Who is Tuli?

One of my cousins asked about Tuli and I thought maybe I should explain a little about who she is and why she is important in my life.

Her family were already members of the church when my brother Harold served in Guatemala on his mission. Her mom cooked for the missionaries, so he became really close to the family. Her family came to Arizona to be sealed in the temple in November 1968. Ron had died the June before and Rachelle was due to be born in a few weeks. Tuli wanted to stay in Arizona so that she could learn English. It was a win/win situation for both of us. I was lonely and didn't want to move back into my trailer without someone to share it with. She could attend High School during the day and when I did go back to work in the evenings, she took care of Rachelle and put her to bed every night. She rocked her and sang songs and loved her.

She became the little sister I had always wanted. During the summer we both went up to Vernon to live because she couldn't work while in the states on a student visa. We had such a wonderful time together. When I remarried she lived with Mom and Dad and then eventually lived with other young women while she went to Yavapai College and got her nursing degree. But our house (my parent's) was always her home base for holidays, family gatherings, etc for the five years she was in Arizona. She is WONDERFUL. But she came back to Guatemala and married out of the church and the rest is history. No one in her family is active anymore. Her mom was active until her diabetes caused her to have her legs amputated and she couldn't go anymore. When Tuli married Cesar they became completely involved in a Mennonite Church. It isn't the conservative branch, like the Amish, but is a peace-loving, Good Samaritan type thinking church. But it isn't the true church and that makes me sad.

Tuli and I stayed in touch over the years--sometimes better than others. She came to visit once when Jason was a baby. When Rachelle graduated from High School, she came to Guatemala and stayed with Tuli for several weeks. It was an awesome experience for her. Then several years later Janae came down and lived here for two months and attended a Spanish Immersion school. She shared a room with Vicky and Pablo was a little guy then. Several of Tuli's nieces still remember Janae and when she came to visit at Tuli's sister's beach house.

Mail was always sporadic to Guatemala. For awhile I sent faxes to her sister's husband's office. But then that number changed. Somewhere about the time Spencer and I were married, I lost her address and contact info. So we were out of touch the last 10 years. When we got our mission call, the first thing I did was check to see if Mixco was in our boundaries--and it is. So our first day here I looked up Cesar Montenegro in the phone book--and we reconnected. Cesar said the whole night after I called she spent the time crying and reminiscing about all of our memories. When Nate and Christena were here she called me later and said, "I still can't believe it. You were really sitting and eating in my house. It seems like a miracle."

Tuli was the little sister I always wanted and she was Rachelle's "other mother" for many years. She is family. What more is there to say? :)