Dearest Family, May 14, 1998

I was happy to get to the computer this morning and find your message Bob. I have thought about Claire helping you with that woman's surgery and since you didn't mention it again I guess she didn't faint - Ha!!! Bob wrote that Claire was going to help him remove an ugly tumor from the ear lobe of a woman who didn't have health insurance and he was worried that she might faint. I have also thought about Brett and Katie playing soccer - they must get their speed from their Mother - Ha!!! I would SO love to see them play. Laura - you are a very special daughter to fix breakfast in bed for your Mom on Mother's day.

Ann & Ron - I hope you had a fun trip to Jerome. Grandpa Russ is a very lucky man to have you support him the way you do. I want to hear all about your trip and EVERYTHING!!! I would have liked to see you “sew” Jessie into her dress for the dance - she looks SO good in black. I'm happy that you have had your shots for your trip to Thailand - I don't know what is necessary and what isn't - all I know is that I had to have every kind they give and they didn't bother me.

John & Julianna - my friend Anne Smith wrote and told me that she had seen you both working hard in the yard. She said the most complimentary things about you and that makes me very happy. I still don't know if the daffodils bloomed - I guess they didn't or I would have heard.

Roy & Patrice - I tried to find Chan while I was in I-San the last three days. One of the Thai women with us tried to find out where her home was and she found that it was about 30 kilometers from where we were - she asked me if I wanted to go there but I decided if a van with 11 people in it drove up to her home she wouldn't be too happy without prior notice so I said “No” - I didn't have her telephone number. I would like to see her again before I leave Thailand.

Jean & Rick - I haven't heard from you since Ricky received his mission call and I'm wondering if it put you to bed - Ha!!! I believe El Salvador is about the same latitude that Bangkok is so we will be able to compare notes on the heat, the bugs etc. I want to know as soon as you know when he will leave the MTC for the mission field - I am thinking it will be about the time I will be coming home and I would surely hate to miss him by just a few days if I could do something about it. Will he be in the MTC for two months? I am SO excited for him - he will be a great missionary because he knows it isn't all fun and games.

Bob - you are SO right - it was very hard to spend $100 to go on a trip that I was not the least bit interested in. In the first place I had been to all those places and it was a long, long hot trip!!! I went to support my companion because I knew she really wanted to go. It was kind of a farewell trip for Jay and Barbara Poelman who have served as Mission Secretaries (their home is in Brigham City) and I felt that I needed to go. As it turned out, I didn't need to go and it would have been better for some Thai woman to have taken my place but I didn't know that. I will see the Poelmans many times in the future and the Thai people will probably never see them again. We had a very comfortable van to travel in and a beautiful hotel to stay in and delicious food so who am I to complain!!! After the second day I said to another missionary on the trip, “If I have to see one more ancient ruin I am going to scream” - she looked at me as if to say she was enjoying it so I didn't say anymore. I am tired of going on trips where I have no control over anything - when things don't go like they were planned they just say, “Mai Pen Rai” (never mind) and smile and that is SO hard for me. We waited for one hour and a half for the van and we took a taxi and got up at 5 a.m. so we could be at the Department of Education at the time they told us to be there.

Last week when Helen went to Safari World with a teacher and I went to observe Janet and Darlene teach instead she scolded me and said, “We are supposed to spend as much time as possible with our teachers on outings” - I think that is just an excuse because she loves to “play”. She is at the hospital now - she has had a terrible cough for about two weeks. I tried to get her to cancel out on this last trip but she wouldn't. She takes an inhaler with her wherever we go and spends a lot of time with it in the hotel rooms. You don't make appointments with the doctors here - you just go to the hospital and wait your turn. She keeps her bedroom ice cold with a fan blowing directly on her and I don't think that is a good idea. I never sleep with my air conditioner on - I just use a fan. When I get sick I am going to get REALLY SICK and everyone will say, “It serves you right” - I have a hard time being sympathetic with people.

The “Prasats” (Ancient Temples) we saw this week were all Cambodian and built in the 11th and 12th centuries. You just can't imagine the trouble they go to in keeping up the grounds and restoring the temples. I learned a lot and I'm glad I went but I just have to complain!!!

I must get ready to teach at the Ministry tonight so I will close. I also have two teachers coming tonight for English lessons after I get home from the Ministry. I will be happy when we start on our regular teaching schedule - June 1st. I will have to teach Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursdays from 8 a.m. until probably about 3 p.m. but I will either cancel my evening classes or get someone to teach for me while Bob, Claire and Michael are here. I know they will have lots to do and see without me but I hope I can spend every spare minute with them - I will have Fridays off.

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