Dearest Family, April 2, 1998

This has been such a crazy week for writing and receiving letters - I can't remember what I have written to you or what you have written to me. Our telephone was out of service for almost 5 days so we couldn't use our e-mail. It was so frustrating - I finally walked to “The Villa” and used the computer in the shopping center there to send a Happy Birthday message to Katie. Their computer was completely different from the one here in the apartment and I couldn't use the cc's - I had to type the letter twice before they got it sent. It is wonderful though to have that kind of service close to me.

MICHAEL, LAURA, BRETT AND KATIE - Thank you SO much for your WONDERFUL MESSAGES. It is always so fun to hear what you are doing and I AM THRILLED YOU HAVE A THIRD CAR - a little Honda!!! MICHAEL - I did see a sign advertising bungee jumping but I quickly put it out of my mind - you can do that in Utah - you want to do things in Thailand that you can't do or see in America. I have the address for a snake farm and I hear it is very, very good (as good as snake farms can be) and it isn't far from where I live. You will LOVE it here. KATIE - your birthday sounded like such a lot of fun - I have never heard of “Discovery Zone”. BRETT - I hope you win at the Science Fair too - what was your project? LAURA - I want to know if you make cheerleading but it doesn't matter to me if you do or you don't I think your 2 week ballet camp at BYU sounds terrific. CLAIRE - Thank you for your long letter telling me about all the Humanitarian Work being done in your Relief Society. When I think about all that sort of thing our church does the first thing that comes to my mind is “Where does it all go? Does it get to the people who really need it?” When I travel by train to go to Lopburi I just want to cry at all the “slums” I pass and then when I get back to the apartment where I live and see all the high rise buildings I wonder “why can't things be more equal?” BOB - Thank you for your wonderful letter too. I think it is great for you to offer medical help to people. I passed a note to President Goodman yesterday at zone conference telling him you had offered help. He said in his talk yesterday that the mission had been overwhelmed with sick missionaries during the months of February and March and he emphasized “WASH YOUR HANDS” - - they all have maids who cook for them and sometimes they forget to wash the fruits and vegetables in Clorox solution. Two of my roommates have been right in bed with the flu for over a week - one of them still is. They cough like crazy and they are SO weak. I can't believe it because I am NEVER sick. They are always laughing at me because they think I eat strange things (I love the canned sardines in tomato sauce) but then I say “Who is never sick?” I don't think you should plan any trips to any Islands before you get here but I may be wrong - I will check this out. Honestly - there are SO many wonderful and interesting things to do right here that I think it is best to come and then see what you REALLY want to do. I will send you a list of things I think you MUST see and do. Helen's son-in-law and daughter are here now - last night they went on a river cruise and this morning they have gone to the floating market and tomorrow they are going on the train to Lopburi and see some of the historical places there and then go back to Ayutthaya on Saturday where Helen will teach our class. I thought it best to let her do this on her own - she is perfectly capable and I didn't want to travel with them (I don't want her to travel with me when my family comes - Ha!) I WANT YOU TO SEE AND DO EVERYTHING YOU CAN POSSIBLY DO WHILE YOU ARE HERE.

SARAH - CONGRATULATIONS for making cheer leader. I know you really wanted to win so I am very, very happy for you - what a lot of fun you will have!!! I will be home in time to see you “in action” for some of the games. RICKY - I am SO proud of you too for your accomplishments in your sports matches - your Mom didn't say if you were competing in tennis or golf but I am happy you did so well. MARY ANN - I think it is great that you have been asked to provide some violin music for a wedding reception and also have one of the leads in your school play. BARJI - I want to hear all about the D'Ettes competition in California - I hope you are happy with how you compete. Rick and Jean - I believe you will be leaving in a few hours to go to California with the D'Ettes and I wish I could help with Ricky, Mary Ann & Sarah - HAVE A GOOD TIME!!!

ANNIE - Thank you for your quick reply to my letter about my friends coming to the MTC. I did give one of them your address but maybe they won't have time to call you. They are going to be at the MTC on April 7th and I believe they will be there for a week but I'm not sure. I would appreciate it if you tried to make contact with them but I will surely understand if you don't have time. Their names are LEK (with a short e) and SUPPATRA (Soo/pat/ra). Lek is very big in the BMA and Suppatra is a teacher who is paying her own way to be with Lek. They are very sharp Thai women and classy. I gave Suppatra your name and phone number but she was so excited about going I'm not sure she will remember. They left yesterday morning and went to California where they are staying with the Halls and maybe Janet's family. I just found out that some of my neighbors, the McBrides, are going to be in the Jerusalem Center for two years so maybe Susanna will meet them - Liesel McBride is one dynamic woman!!! You have so many exciting things going on in your life. JIMMY - Thank you SO much for your letter. I would LOVE for you to use our Montana things for your class. The headdress and other things are in a box in the workroom of my home there and it is labeled “Montana Memories” or something like that. John and Julianna will be able to help you find them I think. I also had a Montana Book that maybe they could find.

ROY AND PATRICE - I am thinking about you this week as you vacation in Gulf Shores. I hope SO much that you have been able to spend some time with Chris and Wayne. I know how careful you are with your children so maybe you haven't been able to go out in Wayne's boat but I hope you have because Timothy would just absolutely LOVE it!!! Wayne knows every fish they have in the Gulf and he loves to catch them - sometimes I think he even talks to them - Ha!!! Chris is such a good cook - I'll bet they make gumbo for you.

JOHN & JULIANNA - John has had to bail me out with my finances so I have been in touch with him - Ha!!! He sent a message telling me he had been in Madrid, Spain - I wish they could come to Thailand on business.

Steve Frisby has sent me a lot of news from the Billings Gazette telling about the Montana Temple Groundbreaking. I LOVED reading all about it - I guess they had a REAL Montana blizzard that day. Anne Smith's cousin was Mission President there recently and she wrote and told me that he had gone to Billings for it and I guess people standing in the crowd were just about frozen to death. I want SO much to be available when the temple is dedicated so I can go for it - will some of you go with me?

Ellen Mae and Mel and also Anne and Percy have kept me informed about the U. of U. and the Jazz basketball games. They have surely done well - I feel bad that the University of Utah didn't beat Kentucky - it sounded like they should have done. I hope the Jazz go all the way!!!

I went to a Zone Conference yesterday - I left the apartment at 9 a.m. and didn't get back until 7 p.m. I really didn't want to go but I am SO glad I did - IT WAS WONDERFUL!!! I have sat through so many of those and this one really brought back a flood of memories - I could just see your Dad as he held them in Montana - HE WAS SO GOOD!!! I am impressed with Pres. and Sister Goodman too - they are doing a super job. The missionaries all look like “kids” to me. I sat by an Elder Whitney from North Little Rock - do any of you remember the Whitneys? They were in charge of food storage and they had a houseful of children and they were all different nationalities - I admired them and felt sorry for them all at the same time. Elder Whitney is a fine Elder and is just about finished with his mission. There is a Sister here from Pine Bluff but I didn't get to meet her. One of the Elders sitting by me was eating a big can of peanuts and he had a liter bottle of coke on the floor - in the chapel - it was funny!!! He was SO cute and I wondered if Pres. Goodman even knew what he was doing or if he would object. Pres. Goodman is a “kid” himself but very, very spiritual and perfect for the job. I was the only one from the apartment who went - Helen was with her family and Janet and Darlene were at a school doing something (school is out). I really felt bad because I made a bad mistake. I have to take taxis and this is the first time I have been by myself. When I left the taxi was 60 bahts so I gave the driver 65 bahts. When I came home the traffic was SO bad that it took me over an hour to get here and it usually only takes about 20 minutes. WELL - the meter said 93 bahts in one place and 47 bahts in another and I said, “Too Much” and gave him 80 bahts. Our gate was open so he called to our gate keeper, Dubet, and had him try to explain it to me. I found out that when you are in traffic that long they charge you for the time and I didn't know that. I ended up giving him 110 bahts but he was still angry. I have seen the sisters here use so much boldness that it amazes me so I tried to be bold - SO MUCH FOR BEING BOLD!!! I am usually more generous than I need to be but yesterday I thought he was trying to take advantage of me.

I have rattled on and on and I know you won't want or need to read everything.

I LOVE YOU ALL SO VERY, VERY MUCH. PLEASE BE SO VERY, VERY CAREFUL. Grandma B