August 23, 2003

Sunday, August 23, 2003
Dear Family and Friends,
Another week has gone by and its time for me to write again. We have been in touch with most of our immediate family and heard from many of the rest of you. We appreciate keeping up with things so well at home.
We had an enjoyable day (long day) at the Temple in Fukuoka, yesterday. This time we traveled by bus. We left Hiroshima at 7:30 AM and got home at about 9:30 PM. It was a beautiful day and it was nice to travel in the cool of an AC bus and enjoy the scenery. I was surprised at the large sessions we attended at the Temple. If attendance increases any more, they will need to consider a larger Temple. When our sessions were over, we came out of the Temple just as the bus we needed to take to the bus station pulled up and we made it just in the nick of time. Our bus home left Fukoka at 5:00 PM and if we missed that bus, the next one wouldn’t leave until 6:00 PM. So at 4:55 we arrived at the bus station and rushed in just as the bus had closed the door and ready to pull out. They saw us and opened the door and we made it! (As our family knows, when it comes to travel in Japan, they go by the clock whether you are aboard or not.) That wasn’t such a big deal, except it was better to get home at 9:30 instead of 10:30 and I marveled at how well things fell into place.
Sis. Banks is still in Utah and we really miss her. The Pres. said Friday that he had just talked to her on the phone and she was doing very well. He said if all goes well she will be back soon. We hope she doesn’t return until they are sure the medication is adjusted and she won’t have more problems when she gets here. Now that she is gone, Mom is the only woman in the office and she feels like the lone ranger. Some of those Elders there can come on pretty strong.
Today after Church, they had a baptism in our Ward. It was the 8 year old son of a lady who was baptized a couple of months ago. What an interesting situation that is! The father is a really strong member of the ward and they have 3 children. A year or so ago, the father and the mother were divorced (I think because the mother wasn’t that interested in the Church) and later she decided to become a member and was baptized. At that time they said they planned to be remarried and go through the Temple. But today they still haven’t remarried and all the family was there and the baptism was performed by the father. There are some interesting things go on here.
I have been assigned to home teach a bro. from the States who after he served his mission here, he came back over and married one of the Japanese Sis. They had two children and then things didn’t work out and they divorced. Now he has to pay child support for the children and he gets them a week or two a year. I think he is in a really tough spot! I think he would like to go home but doesn’t want to leave the kids. I think anyone should think twice before they marry out of their race and culture.
We are upset to hear about Betty Lou Jolley’s health problems. We sure hope she can get some help. She has a nice family.
I have just been reading the Church Section about Pres. Faust’s talk for the Lyman reunion in Fillmore. That sounds like an interesting event. I hope Alan and Lori held up under their huge food assignment.
We have really enjoyed the watermelons here, this summer. We have had 6 or 8 and there hasn’t been a clinker yet. When we buy them we cut them all up and store them in the refrigerator. As I have said, most of the fruits and vegetables over here are really good (in spite of their high cost).
It is time to close and get this sent. Sounds like everyone is back in school now. We are having a great experience here and our time is going fast.
Love from Chichi and Haha