December 7,2003

Sunday Dec. 7, 2003
Dear Family and Friends,
It is Dec., already! This is a wonderful time of the year, here in the mission field. So far the temperatures have remained fairly warm. We have some rain but it is still pleasant to be outside. Mom has had some rheumatism, but other than that we are staying well.
Last Thurs. all the mission office staff decided to go to a hospital down by the genbaku dome (Peace Park) and get flu shots. Elder Aoki said he had made arrangements but when we got there they were out of flu vaccine, so we came back without our shots. Today in Church I asked Bro. Kiribayashi (the Dr. in our bishopric) about it and he said he was sure we could still get them. He said he would check and get back with me. We hear that the flu is very severe in the US and feel safer here with a shot.
The Elder in the office (from Australia) is supposed to be transferred very soon. Pres. Banks can’t figure out what possessed him when he decided to have Elder Hollis come into the office. I think it was to help us here in the office develop patience. Basically he is a good Elder but it is talk, talk, and talk in that Australian accent. He thinks he knows everything and when I go to talk to one of the other missionaries he comes right over and answers my question. Everybody’s business is his business! The other day Pres. Banks got up tight when Elder Hollis told him that he needs to make sure he releases the emergency break on his car when he drives. Pres. Banks is a truck driver from way back! The other day I answered the phone and Elder Hollis said, “Sis. Lawson wants to speak to Sis. Roper”. I told Mom and she said she didn’t know any Lawsons. When she got on the phone she found out it was Sis. Larsen, the mother calling about her son that is serving here. It takes Elder HolliLast night we had another Elder from Brasil come in. He was supposed to have been here with the last new missionaries but he was delayed because his visa hadn’t arrived when the rest came. We are getting ready for nine new miss. to come in on Dec. 23, and fifteen returning missionaries to go home on Dec. 19. That has really kept Mom busy these last weeks. Even after she sends several letters home explaining everything to the parents, she still gets phone calls asking her the same questions she has already answered for them in the mailings. We have developed a really appreciation for Mission Pres. and their staffs.
The bishopric asked me to talk about the Savior on the sacrament meeting before Christmas. Mom felt real good about that, and thought she was off the hook. Then things took a turn for the worse. Last Sunday one of the ladies in the ward asked Mom if she s forever to explain the simplest things and repeating the obvious. He started explaining something and after about five minutes Mom said, “If you can’t say it in five words or less, forget about it!” and he kept on with the explanation until finally Mom just got out of her desk and left Elder Hollis standing there talking to himself. He is training Elder Wallace, who is taking his place as mission recorder, and he drones on all day long until we are about ready to scream! So much for that. would do a demonstration of a favorite Christmas recipe at the Ward Christmas Party, and Mom said “okay”. Then later that day she called and said they had changed their mind and now they wanted her to organize the whole Christmas dinner with American recipes. Mom’s starting to worry now and spent all week coming up with recipes/amounts for 50 people. She thinks they’re meeting today to talk about it but has a hard time to find out. Then the head of the Christmas Committee asked her if she would give a 7 minute talk at the party and Mom thought he asked her to pray, then after she said “Yes” she finds out she just said “Yes” to a talk. To go on with the story; they’re supposed to have a meeting on the 3rd Floor, but when she gets there nobody knows where so they have it in the hall with everybody passing by inserting their own comments here and there. The Bishop and Committee person are shocked to see all the planning that had been done and were unaware that that’s what she was supposed to do. The Bishop said, “Who asked you to do this?” Mom said Muranaka Shimai just as she was walking up. Then she reassured them that she had asked Ropa Shimai to do that, BUT now they had changed their mind and wanted to have a potluck dinner because it would be cheaper. By then Mom was in a daze not sure what was going on, but they said they would e-mail her and let her know.
I apologize that some of these letters don’t have much substance. But we are doing well and in spite of problems (as everyone has) really enjoy our work. We always enjoy hearing from home and every night Mom takes a few minutes and looks through all the family pictures we have collected. May you all be blessed with health this flu season.
Love, Ropa Senkyoshi