Letters from Dad - January 2008

Here are two e-mails I received from Dad just after Christmas two years ago.

-----Original Message-----
From: Jason Spinnett
To: avweller@aol.com
Sent: Thu, Jan 24, 2008 6:02 am

Dear Angie

Thank you for all the Christmas gifts. I got the jacket and DVD just yesterday because my DHL man had a tragic loss of his unborn child in the sixth month so had to keep house and care for his wife and so was maxed out with overwork.

I am enjoying many email exchanges with Steve. I send him stories from my history of my life and our family. He gives me feedback to keep me straight on the chronology of events.

For the last two months I have been camping out in my house because my water pipes burst under my tile floor and so I have had to get all my water from the other house and get all my chores done with water in plastic buckets, it is summer so the lack of hot water is only noticeable when washing dishes and bathing. They came last week and brought in a new waterline from the street but it only is connected to the kitchen so far. The floor tile must be broken up to find and repair that ruptured pipe. Every craftsman is busy with construction now so nobody wants to help the foreigner and keep their own people waiting. I had half a dozen people voluntarily twisting arms to get those plumbers last week. It has been a good time for me to practice the “whatsoever state I am in, therewith to be content” principle.

I just went out and watched the dawn from my hammock with my cat curled up on my stomach. My cat climbs a vine to a high safe place inside a thorny arbor atop my garden wall where she can see but not be approached by man or animal. The neighbor girl innocently brought her toy size dog over to see the cat whereupon he jumped down and tried to attack her, but she just ran to her vine and zoomed up and away from the threat. A bird eats her Whiskas food right in front of her one piece at a time but Jackie is too mesmerized to chase the bird. This cat is not a house cat but a cat with a dream playground of trees, walls to walk on, and people to greet outside. She sleeps on a low chair on the veranda and stays out of the house. love, Dad

-----Original Message-----
From: Jason Spinnett
To: avweller@aol.com
Sent: Sat, Jan 26, 2008 10:32 am

In light of the fact that my calling is to learn patience and kindness ala 1Cor.13, I am dealing with a handful of discomforts right now. None is affecting my excellent health or my relationships.

Raul went all out and brought me a total of three plumbers but this is the busiest construction season in anyones memory and all competent craftsmen are overbooked already. However... Just yesterday, God sent me a very good mature craftsman who knows both plumbing and masonry so he has finished all except the most difficult task of locating a pressure leak in the three year old pipes somewhere under my tile floors. We must try to guess where they laid the pipe to the bathroom, and cap it off so it won't leak from the new water source from the other street where it is now connected. We opened one tile in the floor and must remove more till we find the old pipe. As you know, there is no open space under a masonry tile floor. It is sand and gravel fill.

Thanks for all the interesting news about the family. Satoko didn't tell me she was pregnant. I have sent Steve several stories of our family history from my viewpoint and he gives me enthusiastic responses. this is the best communication we have ever had. I can't tell you how much this means to me!

I love you, Dad

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Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

~Angela