Mission Blog

Christmas Message 10

Fri, 10 Dec 2010 00:36:38 -0700

President & Sister Shill’s annual story and Christmas message.

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Christmas Message
Big Tom

Christmas Message 09

Mon, 21 Dec 2009 23:43:19 -0700

Dear Friends:

           What we have experienced these past two years, has reaffirmed to us, how very aware our Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ are of each one of us. So many prayers offered, have been answered, and we are eternally grateful. Thank to each of you for your prayers and concern.
           On 30 November, 2007, President Shill survived an accident that demolished his pickup. Bruises covered his body, and we called him “The Purple People Eater”, but we were so blessed that his life was spared.
           24 January, 2008, Sister Shill fell, causing a series of problems and was hospitalized 6 May, 2008 where she remained until her discharge the 30 July 2008. At the time, she was still in the process of learning to walk again, therefore it was necessary for us to have help at home. Also, President Shill was going to have to have both knees replaced because of injuries sustained in the accident . Through a friend, President Shill was able to find a lovely young Hispanic woman. It was a double blessing. We needed help, and her husband had recently been laid off from his job.
           We found Lizeth to be a very capable young woman. After being here for a few days she said to Sister Shill, “I would like you to teach me abut your church.” From then on each day they read scriptures and talked about the Gospel. At the time, her oldest boy was fourteen, so we talked about scouting. She knew there were Mormon churches in the area where she lived, but had no idea which one she would go to. At that point, President Shill called the Stake President, gave him Lizeth’s address, and he called the Branch President. The Branch President went to meet Lizeth and her family. He arranged for the missionaries to start meeting with them. After a few weeks the first missionaries were transferred, which disappointed the family, but they soon learned to love the new Elders.
           On 14 April of this year, the whole family was baptized, Lizeth, her husband Juan and their two sons, Edwin, age 14 and Andrew, age 8. We have never witnessed such a supportive branch. The chapel was absolutely filled.
           Juan and Lizeth have been called as the Activity Directors of the Branch. Lizeth is a wonderful organizer, and she and her husband work well together. Edwin is active in Young Mens, and Andrew is excited about Cub Scouts.
           Another great blessing is the help Lizeth has been to Sister Shill with our family histories, scanning pictures etc. They have also done genealogy, using the new computer programs. Not only has sister Shill benefited, but Lizeth has also been able to find some of her records in Mexico.
We truly look forward to hearing from each of you and knowing how you and your families are doing. By the way, we have lots of Facebooks on our Email. They are difficult for us to use…..plain Email is much better for us. (oshilljr@cox.net)
Following, is a true story which reaffirms that Heavenly Father and our Savior are so aware of each one of us and they fill our lives with enumerable blessings.

We send our love,
President and Sister Shill

Mission Reunion Dinner 09

Fri, 2 Oct 2009 00:14:44 -0600

Keeping Christmas

Thu, 25 Dec 2008 21:02:47 -0700

Henry Van Dyke

It is a good thing to observe Christmas Day.
The mere marking of times and seasons, when men agree to stop work
and make merry together, is a wise and wholesome custom.

It helps one to feel the supremacy of the common life over the individual life.
It reminds a man to set his own little watch, now and then,
by the great clock of humanity which runs on sun time.

But there is a better thing than the observance of Christmas Day,
and that is Keeping Christmas.

Are you willing to forget what you have done for other people,
and to remember what other people have done for you;
to ignore what the world owes you, and to think what you owe the world;
to put your rights in the background, and your duties in the middle distance,
and your chances to do a little more than your duty in the foreground;
to see that your fellowmen are just as real as you are,
and try to look behind their faces to their hearts hungry for joy;
to own that probably the only good reason for your existence is not what you are going to get out of life,
but what you are going to give to life;
to close your book of complaints against the management of the universe,
and look around you for a place where you can sow a few seeds of happiness—are you willing to do these things even for a day?
Then you can Keep Christmas.

Are you willing to stoop down and consider the needs and the desires of little children;
to remember the weakness and loneliness of people who are growing old;
to stop asking how much your friends love you
and ask yourself whether you love them enough;
to bear in mind the things that other people have to bear in their hearts;
to try to understand what those who live in the same house with you really want,
without waiting for them to tell you;
to trim your lamp so that it will give more light and less smoke,
and to carry it in front so that your shadow will fall behind you;
to make a grave for your ugly thoughts and a garden for your kindly feelings,
with the gate open—
are you willing to do these things even for a day?
Then you can Keep Christmas.

Are you willing to believe that love is the strongest thing in the world—
stronger than hate, stronger than evil, stronger than death—
and that the blessed life which began in Bethlehem nineteen hundred years ago
is the image and brightness of the Eternal Love?
Then you can Keep Christmas,
And if you can keep it for a day, why not always?

But you can never keep it alone.

The gift of love, freely given, without question or compromise, asking nothing in return,
is the most priceless, the most genuine, and by far, the rarest of all human treasures.

Christmas Message 2008

Thu, 25 Dec 2008 21:01:43 -0700

On August 7, 1831 the Prophet Joseph Smith received in revelation section 59 of the Doctrine and Covenants. In the 21st verse the Lord revealed: “And in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not His hand in all things, and obey not his commandments.”

With this admonition in mind we begin our Christmas letter this year with grateful hearts to a loving Heavenly Father for once again giving to us the blessing of life. We are so grateful for all of your prayers, cards, and flowers for Sister Shill. Your prayers as were ours were heard and answered by Heavenly Father. Words are inadequate in expressing our sincere gratitude for the many prayers offered in her behalf.

Progress is slow, but Sister Shill continues to strengthen and is now able to walk with the assistance of a walker. Before long she will be able to cast this aside and walk on her own as she did 56 years ago when she was recovering from polio.

We live with the hope that we can attend the next mission reunion; however, our lives have been blessed by the visits and calls from many of you that we had not heard from for some time.

We are thrilled as we learn of new births and new callings in the church. Many have completed your education and are in productive endeavors.

It is ten years since returning from the mission field, yet those wonderful experiences come to our minds as though they occurred yesterday. We again thank you for sharing that experience with us.

We close our letter of gratitude with this admonition by President Kimball to husbands and wives. “Love cannot be expected to last forever unless it is continually fed with portions of love, the manifestation of esteem and admiration, the expressions of gratitude, and the consideration of unselfishness.” For fifty-eight years it has served successfully as a model for us.

We wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.

We send our love,

President and Sister Shill
P.S. Please send your emails to info@thefjm.com. We are excited to hear from you!