Mom's Letter to Reika's Mom (Sun, 7/21/24, 4:43 AM)

Sun, 7/21/24, 4:43 AM

to イワサカオリ

Hi Kaori, we just wanted to let your family know that Reika is safe at our home now. It was a very long day for her. She is such a sweet girl. We are so excited to get to know her. 

7/22/24, 3:10 AM

Thanks for the reply.I’m Kaori.  

Yesterday I was checking the flight radar app to see where Reika is right now.I was relieved to see that the plane landed at the Salt Lake City airport.

And I am relieved to know that Reika was able to meet your family safely.

Reika is shy but loves to be physically active.We hope that Reika will be able to create precious memories with you all in the short time she is here.

Kaori Iwasa

7/2224, 7:19 PM

Hi Kaori, what a treat to hear from you. I’m glad I thought to email you about Reika’s safety. I thought SML would let parents know and almost didn’t say anything. Now I’m glad I did so. I would be worried sick about our daughter’s safety. 

Reika is wonderful! You are raising such a sweet and good girl. She had a long flight and didn’t get home with us until almost 5 AM. We woke her at a little past 10AM yesterday. Our 17 year old daughter and youngest son made her a traditional American breakfast of scrambled eggs, bacon, and pancakes. She also came to church. It was boring for her because she didn’t understand and we laughed with her about that. 

After church, we started dinner and then went on a 3 miles hike as a family behind our house in the mountains. She wants to see lots of nature, so we showed her lots of nature. We have more nature in our plans too. Last night, she gave us gifts! They were SO FUN! Beautiful! The little book she made brought tears to my eyes. Our family loves them and the Japanese food treats. Our son taught her how to make an origami fish. She’s a lot of fun. 

We found out she plays basketball. That’s so fun! I just woke her up (at 6AM) to run with me this morning and then we’ll feed her eggs, toast, and sliced apples before taking her to BYU for the day. 

I would love to keep you updated each day if you’d like. I try to take lots of pictures and videos for her too, so she can always remember her time here in Utah. 

Thank you for reaching out, Kaori. Please let me know if there’s anything else you’d like us to keep in mind that would make Reika’s experience here even better. We love her. 

Jenna Livingston 

Jul 31, 2024, 7:10 AM

Reika came home safely.The trip home was shorter than the one on the way there, so she didn't seem that tired.

And first of all, I must apologize that I did not notice the e-mail you sent me and could not reply to it. I am sorry that I did not reply to you even though you sent me many pictures. They were all wonderful photos. I think it was a valuable experience for Reika to get in touch with the nature of Utah. Reika told me a lot about riding the Uma, going to the lake, etc.

The time she spent in Utah seemed to fly by so quickly, but it seemed like a long time. We are very grateful for the warm welcome you all gave Reika. Hearing Reika's story made us want to visit Utah someday and enjoy the great outdoors. I will look forward to that day!

Thank you very much!