Craig.

As I sat and contemplated not doing it and trying to talk myself out of it, I realized I would hugely regret it if I didn't follow through.

I got to school and the first thing I did was pull up Facebook Messenger and messaged Craig's wife Andrea. She immediately responded that they would love to come.

Whew! Glad I took care of that.

*photo courtesy of Brian Leary since I forgot to get one

But that's not the end of the story.

We were sitting and waiting and chatting in the temple when Andrea told me her story. She is the Relief Society president and had been asked to get two new counselors. She has been in angst over it and was up the night before I messaged her in turmoil and thinking to herself, "I can't even go to the temple over this." Then she said, "I was in complete shock when I saw your message the next morning."

You can't tell me the Lord is not the great orchestrator in the small details of our lives. He knew Andrea would love to go to the temple with her questions. He knew we needed to go to the temple for Nate. He also knew that Kiersten would come if the temple were close enough for her to do so. Had we gone to a temple in the Salt Lake Valley, she most likely would have stayed in Denver.

The entire day was magical. And the entire temple experience was so intimate and surreal. I know I'll never have that same experience where we had our own private endowment session with just family. The Lord truly orchestrated a beautiful moment when he allowed me to be in the temple with three of my children. It was this momma's dream come true.

Hear and then hearken. That is what the Lord needs us to do right now.

Happy endings and beginnings

 “I don’t know how to speak about heaven in the traditional, lovely, paradisiacal, beauty that we speak of heaven – I wouldn’t know how to speak of heaven without my wife, my children. It would, it would not be heaven for me.” 

-- Elder Jeffrey Holland

These past couple of weeks have been pure bliss.

We prepared our home for Erik's return.

Kiersten came home with baby Oliver from Denver, and then we picked up Erik from the airport late one night. There is nothing that quite prepares you for welcoming home a child who's been away for a time. I imagine this is what leaving this world might be like.

Oh, how we missed that boy of ours. This was the last photo I took of him as we dropped him off at the MTC 2 years ago,

and this is one I snapped of him returning. Looks like same suit with a few more wrinkles and a bit more faded.

Bright and early the next morning we met at the stake president's office to release Erik and set apart Nate as a missionary before Nate entered home-MTC later that day. President Child commented how this was a first for him . . . having two missionary brothers coming and going on the same day.

Nate's P-day happened to coincide with Tyler's birthday later that week where we spent the morning at the zoo with ALL our children.

Sunday was Erik's homecoming talk and Oliver's baby blessing with family photos afterwards.

Photo courtesy Brian Leary

Photo courtesy Brian Leary

Photo courtesy Air and Ember Photography

Photo courtesy Air and Ember Photography

My heart has been so full. There are still good things to come.