From Mom February 1, 2015

February 1, 2015

Dear Riley,

How are things this week?

I was wondering how meals are accomplished.  Do you eat with members or at restaurants or are you doing some cooking?  You mentioned that you often had no idea WHAT you were eating, though it tastes good.

How is your language coming?  Are you able to understand more?  What do you say to people when you street contact?  Do you speak English in the apartment?  How many are in your apartment?

Tell me about church.  How many members are there, how far away is your building, how do you get around?  Since you gave a lesson in Burmese with a member translating, I know you have some member support.

They took down the mission facebook this week.  But like I said earlier, they posted a long video on the LDS Thai page.  And I found a button I could press on facebook which translates the page.  That was handy!

And am I right that all the missionaries come to the mission home every transfer?  Someone thought I must be mistaken.  But that’s what I assumed from the videos.  Of course that could change when the President changes too.

We are missing you just now.  Cambry has a pain in the soul of her foot and Aleah and Parker have the foot-rubbing stamina of a three year old.  I’m typing and Dad’s gone. 

I’m completely spent.  I’m so spent that I’m not even cooking a dinner to break our fast.  Has that EVER happened?  We have so much food, really good food, in the house that it will actually be a leftover night!  Cambry had eggs Benedict for breakfast and shrimp scampi for dinner.  We haven’t had that in a long time.  Plus she wanted cheesecake, the one with the oreo crust that I made one time.  Really yummy.

Aleah’s party was fun.  We made hair flowers and they made bracelets with foam beads.  We ate pasta with alfredo, marinara (normal spaghetti sauce), or cheese sauce.   I made lemon cupcakes with the lemon whipped frosting that is so yummy.  Her friends are cute girls.

For Cambry's birthday, she asked for time with me.  We went up to the outlets shopping.  She got some new clothes which haven't been worn/washed by anyone else before.  That's new.  She looks so cute in them too.  Cambry says this is the best birthday ever! B came last night for Cambry’s birthday along with S and H.  B was the first to come and she ate dinner with us.  We were so happy to have her here again.  When we sang happy birthday to Cambry, Cambry actually cried because she was so happy to have her friends with her again. The girls visited and finally watched “The Book Thief”.  Cambry was the only one who had seen it and they sniffled/balled.  B was wearing B's rings on her left ring finger and it appears a diamond may soon occupy their spot.

I got the books closed and our accountant picked them up this week.  That was a load off my mind.  And at some point I want to share with you some things I learned from Merrill J. Bateman about the temple at a stake RS fireside this last week.  

Clyde Christensen passed away, I don’t know if you remember him, tall and handsome with a lot of white hair and blue eyes, first to volunteer for many things.  But he had to move out to a care center a couple years back. 

I started nebulizing glutathione this week to help heal my nerve damage and to reduce the inflammation in my sinuses.  It works really well.  The cheese sauce for the macaroni and cheese has red pepper in it.  As I was snapping the lid down, a puff of pepper went up my nose and I started sneezing and sneezing.  That’s not really happened to me but maybe one other time.  Careful what you smell, that’s what my balloon sinuplasty doctor advised.

Well son, we’re doing well here at home.  It’s been so crazy busy.  But we are well.  It’s been a year since I started into Ramsay Hunt.  When people ask me about it, I can hardly believe how severe, yet how temporary that trial was/is.  What an unlikely blessing it has been to me.

We’re so happy that you’re on a mission, Riley.  We love to hear how things are going and look forward to your letters.  I felt to pray in my fast for you that you would have a good companionship and that you would serve your companion.  It’s true, Riley.  The gospel of Jesus Christ really is the power of God unto salvation and striving with everything you’ve got for two years to share that message will always be a blessing to you.  It is already a blessing to us as a family.

We love you,

Mom