May 31, 2003

Sat. May 31, 2003
Dear Family and Friends,
We have had one of those big weeks. But we have really appreciated and enjoyed all of the communications we have received from you. We are glad that all seems to be going along well at home.
Tuesday all the new missionaries came in (there were only five this time). Wed. we gave them all the orientation, etc.. Then Thursday was transfer day when about 1/3 of the missionaries here are transferred. What a day that was! Mom nearly went crazy with the phone ringing constantly with questions like: “My companion didn’t come in when he was scheduled, what should I do?” and that kept up all day. Some of the calls were from Japanese missionaries and Mom couldn’t understand what they were saying. The AP’s are supposed to be here to take care of those problems but one of the AP’s got sent back out in the field and the other AP was tied up with the new AP. When Elder McCoy, the AP that was here, came in at the end of the day and asked Mom, “Is there anything I can help you with?” Mom wanted to say, “I’ll say there is. You could stay in the office and take care of your job! But she didn’t. Then the Elders that were going home started coming in and getting their final interviews with the Pres. and settled their accounts with me. To top it off, one of the Elders that is here from Brazil, ran into a car with his bike, catapulted over his handlebars, broke a rib and severed tendons in his knee also another missionary is here suffering from bad headaches. So Pres. Banks brought them into the Elders Apt. The Elder from Brasil was moaning and groaning all day and would continually come into the office and ask questions until finally Pres. Banks had to put his foot down on all the people hanging around the office. That night we attended the testimony with the returning Elders in the Bank’s Apt. It was really good. One of the Elder’s parents was supposed to be here to pick him up (and attend the Testimony Meet.) but hadn’t showed up yet. They did show up Friday morning. We were glad when that day is over!
Friday was better. The returning Elders left on the train for the Osaka Airport at about 7:00 AM. Mom was invited over to Sis. Gohaller’s for lunch with the Sis. Missionaries in this area.
They took Elder Miyamoto (the bicycle accident Elder) to the hospital for some X-rays and found that he has a torn ligaments and tendons in his leg and will need surgery and will have to stay off it for about six months. So Pres. Banks has made arrangement for him to go home early and he will leave Monday. This Elder Miyamoto has been bugging Mom to check over a letter that he is sending in with his application to go to BYU, next year. When she got the letter neither one of us could understand what he was trying to say, so I suggested Mom try to write what she thinks he is trying to say in her words and be done with it. Which she did. If BYU allows him to enter on the strength of that letter, things have certainly changed at the Y since we were there. (On the other hand when Mom got throught with the letter, it didn’t sound to bad.) But now he is moaning because he can’t work when he gets home to earn enough money to go to school. He is from Brazil (but his parents are from Japan), speaks Portuguese, Japanese and a little English. Such is life.
Yesterday we had reports that a typhoon was in Okinawa and heading for the main land of Japan. It must have fizzled out because all we have seen is rain and a little wind all day but nothing like a typhoon. In fact it was our P-day and we have been out in it all day.
Tomorrow Mom has been asked to talk to the Young Women about some of her ancestors in the Church. She is going to talk about Seymour Brunson and Edward Partridge. She wishes she had some of her materials here that are home. But it will be good.
We were just thinking, tomorrow (Sun. June 1) Grandpa and Grandma Roper would be celebrating their 70th wedding anniversary. Also it would be Grandma Christensen’s 86th (?) Birthday. Also happy birthday to Ann on her (?) birthday May 31st.We hope you are well. Be sure to give our love to the Grandkids.
Love, The Ropa Senkiyoshi’s