My St. Johns' Connection

          I moved to St. Johns, AZ in 1993.  I was fresh out of college with a wife and a young daughter.  I moved here from Colorado not ever hearing of St. Johns or ever dreaming I would live outside of Colorado let alone in Arizona.  All I knew when I came here was they needed a history teacher and an assistant football coach. The only reason I knew of an open position was my supervising teacher in Colorado met Coach Morgan at a football camp the previous summer.  So that was my first St. Johns connection.  Before I moved here I found out my uncle had two brothers that lived in Springerville, AZ.  He told me from what he understood Elks and Redskins don’t get along too well on game day.  Living here, I am amazed how many people I know from all walks of life who know someone from St. Johns or have even heard of St. Johns, AZ.

          Over the last twenty years, I have been asked many times why St. Johns?  Why did you choose to stay in St. Johns and do you really like it?  The basketball teams I took to Mesa St. Camp in Grand Junction would always ask that after we traveled through the beautiful mountains between Dolores and Montrose, CO.  We would stay at my parents' house in Hotchkiss the night before the camp began and be treated to my mom’s warm hospitality and good cooking.  And again the question would be, “Why coach?"  This place is awesome.  I do have to admit that I get homesick for family, the farm, the mountains, and rivers that run up to your waist.  But it always feels good to be back home in St. Johns. 

          The main reason I feel at home is because of the people.  There is a connection here among the people that have made St. Johns their home that is unique and special.  I have seen that and felt it with people who have been here for generations and for those who have just moved into our little town.

          This connection was evident last Friday night.  Along with the Moultons, our neighbors across the street, we hosted a block party.  We invited people along our block and around the neighborhood.  It was great!  Where else can you have a fire in the middle of a dead end street?  We gathered together and broke bread and shared a part of an evening together.  The broken bread consisted of BBQ pork, homemade salsa and chips, and dutch-oven cobbler.  We visited, laughed and enjoyed the great food everybody brought.  Old acquaintances were renewed and new friends were made.  Our group came from different age groups, religions, and ethnic backgrounds.  Some have lived here their whole lives and others have just moved here.  My kids enjoyed the evening until the first firework went off and then it was time to go to the football game.

          After our evening, I reflected on some thoughts that came to me later that night.  We are all a child of God.  And He loves us.  One of our purposes here on Earth is to make and build relationships with others.  Just like any parent He is pleased when His children get along and serve one another and help in times of need.  When we gather together and find common ground and enjoy each other’s company and good will, it pleases Him.  Friday night was just another example of why I have stayed in and love living in St. Johns.  The other reason is what my son Coulson told me as we went to the football game.  He said, “Dad, you know why a small town is better than a big city?” I said “Lots of things, what do you think?”  And he replied “Because it doesn’t take long to get to a game.”  Amen.

Written By Brian Hollembeak
October 27, 2013

Parents...Progress...Prayer

This month is always busy for me as a teacher in the public schools.  Parent-Teacher conferences, or meetings with my students’ parents are scheduled for this week in October following the end of the first quarter of school.  Sometimes I am meeting parents or guardians for the first time, and Report Cards are printed and given to them in an attempt to sum up this kid’s educational performance.   It is a difficult meeting in that we have to squeeze a quarter’s worth of information into just a few minutes of time.  In an attempt to aid this process, I sent home a paper that could be filled out in advance and returned to me before the meeting, so that I could be better prepared and informed. The paper had questions listed on it like:  “How does your child feel about school?”  “What do you feel are your child’s strengths and weaknesses?”  “What questions do you have in particular about his/her progress?”etc.  I was hoping to receive them back with a few notes jotted down, but the result went beyond that.  It was fascinating and inspiring to see how parents approached these questions and how definitely positive they were in sharing their kids’ strengths. Many of the comments mentioned math or reading, but not all of the comments were strictly academic related.  Several took the time to write down how nice the child was, or what a good example they were at home.   Some expressed anxiety about friendships and social interactions.  One in particular expressed a wish to have their child realize how important all the choices they make in life are, and how they will add up in the future to become their character.  I was amazed at the adoration and admiration these parents have for their children.  I loved seeing the look of pride in their eyes as we visited about the accomplishments and goals for their futures. 

Today being Saturday, I finally felt like I had the chance to catch my breath as well as catch up on many other things at home.  As I was scrubbing my shower, I started thinking about being on my knees, which eventually got me thinking about praying…and ultimately pondering my current relationship with my Heavenly Father.  Crazy as it sounds, I was struck with the thought of, “what if Heavenly Father was scheduled for a “conference” about my progress here on Earth?  Suppose He had to fill out one on those question sheets about my strengths and weaknesses… or explain to a teacher my attitudes and beliefs about my lessons…What questions might He have about me…Have I checked in with him lately to ask for his help with my goals?” 

  Three years ago, this very week, my husband Spence was diagnosed with a pituitary tumor next to his brain.  Within that week’s time, he was scheduled and sent to surgery to have it removed.  I can’t even begin to explain the fear, humility, and shock we went through in those few days, but on the flipside I also can’t begin to express the power of prayer, peace and miracles that were sent our way either.  It was a rollercoaster of emotions to say the least, and all has worked out for us thus far.  My point in bringing it up, however, is that during those days in the hospital, while waiting and preparing for the surgery, my heart and soul were praying and pleading with God for his strength and healing power.  Most every minute, and hour I was praying to Him and seeking his guidance and comfort.  It just seemed that I needed the peace and assurance that only a Father can give. By the end of the week, we got to bring Spence home, and our prayers continued faithfully.  Our hearts and lives were filled with gratitude for the gift of life that had been restored.  I firmly resolved that not a day would go by that I would not eagerly and mindfully thank my Father in Heaven for my family and for each day I have with them…

Well here I am 3 years later, and although my prayer habit is not as frequent as it was that dreary week in October, my resolve and gratitude are still as strong.  I do know that I am a daughter of God and that he hears and answers prayers!  I know that He gave me life, and the power to direct my life.  I believe that He knows and understands my strengths and weaknesses, and that I am stronger when I struggle through trials. I know he rejoices with me in the good times and grieves with me during the bad.  I know he loves me and He is there for any of his children, and will be there as soon as He is invited in from the prayer in a heart.

 It is my hope that my report card/progress is always pleasing to my Father in Heaven.  I know he wants to be included in all of his children’s lives.   So if you haven’t conferenced with him lately, He is as close as a prayer…

Kirstin Udall

A Promise Kept

In our small community it is not unusual to see underage drivers helping out with trucks or equipment on the farm.My family is no exception. So when my husband Gerald asked my 11-year-old son Joey to go get the small tractor and drive it up from the field he got right to it. A few minutes later the poor boy came running to me with tears streaming down his face sobbing, “I hit Ina’s car!” While her car was still drivable, the damage was significant. Gerald was furious with Joey, I was angry at Gerald, and characteristically, Ina was not mad at anyone (only concerned about her nephew).

We called the insurance company right away. Our agent said there was no way our insurance would cover it. Ina’s agent said they could cover it but that the policy rates would increase 30%. We could not get them to work with us. The repairs, which we were determined to pay for, were going to cost us over $4,000. We had worked hard over the last few years to get out of debt, and we had succeeded. But we hadn’t saved anywhere near enough to pay the bill. It was going to have to go on the credit card.

We were so discouraged. We did not want to acquire more debt, but we had no other option. Then the scripture in Malachi came into my mind. “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse…and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord of hosts, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shallnot be room enough to receive it.” We pay a full tithe, and we have “proven” the Lord before. I felt it was time to ask for a miracle. I prayed to Heavenly Father and said that we wanted to stay out of debt, that we paid our tithing, and that we needed a miracle. I told Him that I didn’t care how it came…if it meant lots of overtime for Gerald or lots of subbing jobs (LOTS of subbing jobs) for me, just that it came. I also told Gerald, “Just so you know, I’m praying for a miracle.”

The next day Gerald called me from work and said, “well you prayed for a miracle.” I expected him to say that he would be working the weekend and miss the trip we had planned, but he said, “I called our former insurance agent (who had relocated to Texas) and told him what was going on. He said ‘no, that’s not right’ and told me what we need to do and say so that Ina’s insurance will cover her car.” I was overcome with gratitude as we received the answer to prayer and our own little miracle. I know that some may argue that it was just coincidence, that we could have thought of this on our own, but I know better. I know that onceagain we have proven the Lord and the windows of Heaven have been opened.

Tawnya O. Wood

Who's Gonna Hero Up?

His first love was Nemo, then came Mater and Lightning McQueen, Buzz Lightyear and Woody. I can measure the years of my five-year-old's life by the characters he embraced at each age. He still holds a special place in his heart for the short-finned clown fish, and he sometimes plays with the Toy Story characters and the Cars' vehicles he has, but he is now, and I suspect forever, an avid superhero junkie.

As the lucky mom of a boy, I have learned more in the last year and a half about superheroes than I had ever learned in all my previous years. Let me share with you my top three lessons.

1) There is nothing complicated about a superhero's name and personality.
Spider-Man crawls around and can move like a spider, webs and all. The Hulk is hulky and smashes things. Superman is, well, super, with basically all powers to do anything and everything. The Green Lantern has a power ring and green lantern. Batman... okay, Batman is the exception here. You would think he could fly, but he can't. He is just a human with really neat toys that help him to defeat the bad guys.

I am a wife, a mom, a friend, a sister, an aunt, a neighbor. This is not complicated. Neither is the fact that I know how to be a wonder wife, a mega mom, a fantastic friend, a super sister, an amazing aunt, and a nifty neighbor. Now my challenge is to hero up (the Super Hero Squad theme song) and be what I know I can be. If Ironman can live up to his name and role, so can I.

2) Avengers Assemble! Superheroes accomplish much more when they work together.
Although they each have unique powers that you would think would sustain them individually, almost all of the characters have joined with a group to make them more powerful and indestructible.

When crisis, death, and sickness befall our community, I see heroes in the faces of the people of St. Johns. Heroes who are joining together to clean out a flooded basement, attend a funeral of a long-time resident, and bringing meals and hugs to families. Yet, we also band together in celebration. Weddings, births, fairs, parades, state championships... We laugh together. We cry together. We join together. It is when we see the best in each other and come together in common purpose that we become powerful and indestructible.

"Assembled we are strong, forever fight as one."

 

3) Superheroes have normal secret identities.
This is my favorite one. Who among us wouldn't love to change from just simple ol' me to a flying, golden lasso-wielding, laser-visioned alter ego with a simple costume change? Sign me up! My son puts on his Spider-Man costume and proceeds to climb walls. Really. It is something about seeing himself as something more. Peter Parker is a science nerd; Spider-Man is swinging around and conquering evil. Nobody knows that Superman is Clark Kent or that Wasp is Janet Van Dyne. It is magical to see a transformation from ordinary to extraordinary.

Let me break it to you. We are all something more. We all have secret identities. We all have an inner light that is inherent in us. We are sons and daughters of God. It isn't such a secret, but it does sometimes get hidden as we go about the busy, day-to-day lives we lead.

When we see in ourselves something more, something of divinity, we, too, can transform. I want to be the superhero my son thinks I am and that my husband tells me I am. I want to be like my Wonder-Woman mom, who was a wheelchair-bound human with powers to love, to serve, and to uplift everyone around her. She may have looked ordinary, perhaps even less to some, yet she embraced the light within her and let it shine to blinding proportions.

Who is going to hero up? I know I am going to try.

Right now, I will start by playing Avengers with my son.

City Boy Gone Country

For most of my life, I lived in the sprawling metropolis of Phoenix. I lived close to my family, attended school with the same group of friends, graduated from a large high school, and attended college and the police academy. Never once did I think I would move to St. Johns, Arizona. Heck, I did not even know where it was, until my family decided that it was time to relocate after retirement. Before my father and stepmother could relocate, I did. I beat them up the mountain by almost two years. I remember arriving in St. Johns and immediately noticing that there were no stoplights. I drove through town. It was a quick trip. I drove through it again to make sure that I did not miss anything. My grandparents came up to help me look for a place to live after I was hired by the Sheriff’s Office. I could not find a place to live, so I found myself living in a camp trailer for almost two years in Moon Meadows. Needless to say, I will only sleep or stay in a camp trailer for a few days at most from this point forward.

Being the new person in town, I was the talk of the town. I quickly made friends. I learned about small towns, where high school sports are one of the most important events in town. I thought I was happy and content as a bachelor, but then I found a firefighter/EMT that caught my eye, Raven. She played hard to get and tried to hide in the fire station. Had it not been for a friend of Raven’s opening that door, we might not have dated. We went on a date. For whatever reason, we did not date again for a long period of time. After a death investigation, Raven asked me to lunch again. The rest is history. We eventually married. Never in my wildest dreams did I think that I would marry. By this time, I thought I had known all of the big families in St. Johns; however, I quickly learned that Raven was related to half of the town. I have to say that it is nice having a large extended family and living in a small town, where everyone is willing to help each other, something that is not very common in Phoenix.

After we married, I decided to start my investigation into a church that I had heard about while living in St. Johns, the Mormon church. I remember sneaking over to Paul and Suzanne’s to take the missionary lessons while Raven was at work. Finally, in a moment of truth, I asked Raven what she thought about me taking the lessons. She was excited about it and started attending with me at Paul and Suzanne’s. I reached the date of my baptism. I remember telling the missionaries to make sure that the baptismal font was warm and that the coveralls better not be see-through. Needless to say, the water was ice cold. The Relief Society room was packed with people who cared about me and Raven. Never did I think that I would join a church. However, I knew that it was right.

After my baptism, Raven and I have started to attend church on a regular basis. Time was not wasted; the first calling to serve came and then the second. Raven and I have grown so much. Now we prepare for the next chapter of our lives as we eagerly await our first child. We continue down the path. I have received the Priesthood. I have had the privilege to be a part of several blessings. The feelings are profound. I don’t even know how to describe the feelings appropriately. As we continue our journey, I know that families are eternal. I look forward to the future here in this town. There is not a minute that goes by that I am not grateful for moving from the sprawling desert valley of Phoenix to St. Johns.

Written By Lance Spivey
 

Henry Has Poop!!!!

     Homer Simpson the famous Father from the longest running cartoon TV series, "The Simpsons" portrays the accepted depiction of the American Dad.... bald, beer belly, rude and dumb!  I've always taken offence to this degrading portrayal.  I will be the first to admit that this stereotype is accurate to many Fathers and at times all of us men have our off days when we may act a little like Homer, but more often than not the Good qualities of Good Fathers shine through! I had an awesome experience this past week with a truly awesome Father.  With his permission, I will share my experience.  Friday morning i fired up my quad and drove up the hill a few blocks to Mike Sundahls house to visit with him regarding some business he was helping me with.  Mike Sundahl for those of you who haven't had the opportunity of meeting him is married to Maren Platt daughter of Jay and Trish Platt.  Mike moved to town probably 6 years ago if I had to guess, anyway over the years I've gotten to know Mike better and better.  He has a lot of good qualities but i would like to talk a little bit about his example as a father, and how important being a good dad seems to be to him.  He has demonstrated through his actions, the love he has for his three little kids, and how important spending time with them is to him. I have observed this quality in Mike in many circumstances and settings.  When I spoke with Mike the night before on the phone he was at Dollar General buying new undies for his little boy Henry. He let me know that Henry was starting to potty train.  So when i parked my quad, walked to the door and knocked i was greeted by Mike and Maren's oldest Lucy.  I poked my head inside and looked to the left and saw Henry stretched out in his new underwear watching TV.  Mike came around the corner and said, "Henry are you dry?" To which Henry shook his head yes.  Mike informed me that Maren was in the valley for a couple days and he was doing the Potty Training till his wife got back.  This in itself is impressive to me, but even more impressive... Mike is in the middle of a huge renovation project and has been going full bore and still took the time off to spend with his kids Friday while his wife was in Phoenix.  Come on guys lets all admit it now, given the same circumstances having your heart set on building a new front porch and your wife is heading to phoenix, we all would have been like, "honey you are taking the kids with you, I have work to do!"  So Mike and I ended up visiting for like ten minutes out on his soon to be front porch about all of his plans for his completed renovations.  Like the pattern of all visiting, we started meandering towards my quad while finishing up our conversation. Just before i climbed onto my four-wheeler Lucy hit the front door like a bolt of lightning and squalled, "Henry has poop in his new underwear DAD!" Mike was her instant thunder as he instantaneously reacted with a sprint to the house to solve the problem.  I know to many of you this may seem small but to me it's HUGE!  What an awesome dad, cleaning poop up!! Way to go Mike! And always making time for his kids.  There are many men of this caliber that live here in SJ.  I salute all the good fathers and husbands out there in our community. Thanks for making SJ a great place to be.      
     Many of us create to do lists to remind us of things we want to accomplish. But people rarely have to be lists. Why? To do’s are activities or events that can be checked off the list when done. To be, however, is never done. You can’t earn checkmarks with to be’s. I can take my wife out for a lovely evening this Friday, which is a to do. But being a good husband is not an event; it needs to be part of my nature—my character, or who I am. Lynn G. Robbins
This talk was delivered by Lynn G. Robbins, "What Manner of Men and Women ought ye to BE?" in a LDS conference in April 2011. It has changed my life for the better, and helped me become a better husband and father.  I would recommend reading it.  No matter what our religious preference we have chosen to worship God, this message will change your perspectives in a positive manner and create stronger desires to DO the things in our community, marriages, and families that will help us BECOME a happier society, BE more harmonious in our relationships, and most importantly BECOME immovable Father figures in our families!  We can and will become men and women and children of strong character by doing right and choosing goodness!  

Live Like You Were Dying

When I think about the kind of people we have in our small community of St. Johns, it reminds me of a story I once heard about an old farmer who, with shovel in hand, was standing at the edge of the road irrigating his field, when a young man with his family pulled their vehicle over to the side of his field. The farmer walked over to see if they needed any direction or if he could help them in any way. As he approached the open window of the car, the father of the family said hello and then told the farmer they were thinking of moving into this small community and then asked the farmer what the people who lived here were like. With just a moment's thought, the farmer replied, "What kind of people lived in the town you just moved from?"

I have lived here 53 years, and I have seen many good times. But as everyone knows, we are without a doubt going to go through some hard times as well.

I am going to try to explain where I am going with this.

We have Heap reunions, Crosby reunions, and family gatherings where we have our children and grandchildren come. We bless babies and watch over our families.

Then something happens. Someone close to us loses a loved one, a son in his teens or an only child. It is hard to be around your friends when their hearts are broken. You feel like no matter what you say, their spirits can't be lifted. I was in a heartbroken home and watched as friends from all over town came to their home with food and love and concern for the parents who had lost their young child.

We can gain many good experiences when our lives are going well, but on the other hand, when tragedy enters our lives, we can have the opportunity to learn and grow strong if we will rely on our Heavenly Father. We can gain the knowledge that He is with us and will be by our side through our hard times, just as our friends and family are.

All we have to do is ask for His help, and He will give it.

It has boosted my faith to watch my friends and family in hard times and good times here in this small community.

I would like to add one more experience that I will remember for the rest of my life.

I have a good friend whose name is Lee Jaramillo. Like myself, he has lived in this community all his life. He has served his country in the military. His wife's name was Delores. I didn't know Delores as well as I know Lee until I attended her funeral. Sounds interesting that I could learn something about someone at their funeral, but I did, and it was a very memorable moment for me. She was one of those unfortunate loved ones here in our town who passed away because of cancer. She fought it for some time, but she lived long enough to write her own eulogy.

Hearing it was quite an experience. She stated how much she loved this town and all the people in it and said that no matter who you were, when hard times or something terrible happens, that the town will be there to help and lift each other. She was the type of person that makes this little town what it really is.

Tim McGraw sings that he hopes that we can have the chance to live like we were dying. If we knew today might be our last, we might realize how short life really is and be a better person.

I know that when adversity comes my way, I will be able to rely on my family, my friends, and uppermost, my Heavenly Father.

Jeff Raban
September 15, 2013