Happy Father's Day!

Not a recent picture, but a good one!

We spent a few days in Mesquite. I was born on Father's day so it's kind of a special celebration with me and my dad. Unfortunately dad's health hasn't been the greatest lately and he ended up in the hospital for a couple of the days we were there. He recently got a new breast implant (defibulator) inserted -- three wires now plugged into his heart in case it stops trying to beat. The incision area probably got a little infected and was causing him to run high fevers. Mom had a little minor surgery on her foot that ended up being not as minor as she thought, so we stayed an extra day -- as luck would have it, dad got released from the hospital the same day she had her toe surgery. So we got up at O-dark thirty and drove to St. George to start rounding up the patients and drove them back home and got them nestled all snug in their ryclyners! Dad looked much better, had some color again and his fever seems to be gone. I've decided the hardest part about going to Mesquite is leaving! I've been blessed with such wonderful parents, and mom's cooking is wonderful! I gain five pounds every time we visit! ha ha! We also got to see Aunt Lee and her hubby for a little bit. Her laugh never changes! She has the most wonderful laugh! It was great seeing them! Let's keep our fingers crossed that dad will continue to recover...

As for Elder Reid, he continues to do great! I'm summarizing from memory what he's written to us lately. He loves his new area. The people are very kind and humble. Only problem, they have a problem going to church. His ward is very small and he calls the church a house of prayer, I'm hoping to get a better explanation of that Monday. He wrote his dad a nice long letter for Father's day thanking him for his example. Yes, Father Reid does know best! :-) He wrote how much he appreciates his dad's obedience and example - especially in always arriving to church early! He gets the importance now of how important Sundays are, not only Sacrament, but the spirit and strength it brings in getting you through another week. It was a nice long letter, but I don't have a copy with me right now.

Here's a portion of his e-mail to me while we were in Mesquite... hey from mexico! how is the old mesquite? ha ha, and talk about hot, this week we had to stand on the side of the highway for an hour and a half for a ride because we don't have money for buses so its stand there till someone gives you a ride and it is blazing hot out and windy here too! but its good and hard we don't have anyone that is progressing because they dont go to church, but its going and we just need to have faith and work hard but ya i am survivig being dehydrated all the time....hañ.......but that is funny that they are both in the hospitol at the same time -- but hopfully grandpa gets better. love you and hope you had a good birthday mom and ha ha speeding tickets are not the presents you want silly! love you tons and tons and tons - love you from mexico from your only son Elder Reid

Yes, I got a speeding ticket the week of my birthday... doh! I think we have pictures coming soon, I can't wait to post them! Life has been super dooper busy lately, keeping up with two jobs is tricky! However, it's true what they say about having a missionary out, things just work out smoothly and blessings come!

But wait, there's more!... (posting twice today)

Total Derek wack-i-ness! Baseball hat, red ryder bee bee gun, cowboy boots, bandit mask, and his favorite levis!
(click the picture for a closer look at Blythe, her face says it all!)

Giggly kisses

And yes, baby brother in the doll buggy! Blythe would tote him back and forth a billion times, up and down the hall. She only tipped him over a couple of times, ha ha! Sounds like we might be getting pictures soon! We're excited!

I’m posting some of Derek’s letter to Blythe first (which made me laugh, then cry - and is the reason I dug out these pictures to post)… Happy Birthday this week Blythe! And it’s OK that he’s trying to make you one year older than you are – ha ha! After all, apparently me and your dad are ancient – bless his heart! Tee-hee

hola mi hermana! how is it going this week for you? hope all is well with you guys. all is going good for me, in my new area now. its about the same - lots of dirt and really hot but its good. loving the work and learning everyday! but just wanted to wish you a happy birthday and what, now you are like 23 i think, no? ha ha but ya i told mom that her and dad are old - you are turning 23 and your baby brother that you used to push around in a doll cart and know exactly what i wanted without me saying anything is almost 20 ha ha crazy i don’t feel 20, i feel like i am still 16 just learning to drive - crazy how fast life hits you. its not a year to year thing, it’s a 5 year thing that things pass in, its crazy but i love you with tons of love you don’t even know about (how much) its so deep it will never show, but its there. love you and happy birthday and have fun - go to dinner and stuff but have fun and love life ha ha - love you sis! Elder Reid

And, some of our e-mail this week… one week into his new area (El Carrizo)

- On Ms. Boberg’s passing (wonderful teacher at RHS)… ya i had her, she was the teacher for AP history - she was cool and really nice so that is sad to hear

- Weather? it is like 100 degrees today ha ha and its hot as a pistol here! ha but ya i got a cool tan on my arms and face! nada mas..... (going to have to translate that one)

- How is the new place, and the people? Any interested investigators? How's your new Ward? And do you like your new companion? the new place is nice, its a house thats above another so less bugs which is good. its just me and my companion and it’s a pretty big place so its nice. it has tiny stairs to it and the first day i cracked my head on the corner Aaaa! i will send you a picture and yes it is the same house as elder baker and ya i know him ha its the second picture i will send pictures too but ya its good. my area has alot of little towns like 30 min away so lots of gordos or rides ha ha but it is cool and ya they have 11 fechas for bautismal but they have a problem of not coming to church so we will see and we have a house of prayer not a church. its nice though, small ward but good people......and my companion is one that was in la cruz - my first change so its cool, i knew him before but ya he is cool and ya just working hard!

- We need to send your birthday package out soon - do you have anything on your wish list? i dont think that i have anything as of right now but i will think and make a list of things and send it to you so you can send me a package for my birthday! ha ha! wow 20 years old mom. ha ha you and dad are old and blythes, wow - you are ancient now! but i am good and just getting used to the area and people. they all have weird names here and i can never remember them, but i am working on it. i just call them hermana y hermano (Brother & Sister), it works, but its good and i am liking it although its hot hot hot! but what can you do - they say just wait till july august, oh boy, can i just tell you i cant wait? ha ha my birhtday i am going to fry! i could bake me a cake on the cement outside ha ha but love you tons and tons and take care this week. love your son that’s almost 20 - Elder Reid

Not so happy bus ride... (1st Transfer!)

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Wow! Life has gotten so busy… work, Ward parties, work, family, work… There’s so much to tell you all, I just can’t seem to find time to get to the computer! Derek survived his first transfer! A wee 7-hour trek across Mexico by bus. He traveled from La Cruz to El Carrizo on June 1st.

ok so pues ya so i had one hecccccckkkk of a trip! so I went to culiacan with the one other (missionary) in la cruz that was leaving with me but was going to just culiacan and then on to another place. we got there at like 10 and then stayed there waiting for other people that are going to los mochis with me and no one showed up -- and its close to one now so they say you are solo and put me on a bus and i go for 3 hours to los mochis. so i am close to the bus stop and i see missionaries out there so i go to get off and get my bags and it is like 15 minutes and go in the front and no one is there and i ask in my half good spanish and they tell me that there was missionaries here and so i get out the card with numbers and the lady says she can't call the cell phone numbers so i wait some more and then go talk to her again and finally get her to call the president… and ya so i call him and tell him i am in the bus station and no one is there and so he calls them to see what the deal is and they forgot i was coming. forgot i was coming! how do you forget someone is coming? so i was in that bus station for like 4 hours waiting. i was there till 8! it was crazy and so we slept in los mochis and then came here. el carrizo is my new area and i am with elder navariz and the house is cool (hmmm... air or cool house?) and its good and I just put my stuff in there and now emailing you so ya ya but they do have air conditioning in the big busses ha ha and my hair cutting went well and ya like with a 3 and the whole thing but for the second try it broke but i took it back and got my money back so that was good ha ha but that is about it and i am tired and i will let you know more next week about my new area ah ha ha love you tons and tons and have a good week love Elder Reid

Now… as most of you know, missionaries aren’t ever supposed to be alone. His story made us laugh – kinda reminds you of the “Other Side of Heaven” movie? We are so glad he made it safely and is keeping his sense of humor. One of the MM’s was telling me that she thinks Derek is following the same route her son has been taking. I looked at her missionary web site and found some pictures that her son had sent. The first picture is the kitchen of the first apartment Derek was in in La Cruz – makes me laugh as it is pretty much just like he described it on the phone on Mother’s day! The 2nd picture is of his new place – I was able to verify that in his e-mail today. Now I understand his statement “the house is cool” – uh huh, mucho’s better-o’s! ;-)