March 1, 2003

Sat. March 1, 2003

Dear Family,

We have had another busy week. We really appreciate all the calls and e-mails we have received this week. It was good to hear from Rinda and her family and also Ann. We were surprised to hear that Myron Christensen had passed away. We had a good visit with him at Afton and Howard’s mission report. We got a call from Matt, yesterday and Marlene is on the phone with Mom, right now. Mom really likes to get on the phone with all the grandkids (and everyone else for that matter). We are happy that things seem to be going well at home, especially that you are finally getting some moisture. Keep up the good work!

It is another rainy week-end. The rain is cold but it rains at a slow drizzle so with umbrellas we can get out and around without much trouble. The side-walks here are well paved. Down the middle of every side-walk they have a strip about a foot wide of tile with bumps on it. This is for the convenience of blind people. They always carry a long white stick and use it to feel their way along those bumps and can go any place without help. Isn’t that amazing!

Pres. and Sis. Banks and the AP’s have been gone most of the week to missionary conferences around the mission. Thurs. was most of the Elders and Sisters’ P-day. There were some missionaries hanging around the Mission Office and it bothered us and the Pres. (when he got back) that some were looking into things they shouldn’t. It doesn’t do much good to just remind them (kids will be kids). Pres. and Mom have been re-arranging some things in the office that helps keep many missionaries away from more restricted areas. The office is really quite small but I have a little office with a door and keep it locked all the time I’m gone. Sis. Banks gets up tight when the new missionaries and the ones returning home hang around their quarters, upstairs and don’t respect her privacy. So much for that.

Mom and the person who is training her (Elder Robertson) are always joking around. The other day Elder Robertson called on the phone and tried to make Mom think it was a Japanese person who couldn’t understand English. Then later she got another call and was sure it was Elder Robertson again and Mom said, “Oh, sure you don’t understand, English, etc., etc.” Come to find out it was an investigator who later told the Elders, “I called over to the mission office and the person I talked to really acted strange”. Language problems!

In our Ward, there are several members of the Church here from foreign countries. One returned Japanese missionary married a Japanese girl and stayed here. He is in the bishopric and his wife is the Relief Society Pres. We found out another member, also a returned Japanese missionary is here from Cedar City and is working in Hiroshima (not married). His name is Dennett and his cousin is Reynold Dennett (the one I replaced as Bishop in the SUU Ward). Also another RM from Arizona is going to school over here. A return Mission Pres. and his wife who served in Brazil and are working for Mazda here, translates the meetings for some Portuguese speaking members that are here. One member from Singapore (they speak English) joins the English people who have missionaries translate for them in the meetings. So it is pretty cosmopolitan.

I was interested in hearing that Steve and Adell are going to Croatia. That will be a real experience. There were some in the MTC going to Croatia when we were there. Also good about Sandra and Bent Mork.

We love our mission and all of you. May you have all the blessings you are in need of.

Gary & Shirley (Edited)