This is a letter I wrote to Elder Jacob Bird, my younger brother, who is currently serving a full-time mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I thought I would post it here, which is not something I normally would do. It's a good summary of the last few weeks. If bits and pieces are confusing, oh well. :) Jake and I usually write a lot less formally, but there is always a time and a place huh?
Thanks for hanging in there with us. My family loves all of you.
Hello! It's Monday! March 26th!
Crazy huh!? It's been 7 years since dad checked out. That's a crass way to put it. :) You have been such a stud dealing with all of it. I just want you to know how impressed I am with the young man you have become. Technically, I should say impressed with the man you have become. You graduated high school with a great transcript, got into BYU, are currently serving a honorable mission and you are dealing with a sick mom at home and YOU are teaching and changing so many lives around you. Your mission president thinks the world of you and so do France and I and the rest of your family. Grandma and Papa think you are awesome and the whole Bird family cannot wait to hear all about your mission when you get home this August. We are even going to have a get together where you talk about your mish and I am gonna make you perform the song you wrote (if I don't, Grandma Bird will!).
So lemme catch you up on the last few weeks!
Sam and I went to ORLANDO with the Coopers and went to Disneyworld. Her and I were talking on video chat and she asked me if I wanted to go thinking that I would say no. Well I didn't, and less than a week later he and I were on a plane to Florida. Sammy had a flu and had major diarrhea the WHOLE time and I had a sinus infection, but we made it. He threw up on me three times during the flight and COVERED me. HA! He also had diarrhea'd on me on It's a Small World. Yuck! He loved Pirates of the Caribbean tho! I'll send you some pics!
So I got to spend my Birthday (I'm 27!) with Jen and Todd in Savannah and then we drove up to Charleston to sight see for a few days. Sammy is a little traveler.
Brent was released as Bishop yesterday. He will be missed, what more can I say. He looks forward to serving with the young men of the Stake in a new calling. Bishop Todd Rogers has a nice ring to it huh? :)
Mom has been doing so great this last month and enjoyed having grandma and papa take care of her so I could have a break. Mom is a lot of work these days. It's not easy, but I love her and would do anything for her, we all would and we have had so many helping hands along the way from our home ward, from family and from our Mountain Home ward that I have simply lost count. Service is much easier to give than receive huh? It takes a lot of humility to ask for help, something that I have had to learn. We have needed the help and still do. We have so many people to thank.
We ended up in the ER yesterday, Mom was pretty dehydrated. Paula and Kennon stopped by and Kennon helped France give mom a Priesthood blessing. Heavenly Father wanted her to know that he is asking her to endure a little longer, that she is still teaching all of us.
Jake, I was very worried yesterday. I nearly called the mission president to put him on alert. I hesitated and it was the right thing to do. She is home with us today, she doesn't remember a thing from yesterday. She's not remembering much lately. She is also not eating or drinking very well either. These are not good signs. Please continue to work hard and pray hard. Elder Bird, you teach the plan of Salvation everyday, but you are also living it. YOU live it every moment. I don't know what the next week will bring. I don't know if this weekend was just a hiccup in her health or a sign of things to come. I will keep the mission office informed if there is any change. I still think we have a little while. I will let you know. Will you write her a little Jakey love note to her? She loves hearing from you, we all do. We are here for you, we admire you, we absolutely love and adore you.
Talk to you soon.
Love, Lindsay
PS From Mom "Love you Gordon, keep up the good work."
It is a good work you're doing Jacob, the best.
