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