More on the Half Union and Elder Patton

Dear Family,

I've spent a couple days trying to write to you about the nice experience we were able to have with so much family here in Utah. I had to quit expressing so much emotion and delete all that. It's hard for me to process my feelings and then start crying at the computer in view of half the town coming in and out the back door of Julie's house. This has always been Grand Central Station - which I love - but I have to go up the hill under the trees to think and there isn't a computer there!

Thank you to Nancy and Jay for letting us all cram into their house and eat everything they had in the fridge or cooked on the stove. Thanks to Holly's and Scott's famlies for driving so far and then staying two days longer than planned. Thanks to Diana and Jack for letting us use and abuse them as if they are an offical Church Family Hotel. I have a lot of family memories at the Dellastatious house!! One of my favorite being Ryan's wedding night! Thanks to all the cousins for being friends and showing flexibility in the schedule and sleeping arrangement. Thanks to the little boys for hillarious conversations to eaves drop on and for the three teenagers suffering through time with old people and very young people. This is probably Jay's first time being lumped with the old guys on the tube at the lake and he was a good sport about it. Scott, being the oldest guy, did a stellar job of withstanding the torment of gigantic boys on a wild tube ride. And Todd kept the party star-studded as a Bruce Willis look alike. We had so much fun!

We heard from Ian this morning, but I'm not forwarding it since he's senstive about privacy at the moment. Plus, his sarcastic ending line was something about me reading it from the Boca pulpit and forwarding it to a hundred people he doesn't know. He's trying to figure out a system of writing that will allow him to say everything he wants, but only forward the things he's comfortable with. We've had an issue in the Pitchforth family with forwarded letters with names of companions who were having serious problems or ultimately left their missions early. People on the forward list happened to know some of the kids mentioned and were offended or forwarded the letter on to others who knew the troubled missionaries. So, anyway, we'll feel this out. His letter this morning sounded like what I imagine Robes' first mission letter was like. His primary companion is from the backwoods of Alberta, Cananda who is struggling with the language and has never heard Spanish spoken. Ian said, "I think my poor companion dreams about maple syrup, curling and hockey when he sleeps. He has a thick Canuck accent like 'past-uh' instead of pasta." The other one is the most obnoxious guy he's ever met and is an odd man out because his companion left after a day! Ian heard that he may return and it wouldn't be soon enough. I reminded him of Robes' experience of being paired with a country boy named Elder Michael Rhodes who was homesick and had nothing in common with a city boy from LA. After some time it eventually worked and where would we be without Frere Rhodes 29 years later?? It doesn't sound like many of the kids in his district are going to Resistencia - most to Bahia Blanca. There is a Hawaiian girl who recognized him from BYUH going to Resistencia and he said it is nice to have her around. Many of the kids are going to Ft. Lauderdale/Spanish speaking so he is giving them the lessons they can't get at the MTC. Like how to use a pellet gun to shoot iguanas (and eat them) and the common gang signs in Miami, etc. I'm imagining his exaggerated Church storytelling skills are coming in handy on the Florida stories and the poor Ft. Lauderdale Mission President is going to be sick of hearing about what Elder Patton told his new missionaries. He's disappointed in the ignorance of the other kids about the world - especially Argentina - but most kids don't read what he reads. I guess he's trying to educate them on the history of Argentina and I doubt many want to listen. He is one that would have probably done better in a foreign MTC, but it's so small that they can't accommodate most of the American kids. Anyway, I'm curious what he'll sound like in a week. I'm going to call his RM friends that went the temple with him the night before he left and ask them to drop him a line. And here's the address if any of you can offer counsel, comfort or a kick in the pants. Humility is the roughest edge he needs to smooth out in the polishing machine at the MTC.

Elder Robert Ian Patton
MTC Mailbox #247
ARG-RES 0827
2005 N. 900 E.
Provo, UT 84604-1793

And a note of interest. Jamel had a PPI yesterday first thing at Church (Mike read my mind) and the result was an emotional testimony at sacrament meeting about how he sees what a difference one small decision can make for the rest of your life and it's impact on others. Adrie and I were just excited to have him at church with us, but standing up at testimony meeting was a bonus.

Everyone have a fun 4th of July. We're going to experience a tiny town celebration (smaller than Dahlonega) where Julie's in charge of the parade and Mike is in charge of building and stocking the fish pond (the kids catch them with their hands). My kids will be in the parade. Happy 4th!

Love you all,

Kim