June 1st email

I have to get all the smiles in I can since it is such an expensive one! Haha... I don't usually even think about the numbness in my lip... it's almost gone now that it's been nearly two years since my surgery, wow that's a long time now!

Don't worry, the names are all very interesting to me too :) Sister Mabalot's first name is Glazier-Gay...the other thing is most of them don't go by their real name, they all go by nicknames. I'm constantly confused between what is a nick name, a first name, a last name etc. so I'm rather bad at names. Princess and Angel are very popular names and twins are often given the exact same name but labeled #1 and #2... I think I actually wrote this in a hand written letter so sorry:) Those same little boys... well we went there in Saturday and after teaching we told them it was time to practice testimonies again, they usually do at the end of our lessons but then we told them the next day would be the day they get to share. Monsmith jumped up off his chair and said, "YEAH!" Then yesterday in Church as the first woman was sharing their testimony they all stood up together and marched up there, courage in numbers :) Raymond, the oldest of the four who went up, will be baptized this upcoming Friday along with JP whose birthday is Friday June 6, which is why we're having it Friday instead of Sunday. Leonard's mother, sister and "adopted sister" of sorts who lives with them and is a single mother now...she's 26 and has a couple months old baby, her husband left her at the beginning of the pregnancy though... well they all committed to a baptismal date. They've all committed to a baptismal date and Leonard has the Priesthood now and blessed the sacrament on Sunday. The problem is that it's hard for his mother and sisters to come to Church because of the two babies. They don't have enough money for babies milk for the baby so they use the rice water instead and they don't have diapers so it's really hard for them to take the babies away from the house. They are examples of truly humble and happy people. We always love our visits with them and our "gratitude in prayers" activity was a great experience. On the wall of the room in their home where they have their water bucket and rice cooker they have a picture of a kitchen... it's a nice tile kitchen with wood cupboards etc. I noticed the picture one of the very first times we went there, in fact I might have told you about it before because like you've been talking about that picture in their home so very far from that standard made me too think of all the beautiful homes you build and how great the workmanship is... and I wonder how much we can feel okay with just living according to standards of where we are or how much we should worry about the lack of good standards of living in other places. Well... because we want so much for Leonard to keep doing the things he needs to be active in the church, serve a mission, be an example to his family etc. we decided to donate a set of scriptures so he has the full set and a journal of our own so that he has one. When we gave them to him on Sunday he was so surprised and so grateful -- they were both things he would never have had enough money for of his own and will significantly help him with Church activity and preparing for a mission so I'm glad we were able to do that for him. Thanks for all the stories and updates -- sorry I'm not always the best at responding about each thing but I do enjoy reading it all etc... time is just limited on here.

Love, Brit