Week 27

July 23, 2017

Dear Loved Ones,

This has been a relatively quiet week in the Mission Office.  It is a calm before the storm.  August 2nd, we have 19 new missionaries arriving. And the next week we will be having Zone Conferences again.  I have just barely finished writing up my notes for the history of our last Zone Conferences. I am still labeling photos I took at that time.  Hopefully, I will be all caught up by the time the new missionaries arrive.

Our housing couple has been in a dither trying to find housing for all the new missionaries.  We have received a number of new cars in anticipation of our increase in numbers which makes a lot of extra work for our Vehicle Coordinator. He has to install TeeWee’s in the new cars.  TeeWees are the way that Salt Lake keeps track of who is speeding or driving aggressively. A voice warns the missionary to lower his speed, but going too fast over bumps can trigger a driving aggressively without a warning.  I am glad that I brought my own car.  The bumps in my apartment roadways would probably get me in trouble for aggressive driving.

Today’s Sacrament Meeting was wonderful.  We started out singing Call to Serve.  We had a wonderful talk by a young man called to an England Mandarin Speaking mission. He sounds so eager to serve and bore a wonderful testimony.  I am so impressed with our Bishop who has anyone who is baptized, receives the Priesthood, or progresses in the priesthood or Young Women’s to come to the stand and bear their testimony.  I can see this is one of many reasons that this ward has a dozen missionaries out serving all over the world. Today a young man who is going into the Teacher’s quorum bore a very sincere thoughtful testimony, a girl going from beehive to Mia Maid also bore her testimony about the things she had gained from EFY last week.  A second girl was awarded her medallion and also bore an amazing testimony.

We then had a wonderful musical number.  I young woman played a medley on the violin of “If you could Hie to Kolob “and “Come Thou Font of Every Blessing.” She played it like it was Scottish folk music.  You could almost imagine bagpipes. I learned afterward that she is the girlfriend of the newly returned missionary that spoke to us when her number was over. He reported his mission to Scotland. The most interesting convert stories he told were about working with Chinese students studying in Scotland. He told about one girl they met a week before she returned to China.  She was a sponge in soaking up the gospel truths.  She had read the complete Bible 7 times before coming to Scotland and she was eager to know more about Jesus Christ. The missionaries taught her every day before she left.  On her last Sunday, she stood and bore a powerful testimony.  The bishop was impressed that they should baptize her before she returned home.  It is amazing how the Lord is preparing leadership for China. Also interesting that the young man who spoke first is to learn Mandarin before going to England.

Hope you all celebrate our wonderful ancestors that crossed the plains. Some of them many times. I think of Franklin D. Richards having to organize the Saints in England for their ocean voyage and eventual handcart trek across the plains.  Imagine how destressed he must have been as his carriage passed by the Martin and Willey companies realizing that they were much too far from Zion to make it before bad weather hit. He was the one to alert Brigham Young to the difficulty they were in.

Love and hugs to all,

Grammie/Sister Shill

Week 24, 25, 26

July 16, 2017

Dear Loved Ones:

I started a letter last Sunday night to thank everyone for making the reunion such a success. The dinners were so yummy. I appreciate all the hard work it took the boys to make so much fun for the rest of us. Thanks to Emily for the four-wheeler trips up the mountain, where the view reminded us of being on Mt Arbel overlooking the Sea of Galilee. I hadn’t finished thanking every one so I didn’t send the letter last week.  When I went to finish it today, it seems to have disappeared. So please know how much I appreciated the wonderful devotionals each night and all the love I felt from all of you. It was so great to spend time remembering Grandma Nonie and all the amazing things she accomplished in life. She set a powerful example for us to follow.

This week has been busy at the office.  I have been trying to decipher my notes from the Zone Conferences the week before the reunion.  I think all the fun at the reunion erased my brain and it was harder to figure out what my notes meant. But I finally have all three conference notes in the history.

I have also been helping Sister Parkin get the transfer board up-to-date and prepare for the huge group of missionaries coming in August. We will have 18, so many new sisters that some Sister Trainers may be a threesome training 2 Sisters at a time.

Friday night Cassidy and I went to a fun dinner theater here in Pocatello called the Palace Playhouse.  The locals put on “Fiddler on the Roof”.  The Parkins told me about it and they were there also. The owner played Tevya and did a terrific job.  It was a fun night for us.

A new family has moved across the hallway from me.  Jerimiah  is originally from Newport News, VA, his wife, Sarah’s father is in the Air Force, so she has lived many places.  They have moved here from Toole, UT.  He works with radiation stuff. He described himself as like the men in Yellow suits in the movie, Monster’s Inc. They have two little boys, Malachi and Ezra.  Malachi is in my Primary Class. We had them over to dinner today and afterwards Malachi wanted us to come to his house and play “Ticket to Ride”.  We went over and played with his family.  Of course, Malachi lost interest and just the adults played to the end.  Cassidy was the winner.  It was fun and I am so grateful to have this cute family just across the hallway. I am going to be lonely when Cassidy leaves in two weeks.  I can’t believe how fast the time as gone by.  She is a delight to have around.

Thanks again for making the Reunion such a success!! Looking forward to the 24th of July. We have so much to be grateful for in our pioneer heritage.  Their sacrifices have brought us blessings! Let’s make them as proud of us and we are proud of them.

Love and hugs,

Grammie/Sister Shill