February 26, 1984 Billings, Montana

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

I wrote my letter on Monday instead of Sunday last weekend and we were waiting for Johnny to come home - he finally came in about 12:30 noon and hurried to get to his calculus class. He got in Bozeman about 9:00 Sunday night and decided to stay there and we were really glad because that pass between there and Billings is sometime really slick - he said he bought a pizza and took it to the motel room and ate some that night and the rest for breakfast but he hadn't slept very well because his room was cold and they don't put enough blankets on the beds. He had really enjoyed his trip and loved being with Ann & Jean and their families - he said the weather in Utah is much more wintry than in Billings. Thank you girls, for helping him!!!

Roy - we were so thrilled to receive your card from the Virgin Islands!!! It was so funny when I found it in "my box" I looked around for you because it looked as if you had delivered it - the postage stamp hadn't been canceled. We know you must have had a wonderful trip and we hope you took pictures so we can see them sometime. We tried to check the weather where you were and it seemed to us that you had great weather - we have also heard that it was 52( in Boston last week so maybe you brought some of it back with you.

Bob and Claire, we had a letter and pictures from Chris Jordin last week and also some news - Ed Lucas has been offered a job in Fort Worth so they may move! Robert Jordin is going to get married in April and Joy Geisler told Chris that since no one in the ward knew him it would be foolish for anyone to have a shower for his fiancé - I think that's sad because Chris has done so many things for everyone else. We laughed at Chris - she wrote that she was so fat "she waddled" - her pictures shows that she has gained weight - she goes up and down every year!

We have done some "gallant" things this week - things we really didn't need to do. We went to Butte on Wednesday to attend a fireside put on by two of our Elders there - it takes about four to five hours to get there depending on the weather. One of the Elders is Hawaiian and is extremely talented singing and playing the piano and the other Elder's last name is Elder and he is from Prove (I understand his parents are quite wealthy). We were so impressed with Elder Elder when he first came into the mission because he has a beautifully trained singing voice and he talks very well so we brought him into the mission home. He was here for about two months and all he did was stay in the kitchen and talk to Brenda so Daddy put him out in the field and he has done absolutely nothing until this last month and now it is time for him to go home. Anyway we felt it would mean a lot to them if we supported their fireside so we did - it was just excellent and they have had three baptisms because of this one and others they have put on in Butte. We stayed in Butte Wednesday night.

Thursday we inspected the Elders apartments in Butte and then came home in time for a meeting with two of our Missionary Couples - they are here on CES assignment (Church Education System) and they think they should have special privileges and not do any missionary work. The man who is in charge of the CES here in Billings asked them to come so he could straighten them out on their callings (this man really likes Daddy). Brenda made some pecan pies (using pecans that Chris had sent to us) so we had them after the meeting and they left the mission home with a better understanding about their callings.

Friday was really a special day. You remember the little couple Daddy talked to about the church - well, Daddy baptized him and then confirmed him and ordained him to the priesthood so he could baptize his wife. The baptism was so sweet and they looked like little angels even though the lady is 34 and her husband is 24 (or thereabouts). We got some pictures of them with Daddy and if they're good we'll send you some.

Saturday we went to Johnny's basketball game about 9 a.m. - you wouldn't believe how good he is - he made at least three fourths of their points and they beat the other team by twice as many. Everyone asks him why he didn't try out for varsity in his high school - I believe he was so intimidated in Little Rock by the outstanding black players that he didn't realize that he could be this good. He has really had fun playing basketball this year - he plays for the church and then intramurals in school. His school will go to the divisional playoffs this week in Great Falls and he is going to go to cheer for them - it they win they go to Missoula!

After John's game we went to Missoula - that takes us about six hours. We had to be there by 5:00 p.m. so Daddy could interview some people for baptism and then we stayed for the baptisms and that will be one of the highlights of our mission. Elder Baker has been teaching some Laotians and sixteen of them had been scheduled for baptism and we promised him we would come for it. As it turned out, six of them back out because of family pressure but they will probably be baptized in a month or so but there were ten of the most beautiful young Laotians you could ever imagine. They have learned about the church through a baptism and also and he had to interpret the talks that were given last night on the purpose of baptism and also about the Holy Ghost and it was so interesting. They were all so appreciative of our driving that far so it was well worth it. Last night just as we were getting in bed we had a phone call from the Missionaries there and they invited us to their apartment for breakfast - we got there about 7:30 a.m. and had French toast and orange juice all ready for us. The two missionaries who live there and also the zone leaders fixed it for us - we will never forget that!!!

We stopped in Whitehall, Montana to attend their services and were late so all we got to attend was Relief Society for me and Priesthood for Daddy but it was really nice. Whitehall has a population of about 1,200 but they have a beautiful large church buildings and it was just packed - they told us that the missionaries were responsible for the large attendance and of course that made us happy. They are all ranchers and they are such good people who are really struggling financially but their faith is strong.

We got home about 4:00 and Johnny had just come home from church - he is so good about going to all his meetings and there isn't anyone here to make him go. We are really grateful for this opportunity for him because it is so different from church activity in Little Rock. One of the leaders in his High School who is also the State Champion Wrestler in his class is also President of the Bi-Stake Seminary Council and Johnny is Vice-President of that for the Activities so they are good friends and Johnny really admires him. He is also a super football player so he will probably go to BYU on an athletic scholarship and that impresses John. Right now Daddy and Johnny are to a special Stake Priesthood Meeting together - they are great pals!!!
Elder Loren Dunn will be here a week from tomorrow so I am really going to have to get busy this next week and do some housecleaning. Last year we took all the furniture outside and shampooed the entire carpet before he came. It's snowing outside right now and everything is so wet that if it keeps up very many days we will just shampoo in spots where it shows because we surely won't be able to take the furniture outside. He really want be here long enough to notice anything like that but we will all feel better.

The traveling assistants came in Friday night for the baptism for the Laotians - they had been gone for two weeks and they were so glad to be home. That is really working well and should show up in increased baptisms. Elder Madsen and Elder Klem and outstanding missionaries and Daddy will only call Elders to do that for two months and right now he doesn't know of any other two who could be effective but maybe two will surface before they have to be changed. We have a really good group in the home right now. Daddy got the four assistants in his office Saturday morning and asked them how they would like to fix their own meals - they all said they think that would be wonderful. We're going to make that change soon after Elder Dunn leaves if Johnny is agreeable. I have really worried about how that would work but it finally came to me that they should be treated just like Elders out in the field - they could each put in so much money and manage it themselves and buy their own food on their "P" day. Now I am managing everything and doing the planning and shopping to make it easier for everyone else and Daddy and I are convinced that is dumb. We're not sure how that will affect John - if he will learn to cook right along with them then it would be great but if he just eats at the Chicken and Pizza places then it wouldn't be good. We will give them one refrigerator and some of the shelves in the pantry and then we'll buy the staples like flour, sugar and the condiments and they would do the rest. Then we would have a housekeeper come in once a week to clean downstairs and also the guest rooms upstairs. I will feel like a "person" again and Brenda can go home - we haven't said anything to her and it will really hurt but she has had two years of glorious vacation time!!! Please don't say anything to anyone who might tell her daughters.

We surely do love each one of you and miss you so much - we're so proud of our family!!! Ann and Ron - we hope you're in California having lots of fun with your family. Rick - give your Mom our love. PLEASE BE CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO - Let us know how we can help you!

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