A story to tell
Dear Boys,
I'm writing to you, as I did over ten years ago, so that you can tell your grandchildren a story as you sit at their bedside, many years after I'm gone.
When I last put my story on to paper we were living in Highland Utah and I was teaching at the Orem Institute. I was serving as the Bishop of the 197th ward at BYU and everything was in order.
I'm not sure what it sounds like, or what it feels like, to be moved upon by the spirit but something told me, and your mom, that we should consider one more assignment with the Church Education System. In November of 2009 we made a trip to Connecticut. Michael was working for an airline company and we were able to fly into JFK, on a redeye flight that was quite cheap. We rented a car and drove to New Haven. The Church asked us to keep our trip quiet so that personnel on the east coast wouldn't know we were contemplating the change. The weather wasn't exciting, the Fall leaves were all gone but something told us we should pursue this place. Several conversations were had with the men in Salt Lake and I even made a few trips up to the Church Office Building to visit. We moved to Clinton, Connecticut in May of 2010 and started a chapter that would enlarge our hearts with wonderful students, neighbors and communities.
We bought a perfect New England home, sitting on over 4 acres at the end of Vienna Lane in Clinton, Connecticut. It was about 20 miles into the office. The home had four bedrooms upstairs, 2.5 baths and hardwood floors that squeaked in every room. The heat in the home was provided by an oil furnace that required several hundred gallons of oil each winter. It would be the most expensive place we ever lived for utilities. I'd hate to think what it would've cost with children filling the house like our homes in Nevada, Washington and Utah. The setting was amazing with deer and turkeys going through the yard every day. I bought a brand new John Deere mower to take care of the large lawns. I would give that mower to Michael Gardner when we left four years later. It was a gift and it still wasn't sufficient payment for all of the kind deeds he'd done for me. He had mowed our lawn every time we went west for a holiday. Our neighbors were some of the kindest people we've ever known and the next year (2012), when I had open heart surgery they went above and beyond keeping our driveway cleared of snow and bringing us "heart healthy" muffins.
My office was in a building, surrounded by Yale University, that the church had purchased several years before, remodeled into a chapel, classrooms and gathering rooms. It was dedicated and named the Wilford Woodruff Building. It rose four stories above the ground and my office was beyond description. It had a fireplace, as did many of the classrooms, and had a comfortable couch, seating area and big desk. Elder Holland once teased me that it was nice than his in Salt Lake. I agreed but reminded him that mine didn't have a credenza that contained a computer system.
It was in that building, and at a Stake Center in Hartford, that I would spend four wonderful years teaching the Institute students and developing a friendship with colleagues in the "New England Cluster" that would last forever. We were able to witness the baptism of 27 people during that time and I wish I could find a way to let each of you meet these amazing saints. (Just today I was looking at a picture of Elizabeth Jacox and her family which now numbers four beautiful children) For two years I taught an Institute class at Brown University, in Providence, Rhode Island. The Jewish community center, on campus, invited me to use a classroom there and we had some great classes. The greatness wasn't because of the teacher but a result of curious and inquisitive young people.
One of my favorite experiences, during that four years, was to be invited to serve as a member of the Yale Religious Ministries Board. We met each week where we would discuss ways that we could work together for the student population. These were wonderful people who represented over a dozen different theological perspectives. Sharon and Ian were the Senior Chaplains at Yale and so many of these insightful and welcoming people helped me to represent the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We hosted students and Chaplains several times at the Wilford Woodruff Building and we were invited to join them for various "feasts" and religious memorials. Many opportunities were provided to lecture in front of students. The Yale Divinity School often had me, and LDS students give presentations on everything from our history to our belief, and teachings, from the Book of Mormon. One afternoon, I was asked to speak, spontaneously in front of an assembly of graduate students in Psychology. Every day, for four years, I walked across that beautiful campus to represent our church and the Institute of Religion. What a wonderful time.
There is no instrument that is capable of recording feelings, especially of the heart. As I ponder those years in Connecticut, it is the people that come to my mind. I always hesitate in recording people by name, for fear of leaving someone out but I need to put a few people into the story, by name. Valerie Ramos was my first secretary. Her husband, Daniel, was working toward a medical degree to become a Physicians Assistant. Valerie became one of my best friends. Her ability in the office was essential to the "work" of the Institute but it was more. It was her friendship with Evelyn and their shared love of food. It was her quick laughter and easy smile that made everyone love her. We often had assignments that required us to travel around Connecticut and even a trip to New York that gave us hours of conversation. She now lives with her beautiful family in Arizona where Daniel is a sought after specialist with "old people". If we ever have the chance to live in Queen Creek we'll know where to go for medical help. During that time we had 3 missionary couples that would come and serve at the Institute. One couple, the Johnson's, from California have become dear friends. They never stopped serving. It was during their time that we had gone out to Utah for Christmas vacation and returned to Connecticut with a fresh scar from having open heart surgery. I'll never forget that night that they drove up to Hartford to pick us up. There was a lot of fresh snow on the roadway and Elder Johnson wasn't the best driver, in snow. I was grateful when he pulled into our driveway in Clinton.
We had quite the bucket list when we moved to New England and I think we accomplished most of them. Because of my assignments we spent time in Washington DC, throughout Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine and New Jersey. We made several trips to Sharon, Vermont, the Hill Cumorah and other historical sites. We stayed with good friends like Stan and Shirley Kauffman in Queens and with Jack and Melanie Christianson while they presided over the New York Rochester Mission. And with New York City being only an hour and a half away and Boston less than two hours, we spent many wonderful days in both. We were able to attend Broadway Plays, walk along the Hudson (over 20 miles), spend time in Central Park, see a taping of Dr. Oz, a taping of Rachel Ray and eat in several different restaurants. The New York City Temple is right there on Broadway and it was a nice haven from the world on several occasions.
During those four years we had several family and friends come stay with us. Michael and his family came out, Jake came to visit, ride bikes and even brought my parents for one of their two trips. Sophie came out with her baby, Kennedy. Keith Longmore and his wife came which gave me another excuse to ride through New England on bicycles. I don't think he'll ever forget riding along the Connecticut river and seeing guys fishing from a canoe on a crisp morning and then taking the ferry back across the river after seeing a "castle" that was built by a Hollywood star. Adam came to visit and we took him along for one of our trips to Virginia. Matthew was able to be with us when he came to the east coast for a trip relating to his culinary skills.
Those four years, the finale of my career, were the best years I enjoyed in Church Education. Each of the "areas" of the US EAST area were divided into clusters. I was a part of the New England cluster which included Tomm Chapman, Ben Della Piana, Jonathan Austin and myself. We would make several trips together for meetings, studying church history and sometimes purely for the sociality which we all enjoyed. Nobody knows music and musicals like Jonathan and nobody has a mind, and memory, like Tomm so we listened to oldies, tried to stump Jonathan with musical scores from plays, TV themes and advertisements. Food was one of our favorite commonalities and we never missed the chance for a good restaurant or cooking up some pretty fancy feasts in places like Vinalhaven, Sharon and Kennebunkport. The only time the guys wouldn't join me was when I crawled through a window of an old church on the Fox Islands so I could stand at the same pulpit that Wilford Woodruff stood behind when he preached there in 1837. It was a rather appropriate ending to our experience that we would all be moved in 2014. Ben would be assigned to an Institute in Utah, Jonathan would be asked to serve as an Area Directory in Georgia and Tomm would take an assignment at BYU-I. We keep track of each other through electronic means and my heart will always smile as I remember those days.
I'm writing to you, as I did over ten years ago, so that you can tell your grandchildren a story as you sit at their bedside, many years after I'm gone.
When I last put my story on to paper we were living in Highland Utah and I was teaching at the Orem Institute. I was serving as the Bishop of the 197th ward at BYU and everything was in order.
I'm not sure what it sounds like, or what it feels like, to be moved upon by the spirit but something told me, and your mom, that we should consider one more assignment with the Church Education System. In November of 2009 we made a trip to Connecticut. Michael was working for an airline company and we were able to fly into JFK, on a redeye flight that was quite cheap. We rented a car and drove to New Haven. The Church asked us to keep our trip quiet so that personnel on the east coast wouldn't know we were contemplating the change. The weather wasn't exciting, the Fall leaves were all gone but something told us we should pursue this place. Several conversations were had with the men in Salt Lake and I even made a few trips up to the Church Office Building to visit. We moved to Clinton, Connecticut in May of 2010 and started a chapter that would enlarge our hearts with wonderful students, neighbors and communities.
We bought a perfect New England home, sitting on over 4 acres at the end of Vienna Lane in Clinton, Connecticut. It was about 20 miles into the office. The home had four bedrooms upstairs, 2.5 baths and hardwood floors that squeaked in every room. The heat in the home was provided by an oil furnace that required several hundred gallons of oil each winter. It would be the most expensive place we ever lived for utilities. I'd hate to think what it would've cost with children filling the house like our homes in Nevada, Washington and Utah. The setting was amazing with deer and turkeys going through the yard every day. I bought a brand new John Deere mower to take care of the large lawns. I would give that mower to Michael Gardner when we left four years later. It was a gift and it still wasn't sufficient payment for all of the kind deeds he'd done for me. He had mowed our lawn every time we went west for a holiday. Our neighbors were some of the kindest people we've ever known and the next year (2012), when I had open heart surgery they went above and beyond keeping our driveway cleared of snow and bringing us "heart healthy" muffins.
My office was in a building, surrounded by Yale University, that the church had purchased several years before, remodeled into a chapel, classrooms and gathering rooms. It was dedicated and named the Wilford Woodruff Building. It rose four stories above the ground and my office was beyond description. It had a fireplace, as did many of the classrooms, and had a comfortable couch, seating area and big desk. Elder Holland once teased me that it was nice than his in Salt Lake. I agreed but reminded him that mine didn't have a credenza that contained a computer system.
It was in that building, and at a Stake Center in Hartford, that I would spend four wonderful years teaching the Institute students and developing a friendship with colleagues in the "New England Cluster" that would last forever. We were able to witness the baptism of 27 people during that time and I wish I could find a way to let each of you meet these amazing saints. (Just today I was looking at a picture of Elizabeth Jacox and her family which now numbers four beautiful children) For two years I taught an Institute class at Brown University, in Providence, Rhode Island. The Jewish community center, on campus, invited me to use a classroom there and we had some great classes. The greatness wasn't because of the teacher but a result of curious and inquisitive young people.
One of my favorite experiences, during that four years, was to be invited to serve as a member of the Yale Religious Ministries Board. We met each week where we would discuss ways that we could work together for the student population. These were wonderful people who represented over a dozen different theological perspectives. Sharon and Ian were the Senior Chaplains at Yale and so many of these insightful and welcoming people helped me to represent the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. We hosted students and Chaplains several times at the Wilford Woodruff Building and we were invited to join them for various "feasts" and religious memorials. Many opportunities were provided to lecture in front of students. The Yale Divinity School often had me, and LDS students give presentations on everything from our history to our belief, and teachings, from the Book of Mormon. One afternoon, I was asked to speak, spontaneously in front of an assembly of graduate students in Psychology. Every day, for four years, I walked across that beautiful campus to represent our church and the Institute of Religion. What a wonderful time.
There is no instrument that is capable of recording feelings, especially of the heart. As I ponder those years in Connecticut, it is the people that come to my mind. I always hesitate in recording people by name, for fear of leaving someone out but I need to put a few people into the story, by name. Valerie Ramos was my first secretary. Her husband, Daniel, was working toward a medical degree to become a Physicians Assistant. Valerie became one of my best friends. Her ability in the office was essential to the "work" of the Institute but it was more. It was her friendship with Evelyn and their shared love of food. It was her quick laughter and easy smile that made everyone love her. We often had assignments that required us to travel around Connecticut and even a trip to New York that gave us hours of conversation. She now lives with her beautiful family in Arizona where Daniel is a sought after specialist with "old people". If we ever have the chance to live in Queen Creek we'll know where to go for medical help. During that time we had 3 missionary couples that would come and serve at the Institute. One couple, the Johnson's, from California have become dear friends. They never stopped serving. It was during their time that we had gone out to Utah for Christmas vacation and returned to Connecticut with a fresh scar from having open heart surgery. I'll never forget that night that they drove up to Hartford to pick us up. There was a lot of fresh snow on the roadway and Elder Johnson wasn't the best driver, in snow. I was grateful when he pulled into our driveway in Clinton.
We had quite the bucket list when we moved to New England and I think we accomplished most of them. Because of my assignments we spent time in Washington DC, throughout Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine and New Jersey. We made several trips to Sharon, Vermont, the Hill Cumorah and other historical sites. We stayed with good friends like Stan and Shirley Kauffman in Queens and with Jack and Melanie Christianson while they presided over the New York Rochester Mission. And with New York City being only an hour and a half away and Boston less than two hours, we spent many wonderful days in both. We were able to attend Broadway Plays, walk along the Hudson (over 20 miles), spend time in Central Park, see a taping of Dr. Oz, a taping of Rachel Ray and eat in several different restaurants. The New York City Temple is right there on Broadway and it was a nice haven from the world on several occasions.
During those four years we had several family and friends come stay with us. Michael and his family came out, Jake came to visit, ride bikes and even brought my parents for one of their two trips. Sophie came out with her baby, Kennedy. Keith Longmore and his wife came which gave me another excuse to ride through New England on bicycles. I don't think he'll ever forget riding along the Connecticut river and seeing guys fishing from a canoe on a crisp morning and then taking the ferry back across the river after seeing a "castle" that was built by a Hollywood star. Adam came to visit and we took him along for one of our trips to Virginia. Matthew was able to be with us when he came to the east coast for a trip relating to his culinary skills.
Those four years, the finale of my career, were the best years I enjoyed in Church Education. Each of the "areas" of the US EAST area were divided into clusters. I was a part of the New England cluster which included Tomm Chapman, Ben Della Piana, Jonathan Austin and myself. We would make several trips together for meetings, studying church history and sometimes purely for the sociality which we all enjoyed. Nobody knows music and musicals like Jonathan and nobody has a mind, and memory, like Tomm so we listened to oldies, tried to stump Jonathan with musical scores from plays, TV themes and advertisements. Food was one of our favorite commonalities and we never missed the chance for a good restaurant or cooking up some pretty fancy feasts in places like Vinalhaven, Sharon and Kennebunkport. The only time the guys wouldn't join me was when I crawled through a window of an old church on the Fox Islands so I could stand at the same pulpit that Wilford Woodruff stood behind when he preached there in 1837. It was a rather appropriate ending to our experience that we would all be moved in 2014. Ben would be assigned to an Institute in Utah, Jonathan would be asked to serve as an Area Directory in Georgia and Tomm would take an assignment at BYU-I. We keep track of each other through electronic means and my heart will always smile as I remember those days.
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