Letter to Marian and Frank, March 23, 1969

 Mom, Charles, Rachel, Velvet and Helen

Dear Santa,

Your presents arrived safely and we thank you very much.  We paid just $.50 duty on it.  the children were thrilled to get the package.  I just finished reading the book you sent and enjoyed it.  I often saw Orthodox Jews in New York.  I learned a lot from the book and thought if only we as Christians would spend that much time studying the Bible!  It was very impressive to see how much time and effort they put into study of their holy books, however, I can't imagine the Jew of today doing as much.  Joey hasn't had time to read it yet as it came 2 days ago.

Last Tuesday Helen started vomiting in the morning but didn't vomit until night time, but then I called a doctor as I was worried of dehydration.  We are having another heat spell- 92 to 94 every day, very dry, and terribly dirty.  The doctor said she had pus on her tonsils.  I gave her 2 shots and other medications.  She is fine now but we can't get her to eat so I'm giving her Vitamin C orally.  She had worms and took medicine for that.  In all, she has lost about 2 pounds - her face and abdomen aren't so chubby anymore.  She likes to go around singing, "I'm a little flower of Jesus, open your mouth to sing and close your eyes to pray."  She dearly loves the 4 cats we have now- acquired most of them this last month.

Charles is busy getting into everything imaginable.  He is terribly stubborn.

Rachel enjoys the Brazilian school from 8 to 11:30 the from 1to 3 she studies with me.  In 2 more months we will be done with her correspondence course then in August she will go to the American school.

 Mom home schooling Rachel.

A lady in our church teaches sewing.  I told her starting in July that I would like to study sewing.  It would be 2 hours every day- hopefully I wouldn't have to go more than 2 to 3 months.  I hope to make some shorts on my own but I need more practice.

 Mom sewing.

For a week after carnival I was without a maid as she ran away with the husband of the lady who cleaned the church on Saturdays.  They were neighbors.  A neighbor lost her maid during carnival when she ran away with her boyfriend.  Now I have a married lady who for $20 a month works 7:30 to 4:30 or 5:00.  She lives far away so if we want to go out at night (which is very seldom as Joey has most meetings or church services at night) then a girl from our church will come.

Today I took the children to see "Uncle Tom's Cabin".  It was over their heads but I tried to explain some of it to Rachel.  Joey just got back from church services out of town- 9:30 PM and decided to go to the movie- first one we have gone to in about 4 months.

We just got a letter from Harvey.  He says Frank has been traveling a lot.  Sounds like there will be quite a flood this year.  When we were home there wasn't hardly any snow.

Starting tomorrow a 23 yr old Brazilian lad will start to live with us for 1.5 months while he awaits his papers to go to Germany for a year.  He is not of German descent but has spent one year in the States and now wants to go to Germany.  He is from our church in Londrina and his sister teaches English here in this city.  They both speak English very well as she lived in Londrina with some of our school teachers.

Love,

Donna and Joey

 Donna Biel