Quiet Sacrament Meeting

Let me start out by saying I would rather teach a child to read than teach him/her how to tie shoes. That has always seemed like a task that is better left to Mario. But with him gone and one 6 year-old still not tying shoes, it was left to me to teach Zach. For some reason Zach chose Sacrament meeting to learn. I looked over and noticed him practicing. So I tried to quickly show him the "bunny ear" method. That is not the way I learned but I assumed it was the easiest. He just was not getting it. But he was very quiet (unfortunately not reverent) while practicing over and over again. Finally I decided to teach him my method (the right-handed way and Zach's left-handed) and he got it right away. He spent the rest of the meeting perfecting his new skill. Hurray! No more tying shoes.

On separate notes, Eric is the new Deacon's Quorum President and our ward has a new starting time...8 am. Thank goodness I am a morning person.

Countdown

Crazy day today. I needed to be in 3 places at once. So my twins missed out on a Chuck E Cheese party. Before you feel too sorry for them, we have been there at least 5 times in the last 8 months.

Only 176 days, 4245 hours, 254729 minutes, and (the twins favorite one) 15283761 seconds until Mario leaves Kabul. One day when I figure out how to put a countdown clock on my blog, I will.

As far as seconds goes, my twins are constantly asking me how many seconds in a year, or 10 years, or 100 years, etc. I never know, so I am not sure why they keep asking. I can't wait until they learn how to multiple and they can figure it out themselves. By then, I am sure they will lose interest.

Friday

I just wanted to let you know I beat you in our race to "legally" bring a firearm into sacrament meeting. Church was a blast (Mario had to explain that this was meant as a pun because of them all packing heat at church. Despite what he says, I am not planning to carry a firearm to church.) There is a small group of us but everyone is super friendly.

I upgraded my room to a hard billet. That means I'm now in an actual building and out of the tent. I felt only a slight inkling of injustice when I was packing up and moving out when there were a few others in the tent that have been there for weeks. But you know me, I don't settle and I was very assertive. Really, the NCO I helped get on base yesterday felt inbebted and managed to find an open bunk for me. He also helped me drag my bags over to the new room. I no longer have to walk through mud to get to the latrine. A good example of taking care of the troops and they'll take care of you. The new room, however, is packed with almost 30 of us in an area the size of our family room (with our luggage too). I feel bless to have it.

I had the thickest cheese burger of my life today. I also had a large bowl of dark chocolate ice cream; Baskin Robins, no less. I can't wait for another bowl after dinner.

Lunch Meltdown

My boys go to half day kindergarten and so they normally don't eat lunch at school. But when the whole school is on half day, they eat lunch at school because it is 4 hours instead of 3. Make sense? Not really I know. They go longer on half days then on regular days, so I love half days. Anyway, my boys usually bring their lunches to school instead of buying. But last time they decided to try buying lunches. Zach liked it, Nathan did not. Their teacher sends home a note several days early asking if they are buying or bringing. Zach chose to buy tomorrow.

Here's the email from his teacher today:

Hi, Terri!

I was in the middle of explaining what our reading groups were going to be, when I discovered Zachary was starting to cry. (I didn't know reading groups could cause such trauma!!) After researching the issue, Zachary says he wants to bring lunch tomorrow instead of buy it. Will you talk to him later and see what he wants to do? We'll double-check with him tomorrow, and send your money home then if he does, in fact, bring his lunch instead.

You all hang in there!

=) Sharon Beck

Camp Eggers

I got a call yesterday afternoon from Mario saying he arrived safely into Kabul but couldn't talk because he was borrowing someone's iphone. I think everyone has an iphone except for us! I am so jealous.

Anyway, then I got a call from Mario at 1:30 am telling me that he made it to Camp Eggers fine. He was excited because the first person he met from his shop was a Captain from Utah. Mario quickly found out that his office has several LDS.

The following are parts of an email from him about his accommodations and first impressions. I spared you the mushy stuff.

Terri,

I'm getting settled a bit. I won't kid you, I was really struggling earlier. I didn't have high hopes for this place, but it was worse than I imagined when I first got here. I'm in a dirty and dark tent. The other guys in the tent don't clean up after themselves. When we went in to eat and I saw that the quality was a bit poor, it all started to hit me; cold tent, far from home, cafeteria food, communal bathrooms, six months, six months, six months. I couldn't eat much of my food and it took all my self control to not lose it.

After meeting the folks in the shop I feel a lot better though. There are three practicing LDS guys in my office, all of them cool. The other folks in the shop are great too; very friendly. They still don't have space for me and the other two guys I came in with. I'm actually using someone else's computer. The office helps me forget a bit that I'm not in the US. They weren't prepared for all of us at the same time so they're hoping I take a week or so to in process. They are literally asking me to make myself scarce for a few days. I don't know what I'd do with myself: eat, gym, eat, gym, what else???

I had one success already. One of the guys that will be working in my shop was billeted outside the compound (it really isn't that dangerous- green zone). I went over to one of the tents inside the camp and found and empty bunk and then went to the billeting office to have him brought in. He was one happy Sergeant. He thanked me for the effort.

There are some activities here that will help. There is a branch that meets Friday afternoons for service, sacrament meeting and Sunday School. The members meet for lunch before the service. The branch also has FHE on Monday evenings with a lesson or activity. The office has movie night in the office Thursday evening and since there are so many LDS folks, they can somewhat control what is watched (PG). Friday and Sunday morning are off time.

The job is interesting and it really isn't technical like I thought. It will be interesting and everyone in the shop likes the work and the others not in biometrics wish they were.

I met my Col, an Army guy and he is level headed and calm. I will have about five folks working for the shop, maybe more and so far all are cool.

I can call you from the office; perfectly legal.

This is my address:

Mario Perez

CSTC-A, CJ2

APO, AE 09356

Don't add anything else on the address label. DO NOT put my rank, nor put Afghanistan on the label. You may begin the care packages immediately. No need to put toletries since there are shelves of that stuff from everyone elses packages. I look forward to art and stories from Nathan and Zachary and letters from the rest of you.

Love,

Mario

Kabul

Mario has been at Manas Air Base in Kyrgyzstan for the last couple days. But today he left for Kabul and should be arriving shortly. We have been very fortunate with communication so far. He has been able to use the morale phone or call on Skype a couple times a day. Our times are exact opposite so when he is getting ready for bed, we are getting up. Hopefully Skype will work well in his new "apartment." He was told that he could pay a fee to have internet in his room. I am excited because Verizon just announced yesterday that they will start allowing Skype on some of their cell phones next month. Mario is excited to start his new job and do his 180 days and get home.

We are all doing well here at home. The kids seem to be in good spirits and Eric doesn't seem to be as worried now. I looked up statistics to share with him. Less than 100 airmen have died in the whole Iraq/Afghanistan conflict. Out of the 100, only a handful were officers and most of them seemed to be pilots who crashed. So that seemed to ease Eric's (and my) worries. I am glad Mario is not a pilot. I think the worry from him flying would shorten my life by a few decades.

Life is good and I have no complaints. Wait till tomorrow and then maybe it will be different. But for now, I have been sleeping well and I am still feeling at peace. I am grateful to have 4 great kids to keep me busy and keep me company.

Email from Manas Monday 2/15

Hi Terri,

I hope you slept well. I imagine you're on the treadmill right now.

All is well here at Manas. My luggage made it. I had dinner...not bad but I wasn't very hungry. I'm settled in. Except for O-5 and above, we are all staying in a huge tent. There is room for over 200 troops in this tent, but there are only about 100 or so in our group. I got a bottom bunk.

I just took a shower in what is pretty much a tent and container combined. It was heated and the water was warm. I was the first one to try it and as soon as I did a bunch of folks went over. Don't worry. The ladies have their own tent showers.

I will most likely be traveling to Bagram tomorrow and possibly even make it to Kabul. We'll see. I'm not in a hurry since my 179 clock started today.

I met a guy that will be going to my shop. He's a major with more seniority, so I probably won't be the OIC. Not worried about that one bit.

I'm sorry to hear Nathan is having a hard time with my absence. I hope you'll be able to strengthen your relationship with him and help fill the void.

I love you and will try to find a morale phone.

Some of the folks here are buying cell phones locally (AAFES) for about $80 and no monthly charge. All incoming calls are free and family back home just get a long distance plan ($10 monthly). When the troop here is ready to talk, he just texts a message and family knows to call. We'll have to consider this. I also know some folks get internet phone service (I think it might be thru skype also). It costs about $3-4 monthly.

I love you and miss you very much. I'm counting down the days... 180 and a wake up before I split kabul.

I love you.

Mario