Week 44

November 19, 2017

Dear Loved Ones,

I am feeling so blessed to be serving in the Idaho Pocatello Mission. Today the Meridian Temple Dedication was broadcast to my Stake center. This is the second Temple Dedication on my mission. Earlier I was able to attend the re-dedication of the Idaho Falls Temple broadcast to my Stake Center. The new temple matron gave an outstanding talk on the temple as our Heavenly home here on earth. Elder Soares, and Elder Cause were inspirational. President Uchtdorf gave a wonderful talk and dedicatory prayer.  Such a thrill to participate in the Hosanna Shout. So grateful that I could be here for this blessing.

The other reason I am grateful to be serving in the Idaho Pocatello Mission is because so many of you are coming for Thanksgiving. The address is 2925 Michelle Street. Park in the upper parking lot.  It is nearer the kitchen door and you won’t have to haul stuff up the stairs. Can everyone be here by 2:00 p.m.?

The Parkin’s were serving again this week in place of the Rasmussens who are on still on their cruise which entails a stop in Cuba.  I will be interested to hear about their adventure when they are back on Monday.  It was sad to have to say goodbye again to the Parkins.  I have so enjoyed working with them.

Yesterday, I went to the baptism of the cutest girl that works in the grocery store closest to my apartment. She has been such a cheer-up anytime I am in the store.  She has been looking forward to her baptism. She put it off until some of her family could be here. She was glowing yesterday!! Despite her green hair.

I finally got all my notes typed on the recent Zone Conferences. Elder Magallon, one of the assistants to the president, identified the large group pictures for me.  I was able to do the Paris Conference myself. I can recognize the new ones and many of our new sister missionaries are serving in the Marsh and Star Valleys.  I still can’t recognize all of those that were already here when I came in January.

Week 42 & 43

November 5, 2017

Dear Loved ones,

This has been a wonderful week. Our first Zone Conference was in Blackfoot. The drive to Blackfoot used to be miserable because of road construction narrowing the road to one lane for miles.  The summer work crews were all gone and I arrived about 30 minutes early because there were two lanes at 80 miles an hour.  I could hardly believe I was there. It was a great conference.  

The sisters that provided us lunch had decorated everything so cute for Halloween and when the conference was over they gave a box of little “trick or treat bags” to the missionaries.

I drove home in a powerful windstorm. I heard something flapping under the car.  It sounded like I had a flat tire, but the gauges indicated that I wasn’t losing air in my tires.  When I got back to Pocatello, I drove straight to the Buick dealer. Apparently, whatever covers everything underneath the car had come loose. They removed it entirely and said they would order parts to put it back on.

November 12, 2017

I am sorry that I didn’t manage to finish this letter last week.  This week I am trying to get my notes typed up on the Conferences, after typing all day at the office, I don’t want to type more when I get home. Life has been busy in the mission. There were more baptisms in October than any other month since I came here. Maybe it was the boost we got from Elder Soares visit in September.

Back to where I left off – Tuesday night after the Blackfoot conference I had my Public Affairs meeting. We had the new young pastor of the local Methodist Church come talk to us. He was previously serving as Pastor of the Church of the Nazarene in Texas. The Church of the Nazarene is an off-shoot of Methodism. They practice baptism by immersion, which was interesting to learn.

The next day we stayed in Pocatello for another zone conference, but the conference was held in a stake building that I had never been in. They have gorgeous art hanging in their cultural hall including an original Minerva Teichert of pioneers arriving in the Valley.

Thursday was Mission Leadership Training that is usually held on the Friday that I work in the office alone.  Friday was Zone Conference held in the Paris Tabernacle. I drove up to Paris with the Christensens.  It was their last Zone Conference.  They have been training their replacements as Vehicle Coordinators, the Robisons.  I will really miss them. The first time I drove to Pocatello to see what the mission office was like, she welcomed me with a big hug and relieved all my fears about my mission.  They both have such a fun sense of humor, I will miss their playfulness. Things won’t be quite the same.

The Paris Tabernacle is gorgeous. It was built by pioneers that only knew shipbuilding, so when it was time for a roof they built a ship bottom and turned it upside down and put it on top of their building.  The woodworking is so lovely and it has been well cared for through the years. Cherie’s grandfather or great- grandfather helped build it. His home is across the street and still well cared for. I will send pictures.

Monday night of this week was my Empty-nesters fireside. The grandson of the hostess for the night was a recently returned missionary from the Farmington, New Mexico Mission, which is basically the mission to the Navahos.  He had interesting tales to tell and then he made us all make our own fry bread.  He had prepared the dough, but we had to work it and then take it out to the patio where his Grandfather plopped it in the pot of oil and we watched it blossom into real fry bread. There were lots of yummy toppings to choose from when it was finished. It was a fun night.

The rest of the week has been pretty quiet as I continued to type up Zone conferences and get the October baptisms into Salt Lake.

Can’t wait for Thanksgiving and a good dose of family time!! Love you all so much!!

Love and hugs,

Grammie/Sister Shill