May 18, 1997

Dearest John & Julianna; Roy, Patrice, Emily, Timothy & Jesse; Bob, Claire, Michael, Laura, Brett & Katie; Rick, Jean, Ricky, Barbara Jean, Mary Ann & Sarah; Ron, Ann, Susanna, Jessie, Russell, Lee Anna & Jimmy:

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO SARAH THIS WEDNESDAY!!! You will be twelve years old on Wednesday. I can remember how tiny you were when we came home from our mission in Montana. I felt SO bad that I missed you yesterday when you came for your gymnastics meet and I was hoping you would come back before I left for the temple. I had just gone to get my hair cut. I hope you have a VERY HAPPY DAY - will you have a party???

I am writing my letter on Sunday afternoon this week. I go to the MTC (Missionary Training Center) every day from noon until about 9 p.m. We are supposed to be observing the ESL (English as a Second Language) teachers in this district in the mornings but since Virginia and I didn't start when the rest of the group did we haven't been assigned schools. The others in the group tell us that it isn't that important anyway so haven't forced the issue.

I have thoroughly enjoyed the lessons I have had at the MTC and when we go to eat in the cafeteria I can't help but try to think what Bob and John were thinking when they went through this. The young men and women who are there look kinda' overwhelmed to me and I feel sorry for them until I see how happy they are. I always remember that we were in Provo when Bob was in the MTC before going to Colombia and he wouldn't even go to the window to wave to us. It is a wonderful place and we have had the Thai teachers trying to teach us some of the basic words we will need - I have learned how to say "Hello" and "Please Help Me" in Thai. It is a tonal language so the very same things we say to say hello could also mean goodbye depending on the tone we use. I am SO impressed with all the efforts the church makes to build character and to help each missionary feel loved and accepted. The full time teachers are fabulous.

My companion is REALLY smart. We have to give a lesson on "Nouns - count and non-count" on Wednesday and it is going to scare me to death. Virginia is really the one that understands it. The Thai Government insists that we spend a lot of time on grammar and we have had a lot of lessons on that at the MTC but I know the children in grades 1-6 won't need to learn about conjugating verbs and other complicated terms. We are taking a million books with us and they will be a lot of help to me. I will come home a lot smarter than when I left. I just hope the Thai people we work with will be a lot smarter too!!!

I have learned so many things about protocol. You can't lick postage stamps because the King's picture is on them - they have cups of water with sponges in them in the Post Offices. If a coin is dropped you can't step on it - you have to wait until it stops rolling and then pick it up - it will also have the KING'S PICTURE ON IT. YOU CAN'T TOUCH THE HEADS OF CHILDREN OR ANYONE - THEY CONSIDER HEADS SACRED AND ALSO SHOULDERS. THAT IS GOING TO BE HARD FOR ME BECAUSE I TAP CHILDREN'S HEADS QUITE OFTEN. THERE ARE A MILLION THINGS YOU AREN'T SUPPOSED TO DO. DO ANY OF YOU REMEMBER THE TIME ONE OF THE MISSIONARIES SAT ON A BUDDHA AND HAD HIS PICTURE TAKEN? THE STORE THAT DEVELOPED THE FILM CALLED THE POLICE - THEY PUT THE MISSIONARY IN JAIL FOR A LITTLE WHILE AND THEY SAY IT HAS TAKEN THE CHURCH 20 YEARS TO GET OVER THAT. THEY DON'T LIKE TO HAVE PICTURES TAKEN WITHOUT PERMISSION - WOW - THAT WILL BE HARD!!!

THEY TREAT TEACHERS WITH GREAT RESPECT AND WE'RE SUPPOSED TO INVITE THEM TO OUR APARTMENTS AND TRY TO BECOME FRIENDS WITH THEM. THEY ARE GOING TO SEND A TAXI TO PICK US UP EACH MORNING TO TAKE US TO SCHOOL AND THEY WILL ALSO FURNISH LUNCH FOR US. THIS SOUNDS MUCH MORE FANCY THAN I'M SURE IT WILL BE. WE WILL BE WORKING IN THE POORER CLASS OF BANGKOK.

BYRD CALLED ME YESTERDAY AND SAID HE HAS NEVER SEEN SO MUCH WATER AT SCOFIELD AS THERE IS NOW. HE SAID IT IS ABSOLUTELY BEAUTIFUL. I AM SO ANXIOUS TO GO UP THERE. I HAD MY LAST DAY AT THE TEMPLE YESTERDAY SO MAYBE I WILL BE ABLE TO GO UP NEXT WEEKEND. I WAS GOING TO TRY TO WORK AT THE TEMPLE THROUGH MAY BUT I JUST HAVE TOO MANY THINGS TO DO.

JOHN HAS BEEN IN SEATTLE ALL WEEK. HE JUST STOPPED BY FOR HIS MAIL AND HE SAID IT WAS BEAUTIFUL THERE. IT MAKES IT KINDA' HARD WHEN HE IS GONE ON WEEKENDS TOO. I KNOW JULIANNA KEEPS BUSY BUT IT IS STILL HARD TO HAVE HIM GONE.

I HAVE HEARD FROM BOB ON E-MAIL AND ALSO A NOTE FROM CLAIRE. THIS T-SHIRT THING IS SO FUNNY - HALF THE PEOPLE ARE SENDING THEIR MONEY TO BOB AND ALSO CALLING TO GIVE HIM THEIR SIZES AND THE OTHER HALF OF THE FAMILY ARE DEALING WITH ME. I WANT THE T-SHIRTS TO BE SPECTACULAR AND JOHN SAYS I AM GETTING '"FUNNY" ABOUT IT.

JEANNIE AND SARAH CAME DOWN YESTERDAY BUT I MISSED THEM. THEY WERE HERE FOR SARAH'S GYMNASTICS MEET. I LOVE IT WHEN MY FAMILY "DROPS IN" BUT I FEEL BAD WHEN I MISS YOU.

I HAVEN'T HEARD FROM THE WOOLLEYS THIS WEEK. THEY WILL PROBABLY COME FOR FAMILY HOME EVENING TONIGHT SO I WILL LEAVE SPACE TO TELL ABOUT THEIR FAMILY. I KNOW SUSANNA IS GETTING EXCITED ABOUT GRADUATION - WHAT A WONDERFUL EXCITING TIME FOR HER. I BELIEVE SHE WILL START AT BYU for the Summer Semester.

I believe Roy and PATRICE ARE STILL WAITING TO HEAR IF I AM GOING TO HOOK ON TO THE HALE BOPP COMET - HA!!! What I am doing is so very similar to things done by other churches throughout the world. My doctor still hasn't sent in my application form so there is a possibility I may not go. I took it to his nurse last Tuesday morning with a letter saying I would be happy to come in for another appointment if it were necessary and she called me back and said my "refills" were ready. One of us is confused.

I have had problems with the letters on the computer for some reason. I must have pushed the right button because now it is straightened out but I won't re-write my letter.

The Woolleys came over and Jimmy gave a wonderful lesson - it was titled "Self A Steam" and he had made the printout himself with blanks at the top for our names and then we had to put a good characteristic under each letter of our name beginning with that letter - I'm proud of you Jimmy. Annie helped me with my lesson on "count and non-count nouns". I wish she could give it. Ron and Ann were in charge of a breakfast for 800 at LeeAnna's school on Saturday and this coming week they are in charge of a fund raising bar-b-cue at Jimmy's school. They are also busy planning for Russ & Bevs' 60th wedding anniversary celebration the first of June.

Patrice - thank you SO VERY MUCH for your wonderful phone call. I know we talked much too long but it was SO good to talk to you. I am known at the MTC as the woman who has children in Little Rock, Arkansas - I wish my "group" could meet you. We had to tell a little about each one of us one day and I told about how Daddy taught at Colorado A & M and the Univ. of Wyoming and then he went into corporate work and was employed by Olin Corporation. After our meeting one of the couples came to me and said their daughter was helped in her education at Columbia University by Olin - the same scholarship that you had Roy. It's a small world.

Virginia and I have been taking typhoid pills and we have to take them every other day. She forgot to take hers with her when she went home on Friday so she had to drive here from Salt Lake last night at 11 p.m. to take it. We have also had Japanese Encephalitis shots!!!

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