I LOVE YOU!

Just had to start the letter with that! You definitely are my favorite and best counterpart!

This has been an eventful week here in Kuwait. Tuesday we took a trip to Kuwait city to visit some dental clinics. I was amazed of the wealth of the place. The clinics were so extravagant, I've hardly seen anything like them. The culture seems so interesting yet mysterious to me. We met with the owner of the clinics and it was surprising that he seemed so humble and approachable. He shared a story of how he and his son were at the site in Kuwait City where the bombing occurred. He and his son were prostate in the worshipping position when only several feet away the bomb went off. If it weren't for them being in that prostate position, he said they would have died. I understand that there was somebody with him at the time next to them that did die. He didn't like to talk about it. He said, though, that it changed his views on material things and encouraged him to live life for the important things. Always a good lesson.

We were supposed to stick to a certain schedule of visits but got side tracked but this guy's invitation to see his other, nicer clinic which happened to be downtown and next to some sweet tourist attractions which seemed just out of the way to visit. So we took a slight detour to look at the sights and consequently got hit by a car in the parking lot. One, I had the opportunity to be the stick in the mud and speak up and say "maybe we should stick to the plan" but of course didn't (I really wanted to go see that stuff too). Also there is the lesson that as soon as we fall off the prescribed path we instantly become vulnerable. That isn't to say we couldn't have gotten in an accident on the route, but the point is we void the protection promised us once we leave it. That also got people starting to conspire lies about why we were there and how to report it. I really didn't want to get anyone into trouble so at first I went along with the story I was being told to tell. But later, in a one on one conversation with one of the assistants while the major was hashing it out with the police, she admitted that she felt that there wasn't much use in trying to bend the story. I was relieved by her saying that and it gave me the courage, when were back in the car and everyone was tryiing to get our story "straight", to say I think we should just tell the truth. I was also very surprised that immediately after the major says "yeah, there is no use in trying to tell a story. At this point we should just tell the truth." I'm grateful that there are people who regardless of faith have moral compasses. I'm grateful for the priesthood that allows me to have a moral compass as well and also a responsibility to defend and sustain truth. I was reprimanded and encouraged that day to stand as a witness at all times of the truth and defend it.

I want to say thanks for the packages and all the lovely treasures in it! I think everyone at work enjoyed seeing what was inside as well - there were some random things in them! I especially like the ear wax vacuum.

I've been thinking a lot of making a mark in the world. Well in sorts those have been my thoughts. Actually I was staring at the pictures I hung in my office you sent. I put the one of Christ with the candle in my office along with several of our family. I was thinking, how can I be more of a light like the one in the picture? As I looked from that picture to our family picture of you all on bears hump, I thought "there's my light!" Our children are the lights that we send out into the world to be on mountains and to shine forth! I don't believe that I am very great at being a spokesman or great beacon but there is hope in our children that we can raise them to be lights and examples and build their courage and faith to enter into the craziness of the world and stand up and out for truth and all that is good and be lights for Christ. Our posterity are the extensions of us and out lights can shine through them! This gives me hope and purpose as a parent.

I sometimes just can't stop thinking of you almost to the point that I feel it might be obsession. But to be obsessed with you is good, right? I feel so driven to be so loyal to you and compelled to be by you as much as I possibly can. I think it is in my nature to be extremely close and intimate with the 'few' in my life and I just have this overwhelming desire to be as inhumanly close to you as I can. Have I weirded you out? Well, if so, sorry, I'm not changing. I want you and to be with you and feel you close to me and to share all I have and am with you. I feel it is a blessing I have been given to just be able to have that ability and desire to be so united with my companion like that. In other relationships I find it difficult sometimes to make new friendships easily, but with you it has been so so easy and so deep and I just yearn to be deeper with you. I am ever so grateful for our relationship and love and that we found each other and are eternal companions!

So I'm weirdly and wildly, ever so madly in love with you!

Justice