irielife.net

Dear Family,

I tried to send my recording of Clint’s funeral,but it clogged up my e-mail all week, until I realized my ISP (sonic) was blocking because the recording was 80 MB (it was 1 hr 30 minutes,even after editing out a lot of the gaps andpauses).  I have changed my out-going ISP to irielife, which has no limits, and will tryagain tonight, to send the MP3.

It includes talks (stories) by Bryan, Wayne andRonnie, and it is a treasure, in my opinion.

After the burial, I was able to visit a little with Ronnie and his wife.  I had to leave, butdid get a chance to say hello to Vicki and Gary.

You would have been proud of your Sudweeks cousins: they are admirable and accomplished people with strong testimonies and a great love for their dad… and their step-mother, Mary.  Wayne, in his talk and stories, told frankly how he resentedMary, at first, but how her  skill as a homemaker and her love for their dad, brought him around.  I think she was married to Clint longer (30 yrs) than Dad’s sister, LaVive.  In any case, Ronnie leaned over to me at the dinner and said that, yes, they had all come to really love Mary, that she had a tender and open heart, now.

Obviously, she was made of better stuff than our Louise, but it was very encouraging, for me, to see my cousins step-mother struggles openly discussed. It was also a triumph of gospel living, because Ronnie credited (in the quiet aside to me at lunch) the changes in Mary to the influence of living the gospel and to Clint’s love and committment.  He said Mary changed, [softened, became more open and loving], in response to Clint … and probably to the acceptance and kindness of our cousins.

It is interesting that most of Clint’s kids live nearby, with, I think, only Bryan and his familyliving “far away” in Utah.

Please let me know if you have an e-mail providerthat will allow an 81 MB MP3 attachment, and, if not, if you want me to snail-mail a CD.

Love,

James

[note from J.B.: you can download the file here ]