August 16, 2003

Sat. August 16, 2003
Dear Family and anyone who might be reading this,
Another week has rolled by. When Grandpa Roper (my Dad) used to call he would always ask, “How’s the weather down there?” I guess that is why one of the first things I like to mention is something about the weather. Right now it is raining again and sultry as can be! People comment on how much rain we seem to be getting here this year. We always make a comment on how dry it has been at home.
We appreciate and look forward to your calls and e-mails. That is surely a plus that we have over the regular missionaries. Mom is the one that sorts the mail that comes in, each morning. The Elders have been instructed by Pres. Banks that they are not to touch the mail until Mom has it ready. So the minute the mail comes in they hang around her desk and nag her to get busy on it and see if they have a letter. I guess we can’t blame them because there is nothing like word from home when you are on a mission! Sometimes after the mail has been sorted through, they’ll say “Where’s my letter?”Mom will say, “Didn’t you see it, I sent it airmail out the window.”
This week is what the Japanese refer to as ‘O-bon’ week when the Bhuddists honor their dead. They believe that during this week the spirits of their ancestors come and mingle with their families. The living family make paper lanterns and take food and place it around where the ashes of their family members and their tombstones are, so that their spirits will be excited to find their way. Anyway many of the stores are closed all week long. Mom wanted to get her hair cut and she called all week to make an appointment and no one answered. O-bon is the reason! When I was here before there was many festivals and we enjoyed watching the native Japanese dancing, etc. We haven’t seen much of that this year.
A few days ago, I had a scare. We keep all of the missionaries’ passports here in my the office. A missionary from South America had to renew his passport because his old one expired. When it came I called him and asked him what he wanted done with his old passport. He said to keep it there in the office. Well he called and said he needed his old passport because it had his Japanese & American visa in it. I looked where we keep the passports and it wasn’t there. Mom and I looked through the office and in everyplace we thought it might be and it wasn’t to be found. So Mom called the missionary and told him the sad news. Then we were all in a frenzy! I sat thinking and thinking about it and finally recalled that I had made a special file for him in my desk drawer. Sure enough, there it was. Mom called the Elder back to report that we had found it and he said, “Boy, that is good, now I won’t have to jump out of our 4-story window”! (Of course that was a joke.) But everyone was relieved, especially me. That’s what is scary about my poor memory and this job!
Today (our P-day) we went over to the Best shopping mall. We sat down for a minute in what seemed to be comfortable lounging chairs. However the chairs were mechanical body conditioner chairs! They jiggles and squeezes you everywhere. We went through the cycle two or three times and Mom was amazed at how good her body felt. I’m afraid she’s going to want to take a turn every night after a hard day in the office. Have you seen anything like that at home?
We were sorry to hear that our neighbor next door, Mr. Ullery died. His health has been so bad that I’m surprised he lasted this long. He is not a member of the Church and he has told us that he is a medical Dr. and practiced many years in Saudi Arabia. We thought it was interesting that he came to Cedar to retire. His wife is bed-ridden and is a chain-smoker. He has been taking care of her. Now we wonder what she will do. Sis. Banks is still in SLC and we hope she is getting the medical help she needs so she can come back and finish her mission, they are trying to adjust her medications. We as well as Pres. Bans really miss her. We feel really blessed that all of you seem to be doing well.
Love, The Ropa Senkyoshi’s