Dearest Family, May 25, 1998

MARY ANN - THANK YOU for your sweet letter I just accessed from the computer. I always love to find messages from my family when I come to the computer in the morning. You sound SO busy and happy and that's WONDERFUL. I loved your expression, “the end of school crazies” - I can't think of a better way to put it. It is SO funny - you are finishing your school and the schools in Bangkok are just going to start again. I am SO glad you mentioned Memorial Day - I had forgotten all about that and it makes me happy that you remember all the trips we have gone together to Brigham City to decorate the graves. One of my most favorite memories is the Memorial Day when Barji was staying with me in Orem and we went to the “hill” and picked many, many irises for the graves - and another favorite memory is when I was in Farmington with all of you and you came back with me in my car to Orem and we stopped in Lehi for Papa's grave - it was “pitch black” and kinda scary and we saw the “missionary flag” flying by his grave - do you remember that? Please tell me if David Taylor remembers to put the flag up this year.

LAURA - I have shown your picture to my friends and they all say “she's gorgeous” and I say - she looks like me - Ha!!! I thought of you when I watched the dancers this weekend because you always dance with SO much energy and they did too.

This has been such a special weekend. I told you about the BYU Dancers rescheduling their trip to come to Bangkok when they couldn't go to Indonesia. We had invited SO many people to come to their program on Saturday night and the International School is a long, long ways from where most of them live - BUT I couldn't have been more proud of a group of young people. Two of our teachers, Somjit and Lamchuan, came to our apartment about 4:30 and Helen and I took them to dinner at “Jim's Lodge” which is just down the street from us. Janet and Darlene had some of their friends come to the apartment and they fixed stir fry for them. We all left about 5:30 to go to the school.

My friends from Saimai and the Village met us at the school and it was such a fun, fun time. There were a lot of friends from the Pakkret Branch of the church there also and it was just like a big family reunion. The Governor of Bangkok came and I thought that was very, very special - he has truly supported the English Project here. The dancers were just spectacular and also very sweet and humble - they brought to the Thai audience something they don't see very often and their dancing was just the opposite of the Thai dancing. I have NEVER seen so much energy displayed - they tap danced, they clogged, they did jitter-bugging, they did rock and roll, they waltzed - name it and they did it. They had fabulous music accompaniment - a bass fiddle that I have never seen before, banjos, mandolins and violins. AND they also sang just beautifully. They also had beautiful costumes.

This program was planned and put on to raise money for the poor children living in the BMA area. They passed around donation boxes (I told my friends I wanted to donate for them so I gave 1,000 Bahts) and they collected 87,000 Bahts - with the exchange rate at 39, I believe that is 2,230 American dollars. That money will go a long, long way to buying things for the children here. They wanted to fill the 500 seats in the auditorium and they had to bring in extra chairs - we were all very happy about how it went!!! The lady who was with the group and who was really responsible is Mrs. Henry - her husband used to be the team doctor for the University of Utah sports teams - he was with her and I believe this is their second marriage due to death of their spouses.

Yesterday - Sunday - the group all came to church and put on a fireside. It was SO fun to sit and visit with them and of course, I showed them pictures of my grandchildren who are their ages. The bass fiddle player is a very good friend of Jae Theobald - it's a small world!!! Susanna - I gave him your name - I hope you don't mind - he is a BYU sophomore!!! They sang songs and also had a short testimony meeting. The Relief Society provided lunch for them and someone (I don't know who) brought in about a dozen big pizzas. I have been away from anything like this for SO long and I just LOVED it - I can truly see the value of the programs the church provides for its members and non-members throughout the world - I used to just think it was for fun and experience for the participants of the programs but it does such a lot of good. I sat looking at the group on the stand and thinking of all my grandchildren and I just “lost it”. I think of Jessie, Barji and Ricky graduating and not being able to go to their graduations - Ricky preparing for his mission - and the rest of you with all your sports activities. I AM SO PROUD OF ALL OF YOU AND LOVE YOU VERY MUCH.

I am going to “venture out” this morning and see if I can find China Town on my own via the local buses. My roommates always take taxis but I would like for Bob, Claire and Michael to try the bus routes. I will walk to the Marriott and see if I can go from there - I will let you know how it turns out.

I believe the Utah Jazz players are getting ready to play their 4th game. Mel Manning has been so good to keep us posted on the scores even though he has been really sick. I complained that I was going broke buying the Bangkok Post to see if they had won or not. I believe he is better but I know they have had a real scare. Ellen Mae has had cataract surgery too. It has been fun to follow the Jazz and Mel is the most avid sports fan I will ever know.

Bob - you said you hadn't heard from me!!! I have sent long, long letters - I hope you are getting them.

Ann - my roommate, Janet Asper, knows your friend Barbara Orr really well. She said she has retired after 30 years of teaching school. Do you have her address? It would be fun for us to drop her a note - I remember what a lovely woman she was. Janet says she is one of the best teachers she has ever known even though she is deaf.

I HOPE YOU ALL HAVE A VERY HAPPY MEMORIAL DAY - I MISS YOU SO MUCH. THANK YOU SO VERY, VERY MUCH FOR ALL YOU DO FOR ME - PLEASE BE SO VERY, VERY CAREFUL IN EVERYTHING YOU DO. Grandma B