September 7, 2023 Email from Dad (Michael)

 YOU - our family is so precious to us.  It brings tears to my eyes every time I think of you or any of your children individually.  I feel like -   We are all in this together!

Danielle and I are doing great. We love it here. Being with the missionaries is the absolute best. We really do have such special times with them. It takes all of our effort to stay one or two days of whatever is coming up next, be it zone conferences, mission leadership council, transfers, interviews, reading and answering there P day letters, speaking at stake conferences and FSY events, visiting and counseling missionaries that are struggling, and whatever else is thrown at us. It really is a brutal schedule. I have not even had time to write down a thing in my journal. I have thought about doing so, but there is always something more fun or more pressing to do. 

The southern part of our mission has a Costco, which we absolutely love. When we are in that part of the mission we tend to swing by it and load up. I think we’ve been there 4 times.  We eat about as good as at home. Well, not even close, but it beats rice with this and rice with that. The fruit here is pretty good, as well as the vegetables. We are very comfortable in our home. So glad we get to come home to it each night. 

The missionaries and the members are the best part of being here. They really are amazing. Their faith and testimonies  really are impressive. So many have so little or come to the mission field from a life of poverty. I brought 8 pairs of old shoes that I had in our DI pile. Every pair has been given out to missionaries. Some of them just wear Crocs. That’s all they have.  The missionary apartments are nice compared to most homes. I don’t know if I could ever live in one and Danielle says there is no way she could spend even one night in them. Even our very nice home has lizards living in it. 

All of the senior couples are quite amazing. I don’t know how we could do it without them. The Rays are fantastic. I can’t believe Michelle is actually doing this. Both of them seem very happy here. 

We see the hand of the Lord blessing so many each day. The experiences we are having are really very special. It really is something to behold. 

-Dad