The McLean and Mabry Experience

When my mom signed us up for Time Out for Women they needed volunteers to pick up people from the airport so we signed up. We were to pick up Michael McLean and Mark Mabry! This is huge. Michael McLean's songs have been staples in our house since I was 8 years old. We just love him! And Mark Mabry... can you say the best photographer ever! 


2:15 p.m. came and there he was, Michael McLean, walking towards us with this perfectly fit suit and a light floral shirt under it, his gray hair and glasses. A musician to the "T". I jumped, no really jumped, out of the car, shook his hand and introduced myself. 


"Hi, I'm Tatiana."
"Hello, I am Michael McLean." (Like he needed an introduction I know exactly who he is!)


He is carrying only 2 bags with him, they are only staying for one night. A Swiss Army backpack and a guitar case. He climbs in the front seat and starts the introductions. My mom, my sister and baby James. (We all had to go because the conference was far from our house there was no point in going to the airport and going all the way home when my mom, because she was volunteering for TOFW had to be there at 4:15.) Michael, I can call him that because we are now friends:), starts asking about our families, our children. He shows us a video of his grandson singing and dancing. He shares some other pictures of his grandchildren. Then his phone rings, his ring is The Blues song. It's Mark Mabry. He is off the plane and coming our way. Michael continues to talk and tells us of his "angelic wife" he calls her. He tells us a funny story about his wife, Lynn, who is back home taking care of his parents and her parents all of which are sick in some way. He tells us of his mom and how he is thankful she still has her humor. His phone rings again, it's Mark Mabry saying he's outside and where are we. Michael gets off the phone and says "Oh there he is".  A blue collared shirt and jeans. He too has only 2 bags. A duffle bag and a backpack. He piles in to the right side passenger bucket seat behind Michael. Introductions go around again, Michael tells Mark (again yes first name basis) we are from his home town and we start saying yeah we were in the same stake, we figured out he knows my husband's family, we get it all covered. Then as if we weren't strangers they immediately start their own conversation of their next projects, bouncing ideas off of each other. Saying did you talk to so and so? A huge producer. All these other famous people's names were bring thrown around like nothing. 


Holy cow are you serious! This is awesome!! 


Then the conversation turned in to a conversation of deep topics. A conversation I will never forget. Mark started to share with us about a biography he is going write and then what he wants this bio to be. He starts talking about the same kind of thing I had been feeling and had been thinking about I knew where he was coming from and I understood where he wanted to go with his book. I shared this with him and he said "Yes, exactly"! And even though this book with be more for men. I as a woman, could still relate. I told him how refreshing it was coming from a 33 year old successful man to be thinking about the same thing I was and at a perfect time when I am still trying to find me!
Michael was giving him ideas how to incorporate stuff into his book. It was so cool to see how easy it was for them to just have brilliant ideas.


As if that wasn't enough of an emotional adventure with Mark, Michael starts telling us about something in his life that just happened. I am not going to share it because it had just happened and I felt a sort of put this away in my personal box feeling until he shares it to the world. It was a feeling of vulnerability and humility that he shared. During his story he stopped and asked if it was alright he shared this with us. Uhh of course!  He is so full of the spirit and it is oozing out of him. There was a calm silence in the car as he spoke and tears came to my eyes. 


When we finally got to their hotel, they thanked us and Michael said that wasn't what he was going to speak about that night and apologized for getting so deep. We all said as if in unison, "No, No thank YOU for sharing that with US." Seriously, who are we to him to telling us such a compelling story. Anyways they get out and say we'll see you tonight!


And we did. Michael sand songs from his book "A Mission to be Happy". He is hilarious people! One of the funniest people I have ever met. For his last set of songs he did the ones that we sing in my house every day! Tears were streaming down my face as I got to sit there between my mom and my sister and share this experience with them. Listening to some one we got to know on a personal level, some one who has over the years meant so much to us and he didn't even know it, sing to us the songs that have touched our hearts over the years. 


When Mark got up to speak, let me just tell you, if you have not seen his pictures please please look at them. He captures the life of Jesus the way no one ever has. It was amazing to hear of the struggles he had while trying to depict the most amazing man who ever walked on this earth's life. When Mark spoke he was telling us about the last photo shoot/book he did, Another Testament. Whenever he does a photo shoot, he makes a video of the events that took place during that shoot. To see the cast pretending to be the Nephites, the man who was casted as Jesus, show the emotion and show the truth of what was happening in that moment. Mark does that. Mark will tell you what Jesus' was feeling, what the people of the Americas' were feeling through a picture so simple yet so riveting. 


When the conference on friday night ended, we were able to take them to the airport again the next morning at 6:30 a.m. The ride back to the airport was a more simpler one. Still conversation, but this time they asked about our husbands and how my parents met and so on. We said our good-byes and thank you's and they were off. 


I am so thankful for this moment that changed my life. I am thankful for Michael McLean and Mark Mabry for their testimonies and for their loving kindness. Two of my favorite people, two people I will never forget. They have touched my life in a way I will carry with me for ever. Thank you, Michael and Mark, for teaching me so much about myself and about life in just a short period of time.