Monday, June 30, 2008

President Monson

What a wonderful experience me and the boys had this evening. My parents have been here staying at my cousin Renae's cabin for the past few days. Tonight me and the boys decided that for Family Home Evening we should go up for dinner and maybe do some fishing and biking. The girls left for girls camp this morning so it was just me and the boys home and also Daxton who had spent the night. At the cabin we ate dinner and played around the creek in the backyard for awhile, then I told the boys to load up the fishing gear and we would go find a good fishing hole down the road. We started walking and after a little way we came upon a very nice luxury car with a nicely dressed man who looked like I thought a Secret Service Agent - very important looking.....why would such a nice car with a man dressed in a suit be up in the mountains??? I noticed that this important looking man was walking into the yard of an older gentleman and helping him with something in his yard. As I walked by I glanced over out of curiosity and noticed that the older gentleman's side profile looked like someone I knew. YES! I did know him from years of watching General Conference and more recently watching him being sustained as the newest prophet for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I called out for the boys who had walked on ahead of me a little bit to hold up and told them that President Monson was behind the trees in this yard. I don't think they believed me but came over anyway. By this time my mom had caught up with us and she verified that it was indeed President Monson and his wife and a body guard. Now I'm not known for keeping quiet or unseen, and on occasion verbalizing my thoughts, BUT this time I actually STOPPED and THOUGHT before I spoke. I was afraid to say anything, out of respect for his privacy and he probably gets people left and right approaching him. I wanted him to be able to relax at this cabin, since he obviously had left work behind and headed for the great outdoors. BUT.....I also didn't want my boys to miss out on an opportunity to meet a prophet and perhaps shake his hand. I very politely called out his name and got his attention. I asked if it would be alright if 3 little boys got to shake his hand. He accepted and we stood there in awe and watched as he approached us. He not only shook their hands as he called them future missionaries, I got to take a picture of everybody with him. But it didn't stop there. This kind man took the time to ask us questions like he really wanted to get to know us and try to remember us. Then the neatest thing, he invited us into his cabin. WOW!! As we followed him up to his back porch, he introduced us to Sister Monson and we got to shake her hand as well. Then he took us into his cabin and gave us the GRAND tour. I say GRAND because he showed us every room, went into detail about pictures, mementos and childhood memories of growing up in that cabin. It has been in his family for 88 years and he had actually grown up in this cabin/house. We were inside President Monson's childhood home!! At least 4 differen't times we graciously thanked him for his hospitality and told him we better be on our way and leave him and his wife to their relaxing, BUT he had more stories to tell!! What a wonderful, kind and friedly man our prophet is!! He acted as if he had nothing better to do and wanted to tell us about his childhood home. He showed the boys his first fish he caught that he had stuffed and mounted on the wall, he got them out a fish puppet and wanted them to scare me with it, he showed the boys how he makes his ears move up and down, he showed us an electronic fish that sang and moved his head and tail around, he showed us various pictures on the walls and explained about them, he showed us the home improvements he had made over the years, and told us about other family members and stories about them over the years. We also were told about a practical joke he played on his sister and her friends while they were in the river. We learned he had saved a little girls life in the river when he was 11-years old. He tried to tell each of the boys a story that related to his life at the age my boys were now. He shared SO much and I wish I had a memory that could recall everything because I didn't and don't want to forget a thing he shared with us. One thing he told me as he put his arm around me was, "TO STRENGTHEN YOUR MEMORY YOU HAVE TO RELY UPON IT". We had made a comment to him about how great a memory he had - he had been telling us so many stories and recalling peoples names throughout these stories....it was so amazing at the detail he gave each story, that is why he decided to share how he keeps his memory so good. I have the worst memory and wanted to remember this special bit of advice he gave. As I was trying to recite it over and over in my head, he kept going on with other stories and it became a battle in my own head with trying to remember this phrase on memory and to also try to record every other word he was saying. I had to ask him a second time to recite that phrase. When our final "thankyous" were given to him and the boys exchanged "high fives" with him, we were on our way. We noticed that as we walked past the body guard/secret service guy, the car was STILL running. Come to find out, they were only making a short stop there at the cabin before they were to head out to check on another home they have further up the canyon. He was so kind to sit and talk to us like he had nowhere else to be or any agenda. I'm sure his body guard was getting a little impatient but maybe he's use to his friendliness by now. What a kind man! All we wanted was a handshake but got first class treatment like we were long lost friends!! We figure we were with him at least 45-minutes. This is one evening I hope the boys will never forget. I told them to journal it before they forgot all the details. President Monson has always had a special place in my heart and now he has made that place even more special. I will never forget this experience!!

11 comments:

Dawna said...

Wow!!! What a GREAT Family Home Evening. I am so happy that you spoke up and called out his name. Colton and Carson will never forget that experience. I have tears just reading how patient and kind he was to you. Don't you just love that man?

terrie said...

I'm having a hard time keeping my emotions in check just reading this. Your boys have been touched and tutored by a prophet of God! He is the best example of how we should all be. He walks in our Saviors footsteps. Thank you for sharing that with us, we will all feel a little closer to him because of this experience.

Lorna said...

Great story. Great experience.Wow. I'm glad you wrote it down and shared it with us. I'm sure it made a big impression on your boys.

Mom said...

Lezlie, that is such a wonderful experience! I'm so glad that you were in the "right place at the right time." I've been up to visit the McKells's cabin lots of times and never caught a glimpse of Pres. Monson. The picture you posted is great--you should enlarge it and frame it so you can all remember this special experience. One of the things we all love about Pres. Monson is that he so personally ministers to everyone he meets, and your experience is another example of that. Thanks for sharing it with us.

Mom said...

Oh Lezlie, that comment from Mom was actually from Marsha. Sorry, I usually just comment on my kid's blogs!
--Marsha

Heather O said...

So I got the link to your blog in an email from my mom. That is an incredible experience, one to remember! Thanks for sharing all the details you did. Our prophet truly is a kind and loving man, an example to all of us.

Jane said...

What an amazing experience that you had. Thanks for sharing it with all of us. I am sure you will never, ever forget it. I am glad I stumbled upon your blog and got to read about it.

Mikal said...

This was such an awesome experience! Perhaps this chance encounter with such a good, kind, and godly man will leave an impression with you and your young boys throught the upcoming years. I love that President Monson, our prophet, seer and revelator greeted them as future missionaries. May his words burn in their ear and hearts as they strive to become individuals worthy of the title "Elder" and "missionary";"emissaries of God".

Thank you for sharing this wonderful experience on your blog site.

Rochelle said...

WOW! I have the chilles and at the same time an overwhelming warmth from the spirit. What an amazing visit and to have him so gracioulsy welcome you into his home and calling these young men to be missionaries.
I would trade twilight for this a million times over!

HTF said...

That was an awesome experience to share. We have four little kiddos and I would've loved for them to have something like that. So cool to read about it. Thanks for sharing!

Nay Family said...

I am in tears right now having just read that entry to my 8 and 10 year old. It just reaffirms that our prophet is truely a disciple of Christ and loves each and every one of us. And how amazing for him to tell you to work on your memory. It echoes the prophets of old who are constantly telling us "Oh Remember, Remember". I'm glad I came upon your blog. Thank you for sharing such a wonderful experience with us.