In D&C 111 the Lord tells us that His treasure has always been people.
Joseph Smith and the early church were in debt. Building the Kirtland temple and other endeavors put the early church members in a difficult financial spot. This wouldn’t be the first time or the last that Joseph faced questions about money and making ends meet. The Lord told Joseph He would help. Concern not yourselves about your debts, for I will give you power to pay them. Concern not yourselves about Zion, for I will deal mercifully with her. Joseph took a small group with him to Salem, Massachusetts to look for treasure. They had heard rumors of a hidden treasure, and they were willing to do anything to help the church’s financial state. At first glance this section and their trip seem strange. Pointless even. They don’t even find any treasure. In Section 111 the Lord said, I have much treasure in this city for you, for the benefit of Zion, and many people in this city, whom I will gather out in due time for the benefit of Zion, through your instrumentality. For there are more treasures than one for you in this city. Joseph looked for money, though the Lord made it quite clear what treasure waited for them in Salem. People. It took a long time. Erastus Snow, the missionary sent back to Salem, wanted to give up. The promise of the Lord sustained him though. He looked for treasure. For people. Over time, citizens of Salem were converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ and became contributing members of the church. Through their sacrifice and sacred tithes, many helped to pay the debts of the church. There was treasure there after all. I love the Lord’s pattern. When the church had a problem to be solved, He led them to people. That’s His resource. His strategy. Gather more in. They are the treasure. A few years ago, when my birthday rolled around, Jake asked me what I wanted. I requested a love note from him. His counter offer was to write hundreds. I have 191 notes from him so far. I read them when I miss him. I read them when I feel discouraged or alone. I remember before he was mine, I felt like there was a lot missing in my life. I felt like the early church- on the cusp of great things but figuratively “in debt”. Looking for treasure. I prayed for the things I lacked. The attributes I didn’t have. Guess how the Lord answered. What treasure He sent. Jake. He was everything I wasn’t and more. The Lord promised He’d fill in my gaps. I never imagined he’d do it like this. Now Jake’s my treasure. The best thing that has ever happened to me. He makes me happy.
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Hank loves when we sing to him.
Songs get us through wrestling match diaper changes and messy mealtimes. Songs wake him up in the morning and put him to sleep at night. His favorites are the ones with actions. He remembers them best and loves them most. He can “tease Mr. Alligator”, make the sun come out, and say “no no no!” to the monkeys or monsters jumping on the bed. I love to watch his face as he listens. I can see the light in his eyes when he recognizes the song. I can see him realize he knows exactly what to do. Then I watch his sweet little hands repeat the actions just in time. He gets better at it every day. And he never gets tired of the tiny songs or the little actions. As he grows, I think he’ll find that life is full of tiny songs and little actions, the trick is not to get tired of them. Alma taught a group of humble Zoramites about faith in Jesus Christ (Alma 32-33). He picked a tiny seed to teach them. A tiny seed that looks nothing like what it will become. A tiny seed that would require little, repeated steps to care for it over time, until it finally bore fruit. That’s faith. It’s the tiny songs. It’s the little actions. Gideon taught me that too. Gideon hid behind a winepress one day threshing wheat. He was hiding from Israel’s current enemy, the Midianites. The Lord called them grasshoppers because they consumed everything in sight, leaving the Israelites desolate and afraid. The bondage was humbling and hard to bear. In response to Israel’s prayers the Lord sent an angel to Gideon. You know, the young man hiding behind the winepress. “The Lord is with thee, thou mighty man of valour” the angel said to the crouching man (Judges 6:12). Gideon was not so sure. He did not feel mighty. In fact, he felt hurt. He felt forgotten. He felt small. He told the angel how he felt. He told him how he thought the Lord had forgotten them. How He must not care as much now as He did for them when they were in bondage to the Egyptians. “..why then is all this befallen us? And where be all his miracles..” Gideon asked. The Lord responded. “Thou shalt save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent thee?” Wait. Not Gideon. Not the man hiding behind the winepress. “Oh my Lord, wherewith shall I save Israel? Behold, my family is poor in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father’s house.” The least. Tiny. The smallest. The Lord’s reply? “Surely I will be with thee, and thou shalt smite the Midianites as one man” (Judges 6:16). So, Gideon gathers an army. 32,000 people band together to help free the Children of Israel. The Lord’s response? That’s too many. Send those who are afraid home. 22,000 leave. That’s 10,000 left. The Lord’s response? That’s too many. He sends them to the river’s edge to get a drink. Those who drank water from their cupped hands were put in one group, and those that knelt and put their face in the water were put in another. 300 drank from their hands. 9,700 made up the other group. Guess which army the Lord chose. The least. Tiny. The smallest. 300. 300 against the grasshopper Midianites? An army so vast they couldn't be numbered? In the dead of night, Gideon and his 300 surrounded the Midianites. And he divided the three hundred men into three companies, and he put a trumpet in every man’s hand, with empty pitchers, and lamps within the pitchers. And he said unto them, Look on me, and do likewise: and, behold, when I come to the outside of the camp, it shall be that, as I do, so shall ye do. When I blow with a trumpet, I and all that are with me, then blow ye the trumpets also on every side of all the camp, and say, The sword of the Lord, and of Gideon (Judges 7:16-18). And so, they did it. On Gideon’s signal they threw down their pitchers. The trumpets and the shouts of the 300 men woke the Midianites and caused so much confusion the grasshoppers fought each other. When they finally realized what was happening the army of the Midianites retreated. And so, the army of 300 with only trumpets, pitchers, and lanterns, freed the Children of Israel. How did they do it? Well, they didn’t. It was by the sword of the Lord. Why such a small army? Why Gideon? The Least. Tiny. The smallest. So we will never forget who actually does the defending here. It’s because we all hide behind the winepress. And the Lord sends angels to remind us that He has “trodden the winepress alone” so we don’t have to (Isaiah 63:3). And then the Lord takes even less than what we have to offer, and He makes it enough. He makes it obvious that it’s Him. So do the least, the tiny, the smallest. Even if you are the least, the tiny, the smallest. Remember the Lord fights for us. He always has. Maybe that is why I am so happy. Just days before Hank was born I sat in my office at the seminary.
I remember staring at my giant, swollen ankles and feeling Hank’s kicks and pokes and tiny hiccups. I wondered what he would be like. We had waited a long time for this tiny boy, and he was truly a miracle born out of some of the most difficult times our lives. Amidst the excitement I was weary of the change. I felt a little sad to leave behind such a wonderful era. I was nervous that I wouldn’t be enough or do enough for this tiny boy. In the middle of my anxiety I glanced at a sticky note I had placed on my computer screen just days before. It said, “Let’s Go Grow”. When it was time for Hank to come, that little phrase brought me courage on the way to the hospital and comfort through delivery. Let’s go grow. When we left the next day our family had grown. So had we. As I write I’m snuggling my sleeping one year old boy. Today is Hank’s birthday. As I look back on pictures and sweet moments from this special year the little phrase comes to mind again. Let’s go grow. Hank started walking this week. His tiny, clumsy steps grow more confident and steady every day. First steps are scary. Hank is so brave. Let’s go grow. A year ago today our lives changed forever. I had no idea the healing and help that would come with this tiny boy. He makes Jake and I better. He helps us grow. Hank is a little young for birthday wishes so I made one for him. My wish is that he’ll grow. That we’ll grow. Happy Birthday sweetest boy. Love you most. I heard a story once about a young woman who lived an inconvenient life. She put her own plans on hold and worked long hours to care for and raise her younger, orphaned brother. She was afflicted with a terminal illness and requested the company of her bishop in her last moments.
As she talked with him he held her hand. As the story goes, they were, “rough, hard, work-calloused”. She asked him the question, “How will God know that I am His?”. In response he raised her wrist, “Show Him your hands”. I remember playing and doing yard work outside with my brother and sisters when I was little. On the way in I would always look at my hands. Sometimes my dad would ask to see them. He always celebrated a little dirt under my fingernails or the little starts to callouses from swinging a baseball bat. 5 years ago tomorrow, Jake Topham proposed to me. Through happy tears all I could muster was a "mmhmm!" A little up Parowan Canyon Jake pulled over and led me through the landscape lined with candles. Back, away from the road in a secluded spot, hung a little swing with our name on it. He held my hand and gave me the most beautiful ring. That was one of the happiest days of my life. I still wear it every day. Show Him your hands. I wonder if He looked at mine today what He would see. A callous on my finger where my pen rubs from journal writing and thank you notes. I wonder if He would see texts or emails sent to people I love. Would He notice the Expo marker stain on my wrist where it slides across my whiteboard? Would He see hands that do dishes and bath time? Maybe hands that do the actions to “Baby Shark” and “Five Little Monkeys”? Would He see fingers that turn pages of scripture? I wonder if my palms show time spent snuggling my sweet boy. Would He see hands that lift hands that hang down? Hands that reach out to those who struggle or feel alone? Maybe He would see five years of holding hands and helping and cheering Jake on. I hope He would see that I’m His. In the scriptures the prophet Isaiah says that sometimes we might find ourselves thinking, "The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me." The Savior's reply is sweet. "Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. "Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me." (Isaiah 49:14-15) If we were to see His hands today, we would see that we are His. When I show Him mine, I hope He'll see that I chose Him too. Daisy said to meet at the sunflowers.
I put Hank in a little white onesie and some khakis. In his blue and white stripe seersucker jacket he looked a lot more like a little boy than a baby. We got in the car to head to Topham family pictures. Daisy said to meet at the sunflowers, but when I asked Jake where that was, he didn’t know either. I sat in the back next to Hank’s car seat to fix his Baby Magic mohawk. We drove towards Paragonah. We saw Maggie’s car coming towards us from the opposite direction, so we slowed down to follow her. We had just passed the spot by a few hundred yards. On the side of the road there was a small patch of sunflowers we had missed. When Daisy pulled up, I realized she didn’t have the small patch of sunflowers in mind. We followed her and her camera up a small hill, and the patch of weeds I could see from the road transformed into an entire field of sunflowers. It stopped me in my tracks. How did I not see those? Every time we drive to Paragonah I look for them now. As things get colder I know they won’t last much longer, but I think I’ll still look for them. Sometimes I read the scriptures and I find things I have never seen before. Words or phrases that seem new. New words chosen just for me. In 2 Nephi 9 the prophet Jacob explains the Plan of Happiness. He testifies of Jesus Christ and how He saves us from monsters. He testifies of the resurrection. “Wherefore, we shall have a perfect knowledge of all our guilt, and our uncleanness, and our nakedness; and the righteous shall have a perfect knowledge of their enjoyment, and their righteousness.” (2 Nephi 9:14) Somehow I have always only read about righteousness or guilt. I missed enjoyment. Did you? “Wherefore, we shall have a perfect knowledge of all our guilt, and our uncleanness, and our nakedness; and the righteous shall have a perfect knowledge of their enjoyment, and their righteousness.” Hank is getting older. I watch in awe as he grows up. I watch him kiss his reflection in the mirror, and I want to remember. I watch him point to the spider on every page of his book, and I want to remember. He reaches for me when he’s happy and when he’s sad, and I want to remember. Jake is so special. I hear him speak about people and things he loves, and I want to remember. I see him stand up and stand out in every venue, and I want to remember. I sit with him on my swing in my front yard, and I want to remember. Then the spirit whispers, “You can. Just enjoy." What a promise made possible through the One who truly remembers and truly enjoys. Life is not easy. Things do not always go as planned. The moments fly by and the sunflowers do not stay as long as we hope. But what a tender promise full of hope and love. The Savior says, “Part of my plan is that you enjoy. If you do, you’ll remember.” Here’s to more enjoying and to more remembering. I think I fell in love with Jake the first time I saw him. His hair was long and he was laughing as he walked into the Dairy Freeze. I remember hearing, "That's Jake Topham". I had no idea what was in store for me. Neither of us could have guessed. It feels like I have loved him forever. I am so grateful that I get to. I wrote this when I was 17 for that boy I loved. It’s a favorite called, “The Parable of the Brick Maker”. There once was a Master Brick Maker. Each day He would get up and take care of the bricks in his brickyard.
First, He mixed clay, water, and other ingredients together to begin the brick. Then, He put the mixture in brick-shaped molds and placed them in long rows outside. Many, many bricks laid in neat rows in the brickyard. His job as Master Brick Maker was found mostly in the hacking process. For the clay and water mixtures in the molds to become bricks, the water needed to drain out of them. This draining process is called hacking. The patient Master would go outside each day to carefully turn each brick on a new side, allowing the water to slowly drain from the molds. He repeated the process until all the water drained from His bricks. Sometimes the weather was an enemy to the Brick Maker. With wind and rain, the process of hacking had to start over. This never stopped the Brick Maker though. No matter the weather He would carefully turn each potential brick on a new side. Hacking required all His energy, attention, and love. It took His time and His strength. He must have seen something worth it in His bricks. Through much love and endurance, the bricks were finally ready to be placed in the Kiln and fired. This sanctified the little bricks. It strengthened them and prepared them for their purpose. The bricks went all over town, providing strength, protection, and beauty to everyone who resided there. I know that Brick Maker. His name is Jesus Christ. Each day he stands outside with me, turning me on a new side. Sometimes it rains, but that’s okay. He waits. Some of that water is hard to let go of, but He encourages me. Each day I experience a new side. He waits for me to let go and helps me become something more. Something more beautiful. Something more useful. Something more His. He sees someone worth His time, suffering, love, attention, and strength. I’ve been a brick in His brickyard multiple times. I’m still there. There are so many new sides the Savior has in store for me, so I am thankful He still waits for me in the brickyard. Despite my imperfections, He asks for my help in the brickyard sometimes too. He lets me help watch over some of the other bricks in the brickyard. My students. My husband. My baby. People Christ has let me touch through testimony, genuine concern, and the love that He offers me. Each day I wait outside and help turn them on a new side. Mostly I sit with them and watch the Master work. Sometimes the hacking process feels like it’s taking forever. Sometimes it rains. Sometimes we have to start over. Sometimes the water they hold onto is hard to let go of. It takes all my strength, attention, and love. Sometimes this process goes on so long and so hard I turn to the Master and ask Him if it is worth it. And if it is, can I even do it? His reply is beautiful. One that comes from the monotony, endurance, seemingly uneventful, but excruciatingly necessary hacking process. “You can hack it. You can hack it because I did”. I love the Master Brick Maker. I will forever be grateful that He could ‘hack’ it. Because He did, I wake up every morning and I help tend His bricks. Because He did, I don’t flinch so much at new sides. Or the rain. I try to give all my strength, attention, and love to the Master Brick Maker. I know that I can ‘hack’ it, because He did. When I was little, we used to make fairies out of flowers in my grandma’s backyard. Upside down blooms became fairy skirts and buds became their little heads. We’d make them dance and fly with the help of toothpicks, and tell stories or play games with them. They’d be invited to magical tea parties and playdates with cousins.
Whenever I see a flower, I see a fairy. The summer before my freshman year of high school I got contact lenses. I remember my dad drove me to the Cedar City Walmart Vision center and after a brief exam I got to try on my first pair. It was a miracle. I could hardly speak for the excitement and awe I felt at what I could see. I remember seeing individual leaves on the trees from the passenger window as we drove on the freeway. I had no idea that people could see that far. Every time I’m on the freeway I look out my car window to see the leaves. I love the Old Testament. It’s a beautiful story about an imperfect family loved by God. He loves them so much that He chooses them, makes covenants with them, fights for them, works miracles for them, and promises them a Savior in Jesus Christ. One of my favorite Old Testament practices is how they remembered experiences they had with God. When miracles happened, they would name the place after what they learned about God. In one of my favorite stories, due to an extremely sensitive and difficult situation, Hagar, Sarai’s handmaid found herself running away from home. An angel stopped her on the way and told her to turn back. An angel stopped her. The angel gave her promises from the Lord and glimpses of blessings in her future. What she saw allowed her to turn back and face her uncertain and difficult present. Before she returned home though the scriptures say, “…She called the name of the Lord that spake unto her, Thou God seest me; for she said, Have I also here looked after that seeth me?” (Genesis 16:13). She named the well where she was “Beer-lahai-roi” which means “The well of Him who liveth and seeth me”. Him who seeth me. A few summers ago, I received a strong impression that I needed to pray to love my seminary students. This wasn’t particularly unusual. I try to include my students in my prayers often, especially in asking for an increase of love for them. The timing of the prompting was out of the ordinary. It was summer so I did not have any students to pray for. I knew a few from the year before, but I had no idea who would sit in my classroom. So, I spent the whole summer praying for kids I did not know. I prayed to love them the first time I saw them. Just a few days before school started, I received an unexpected assignment to teach at another seminary. I promptly cleaned up my office and classroom and headed to the new school. The change was abrupt, and I was nervous. The first day of school came faster than I was ready for. As I stood in front of my first period class and looked, an abundance of love filled my heart. I was overwhelmed. I couldn’t speak. I had prayed for them all summer. I loved them even though this was only the first time I saw them. That love served me well as I witnessed miracle after miracle that school year. Those kids became some of my sweetest friends. I love them. I miss them. That first day of school I learned that the Lord sees. He saw me and my new assignment, but most importantly He saw those students. He wanted me to see them. To see them how He sees them. Like flower fairies and freeway leaves we don’t forget when the Lord shows us what He sees. When life is complicated and we want to flee, angels stop at wells to remind us that He sees us. He sees them. He sees you. He sees me. We sat in front of a retired Parowan Elementary School teacher at a basketball game a few seasons ago.
He told us some stories about past students and filled us in on what it’s like to live the retired life. I was impressed by the length of his term as a teacher and about how happy he was as he spoke of his career. He even told us a story about a rough class he couldn’t leave alone for more than a few minutes. My father-in-law Dave was in the class. One day the teacher left for a few moments to answer a phone call. The principal came to sit with the kids, but even he couldn’t handle them. When the teacher got back to his class, Dave and another boy were fighting. After he broke up the fight Dave explained that they were just pretending. They just wanted to see what would happen! I love the innocence of children. Elementary schools are special places where kids learn beautiful things for the first time. I walked the halls of Parowan Elementary a few years ago. One display outside a classroom caught my eye. The painted sign read, “That Time I Never Gave Up”. The sweet title stopped me in my tracks. I examined the explanations written and illustrated with second grade hands. Some showed soccer games or math tests. Others depicted chores or piano lessons. As I examined the responses, I tried to think of my own. I got a little discouraged as I looked back on life for one aspect where I could absolutely say, “That Time I Never Gave Up”. I couldn’t think of one I could honestly draw or write about. As we get older I think it gets harder to draw that picture. It’s more difficult to write that story. In 1830 the Lord called Emma Smith to “make a collection of sacred hymns” (D&C 25:11). The 1835 edition of the hymnal came because of Emma and others' efforts to keep that commandment. In her revelation the Lord promised that hymns would be “given” to her by Him. Twenty-seven of the sacred hymns included in the 1835 hymnal are still in the hymnbook we use today. One is a favorite of mine- “How Firm a Foundation”. In Emma’s edition of the hymnal, quotation marks were placed around the last five verses. The hymn writer wrote the verses as if the Savior were speaking. He based the Savior’s words on clear and bold promises He makes to each of us in the scriptures, through prophets, and through personal revelation. Our current hymnal no longer includes the quotation marks, but I added them to mine. Those little pencil marks remind me that it is Jesus, and not me that says, “The soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes; That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I’ll never, no never, I’ll never, no never, I’ll never, no never, no never forsake!” So maybe it’s not about “That Time I Never Gave Up”. Maybe it’s about the One who never gave up on me. Maybe in heaven we’ll have an elementary school hall. Maybe we’ll have a painted sign that says, “That Time I Never Gave Up”. I think the Savior might hang a picture of us there. Or maybe we’ll just look at the palms of His hands. “But Zion said, The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me. Can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee. Behold I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.” (Isaiah 49:14-16) Jesus Christ is always the answer. He will never, no never, no never forsake. He will never give up. The jump from Foothills Elementary to Spanish Fork Junior High was a tough one for me. I was terrified to be there.
I went from walking to school to catching the bus, and from one teacher to seven. Lockers were new to me, not to mention remembering my combination. My relief was found in a classroom that housed the Spanish Fork Junior High Orchestra, directed by Paul Wells. Mr. Wells was a skinny man with a sweet smile and a combover. He loved music, and it showed in his talent. I worked hard in his class. In 8th grade I even took a turn in the first-chair violin seat. I will never forget the feeling I had playing my first piece as a first violin. Mr. Wells taught me more than just dynamics and playing position though. One day we had a rough rehearsal. After weeks of practicing a piece, we still did not sound ready for an upcoming performance. Timing issues, wrong notes, and short attention spans filled the class period. In the middle of a particularly rough run-through Mr. Wells cut us off and dropped his hands to his sides. We stopped playing and then sat in silence, wondering what would happen next. Mr. Wells walked to the door of our classroom and propped it all the way open. “Let’s play for the hall,” he announced. We all looked around, a little confused at his request. Why would he want anyone to hear us after a run-through like that? We didn’t have time to question his sanity or motive. He put his hands up and we all got ready to play. The violins sat up straight and tall and fixed their bows to the strings. The violas uncrossed their legs and kept their pinkies down. Cellos and bass positioned their wrists with beautiful precision, and a miracle happened. We played. We really played. Everyone came in on every cue. Each member was precisely in tune with the next. The beauty of the music was overpowering. We all felt it. At the end of our song, we packed up and headed to our next class. For the remainder of the year, Mr. Wells had us “play for the hall” from time to time and the miracles continued. Lately I’ve wondered what difference playing for the hall made. What did Mr. Wells know about us that led him to prop that door wide open? Discipleship is a little like orchestra. We hold rehearsals each day. From church meetings, to seminary and institute, to personal scripture study, we practice truths with the door closed. This is necessary to master the piece, but eventually, the door is opened and we play for the hall. We act on the promptings we’ve received, and the witnesses we have gained. We share the beauty of what we’ve been practicing with all those in the hall that day, in hopes that lives will be better because of the the beauty they see and hear. As we leave the solitude of classroom study discipleship, we play for the hall. Sometimes we have tough rehearsals. Sometimes we may not feel confident in our own abilities to play or perform our given piece. What gives me hope is our Conductor. The Savior holds the baton with a perfect view of our potential. Even after rocky rehearsals He sees us as capable instruments. With flawless skill, confidence, and experience He directs the work and we sit privy to miracles. The violins sit up straighter and the violas uncross their legs. The cellos and the bass fix their wrists, and we play something so beautiful, that people are touched. I’m a conductor now. Whenever I stand up to conduct a piece my heart beats fast and I smile. I love each member of my little choir. As we rehearse sometimes I think about Mr. Wells and his confidence in a junior high orchestra. Every time we rehearse I think about Jesus Christ. I know He loves when we sing for Him. I know He listens when we play for the hall. Hank has one teeny tiny tooth and man, has he had to work for it.
A few nights ago after he’d finally gone to sleep I went into the kitchen to catch up on dishes and pick up the leftover scrambled eggs that escaped the highchair tray. As I washed the dishes, a memory from a family trip came to mind. We took the journey to Nauvoo, Illinois in the silver Dodge Caravan. Needless to say the words of a familiar hymn played on repeat in my mind, "Does the journey seem long?" The car was cramped and full of clothes, various trail-mixes, and my family. The younger two kids especially grew restless on the long stretches of road to cover. Sometimes the close quarters gave them a disease that made touching or looking at each other either repulsive or mandatory. Of course, at different times. In response, my parents yelled, warned, begged, and bribed but nothing stuck for more than a few miles. It was beginning to hit its peak when my mom changed the game plan. With an impressive move using only an old receipt and a mostly dry Sharpie, my mom renewed our patience and stopped the fighting. The note passed to the back seat read as follows, "Thank you for trying hard. I love you both. Love Mom." I thought of this experience in a new light among the suds and silverware in the sink. Isn't that how our Heavenly Parents work with us? Sometimes, often times, mortality is uncomfortable and hard. Temptation is relentless and imperfections sometimes look to be outnumbering our efforts. But when we're discouraged, a little note passed from heaven to the backseat of mortality reads, "Thank you for trying hard. We love you all. Love, Mom and Dad." |
AuthorMy name is Maddie Townsend Topham and I am a happy wife! Archives
November 2022
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