Independence Day Weekend With Our Family (and at the Prison)

We had another visit from Nani to talk about finances. She is sure catching on quickly to investing. Glen has been impressed with her homework preparation between each of her visits. She has impressed us both with her wise money management through the years.

After the money talk, we went to lunch at Zupas so I could get some talk time with Nani. She has been busy working with Jan to make a float for the Pioneer Day parade in Ogden.

Sarah's family came to visit once again--only for a short few days this time--to celebrate the 4th of July by participating in the fun North Salt Lake festivities.

But first...the grandchildren needed a French toast breakfast.

We ate a grilled chicken dinner before we headed up the street to the golf course.

Part of Bountiful Boulevard was blocked off for a car show. We thought all the little boys in the family (and maybe some big boys...) would enjoy looking at all the vehicles on display.

A fire truck was there and the firemen were handing out fire hats and tiny fire truck toys to the children.

It is so beautiful on the golf course overlooking the valley.

Glen and Jeff managed to work two golf rounds into the short time Jeff's family was in town. They came home exclaiming about how they had seen moose on the golf course.

So it was fun for all of us to see the two moose cooling themselves off in the pond and another one standing near a tree close by.

There were lots of old cars and some news ones as well. 

My favorite cars were these brightly-colored ones whose doors opened up like wings.

It was fun to watch Jonah getting up close to look at the helicopter. 

The next day there were lots of activities going on at a park which the grandchildren were able to get in on the fun.

Afternoon game time while waiting for dinner.

After dinner Glen popped some popcorn so we could bag it up and take it to the fireworks show that evening. 

There was a flyover with some parachuters coming down fast to land on the golf course.

The people right behind us had a little putting hole set up. They were so kind to let Levi monopolize it for quite a while which kept him close by and very entertained while we waited for it to get dark.

Ben and Haley brought a little game table so there was that entertainment going on.

Natalie came up to have dinner, go to the fireworks and then spent the night with us.

Lincoln kept himself busy by collecting abandoned golf balls in the tall grass. His prized ball was the pink one.

As Rebecca and Dallas danced to the music, the grandchildren were busy with the glow sticks.

Let the fireworks begin!!!!

We spent a nice Sabbath Day together and then Monday morning--the 4th of July--Glen, Eli and Carson got the flag put up in the yard.

As the Excell family was getting all packed to head back to Las Vegas, we were showing them all the books and things the prison had sent home with us. Glen started going through the stuff to throw a bunch of it away. We don't even know if any of it will be allowed to go into the new prison.

The chapel worker was insisting we take as much as we could because what was left would just be destroyed.

Carson's eyes lit up when he saw the quadruple combination of the scriptures. He excitedly picked it up and asked if he could have it. Upon inspection, we saw that it was brand new with no markings in it and said he could have it. 

Eli decided he also wanted a momento of the old prison and asked if he could have the Hymn book. I loved how excited they were to get those treasures.

Despite family being here, we still did our weekend duty at the prison. It was an especially tender and spiritual time for all of  us--leaders and inmates--at the prison as they are preparing to make their big move to the new facility. Change is in the air and none of us know the outcome. 

The following is from my Prison Chronicles:

Saturday afternoon we attended the Addiction Recovery Program at the prison. There were 10 men in attendance. This week they had been studying about the confession step of addiction recovery. Each inmate is given a chance to share something on the subject. Some weeks they say pass and don’t comment. 

Hector has been one that usually only says his name and then passes. He has been of interest to me as he looks so unhappy and miserable every time we see him–both on Saturdays and on Sundays. He looks like he is carrying so much guilt and pain inside of him and it seems like it would do him good to open up about it.

Well, this day he did just that. He was the last one to comment and he talked for about 15 minutes. He was pouring his heart out about his sadness and grief and guilt over the crimes he has committed and the people he has hurt. It was heart-breaking to listen to him and to watch the tears flowing from this grief-stricken man. 

His comments about confession were that he had confessed to several leaders, but they weren’t his leaders, and nothing was done about it. He found out the public defender was a bishop in our church and he told Hector he would probably get off and not be charged. But, instead, he was sentenced to 5 years to life. 

He is dreading confessing to yet another church leader because he absolutely hates restating over and over the horrible things he has done. He said all he really wanted was to be good and to spend his life in service to others and now he will probably spend the rest of his life in prison. I was crying right along with him.  

I had the strongest impression that Glen needed to talk to that man and Glen had the same impression. It is a time of uncertainty as to which men will be in our Currant Branch when the move to the new prison happens. It sounds like we will be getting the men over 65 and the mental health inmates. Since Hector is 55, we doubt he will be in our branch. 

Glen decided he was going to invite Hector to meet with him on Sunday—not for him to confess, but to just talk and try to comfort him. It was an interesting experience Glen had visiting with Hector. He expressed his sorrow for what he has done. He said his wife is standing by him, but whenever he tells her he loves her, she tells him he doesn’t or else he wouldn’t have done those things. He is in so much pain and inner turmoil.  

As Glen shared with him his love of the Latino people since he served his young mission in Mexico and then our mission in the California Carlsbad Mission, Hector said to him, “I know you and your wife.” Glen was shocked at those words. He said in a previous meeting when Glen shared where we had served—the recognition dawned on him that we were serving at the same time he was serving as a ward mission leader of the Spanish ward in the Vista stake in our mission. He shared we had interacted with him at several baptisms. He told Glen he is so embarrassed.  

Glen’s heart just broke for this man and he tried to give comfort as he shared some scriptures and counsel with Hector. He told Hector that perhaps this was God’s way of showing him that He loves him by us having been assigned to this branch at this time. That man has been on our minds constantly since then. 

Testimony meeting opened with the hymn “The Star-Spangled Banner.” I was at the back of the chapel and was touched to see the men stand right up as the music began. The men in wheelchairs and the ones using walkers stood up for as long as their legs could hold them. One man has only one leg and he stood up out of his wheelchair and kept standing the whole time. There was a very patriotic feeling in that chapel during the heartfelt singing of those men.  

The words “Oh, thus be it ever, when free men shall stand” kind of got to me. Here were all these men standing who have pretty much lost almost all of their freedom. Regardless of that, they joined in with singing praises of gratitude for living in “the land of the free and the home of the brave.” 

It was Dave Webster’s first time to conduct and he did a beautiful job sharing his testimony before allowing time for whichever inmates wanted to share their testimonies. He invited the men to meet and study together in whatever capacity they are able during these next few weeks when we leaders are not allowed to go to the prison.  

The first inmate who got up to share his testimony was the chorister for that day. He shared his thoughts on getting ready for the move. He said they have known about the move for many months and have been told to get organized by disposing of the items they are not allowed to take with them and being ready to pack all their belongings into one storage bin in a short amount of time. He said there are men who have not done any preparation and likened them to the parable of the 10 virgins where half of them are prepared for the bridegroom to come and the other half are not.  

He gave his insight into why he chose the hymns he did for that day. He said the opening hymn “The Star-Spangled Banner” was to celebrate the liberation and beginning of our country. He chose the hymn “Joseph Smith’s First Prayer” because it is a celebration of the beginning of our Church. He said, “With the commotion all around, this hymn brings a feeling of peace for our last time in this church building.”

One man talked about the move and all the things they were needing to get rid of because they can’t take them to the new prison. This includes their personal toiletries which they have had to buy themselves at the commissary. They will be provided with some supplies for when they first get to the new prison. He declared, “They can take all our stuff and things, but they can’t take away our eternal perspective.” 

All of us new leaders were touched by the man who talked about how very sad they were when the Andrizzies (the former branch president) and that group left. And then he said, “But look at who God replaced them with.”

Clark Burbidge (one of our leaders) shared his feelings that day in an email. He wrote, “Leah was told by one of the brothers that God’s love for them was evidenced in the miracle of our new branch leadership. They released everyone in the branch and replaced the entire organization when we started 6 weeks ago. The inmates thought they would lose all their connections with the Spirit and the Lord with a bunch of new volunteers. He told Leah that it has been a miracle that even the first week had been like there was no change. 

“He re-enforced how important it has been that we know their names, just as Jesus does. The volunteers have worked hard on that, and it is so comforting to know such a little thing makes such a huge difference. The spirit of the new volunteers and the feeling of love they feel tells them every week that the Lord is mindful of them even here. No part of the vineyard is forgotten.” 

It was bittersweet for all of us as we said our good-byes that day. We may never see some of those younger men again. Our hope and prayer is that they will make positive progress in whatever branch they are assigned. As we toured the new prison for a second time, there was an emphasis on how the new prison will provide more opportunities for the inmates to progress with their education and with occupational skills so they will be better prepared when they are released.