January 22, 1984

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

It's a beautiful Sunday morning - the ground is all covered with snow (it's quite deep) and the sky is the most gorgeous blue you could ever imagine. We can really see why this is called "Big Sky Country" because it truly is - we love it!!!!

We have heard from all of you this week with the exception of the Woolleys and with their busy family we will be lucky to hear from them at all until we get home - and we really understand. We have talked to Ann and Ron so often during this past three weeks and I was thinking the other day that and probably needs more support now than she did before and people are probably leaving them alone - w surely hope you're feeling stronger each day Ann and things are going good!!!!

Roy - we loved talking to you the other night and you sound so good (he was at the hospital). We are relieved to know that you can get to work by way of the city bus service - we have worried about your weather and we know that doctors can't call in sick very often!!! Roy is going to go to the Virgin Islands for his vacation in February (the third week) - his friend Link who is from Philadelphia has a brother who lives there so Link is going to e there at the same time and they'll go scuba diving together. That sounds fun but also scary - that "sport" has always seemed so dangerous to me - anyway, we know you'll be really careful!!!!

Jeannie - we appreciate your sweet letter telling about your experience with having the Woolley children for a few days - it sounded like you really had a lot of fun and I'm sure it meant so much to them and to Ann. Jean said how much Rick helped during bath and meal time - I would loved to have seen how you slept all of them. They are all so close in age and I know they will be good friends as they grow up and what a choice relationship! Elder Cardinet told us that his grandparents really think a lot of you (his grandparents live right next to them) - he is a good missionary - very quiet but dependable and sweet.

Claire - we loved your wonderful letter too. We decided after reading what you said about Michael that he is definitely an "Ezell" and not a Mellor. They took Michael to the store and bought his some new clothes and Claire said he is so proud of them and is taking such good care of them that he even insisted on changing to "old" clothes when he had lunch so his new ones wouldn't get messy. I don't believe we had even one like that - but that is a characteristic worth encouraging. We're so glad Laura wasn't hurt when Michael tipped the piano bench over and hit he in the back - accidents like that are just unavoidable! Claire told about Bob working in the emergency room and having a boy come in who had had a motorcycle accident and it took his face! I worry constantly about accidents on the highway - this morning during the news they announced about school but carrying the wrestling team and the cheerleaders colliding with an oil tanker up in Kalispell, Montana. We haven't heard anymore except that nine were killed - the team from Johnny's school travels all over the state so it brings it a little closer to home. That sport (wrestling) is really popular here.

The big news this week is how well Johnny did in his ACT scores!!! His composite score is 27 and the highly selective colleges choose their students among those having between 26-30!!! He had his scores sent to BYU and also to Utah State and Tuesday he received his acceptance from BYU and Wednesday he received an invitation from Utah State to go to Logan (at their expense to take a test to compete for a full four year scholarship. We talked to him about it and he has decided to go to BYU for his first year anyway - he had met a lot of missionaries who are go to Utah State and he has said that would be his second choice. He put6 down the University of Arkansas but we don't think that's in the running. We're really proud of him and this has proved to him that he has the "gray matter" and now it's up to him. He got almost perfect scores in math and science (in the 98 percentile) be he fell down in English and Social Studies - the Social Studies is involves reading comprehension and we know he could improve in that if he would just spend more time reading.

Today is "Super Bowl" day and Daddy had to leave early this morning to go pick up Bro. Tyler Woolley, the Regional Representative for this area, and attend regional meetings here - before he left he told me I may have problems getting Johnny to go to church because of the game (our meeting are from 1 to 4). I asked Daddy what I should do and he said, Johnny is old enough to make up his own mind about what to do so I braced myself for a "little argument". About 10 a.m. Johnny got up and came in where I was and said, "Mom, I have to give a talk in Sacrament meeting today, will you help me?" Wow, was I relieved - he is really a good kid and did a wonderful job with his talk - Daddy left his meetings to come hear and Bro. Woolley came with his so it was special for John.

We went to visit our couples up on the "high line" Thursday and Friday and visited places in between. We stopped in Zortman to see their new "trailer church" - that is a gold mine settlement and they have five active families so Daddy arranged for a trailer to be brought in from Idaho (he found out they had one over there that wasn't being used). They are so thrilled with it and have put partitions up and had their first meeting in it today. We also stopped in Malta and Glascow and then went to Wolfpoint. We had dinner with our couple in Wolfpoint, Bro. & sister Booth from Centerville, and then visited with some of the members there. They asked us to go see a couple who used to be active and have gone inactive and we had the nicest visit with them and when we left she gave us a beautiful pillow with the Indian picture "the end of the trail" embroidered on it - she is Lamanite and really a lovely woman. We also went into the home of a Lamanite family - the mother and father and four little children - and we were so pleased with them - we had a prayer and the father gave it in the Indian style and it was beautiful.

We had a hard time getting a motel room but finally did and when we checked in it was 34(and Daddy was worried about the car starting the next morning but I told him he was just borrowing trouble. Well - he was right - we couldn't get it started and instead of leaving at 9 the next morning we didn't leave until 11:30 - they finally had to start it with a heater to thaw out the gas line and then use jumper cables on it. We really felt lucky we didn't have to stay another day. Then we went to Poplar to visit with Bro. & Sister Sevey from Mesa, Arizona. They are really unhappy and Daddy wanted to move them to Ashland where he thinks they would be happier but they absolutely refuse to move - especially Sister Sevey. Then we went to Sidney to visit our Elders there and then on to Glendive and Miles City. We got back to Billings just barely in time for a missionary sponsored talent show and we were glad we did - one of the Elder in the home whom we didn't even know could sing, sang the most beautiful song and one of the returned Lamanite missionaries from Wolfpoint did a "hoop dance" using 16 hoops that was one of the most outstanding things we have ever seen. Brenda and her special interest group put on a "reading theatre" and it was good too.

We have had a kinda' sad thing happen in the Mission Home. When we came back on Friday night Johnny's telephone bill was here and we noticed it had been opened but we really didn't think anything of it because the secretary often opens some of our mail. Well - the bill was $64.94 and we were surprised - we knew we had made a lot of long distance phone calls but they were mostly on the Mission Home line so both Daddy and I could talk. In looking at it the one itemized sheet was missing - we jumped to conclusions and thought the increase was due to the split up of ATT. Well - Saturday Daddy talked to Johnny about it and he said that one of the Elders wanted to talk to him about it. It seems that one of the Home Elders was home alone one night because his "split" didn't show up and he was quite depressed and lonely so he punched the fifth button on the Mission phone (not realizing that would be Johnny's line) and called one of his friends in our mission but not in our zone (he is way up North) and talked for an hour and a half. That is strictly against mission rules - the missionaries can only all other missionaries on business and never in another zone without special permission. Daddy talked to him and told him he would have to go out of the house now and of course he upset. Things like this are so hard on me - I take it personally and feel disloyalty and it just kills me. This Elder's father and mother teach at BYU and he is really a wonderful young man and has been such a good missionary - Daddy just has to discipline his even though Johnny thinks he shouldn't.

Johnny is going to leave early Saturday morning to drive to Utah - he will be able to pick up our new car in Salt Lake on Monday but I believe he will probably take Tuesday off from school too (he gets Monday off) and either come back Tuesday or Wednesday. He will just need a place to stay and we're going to let him make his own plans and I hope he won't be too much trouble. I wish I could hide in the trunk and come with him - he is really excited to come!!!

We're having a fireside at the Home tonight and I have to make some punch - I'm going to get rid of the cherry ice cream - Ha!!! We love each one of you so very much and really miss you. PLEASE BE CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO!!!!
Return to Home Page