Dear son,

How are you this week?  I am glad to hear that you and your companion both LOVE to work, it really takes two to do missionary work, actually any work, two people make work more fun and more accomplished.  I just realized something about myself these last few days.  I realized that I am not a lazy person!   Subconsciously, I do try to live and enjoy each day to the fullest.  I work over 50 hours a week at the pharmacy these last 4 weeks.  At home when I am off work, I run errands, have helped Emily and the Young Women for a service project, clean house, plan for our upcoming trip, prepare for meals, get a good night rest, despite not feeling appreciated sometimes but I quickly forget that feeling and keep going.  I truly feel the Lord's tender mercy in moments when I am discouraged and stressed that He visited me with little things like hearing one of my favorite songs on the radio, avoiding things that are not right to do but I got caught in between and He saved me!  I wished one night last week that I could talk to Tim, knowing unlikely it would happen, yet it did happen and he called me on my cell phone before Church the very next morning and we had a nice visit...A patient in the pharmacy last night asked me for the name and address of my boss so she could send him a letter to tell him she is thankful for me because I have caught a mistake in her prescription that her doctor made... I am always thankful for such nice place to live and to raise my own family, great neighbors and friends of high values and standards, beautiful nature surrounding us, I just love life!  These are the Lord's tender mercy which I can "count one by one".

This life on earth is tough!  I am grateful for the knowledge that we are not living this life alone!  We have our "Spiritual GPS" which is the Holy Ghost like Elder Ballard said in the last General Conference.  We have the Atonement of Christ when nothing can help.  We think we can be totally INDEPENDENT sometimes but not really. Humility brings us strength, as we humble ourselves and let someone, like parents, friends, old or young, of great examples to help us, listen to their advice and learn of their wisdom instead of relying solely on our own ability, we will be amazed how much MORE we can learn and grow from them.  Being independent is a good thing but learning, accepting, and letting other people and the Lord help us is of greater value.  Remember that we are not always right!

I am excited about our trip to Hong Kong this summer and it is happening in a few days.  I am planning to visit your Mission President, President and Sister Hawkes while we are in Hong Kong.  I also would like to go for an endowment session in the Hong Kong Temple with dad and Lawrence, with Emily doing baptism for the dead.  There is indeed a lot of things we can do over there.  I would like to bring our family to visit the beach where I was baptized 33 years ago on a Wednesday afternoon September 4, 1979, this day and place have changed my life for the best and forever. I am eternally grateful for my classmate and the two sister missionaries who "knocked on my door" in the summer of 1979.  So, it is going to be fun and memorable.  Well, we might bump into you and your companion in Hong Kong and if we do, so sorry :)

We love you,
Mom  Wednesday 7.18.2012 9:57 AM