senoritafish | Long lost relatives (Reply)

I got an email the other day from my Uncle Garth. I have not spoken to directly to him since he and his family moved to an Islamic African country, presently not too friendly to the US, almost 18 years ago. He is a Baptist missionary who took his family there ostensibly to start a deaf school. Since then we have gotten form letters from he and his wife, but nothing personal. Once a year they visit the US, mostly for church business, and every year it's a crapshoot on whether they will get their visas approved so they can go back. When my mother died, they used her death as a reason for leaving for leaving the country (family emergency) but never bothered to visit us. I realize his own family takes precedence and they live on the East Coast, while we are on the opposite end of the country. But it was hurtful nonetheless. Apparently, he has been in touch and visited recently with my brother, who gave him my address. They share the same Born Again Christian religion, in practice, if not exactly the same branch, they have something in common. I am agnostic at best - were I not a scientist, I would probably be drawn to the Wiccan religion, with its respect for the earth and goddess base. Although I don't practice what I was raised in, Christian Science, I havealways respected its teaching of a Father/Mother God. So, I am somewhat uncomfortable addressing a man who starts every letter with "Greetings in the precious name of the Lord...", or something similar. I guess he may be trying to reach out to our side of the family, which has been seperated by distance and misunderstanding; trying to get to know his neices and nephews who have kids and adult lives of their own now. I suppose it can't hurt to just let him know how my life and family are going, but I'd better not get any bible-pounding.