On Wednesday, September 26, 2018, Barry was working with Glen Hutchinson to repair a leak in the main water line against the front porch of the house. They were away from the house working on getting a piece of copper pipe cut for the repair. The phone rang and I saw the caller ID 240-1000, Church of Jesus Christ. I knew by the number that this wasn't the Missionary Training Center.
I felt so calm as I picked it up and said, "Hello." Elder Steven E. Snow was on the other line and he greeted me warmly, "Sister Garlick, this is Elder Snow calling. How are you?" I replied, "I am just great! How are you, Elder Snow?" He chuckled and said he was fine. He then said, "Would you and your husband be able to make arrangements to come to my office and meet with me?" I said, "I think we could make that happen."
He suggested Friday morning. I paused and said, "Elder Snow, the truth is that we are doing a presentation with about 100 seven-year-old children on Friday morning." He agreed that we shouldn't change that and we arranged to meet him at his office in the Church History Library on Friday afternoon at 2 p.m.
I felt so calm as I picked it up and said, "Hello." Elder Steven E. Snow was on the other line and he greeted me warmly, "Sister Garlick, this is Elder Snow calling. How are you?" I replied, "I am just great! How are you, Elder Snow?" He chuckled and said he was fine. He then said, "Would you and your husband be able to make arrangements to come to my office and meet with me?" I said, "I think we could make that happen."
He suggested Friday morning. I paused and said, "Elder Snow, the truth is that we are doing a presentation with about 100 seven-year-old children on Friday morning." He agreed that we shouldn't change that and we arranged to meet him at his office in the Church History Library on Friday afternoon at 2 p.m.
He then said, "I understand you are from Henderson." A little surprised I said, "I am!" He then asked if I knew the Hafen family. I did know the Hafen family and we chatted for a few minutes about our common connection. He shared his sweet experience with Bro. Hafen. He finished by saying he looked forward to meeting with us on Friday.
Elder Snow was so warm and kind. I felt perfect peace talking to him. I waited patiently until Barry returned to tell him about Elder Snow's call. I said, "Elder Snow has called and we have an appointment with him on Friday afternoon."
We didn't sleep that well on Wednesday night. I think we slept better on Thursday night. I asked Barry, "If you were to say what qualifications you had for an assignment from the brethren what would you say?" He said, "I know how to love." I said, "Yes, and I am under a covenant. I am all in."
Friday morning was busy with doing our part for "Farm Days" for the second grade at Freedom Elementary. We gave twelve eight-minute presentations on goose down. I thought it was fun. Barry thought it was stressful. We raced home, changed our clothes and drove to Salt Lake City and made our way to the Church History Library.
It was good that we were early because the young missionaries at the desk weren't quite sure how to deal with us and had a little difficulty getting us security cards for the building.
Elder Snow was so warm and kind. I felt perfect peace talking to him. I waited patiently until Barry returned to tell him about Elder Snow's call. I said, "Elder Snow has called and we have an appointment with him on Friday afternoon."
We didn't sleep that well on Wednesday night. I think we slept better on Thursday night. I asked Barry, "If you were to say what qualifications you had for an assignment from the brethren what would you say?" He said, "I know how to love." I said, "Yes, and I am under a covenant. I am all in."
Friday morning was busy with doing our part for "Farm Days" for the second grade at Freedom Elementary. We gave twelve eight-minute presentations on goose down. I thought it was fun. Barry thought it was stressful. We raced home, changed our clothes and drove to Salt Lake City and made our way to the Church History Library.
It was good that we were early because the young missionaries at the desk weren't quite sure how to deal with us and had a little difficulty getting us security cards for the building.
Elder Snow was so warm and welcoming. He is a big man and full of light. After issuing the call to be Director and Associate Director of the Matthew Cowley Pacific Area Church History Centre in Hamilton, New Zealand he invited Wayne Crosby, Director of Global Support and Acquisitions for the Church History Department to join us. Together they explained the scope of our call and we visited about what would happen next.
Our official call letter from the First Presidency should arrive in the next week or so and then it would be announced in the Church News. My first thought was, "Can't we just sneak out of town?" But I didn't say anything. We were given permission to tell our family and the MTC President. We have a meeting with Brother Wayne Crosby and Brother Jared Feller next Tuesday morning.
Our official call letter from the First Presidency should arrive in the next week or so and then it would be announced in the Church News. My first thought was, "Can't we just sneak out of town?" But I didn't say anything. We were given permission to tell our family and the MTC President. We have a meeting with Brother Wayne Crosby and Brother Jared Feller next Tuesday morning.
We left in a bit of a dream state. We were planning to serve a mission and if we could have chosen any place in the world to go it would have been New Zealand! Had this really just happened!?
We were familiar with the Centre that had opened the year before. Barry's sister and her husband, Jocelyn and Peter Garry, had just returned from their mission working at the Centre and we had visited them while they were serving there in November 2017. We knew exactly where we were going!
We called our kids on the way home. They were all so excited and happy for us.
Saturday morning we went for a walk and just held onto each other. The reality was sinking in and we were a bit overwhelmed by it all.
We had planned to get things in order and submit our mission papers sometime in the early part of 2019. Barry's work contract would be up in March and he was planning on retirement. I thought next summer sounded like about the right time to go. Barry thought sooner. But we were going to be leaving the end of February! And there was so much to do!!
Where was Barry's New Zealand passport?! He hadn't used it in 45 years.
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