Week 59

 March 11, 2018

Happy Birthday Amy Lofgreen and Amy Grover!!!

Dear Loved ones,

It has been a great week here in the Idaho Pocatello Mission. Tuesday, was Zone conference in Montpelier, ID. That tabernacle is so lovely and has recently been renovated.  The sisters in the Montpelier love the missionaries and go out of their way to have things nice.  They even went over to the tabernacle at 7:00 a.m. with hot chocolate and pastries for the missionaries as they arrived. Unfortunately, the missionaries don’t start to arrive until after 8. Personal study is from 8:30 to 9:00 when the actual conference begins.

Again, the morning was spent watching Videos from Salt Lake on how to use technology in missionary work safely. After our delicious Dutch-oven chicken lunch Sister Hancock gave us a great lesson on the importance of knowing the Savior, because it is our job to invite other to come unto Christ. She used the analogy of trying to describe Disneyland. She had everyone who hasn’t been to Disneyland raise their hand and then asked one of them to describe what they knew.  They didn’t have much to say.  Then she called on someone to describe Disneyland that has been there. Our most important job is to come to Christ ourselves, so we can tell others what it is like.  She also shared an article she read about the 3 things happy people have in common.

1. a sense of self-worth.  They are comfortable in their own skin without arrogance, self-assured without pride.

2. selflessness - they put the needs of others before their own needs. They take joy in serving others.

3. happy people have a plan they know where they are going. “Happiness is a direction not a place”

Optimism is based on faith – faith is a principle of action. President Hinckley said, If you want to be happy, forget yourself, go to work.

In the afternoon President Hancock had each companionship prayerfully decide who they could actually send something uplifting to on their phones.  Talk about feeling the spirit – be in a room of missionaries all praying to know what their investigators need.

That was most evident to me during Wednesday conference because the stake center we were in didn’t have Wi-Fi in the chapel, so we were meeting in the Primary room.  I was sitting right in front of two elders.  When one of the elders started to pray, he was speaking so softly I couldn’t tell what he was saying, but I was close enough to feel the spirit that prayer brought. Magnify that by all the other companionships in the room and you will know what a spiritual feast have had this week.

The Sisters that live in my apartment complex came to lunch on Saturday, and they told of how being able to use the technology is affecting their investigator.  They have a young girl that they are teaching. Her mother lives in Texas and has been taking lessons from the missionaries there. They Skyped a lesson with her mother and her missionaries and now the mother and daughter are reading the Book of Mormon together on their phones. Using this technology will flood the earth with the gospel.

Saturday, I went to the baptism of our Bishop’s daughter that is in my Primary class. Baptisms are the best!  In the afternoon, Jon, Scott Dyer, and Alex flew up and spent a few minutes with me.  What a treat! 

Love you all!! 

              Grammie/Sister Shill

Week 58

March 4, 2018

Dear Loved ones,


It has been a great week here in the mission. Tuesday night, we had the farewell dinner for those missionaries going home. This was a group that was hard to say Goodbye to. Elder Magallon was one of the Assistants to the President, and I felt especially close to the Sisters in this group. The after-dinner testimony meeting was one of the best ever.  It is so amazing to see how strong their testimonies have grown. Elder Moonsarn was so shy at first and he shared a wonderful testimony. He will be a great asset to his Ward in Thailand. It was especially hard to say goodbye to Sister John who has been living in an apartment here in my complex and she has been helping me with the bags we are making for the Cancer center. Sister Smith is another one that I was a hard farewell. Those meetings are my favorite part of the mission.

Wednesday, afternoon we had 2 new two-transfer missionaries arrive and then the Bus from the MTC brought us 2 Spanish speaking Sisters, and 3 Elders.  One of those elders, Elder To’a, actually baptized Sister Pineda who is now living where Sister John was. His brother is dating her sister. It is a small world in the church.  After the welcome dinner, the new assistant, Elder Thompson and Elder Saydee did a great job of introducing the new missionaries to Idaho. Sister Hancock did her power-point introduction of the Hancock Family. President always concludes with his testimony. Another great night!

Thursday Transfers, were more stressful for President Hancock than usual, because of trying to get the phone SIM cards to stay in the apartment and not go with the Elder transferring. The phones are continuing to provide challenges. But using Facebook has already provided results.  Elder Saydee got in touch with a friend in Minnesota, taught him a few lessons and brought in the local missionaries who are continuing to meet with him.

Friday was Missionary Training Council which means I get to work in the office alone that morning. It was a busier than usual Friday morning with my trying to send out the pictures of the new missionaries with the Hancocks to their parents.

Saturday, the Pocatello Inter-Faith Fellowship hosted A Tour of Faith. Basically, they were open houses held in the various houses of worship here in Pocatello. One of the large new YSA Stake Centers hosted an open house and tour of the building. I visited the Seventh-Day Adventists, the local Mosque, Synagogue, Greek Orthodox, and Catholic Church.  This Inter-Faith Fellowship is headed by the woman in my Ward that leads the singing in Primary. She is amazing!!. The Seventh-day Adventist complained to her that they didn’t have anyone to play their organ. There are now several LDS music students from ISU going there on Saturday morning to play for their services.

Last week, there was a Progressive Dinner to raise money for the Food Bank. They started with appetizers at the Presbyterian Church across the street from the building the Mission office is in. Then the main meal was held in our building, and dessert was served at another church. I missed going because I went to a baptism, but I’ve heard it was very successful.

Today was a Regional Conference, broadcast from Salt Lake with Wilford Anderson and President Nelson.
Love to all,


Grammie/Sister Shill