Dear Riley,
We just participated in a wonderful general conference and I don’t want to spoil your experience next week. But I also want to share! You’ll know that we have three new apostles, the first being Ronald Rasband who was T’s mission president. T loved him so much and said when he came home that Pres. Rasband would be an apostle some day. I thought, “Every missionary believes that about their mission president.” But T’s belief was correct. I will tell you that I was surprised that all three apostles (Gary E. Stevenson and Dale G. Renlund are the other two) were from here in Utah as I expected we might have a foreign appointment. But as each of these new apostles spoke to us today, I felt a confirming witness that they were called under inspiration and they will be qualified for their call.
Yesterday was full of tender mercies that I can’t share with you without spoilers. So I’ll share them later. Riley, God is merciful to us in every detail. When we see His hand and acknowledge it, we open ourselves to additional witnesses and our hearts are drawn to God. I have such a strong testimony of the workings of the Spirit and the individual God we collectively worship.
So here’s what I know: you have a new companion because Elder H's is in a new area. I imagine you stayed in Buriram. Is your new companion Elder N or did they add additional elders to your area? Any blog address for me? What else should I know? Moms share on facebook groups the info they get from the members who message them. :) And how has the work been? Are you still making progress in a number of lives?
Parker sang Saturday in the Priesthood Session of conference. You’ll see him. But at first you’ll have to know where he’s sitting: he’s above the organ, third row up and three in from the isle. He’s right of a tall, bald man. And he’s so handsome and looks good. Dad was able to go to the session and was seated close on the floor. Cambry took Aleah up to the Sunday afternoon session as we had two tickets. They too were seated on the floor, probably 6 rows back, on the far right. What a privilege living here in the heart of the Church!
This week B and N came to our house Tuesday evening. We made arrangements Monday morning, so there wasn’t much time to prepare the house. I had gotten a bee in my bonnet about 10 PM the Saturday before, cleaning bathrooms and preparing the house for Sunday. In fact I joked with Dad that night that I have a sixth sense that no one else in the house has: I see dirt. That was fortunate. I should always expect my efforts to be utilized, because let’s face it… the house is strewn with real life chaos more than it isn’t..
We had people everywhere! I gave Cambry’s room to B and N so she slept on a pad in the craft room (maybe less than happily?). D and I were in Parker’s room and E, Z, A were on Grandma’s pads in the family room. A stayed in her apartment. It was good to be with them.
However, I did ask to have all three toilets working for that many people. Dad didn’t have time until they were already here, but he took the toilet apart and replaced everything inside. And the downstairs toilet is the best flushing toilet in the house now!!!! I can hardly wait for the transformation of the other two… I’ve had to plunge the main bathroom daily for so ever long and it’s getting worse. At one point as we were getting close to bedtime and the toilet was coming back together, N leaned in to my ear at the sink and said, “We’ll try to come back in two years and help you get that hole in front filled in.” Hearty laugh. But you can see what doesn’t get done in anything. What does get done is what counts. And that’s the big stuff.
Wednesday morning I took N out on the tandem to the canyon. It was fun. I was pilot on this run and that is new for me. I realized I can ride the front of the bike, but when I stop, I launch in front of the pedals because it’s too big for me to lean the bike and rest on my foot from my seat. The front seat can’t go down as far because the back handles are underneath. Yeah, it’s not ideal. But it’s still fun!
This experience came in handy later in the week when I didn’t have a car (I loaned B’s family the van and Cambry is using my car) and wouldn’t, but Elise’s bike had come in and was ready to be picked up. So she and I rode the tandem over to the shop and then I pedaled the tandem alone home. Elise loves! her bike. She is an aggressive pedaler. But we did fall as we stopped to cross the intersection at Center and 400 E. As I explained, I have to launch off ahead as we stop. But Elise expected to just lean the bike. The back seat is the balance of the bike. When she went to lean, the bike fell over and threw me to the cement. We weren’t going fast and I just hopped up and crossed with the light. But I think I got whiplash and couldn’t lift my head off my pillow the last couple nights. :( It’s getting better.
I went up to hear Parker’s final practice in the conference center midweek. Oh, they sounded so good! I was talking to LK, not even especially paying attention to the music until I noticed I was covered in goosebumps. You’ll love that session as it is full of people you’ll recognize in the choir with Parker; your brothers in the Priesthood! While I was there, I got a FB notification from NNR as he posted a selfie with you in it to my timeline. This is what it said, likely from Google translate: He is with me,you gonna miss this guy. Haha. At first I thought maybe this was a kidnapping and I should expect a ransom request next. But this was from transfer meeting. [You need to shave in the morning now, you look like you’re toting a stache.] I love Thai friends who share you with me! Thank them for me whenever you have the opportunity.
Oh, and were you sitting on the isle at the transfer meeting. We thought maybe we spotted you in the video, but the frames moved very quickly and it was difficult to be certain. That hover camera was a cool thing, though.
OK, a few funny Josie quotes. This week we got correspondence from her dance studio asking us to remind our dancers to not touch the mirrors. So I did. “I know, Mom. N kept on touching the glass and our teacher said the glass is ah-fliments.” Play Mad-Gab with this until you get to Off Limits.
Today Josie asked Elise to do something for her. Elise thanked her for asking nicely. Josie said, “If I didn’t, you wouldn’t do it. Well, you would do it, but you’d say, ‘ask nicely’”.
Well son, I can’t wait to hear your news. And I hope you’ll love your conference next weekend and then we can share a little after you do.
You are so privileged to have the gospel in your life and to come from a family who believes it, rejoices in it, and live it. Go out and share it! And share with us all the details.
We love you so much!
Love,
Mom
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