Week 51

January 15, 2018

Dear Family,

I am sorry to be slow writing.  I have a new Sunday schedule. I go to church at 1:30 p.m. instead of 8:30. It has many advantages – more time to prepare my Primary lesson, time to start dinner so I can invite friends over, the possibility of sleeping in. The liabilities are the temptation to procrastinate lesson preparation or wake-up time, not having my afternoon to write letters home, and children that are hungry and tired in Primary.  I have a delightful class of 5 girls and 2 boys just like my family. One little boy talks incessantly, the other boy I feared I offended last week when he wasn’t feeling well. Thankfully, he was cheerful and helpful this week, and didn’t seem to have a grudge about my misunderstanding him last week.  The bishop’s daughter seems a full year older than the other girls.  She helps her friend, Anabelle, read when called on and knows the answer to any question. I will enclose a picture I took this week. Two of the girls were not there. Left to right they are Anabelle (I was very careful to only write 1 ”n” in her name. 2 “n”s upset her. The label for our class door misspells her name. Next is Olivia Allgood (that is really her name) she likes to sit next to me in opening exercises and make my upper arm flap just like her grandmother’s. Next is Makenzie, the Bishop’s precocious daughter. Christian Swift is the older brother of Elliott in my last class. Last but not least is Payson.  If you wonder what he is putting in his mouth -it is a bird nest treat that I made melting butter, marshmallows and chocolate chips and stirring in Chinese noodles. I formed them into nests and put in jelly bean eggs.  We had a story in the lesson about a boy whose father worked at a bird refuge and whose rowdy classmates wanted to destroy a nest and break the eggs. Maybe I did the wrong thing by starting the lesson with the nest (treats) that they destroyed (ate) along with the jelly bean eggs!

Not much to report about the mission, last week was the calm before the storm. Tomorrow we say goodbye to 5 missionaries. Two of them are 2 transfer missionaries that have received calls to regular missions. One Elder is going to the North Washington, D.C. mission with headquarters in Potomac. The Sister is going to Milwaukee. Wednesday, we get 5 new missionaries and then transfers on Thursday.

Saturday, I took the two Sisters that live in my apartment complex to lunch.  They are amazing missionaries and I enjoy visiting with them.

Sunday night, I attended the Interfaith Fellowship Service honoring Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. The president of the Fellowship is also our new Primary Chorister and she is terrific at both those jobs. I get involved because of my work on the Public Affairs committee. I have enjoyed all the events I have attended.  I met another LDS woman who is new to Pocatello.  She is recently divorced and she enjoyed hearing about some of the happy events in Marsali’s life this past year.  She is going through some difficult times.  Her name is “Daisy” I told her that will be easy for me to remember because I have a Daisy in my family.  I’m taking her to lunch tomorrow after we hear what President Nelson has to say.

After I got home I watched the YSA fireside with Elder and Sister Uchtdorf. I have never heard her speak before and she is as charming as her husband – they are quite the exemplar couple.

Love you all,

Grammie/Sister Shill