Sunday, July 22, 2018

Newness of life (7/21/08)


What was up with Pops's letter!?[1] Is it national bad news week? That is so sad about the nursery child. That must be really weird for you, for one of the kids you knew and worked with to have died, and then to have his twin still around. I don't know what I'd ever do if I lost one so little. Was Z. M. the son of the M.’s in our ward, C.'s brother? In seminary once C. bore his testimony specially because he had had a lethal amount of alcohol and was in the cold wintry gutter and should have died, and therefore knew there was a God. It's always so sad and shocking to hear about people dying, especially when they are young. Were you still out of town when you heard about those?

Last Monday after email we went to Great Clips, and I gave a Book of Mormon to the lady cutting my hair. Afterward the three of us went to the store and Elder Moench was saying something about the Lord or the Spirit or something as we got out of the car. A lady with poofy hair and goofy tight pants said to us, "I heard that. Now which one of you is an Indian?" We repeated what she had asked because we didn't understand, and she started trotting oddly in the other direction. Then she stopped and proclaimed, "I'm not drunk!"[2] Proverbs 23 is right--at the last it biteth like an adder. (Proverbs 23 is a very humorous chapter; I recommend it.)

I of course can somewhat remember what Allie and Preston look like, but a lot of times I just picture pictures that I have seen often and memorized. This week I had a very vivid vision of Allie. It was not a picture, and I could see her exactly. She was making her disgruntled lowered eyebrow face, and she had pigtails. I think being away from all my favorite kids is the hardest thing about being a missionary. I'll try to get a card sent off tomorrow for Allie.[3] I know it will be late but I completely spaced it last week until we had already got home.

I can't think of anything else to write now. Until next week. Or unless I write another letter today.

Love,

Elder Melville


[1] My dad wrote in his email, “I assume you heard that one of our nursery boys . . . died while he choked on some thing while his Mother was driving. He was brain dead for a while before they took him off of life support. He still has a twin brother. Did you know Z. M.? He was about 20. He overdosed in NYC and had to be taken off life support after he was Brain dead.”
[2] This was one of my favorite funny stories of my mission. I used to say, “I heard that. Now which one of you is an Indian?” to the other missionaries when I saw them. When she said, “I’m not drunk,” I thought, “We never said you were, but now that you mention it . . .”
[3] Her birthday is July 22.

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