Dearest Family, July 19, 1998

I just accessed your letters and the pictures - THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!!! Helen and I are alone in the apartment and I said “I don't think I will have any mail but I will try anyway” - I WAS THRILLED TO HEAR FROM YOU!!! I can tolerate a little sliver under a fingernail - there is something about Lake Powell that just scares me to death so I'm glad it is over for this year (or do you plan to go another time?). I am anxious to hear more about it this weekend when “the girls” come. I LOVED THE PICTURES OF RON RAPPELLING AND ALSO IT LOOKED LIKE HE WAS FISHING IN ONE!!! Those pictures are “heavenly” for me - I hope it isn't costing you an arm and a leg Bob!!!

ANNIE - Thank you for your message. I AM COMING TO THE AIRPORT TO MEET YOU!!! We will have to have two taxis to bring us to the apartment along with your luggage but I just can't stand not being there. I will be able to go to Sacrament Meeting and then I will go to the airport from the church. According to the schedule you sent to me - YOU ARRIVE AT 2:45 P.M. ON JULY 26TH (Sunday) - if that is not right be sure to let me know. I checked with the hotel again yesterday and they said you were “for sure” registered. I don't know what to tell you about packing a “lunch” to eat on the airplane- they served a delicious dinner when we came but it was served in the middle of the night and Virginia slept through it (she was so sound asleep I didn't want to awaken her). I would pack something that wouldn't spoil because you need to eat - maybe crackers and peanut butter or something like that. The airplane is HUGE!!!

Janet's daughter and her daughter's sister-in-law are here. Diane - Janet's daughter is darling and so sweet - she reminds me SO much of you Claire - you are very much alike. She has told me a lot about the “Spectrum Program” and I am SO proud of Brett for being in that - you surely haven't said very much about it!!! Janet and Janene REALLY appreciated spending time with Bob, Claire and Michael to talk about Thailand before coming here - they just couldn't say enough nice things about you and that makes me so happy!!! Their plane was delayed in Hong Kong so they were late in getting to Bangkok. Janet had asked one of her teachers to take her to the airport to meet them and when they didn't come on time the teacher went to school and Janet came back to the apartment. Diane had forgotten to bring Janet's phone number so she had to call her husband in Bountiful to get it and it was the middle of the night - Ha!!! Can all of you relate to that??? Then the taxi got lost and it took them about two hours to come from the airport. Helen and I came home from school about 3:15 and Janet was waiting out in front of the apartment looking so forlorn - they finally got here about 4:30 and Janet expected them before noon. THAT IS ONE OF THE REASONS I WANT TO MEET YOU - THE TAXI DRIVERS HERE DON'T KNOW BANGKOK AS WELL AS I DO AND THAT'S PRETTY BAD!!!

They went to the floating market yesterday and I wish I had had a tape recorder to record how they described the dinner they had. They ate what we call “worms” - it is really a shell fish but they look just like worms. They also ate many other things that I KNOW the Bobs would not have eaten - Janene kept saying “Well, I just thought Oh Well and ate what they served us” - Ha!!! One of Janet and Darlenes' teachers took them and she didn't let them order - she ordered everything - that's what they do - they don't expect us to know what we want to eat. I had told Janet to be sure they went to the wood carving factory so they did and they loved that!!! I have made reservations for us to take the same bus tour when “The Girls” get here - we will do that on Friday, July 31st.

They went to the “Red Light” District last night. This same teacher said it was an experience they needed to have while in Bangkok - I think they were all sorry they had gone. Helen went with them but I didn't think it was very good for missionaries to go places like that so I stayed home - Darlene felt the same way I did.

Yesterday my friend, Wantana, came to visit with me from Saimai - it takes her three hours to come and three hours to get back home. We had such a good visit and went shopping for a little while. When we got back to the apartment Helen and two of our teachers came back from grocery shopping - they had bought things to make special Thai soups with. They did all the cooking and we took notes and it was DELICIOUS - Janet, Darlene, Diane and Janene were hungry after their worm dinner and they enjoyed it. Somjit and Lamchuan said they would come back when “The Girls” are here to show them how to make them but I'm not sure I will be able to arrange it because they can only come on Saturday or Sunday nights.

I had a letter from Ellen Mae and Mel today and they said they had written to tell me all about Ricky's farewell - I never did receive their letter. They have gone to California to be with Ellen Mae's brother for about a week.

I had a letter from Don and Cheryl (not e-mail) - really Cheryl does all the letter writing. I guess Don is having lots of back problems and he would like to have surgery but his Doctor told him it would take at least a year to recuperate and then he couldn't promise that he would be any better so he should think seriously about having it done and especially because of his Parkinson's disease. That makes me sad - I guess he takes lots of pain pills and the Doctor told him to just take more. They are going on a Scandinavian Cruise this week. Cheryl said they are cutting the hay on the farm now and baling it - I'll bet the farm looks good with all the rain you have had. They took all their family to the Lehi Rodeo and said it was very good. Cheryl says you have changed to three seasons now - Winter, Rain and Summer. Don forgot to turn the well water off when he went to the farm and had to call Morris Clark to go do it for him.

I had a long letter from Bev and Gilbert Culwell and they complained about the heat in Little Rock - I know the Roys are looking forward to a Colorado vacation so they can cool off. It is very hot here still but not as hot as it has been. It is VERY HARD for me to not look forward to cooling off in the evenings or having a Fall when it is cooler.

We had the Lady Missionaries as speakers in our Sacrament Meeting this morning and they did such a good job. I kept thinking of Ricky all the time they were speaking. Ricky - be sure you take some material for “short talks”. I will be on the lookout for you also because you will be called on to speak often. The sisters this morning had a hard time speaking in English and would have to stop between sentences to try to think of English words instead of Thai - that just amazes me because Thai is such a difficult language.

I went to Lumpini Park last Sunday and took a walk - it isn't very far from us. I would like to go again today - it is so awfully hot but I HATE to stay in the apartment all afternoon. Helen and I went with the Relief Society Sisters to a luncheon on Friday. A man has built this four story building and decorated it in a very modern style and he has made beautiful gardens in back. He does all the cooking and the things he serves are very “Californiaish” - herbal teas, luscious cakes and pies and quiche. It was very different but fun. The sisters who went have company executives for husbands and they all have maids and drivers for their cars so they have a lot of leisure time even though some of them have three children.

They connected our television up to an English speaking channel yesterday. The only thing we could get yesterday was “car racing” but at least it was in English. We told our landlords that the church was giving up this apartment so maybe they decided to do something nice for us - Ha!!!

THANKS AGAIN SO VERY MUCH FOR WRITING TO ME. I LOVE YOU ALL SO VERY, VERY MUCH. PLEASE BE SO VERY, VERY CAREFUL. Grandma B