Sister Emily Elise Shill

Dear Friends and Family, This week I tried to write down little thoughts to tell you guys!! I hope this gives you some idea of how I've been doing, and the little things that I think about as a missionary. Thoughts on Scripture:  I have never loved reading the scriptures so much. I enjoy just holding them in my hand. Sometimes I just read chapters about the doctrine of Christ and it just makes me happy. I feel peace. I think a large part of it is because I don't have anyone to connect with really. I can kind of connect with my companion,  but our relationship will never be particularly deep.  So the scriptures have become the way I connect with God and feel His understanding and love for me. It's how I feel connected.  Sending a daily scripture to Rachel and Ben (two non-members we've been teaching) has been really good for me. We always send context, so I have to ponder why I like the scripture, what someone needs to know to understand the scripture, and what it tea...

Dear Friends and Family, Sorry it's been a little while. Things have been crazy. P-days are especially busy. Right now we are teaching 4 people: An older lady who has been going to church for years and knows is the right thing to join. An engaged couple who is super open to learning about the Book of Mormon and just wants to study it. An older man who discovered Christianity in prison and is open to learning about the Book of Mormon and coming closer to God. Each of the people we teach is super wonderful and unique. The area is really beautiful, and we're getting to know our ward better!! So all in all, I'm doing well. Sorry this is such a short update. Much Love, Sister Emily Elise Shill

  Oct 4 I had my first zone conference this week! It was awesome. Brother Littlefield came. He's over the Central West America Area, it covers Montana, Wyoming, Chicago, Colorado, etc. He was amazing. He blasted us with stats about what our mission is doing well, and what it needs to improve. One of the things we need to improve is working with members to fine referrals, because member referrals are 12 times more likely to get baptized. It just so happens that working with the members is my passion, so that was very validating.  The other thing that really blew me away was how Brother Littlefield talked about our ability to influence other's agency. He explained the Key Indicators (numbers we report every week: Baptized, On Date for Baptism, Attended Sacrament, New People Taught). Key indicators seem like a terrible idea because they are goals based on others' agency. But man cannot have power to choose unless he is enticed by one or the other. So we get to entice people an...

Dear Friends and Family, Last week I had my first exchanges this week! Our Sister Training Leaders are in a trio, so two went with Sis. Bealer to Fruita, and I stayed with Sister Ray in the young adult ward. I learned a lot from the exchange that I'm still kind of processing. I have been studying the Christ like attribute of hope. While on exchanges, I found the scripture Jeremiah 17:7-8: "7- Blessed is the man that trusteth in the Lord, and whose hope the Lord is. 8- For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and that spreadeth out her roots by the river, and shall not see when heat cometh, but her leaf shall be green; and shall not be careful in the year of drought, neither shall cease from yielding fruit." Basically, this reflects President Nelson's famous quote about the joy in our lives having little to do with the circumstances of our lives, and every thing to do with the center of our lives. Obviously that Center for our lives that brings joy is Jesus Chr...

Dear Friends and Family, I don't know what to say! So much has happened and I ran out of time to write last week so now I have twice as much to cover.  When I arrived in the Grand Junction West Zone, I got to say hello to my old friend Morgan Bledsoe from Helaman Halls. She got on the bus I got off, to go to Denver and then to fly home. This was a sweet tender mercy to me. Following that I met my companion/trainer, Sis. Milaya Bealer. Sis. Bealer is a very kind person, and an easy person to be around. I think God knew we'd have a lot to teach each other.  On the other hand, I really struggle with keeping the rules. Sis. Bealer is very obedient and so she's been helping me in that category. It's a bit of a slow process, but I get better everyday. Another thing I struggle with is our Mission President's terminology. He's a delightful person I'm sure, it's just that he uses a lot of phrasology that is very difficult for me. Thankfully, I came somewhat prepa...

  We are happy to report that  Sister   Shill  arrived safely to the Colorado Denver South Mission. Attached you will find a picture which was taken of your missionary with President and Sister Rees and one of the entire group who arrived yesterday.  Sister   Shill  will be serving in the  Grand Junction West  Zone in the  Fruita 1  area.

Dear Friends and Family, If you are not my mother (or even if you are) and you are not interested in reading a novel, feel free to skip to the Small Plates Version at the bottom of this email. Large Plates: This last week has been a lot. I'm really struggling to know where to begin. I guess we'll back it up and start from the beginning of my stay at the Provo MTC. The first night at the MTC, as we were going to bed, Sis. Seymore and Sis. Daybell said in perfect unison, "Don't let the bed bugs bite!" We should have known then. The next morning Sis. Seymore woke up with a little bit of a rash on her face. She insisted it was fine. Every day the rash got worse and Sis. Seymore complained of intense chills. She was always cold, but as days went on she began to shiver in classrooms the rest of us thought were plenty warm. On top of that her stomach began to hurt, but she just dismissed it as stress. She began to eat less, and what she ate was often just sug...