May 11, 2003 (Mother's Day)

Sunday May 11, 2003 (Happy Mother’s Day!)
Dear Family and Friends,
Thanks for all the phone calls, letters and e-mails we received this past week. Do any of you know where the Dahlia bulbs are that I had stored in the back room of the garage? I was worried about getting them used this summer, so Sherry and Elaine went to Cedar to take care of them and they couldn’t find them. Anyway if they have been put to good use, that’s good.
We had an interesting Sacrament meeting today. They got all the little kids up to sing to the mothers. Most of them were good but some of them balked and squawked and clung to their mothers. After they sang, the Primary workers passed out little cards for the kids to give to their mothers (a lot of confusion hardly fitting for the middle of Sac. meeting). Anyway they try to carry-on the same traditions as we do at home. Mother’s Day is also a Japanese holiday. Mom got some flowers, cards, notes, etc. Today is the day regular missionaries are allowed to call their families. We have had a few of the Elders call here to see how to go about calling the US from Japan.
Yesterday (our P-Day), Mom and I went to Fukuoka to the Temple. We ended up going on the Shinkansen because we were too late getting reservation on less expensive transportation. We had an enjoyable time and went through two sessions. We really like the Fukuoka Temple. It is beautiful and there and has such a good spirit. We are learning how to find our way around better (in the Temple and in Fukuoka). It rained here in Hirsohima most of last week and it rained all night Friday night, cleared up nicely all day Sat. and started raining as soon as we got back from the Temple. We felt really lucky. The people say the rainy season shouldn’t start until June, but it is evidently early this year.
Bro. and Sis Gollaher have invited us to ride down to the Temple with them (in their car) next. Sat. so we are planning on that. Bro. Gollaher is going to have his secretary at work plug in the route we take, then he’ll put it into his car monitor and she says it will get us there with no problem at all. I’m not sure if I understand how all that works but it sounds neat. Brother Gollaher is one of the top executives in the Masda Company and he has acess to a lot of stuff. They are expecting a call from their daughter who is a missionary in Brazil sometime in the morning at about 4:30 AM. Japan time.
One of the Zone leaders has tried four times to get a Japanese drivers license. He is getting really discouraged. Each time they tell him something he needs to improve on and he works on that and the next time they pick something else and it costs money, each time they try. Pres. Banks says it is really a joke the way the whole thing works. Pres. Banks really needs the AP’s to be able to drive so they can spell him off on these long trips he has to take every week. I’m glad I don’t have to worry about trying to drive here. When I was here before, there were very few cars. Now there are a lot of cars and crowded streets, everywhere. (Many of our members here have cars.)
Last Wed. someone on the phone called the office to see if they could come up. When they arrived, lo-and-behold it was Tom Walker’s son and his wife. He served a mission here in Hiroshima about 2 years ago. He is married to one of Pres. Hinton’s granddaughters. We had a good visit. They were planning on staying with some members at Yasufuruichi (where he served) and tour around the mission for a few days. At the Temple, yesterday, we met another couple whose husband served in Fukuoka a couple of years ago and he and his wife are here visiting his mission. That would be a neat experience.
I guess it is time to close to close. Birthday wishes to Elaine, Marlene and any other of you who are having a Birthday this week. I’m not sure how soon I will be able to send this because Pres. Bank’s computer is out of the office right now. We hope everyone is well and you will have a successful closing of school. Goodbye for now.
Ai suru ni, Ropa Choro & Ropa Shimai