19 February 1999

I got two letters yesterday, one from Mum and Dad, and one from Jenny.  Uncle Bert died on the first of February.  Kidney failure.  The letters provided a lot of details about his death and funeral, so I'll just insert them in here instead of writing it all over again (the letters are taped in my journal.  I'm not going to transcribe them here).  This entry will just be my thoughts and feelings.  I read Jenny's letter first.  It hit me pretty hard when I read the first two lines, even though I already suspected he had passed away.  I guess I was still clinging to some hope.  I'm worried about Aunt Cath, but she's a strong woman; she'll be okay in time.  I'm more worried about Grandma.  It is a terrible thing to outlive your child, no matter how old the child may be.  I hope this doesn't affect her health.  I want to see her again in this life.  I'm worried about Jake, too.  This is the second loved-one who has died while he has been on his mission.  (The first was our friend, Cam Calder, who died in a motorcycle accident two months before I started my mission.)