April 21, 1985 Billings, Montana

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

We just came home from Casper, Wyoming and it's about 5 o'clock - that's a long trip but it was pretty today and the countryside all the way was just beautiful - usually we make that trip when it's bitter cold, windy and icy roads so we enjoyed it today. We went there on Friday night - had a one conference Saturday and then Saturday and then went to their Stake Conference meetings that night and also this morning. Elder rex Pinegar was their General Authority and he is such a good speaker - he had Daddy & I both speak since it would be our last conference there - they have a huge new building and it was just packed. It is always windy in Casper and Daddy & I can't understand why people would choose to live there but they do!!!

It was great to get back to the Mission Home and have wonderful letters from Bob, Jessie and Chris & Wayne Smith. Bob - that was so sweet of you to send us medical pictures of where the bullet went through in Johnny's upper leg - we realize it is nothing more than a miracle that he is alive and not permanently injured. I find myself waking up in the middle of the night still thinking about it. I see all the kids playing baseball here in Billings now and I am so thankful Johnny will be able to do that sometime again but it will be a long time before he can play things like that without the risk of doing great harm. Bob & Claire - your trip to Cancun & Cozumel sounded like "just what the doctor ordered" and we're thrilled you got to go. I am absolutely petrified of scuba diving - actually I don't like water sports of any kind - it sounds like you had a close call with the equipment you rented and 45 feet down is TOO far!!! We're happy you are getting all the surgery experience you are - heart bypass, etc. - but we can understand how you feel about wanting to just zero in on ENT - I'll bet you next three years will be a little easier with more concentration on that won't it??? we can imagine Michael & little Laura being such a handful - this is probably the hardest they will ever be for traveling and it won't be long until you will really enjoy taking them on trips all over the country - we surely hope, though, that you will make your permanent home within a day's drive of where we are.

Jessie - thank you for your sweet letter and that beautiful picture - we didn't know you could write that good! We're happy you liked your birthday present - did you have a party with some of your friends coming over? We got our pictures back of the day we went flying kites on the "meadow" in Lehi and they are so good - do you remember the one I took of you and Barji by the haystack? They are all good but they are in slides so you'll have to wait until we come to Utah to show them to you. I'll bet you spend a lot of time jumping on your trampoline and playing in your "playhouse" - we hope you have lots of fun!

We have talked to Jeannie & Johnny week and they are doing fine. We called Jeannie on her birthday and Barji said, "My Mommy is lying down" - it scared us at first but I guess a woman who is 8 1/2 months pregnant has a right to rest once in awhile!! Rick had taken them out to dinner and they had just come home - we're glad you are doing good Jeannie and we're just sitting on pins & needles around here and we have the Elders all alerted to let us know when you call no matter where we are! Your neighbors, Bro. 7 Sister Phillips, did the nicest thing - their grandson, Elder Cardinet, completed his mission and came into the home on Thursday for the regular dinner & testimony meeting and they sent a beautiful green plant for Daddy & me. It is really in nice plant holder and goes so perfectly on the coffee table in the living room - I'm thrilled with it because that has been a hard thing to decorate I'll write them a note but I hope you will mention it to them too - Elder Cardinet was very proud to have them do it and it really meant a lot to him.

Johnny we have shown your "bullet pictures" to EVERYONE!!! Ron - that was so thoughtful for you to have extra copies of those made and for you to take the pictures in the first place - they are really "journal material" - thank you so much!!! Becky came over the other day and she about fainted when I showed them to her - she hadn't heard about it and she just went white when I told her. The missionaries will all have "greater respect" for you when you come home - Ha! We surely hope everything is healing up good - you will have another visit with the doctor soon, won't you? We're wondering if you have had time fuss with "the Lincoln" (we thought it would be a good idea for Johnny to get the Lincoln running and put his car on a "used car lot" and see if he can get it sold) Bob & Roy always kinda' enjoyed fussing with cars and getting them to work and we thought you might too - that Bro. Shirts has worked on it before and we know he will check it out to see if it will be safe to drive. It really was dirty looking when we saw it at conference time but a good wash job will do wonders with it.

Roy - I'm really getting old - I didn't have a letter from you to answer and we didn't talk to you this week so I forgot to say something to you - WE THINK ABOUT YOU ALL THE TIME!!! We're so glad you are getting warmer weather. we are always reading something about Brown University - latest - this Turner guy who is attempting to take over CBS was kicked out of Brown for violating Dorm rules - Ha! Surely hope you're not working too hard!!!

Chris & Wayne Smith called when they heard about Johnny - they couldn't believe it!!! They're building a second house on Lake Hamilton - I asked them if they were going to sell their home on the coast down in Alabama and Wayne about dropped the phone about dropped the phone - "Heck no", he said!!! They are really having a ball - they bought that van and have equipped it so they can eat & sleep in it and they go all over. They're going to come to Utah and stay with us in July or August - than, we'll go stay with them in the Fall. They're sweet friends!!!

We received six new missionaries in last Wednesday. I tried new menus this time and everything worked out - it was easier because there weren't so many - with the six in the home and Daddy & I there were only fourteen and usually we have at least twenty. We cooked three really big brisket roasts, baked potatoes, fixed some of our frozen corn and then I made some Jell-O salads and we had ice cream & cookies for dessert. I won't go into great detail about how much they eat - I'm sure you really get tired of that - one Elder is 6'7" and I didn't think he was ever going to stop eating. I made rolls too and they love them!!

There were only five going home this time too and that was easier. I made baked beans, Daddy made his famous potato salad (some with onions and some without - Ha!) and then we had hamburgers and strawberry shortcake for dessert. It was just a beautiful day here so at the last minute we moved everything out on the patio and ate out there - they loved it. We also brought our carbonator downstairs and they made root beer and that was a big hit!

I don't believe I told you about the main purpose of the Mission President's Conference in Salt Lake - the reason they brought all the Mission Presidents in for the first time since 1961. They are making all the missionary discussion "improved" - they don't want us to call them "new discussions". They won't go into effect until July 1st but they want us to train all our missionaries in the certain skills that will be used between now and the. The Missionary Department has really gone to great lengths to improve them and we have videos to use in our training with General Authorities taking part as well as missionaries demonstrating the skills, etc. We are thrilled they are changing them - there are so more memorized discussion - the missionaries are expected t be better prepared and really let the Sprit guide them more as they explain the doctrine of the church. We have had so many practice sessions during our term here where the discussions were supposed to be "word perfect" - now they are emphasizing "spirit perfect". They brought out at the conference that the first missionaries who were sent out by the church didn't have prescribed discussions and they had to rely on the Sprit entirely and they baptized thousands - I just hope they don't go back to the "without purse or script" method - Ha! I have never liked the so-called "canned method" of missionary work and I am really impressed with the sincerity of this improved way.

I suppose you have all heard that Elder Bruce McConkie passed away on Friday afternoon. It is absolutely remarkable that he could give the talk he gave at General Conference two weeks ago - the church will really miss his brilliant mind. Did you all see his picture in the last Church News - he was sitting talking to Elder Packer and had the biggest smile on his face - he didn't smile very often so that was special.

Elder Loren Dunn has been the Area President over our Mission Area for the three years we have been here and now he is going to South America as a counselor in an Area Presidency there. His family will move there this coming July and that would be hard for me because they have a daughter at BYU, a son there also in graduate school and three other younger children - they have spent a lot of their life in Australia & New Zealand and I thought their foreign duty for the church was over. Maybe they're happy about it!!!

I forgot to tell you in my last letter that I got to be with Joanne Doxey too- she was so sweet at that luncheon for the Mission Pres. wives in the Relief Society Building.

We love each one of you so very much - PLEASE BE CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO - Let us know how we can help you!
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