s July 11, 1982

Dearest Roy, Bob, Claire & Michael, Rick, Jean, Ricky & Barbara Jean and Ron, Ann, Susanna Jessie and Russell,

I finally have a few minutes to myself - Daddy and I went to another ward this morning that started at 9 a.m. and most of the others have gone to a later ward. Daddy thinks we should go to each ward in Billings rather than just one - it's kinda' nice not having a position to tie you down to one ward.

Wow!! are we ever busy. Last Monday was our "P" day and I was counting on writing letters and doing some shopping but at the last minute Daddy decided we should go with the missionaries up to "Emerald Lake" for a picnic - the scenery was absolutely gorgeous and we were happy we went but it took the whole day. One of the members here runs the Church's Fried Chicken place and he saves all the children that isn't sold each day and puts it in the freezer for the missionaries - they took one of those green garbage sacks full of chicken - it was really delicious - we took the pop and chips and "Oreos" - the missionaries are crazy about Oreos - a baker here made them one huge Oreo for something special they did!!!

On Tuesday we went to northern Montana and stayed that night and all the next day for z one conferences - then Thursday we went to another place in Montana - Friday we drove to Cody, Wyoming and then on to Worland, Who. And stayed that night and all day yesterday for another zone conference. It has really been fun because the missionaries are all so cute to us - the programs have all been dedicated to us and yesterday they had a huge cake all decorated for us - after the zone conference we pose for pictures - I had no idea it would be like this - we feel like real celebrities. I'm sure the first zone conferences will be like this and then we will be normal people - at least I hope so. The missionaries are having wonderful success here - last month they had 80 baptisms and they are hoping for 100 this month.

Johnny left yesterday to go to Fort Collins, Colorado for that Explorer Post Olympic event - he had to pack himself and get to the leader's house by 7 a.m. - that's quite a feat for him but he did it. He will be gone for this whole next week and we hope so much that it is fun for him. He had been a little homesick the past few days - he had some pictures of his Little Rock friends developed and that did it. He told me he had called some of his friend there and would like to borrow $500 so he could fly to Arkansas - I hope we can talk him out of it because he is going to have to make friends here sooner or later. The missionaries are just wonderful to him - he has gone tracting with them and they include him in everything The one he is closest to is scheduled to leave the home pretty soon and Daddy is going to try to work things so he can stay for a little longer.

We were so thrilled with your letters Claire and Jean - Annie, you have an excuse with your new little baby. We didn't get any mail for a few days so the missionaries said they would write to us. We have a little post office here and they distribute the mail into our boxes. The pictures of Barji's birthday are just darling - we were so thrilled that Susanna and Jessie were there too - they have a relationship that is so important. I just love to see Ricky and Susanna greet each other - they truly love each other and I'm sure Barji and Jessie do too. We are hoping so much that little Michael will live close enough to be close friends like that too. We loved hearing about the Little Rock people - I really feel bad about the Smithers but I know that once they make the move and get involved in a more active church are they'll be sorry they didn't do it much earlier. Chris wrote and told me she had seen their divorce notice in the paper so I guess that's going to go through. We wish we could spend the day taking Michael to the zoo - he will soon be at the age when that will be a favorite time for all of you. We wish Bob could have given Johnny his medical exam - we're proud that he could do that for the scouts in Little Rock. We had to pay $20 for Johnny's here. Daddy took him for it and they were about an hour late in getting home - I was getting worried and when they came home they were laughing because Johnny couldn't get a urine sample and they had waited for an hour - finally the Doctor passed him without it. That isn't very nice to write in a letter is it - my good for the day!!!! I'm not allowed very many goofs I tell you!

Roy - I had the funniest experience yesterday. We were at the zone conference and it was about 11 a.m. and I started thinking about Jill and how she would be getting married in
About an hour Little Rock time. Just about that time here came two lady missionaries and one of them was just the image of Jill only not quite so pretty - I couldn't keep my eyes off her so I finally explained it all to her and she was so pleased. We hope you are able to get a really safe and nice car. (Roy is considering buying a second hand diesel Rabbit to replace his faithful little Toyota that got totaled.) We will be so happy when you get to come see us - Johnny's favorite Elder in the mission home reminds him of you - you should see his Standard Works - they are indexed in the most unique way and Johnny thinks he is brilliant. It's his intellect that reminds him of you - not his standard works indexing - Ha!

We are going to Butte, Montana tomorrow and then on to Kalispell and Great Falls - we will be gone all week. You should see our speaking schedule - we have to speak at all the zone conference and besides that we have to speak at a fireside in Missoula this Wednesday and at one of the Wards next Sunday and another Ward the following Sunday. I told Daddy that they will get tired of me speaking really soon. It is really hard for me to find time to prepare besides doing everything else - I may get used to it but it's really hard now. Daddy does a wonderful job and they are loving him so much - the Elders would do anything in the world for him.

The visitor's center in Cody is simply beautiful - Glenn Neilsen is financing a lot of it - I believe I told you all that. We were there on Friday and it is going to be very impressive - they used to keep the chapel part open during the Summer because of the beautiful murals in the entrance but when they finish the visitor's center they will keep it open the year around. We missed the missionaries who are in the charge of it and I'm really anxious to meet them because they are from Lehi - the Evans.

You wouldn't believe the things we have heard about life on the Indian Reservations. The Indians remind us of the black people in the South - completely irresponsible. They say they don't do anything all day long but sit and watch TV and then they drink at night. The Branch President of one of the branches on the Crow Reservation is in jail now for drunken driving. I believe that's going to be the place where I will be able to help more than any other - they don't have many teaching materials so I'm going to fix up some flannel board stories and some easels and things. They say they have to teach everything on the 8-10 year level - the Relief Society lessons go right over their heads. We are really impressed with the couples who are on the reservations - one of the couples we talked to yesterday was living in a trailer and then they were using part of it for their meeting and it was on a KOA campground. Brother Larsen (they're from Roosevelt) remodeled the trailer and made it into a nice chapel that will seat 80 people and he had made arrangements for the church to buy a piece of property to put it on so they will move it this next week. They didn't have a place to live after they converted it to a chapel so they went back to their home (Roosevelt is near Vernal, Utah) and brought their camper trailer to live in. You really see people's testimonies in action here. The Indians are having pow wows now and we are going to try to go to some of them - the Crow Fair in August is supposed to be a really special event.

We love our Mission - it is the most wonderful experience of our lives so far and we know we have ideal circumstances - we are really grateful. The home is just gorgeous and so comfortable and our sweet cook, Sister Lowe is working out so wonderful - the Elders just love her and she does so many more things than just prepare meals - she picks flowers and puts them all around the home, does some gardening and cleaning and yesterday she mended one of the Elder's coats. We hope she will get involved pretty soon in some of the activities of the wards so she won't feel so tied down to the home - she is a very intelligent woman so I'm sure she will be teaching a class soon. We want to do the very best job we can possibly do and if we neglect things with our families we hope you will forgive us - we have already forgotten the Bob Mellors and the Woolleys anniversaries and I'm sure there will be many more things we will forget. This afternoon I am going to try to write to about forty parents of missionaries we have met so far. We hope our families and friends will bear with us for three years.

Ann and Ron - did you go to Jerome for the 4th? We'd love to hear about it. We hope you will all come to see us - you won't need to help with the cooking if you don't want to - you can use the apartment kitchen. We'll be gone all next week but then we'll be home for a long time - I'll try to send you our schedule - but Johnny will be here when we're not.

We love each of you so very much and appreciate you too - we really are proud to tell everyone about our family. PLEASE BE CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO!!!!

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