HOLD THY WAY

I would like to liken a scripture unto myself (D&C 122:7-9)

“7 And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; (or if you continue to sin over and over and over again, or if someone at church offends you, or if you are sick or crippled or have addictions or financial failure or a wayward child) and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.

8 The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?

9 Therefore, hold on thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee; for their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever.”

I am finding that the term endure to the end is not a mere saying that we hear. Life can be hard at times, we make mistakes, others make mistakes that affect us, tragedy sometimes visits us and when life gets hard sometimes we want to give up.

Why do we jump from the Old Ship Zion (as Elder Ballard says)? And how can we prevent ourselves from jumping? I don’t think that we just decide to jump in one day. I believe that it is a slow process that takes many years.

I believe that people jump ship for a simple basic reason…..they lose the spirit in their lives. The Holy Ghost no longer directs them and their actions. I think that sometimes we think that if we do anything wrong we feel that we are on our own spiritually. That having the spirit with us is either all or nothing. While I think that we can lose the spirit in our lives, I also believe that there is spiritual help and assistance for us in varying degrees and that we need to continually strive to do what we can to have the spirit with us.

I believe that many times we sin and find our lives incongruent with our beliefs. When this happens we must internally reconcile this in order to emotionally survive. This means that we either have to adjust our lives or our belief systems and without a portion of the spirit in our lives we are left to kick against the pricks or come up with a solution on our own.

The preventative measures are…

STUDY THE SCRIPTURES – ESPECIALLY THE BOOK OF MORMON - President Nelson has said “My dear brothers and sisters, I promise that as you prayerfully study the Book of Mormon every day, you will make better decisions—every day…. I promise that as you daily immerse yourself in the Book of Mormon, you can be immunized against the evils of the day”

PRAY – Do not give up on prayer. Pour out your heart to your Heavenly Father and continually ask for His help. Have personal prayer and family prayer each day night and morning. Pray with your spouse, if you have one.

There is something about getting on your knees before God. It is a commandment. There is great opportunity to communicate with our Father when we pray and feel of his spirit, BUT even if we only say a brief prayer that may not feel reaches past the ceiling, I know that the Lord blesses our efforts. He has told us that when we keep his commandments he will bless us.

PARTAKE OF THE SACRAMENT EACH WEEK – I love that Bishop takes time in Sacrament meeting to remind us to prepare for the sacrament and contemplate our Saviors sacrifice for us.

Why is partaking of the sacrament so important?

-        It is a weekly reminder to do all we can to Obey His commandments so that we can have His spirit to be with us.

-        It is part of the repentance process. (I have an old friend that, when he was called as Bishop he mentioned in his testimony after being sustained that some of his best spiritual experiences were leaving his Bishops office after confessing his sins.) Repentance is a cleansing and healing process that can help us to constantly have the a portion of the Lords spirit

-        Sometimes some of us may be offended because of something another member may do or say. I hope that I have not been guilty of my sins (and saying something rude or insensitive could indeed be a sin) giving license for someone to jump ship. Whether you would leave the church because you witnessed me being a thief or because I said something rude, those could be my sins and I would hope they would not give you a reason to jump. If any of us are ever offended by another member, I would hope that we would say to ourselves that this person has their sins and I have mine. The church is a shop for the sinner and not a museum for the saints.

-        An old story that has been used in 100’s of talks refers to a man that was interviewing new drivers for his transportation company. The route was very dangerous and went along several steep cliffs through a mountain pass. The interviewer asked each man how close he could safely drive near the edge of the cliff. The first man responded, “I could drive within six inches of the edge.” The second man responded, “I could drive within two inches of the edge.” The third man responded, “I would stay as far away from the edge of the cliff as I possibly could.”  The third man got the job.  

 

-        Sometimes I think we are don’t want to be too good or conversely, we think how bad can I be and get away with it. Once soon after my mission I was asked to be on a dating panel for some Young Men and Women. They submitted questions and the panel would answer them. One question asked “How far is too far?” I was a little annoyed that someone would ask that question and simply said CHANDLER is too far! I think that this can represent our attitudes sometimes instead of simply trying to be our best selves. If I were asked that question today, I don’t think that I would be as impatient and snarky. My response would simply be “When you the Holy Ghost leaves”

-        Laman and Lemuel were usually obedient eventually. In a modern day, they would probably have been active in the Priesthood Quorums and come to church, but only because mom and dad made them. Remember, they went back for the plates, for the Ishmaels family, helped Nephi build a boat, and sailed to the promised land. However they had not developed their own sense of why they were doing these things. They had not developed their own relationships with their Heavenly Father and as soon as mom and dad were gone they jumped ship.

Several years ago while McKayla and David were younger, we traveled to Taos, New Mexico to go River Rafting. We went over with the Connolly’s.  It was a beautiful area. Because we had some smaller children we decided to break up the trip into an easy rafting trip and then one for the big boys. The first trip was the childs trip, so I figured it would be relaxing and fairly uneventful for a thrill seeker like myself. The kids would love it, but the big boy trip was the next day, so this would be easy peasy.  We got all geared up and the guide gave us instructions

#1- stay in the boat!

#2 - always wear your life jacket!

#3 - always hold on with both hands!

He also told us if you do go in the water, float with your legs out and upright. As we floated along a particularly calm part of the river the boat turned slightly, so that my back was toward the direction that the boat was floating. Suddenly, the raft hit a rock just below the surface right at the edge of the boat where I was sitting and just like that I was in the River. It was cold and what appeared nice and calm on the surface was moving swiftly underneath the surface. I quickly became separated from the boat and began floating as I had been instructed, upright and legs out. Bam! A Rock! Bam! another rock. This hurt and there was no way to prepare for the next collision, because I could not see the rocks below the surface to know when the next one was coming! I eventually made it to a shoreline and was picked up by the boat and we continued on down the river. I was cold and wet and hanging on much tighter than I had been previously.

Dieter F. Uchtdorf

 “Yes, God loves you this very day and always.

 He is not waiting to love you until you have overcome your weaknesses and bad habits. He loves you today with a full understanding of your struggles. He is aware that you reach up to Him in heartfelt and hopeful prayer. He knows of the times you have held onto the fading light and believed--even in the midst of growing darkness. He knows of your sufferings. He knows of your remorse for the times you have fallen short or failed. And still He loves you.

 And God knows of your successes; though they may seem small to you, He acknowledges and cherishes each one of them. He loves you for extending yourself to others. He loves you for reaching out and helping others bear their heavy burdens--even when you are struggling with your own

He knows everything about you. He sees you clearly--He knows you as you really are. And He loves you--today and always!”

 Never give up hope, When we give up trying, we are in essence, giving up on the Savior of the world and saying that he cannot help me, when we all know that he can. Keep trying, Never ever ever give up, even in hard times or hard luck or continually making the same mistakes over and over again, never give up. Look forward to the sacrament each week when we can renew our promise to keep his commandments and to continue to strive to remember Him that we might have his spirit to be with us. Repent and try again.  Yea, like Lather, Rinse and Repeat

After going into the River that day I was especially cautions and careful the next day. If the calm little kids river could hurt as badly as it did, I was pretty certain that I did not want to go for a swim on the big boy day. I hung on TIGHT. I didn’t take chances like the young un’s did. I had a blast and stayed in the boat.

Here are some talks and articles I read to prepare to write my talk.

http://www.thuswesee.com/2012/04/whirlpool-of-spiritual-stupidity/

http://www.thuswesee.com/2012/04/whirlpool-avoidance-or-thank-you/

http://www.thuswesee.com/2012/04/worlds-greatest-excuse/

http://www.thuswesee.com/2012/04/surviving-whirlpool/

http://www.thuswesee.com/2015/10/vaccine-personal-apostasy/

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/stay-in-the-boat-and-hold-on?lang=eng

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/10/god-is-at-the-helm?lang=eng

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/10/to-whom-shall-we-go?lang=eng

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/10/your-next-step?lang=eng

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/10/turn-to-him-and-answers-will-come?lang=eng

 

 

THE TALK NEVER GIVEN

Marci and I were asked to give a talk in Sacrament meeting, but Marci got sick and so the Bishopric asked the missionaries to speak with me and they took up all the time. I simply bore my testimony and sat down. This is the talk I was to give.....  I have included portions of the talk that Marci was to give.

Based on a Talk by Russel M Nelson “Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into our lives”

As my wife and I discussed POWER we asked each other “what is Power?” There are many kinds of Power….political power, muscle power, electrical power, horsepower, social power and God’s power – the greatest of all powers.  What is the power we need now in this life? What power from Christ?

I believe that we are witnesses to the Power of God in the sustaining of President Nelson and how he has been renewed physically in his role as Prophet and President of the church. We heard wonderful testimony from his wife 2 weeks ago when she gave us a little insight into the living with a modern Prophet.

We may need additional power in different ways, because we are all different from each other.

In many instances more power is better. In the world of horsepower, the saying is “There is no replacement for displacement” meaning that the bigger the motor or size and stroke of the piston, the better and for many types this is true, but in other areas this is not true. I like to ride dirt bikes and this is not true for dirt bikes. The power must be useable, tractable and manageable. A large displacement motor on a tight, slow single track trail can be rough, tiring and difficult to control. Typically a smaller motor and lighter bike will be a better tool to use in this application. There is no dirt bike that is perfect for all types of riding. I compare this to the customized power that our Heavenly Father and His Son can give us. He can provide the perfect power we need for every application in our lives.

In 3rd Nephi Christ was preparing to leave the Nephites because they were tired and weak and were not understanding all of what he had been teaching. He told them to go to their homes and prepare for the morrow.

5 And it came to pass that when Jesus had thus spoken, he cast his eyes round about again on the multitude, and beheld they were in tears, and did look steadfastly upon him as if they would ask him to tarry a little longer with them.

6 And he said unto them: Behold, my bowels are filled with compassion towards you.

7 Have ye any that are sick among you? Bring them hither. Have ye any that are lame, or blind, or halt, or maimed, or leprous, or that are withered, or that are deaf, or that are afflicted in any manner? Bring them hither and I will heal them, for I have compassion upon you; my bowels are filled with mercy.

 

This is the Power of our Savior.

 

From Marci’s talk

“At the end of the day, Satan doesn’t need to convince us to openly rebel against God, he’s perfectly content with getting us to ignore God, to be apathetic towards Him and our circumstances.  If he can’t get us to sin at least he can get us to sit in stagnation.  If he can’t turn us into a sinner, he’ll do his best to turn us into a sitter.  Life is an uphill drive, but putting the car in neutral is just as good as putting it in reverse.  If he can’t incite us to rebellion, he’ll try to surround us, cut us off from the scriptures, prayer, church, love, compassion, feeling, honesty, charity “and thus the devil cheateth their souls, and leadeth them away carefully down to hell”.”

How can we bring the power of Jesus Christ into our lives?

·        Seek Him

·        Obey Him

·        Ask Him

We learn of him… and we continue to learn of Him....

·        through the daily study of His words through Prophets (scriptures, conference talks, lessons, etc)

·        by doing His will and exercising faith in Him and in ourselves, because we are in his image and are His disciples

·        by going through Him to our Father in prayer and utilizing His Atonement in our lives to overcome our weakness.

We exercise sincere faith to be like him and he will help us. (from Pres Nelson)

“Faith in Jesus Christ propels us to do things we otherwise would not do. Faith that motivates us to action gives us more access to His power.

We also increase the Savior’s power in our lives when we make sacred covenants and keep those covenants with precision. Our covenants bind us to Him and give us godly power. As faithful disciples, we repent and follow Him into the waters of baptism. We walk along the covenant path to receive other essential ordinances.  And gratefully, God’s plan provides for those blessings to be extended to ancestors who died without an opportunity to obtain them during their mortal lives.

Covenant-keeping men and women seek for ways to keep themselves unspotted from the world so there will be nothing blocking their access to the Savior’s power.”

From Marci’s talk…

“…Our covenants bind us to Him and give us Godly power.  There is a strength and increased sense of perspective that comes with regular Temple attendance.  I love how he used the word “with precision”.  That immediately jumped out at me when he said it.  The word precision is not one I have associated with covenant keeping, yet it opens my understanding to a new way of thinking about my accountability in the exactness of my fulfillment of my binding promises to God. There are times when nothing is blocking access to the Holy Spirit in my life; could I seek more often to keep unspotted from the world, extending the amount of time from moments to hours or even days, and so recognize that the Savior's power is being drawn into my life more fully? “

(I believe that this is why we are promised increased power in our lives by attending the temple. My wife has been attending the Temple every week for several years and has a tremendous testimony of this. She has inspired me to attend each week and I have felt the increased power to be a better person.)

She continues...To help us understand this focus and diligence, President Nelson uses the example of the woman who stretched her hand out to touch the hem of Jesus' clothes, knowing she would be whole.  He reminds us that this "faithful, focused woman needed to stretch as far as she could to access His power."  Because drawing the power of Jesus Christ into our lives is conditional, he continues with these three "when" statements followed by three promises –

When you reach up for the Lord’s power in your life with the same intensity that a drowning person has when grasping and gasping for air, power from Jesus Christ will be yours. When the Savior knows you truly want to reach up to Him—when He can feel that the greatest desire of your heart is to draw His power into your life—you will be led by the Holy Ghost to know exactly what you should do.

"When you spiritually stretch beyond anything you have ever done before, then His power will flow into you…”

When will we reach up in this way?  
What are we willing to do to draw the power of Jesus Christ into our lives?
Who could we become, what could we do if His power flowed into each of us?

Let us be more focused on moving beyond the still waters of complacency, to do more, to serve more, to search out the scriptures and learn more, to pray more diligently, to love more, to be more like our Savior and to utilize His redeeming power in our lives.   As we tap into His power and increase our understanding we become more capable, more willing, more focused, and more enabled to be of service to one another and to our Father in Heaven, as our Savior taught us.”

Brothers and Sisters – THIS IS HIS CHURCH

I was impressed with Sister Nelsons talk a few weeks ago. She reminded us of this. Everything belongs to Christ. This is His Church

·        His Doctrine

·        His Covenants

·        His Ordinances

·        His Priesthood

·        His Apostles

·        His Prophet

To extend this....His ward, His Bishop.

This church building is not a new car show room. This is a mechanics garage. Some of us need frame off restorations, some need the engine rebuilt or a new wiring harness we are just not able to see each other up on the lift or all apart waiting for renewal, but I hope you all know that we all need the Savior power and deliverance from death and hell.  I bear testimony that Jesus Christ is our master mechanic, the Savior of us all and will restore us as we:

·        Seek Him

·        Obey Him

·        Ask Him

 TESTIMONY

 

We're still here!  Shillville is not dead yet...Our family is growing and we couldn't be more proud!

Here are some images of our latest happenings...

MICHIGAN (STATE) DREAM COME TRUE

A few weeks ago (mid-October to be exact) I flew to Springfield Missouri on a completely full Allegiant Airlines flight. I packed my clothes into a little bag that sat at my feet and sat my fat butt into a seat that had been occupied by so many people of similar size that the cushion was not. It was an uncomfortable flight. After landing about 9pm, I rented a car and headed north towards the little town of Fulton Missouri, home of Westminster College about 2 1/2 hours away. I arrived in Fulton somewhere around midnight and rested my rear for 15-20 minutes and discussed with Jake the pros and cons of driving to Michigan that night 600+ miles further north. We decided to forget the sleep and head towards Michigan. Michigan is where these two Shill boys became men. I had not been in Michigan for about 34 years, Jake about 30 less than me. We were both a little excited to go.

What added to our excitement was that we were fulfilling a dream. That dream was to go together to a Michigan State vs. University of Michigan Football Game. You see both Jakob and I serve our missions in Michigan, Me in the Lansing Mission and Jake in the Detroit Mission. Michiganders are passionate about their football. Even in a large town like the Detroit Metro area you can feel the buzz about this game. When we started looking at this year to attend The Game, it was just going to be another MSU vs U of M game, which is big, but as the season went on it became bigger and bigger. The return of Jim Harbaugh (rumor is that they are renaming the town Ann Harbaugh, instead of Ann Arbor), MSU was undefeated and the Wolverines were playing some very good football after their one loss at the beginning of the year. It was getting big...and exciting, and expensive. Tickets had shot up in price and I had been just planning to scalp some. In the last few days before I departed I broke down and bought some on-line. They weren't going to be great seats, but hey....we were going to the Big House. The Big House is the nick name give to Michigan Stadium. It is the largest stadium in the free world (only North Korea has one bigger) and seats 110,000+.  The excitement was building!

We arrive in Detroit in the morning and started driving around some of Jake's old mission stomping grounds. He showed me places where he lived, and where he taught. We pulled into a vacant lot/field next to a baseball backstop and he told me of a lesson that he and his companion taught there to a homeless man. He showed me some pretty rough neighborhoods where the shops were boarded up and many homes had been gutted by fire and he told me that the area had improved significantly from just a few years ago. We also went to his favorite Mexican food restaurant, Camino Real. It was really good and that is a change from my days in Michigan.

I needed some MSU attire. - DONE
We needed a place to stay so we started the search for a hotel. - DONE, or so I thought. I used Hotwire to find a decent hotel and it worked great. However, when we arrive at the hotel and needed a room for 2 beds, there were none. (Lesson - when using hotwire call immediately after booking to make sure you get the type of room you need)
I needed an air mattress - DONE (6'5" vs. 6' so we know who was sleeping on the floor)

After a good night sleep, we were ready to go. Conversations with strangers took no effort to start with Jake wearing Maze and Blue and me in Green. I felt a little like a Sun Devil in Tucson. We found our way to the park and ride where we met up with some incredibly nice people. Some in Green, but most in Maze and Blue. (and it is MAZE, not Yellow)  Whatever they were wearing they were all really good people.

As we approached the stadium I noticed a high school across the road. Every square foot of the school property was covered with cars, RV's and E Z Up's for a very big tailgate party.  The bus stopped right at Michigan Stadium. We were at the Big House! Ya it's big and talk about a fan base.....the jumbotron posted a stat. This was the 263rd consecutive game at Michigan Stadium with 100,000 in attendance. Wow. I told you, football is different in Michigan. I was loving the experience, it was cold (for an Arizona boy), the leaves were beautiful, and I was at a Michigan/Michigan State game with my Michiganary son. Nice....very nice!

The game was incredible. Both teams played well and really solid football. The weakest part of the game was the referees. Below is a link to the highlights. MSU never led during game time, but did after the clock reached 00:00. At that point every bit of air cam rushing out of my mouth and I screamed in amazement. I then watched as 100,00+ Michigan fans stood in absolute disbelief frozen in place. The score keeper wiped the score from the board or never even posted it. There were no replays. Nothing, but Blue and Maze people staring into nothing.

As we exited the stadium and waited for the bus, Jake was busy trying to get his ESPN app to show the final score. He could not believe what had just happened and needed independent proof beyond what his eyes had just witnessed.

We arrived back at the car exhausted, but we knew that we just had to start driving again. We got as far as Kalamazoo and figured to just find a cheap motel and crash. We tried a Motel 6, but walked in and walked out for a refund. Once we found a decent hotel (with 2 beds) we crashed.

The next morning was Sunday, so we found the nearby ward and went to Sacrament Meeting. I enjoyed this time very much. This was in an area where I served. The last area of my mission. There was a great feeling of peace and love there. I felt home. I am sure that it was because I was in Kalamazoo, but is was probably more so that I was in Sacrament Meeting and the church works in Michigan just like it does in Lehi. 

Soon we were back on the road and driving, and driving.  When we reached Fulton, Sarah (Jakes loverly wife) had dinner waiting for us. It was great to relax for a while, but soon I was back on the road solo toward Springfield and another crowded flight to Phoenix. We put about 1800 miles on the poor rental car over the course of 3 days and fulfilled a dream. One day I will go back to Michigan and stay for a while. I would love to serve another mission there with Marci.

What a great trip!!

 

 

MICHIGAN STADIUM STUNNED 

SUMMER IS OVER

August 2009

Jordan has been out eight months…wow time is truly flying. Just like the old people used to say….but wait then that makes me old, because now I am saying it. Ouch!!! That realization hurt.

Jordan aka “Anziano Shill” has moved from Verona to Reggio, Italy. He LLLLOVES the food and is growing up (from his pictures he is not growing out, but staying in good shape). He loves being a missionary and we love the blessings of him being a missionary. He is having some success and learning to depend upon the Lord for everything.

Jake had a motorcycle accident on one of the roads near Brian Head and broke his collarbone. He has had surgery and is recovering. He knows that the doctor is just telling him to keep his arm in a sling and take it easy just because they want to control him and that they all sit around and laugh when someone (someone not as smart as Jake) does what they say. He has them figured out and is going on with normal life to show them that they cannot tell him what to do. He will be attending MCC this fall and is planning to join his brother in the mission field sometime next summer.

McKayla just got back from girls camp where she loved being in the estrogen rich atmosphere of Camp Lo Mia. David and I stopped by for a bit and you could see the words running through her eyes like a Time Square Marquee “What are you doing here? This is GIRLS’ camp and my time away from my little brother…when are you leaving!!” She had a blast with the girls, her mother included.

Marci, of course, was also at girls’ camp and came home with many great experiences and memories and bug bites. The bugs realize that she is the sweetest thing around and take every opportunity to gorge themselves on her sweetness. Marci is so giving in that way!!!

David and I went to Pine while McKayla and Marci were at girls’ camp. We spent one of the days geo-caching and found some beautiful scenic vistas where others had placed a geo-cache. My favorite was one that overlooks the Pine Strawberry area. We could see Grandma Toots house from there and all of Pine. We also took a tour of the Pine Historical Museum and I showed David all the pictures of his ancestors. He said as we left that he thought it was very cool that his ancestors founded a town.

As we looked at the old pictures and relics, I reminisced about the old Pine I knew growing up. Visiting the creek, sliding down the stairs in the Pine House, visiting Uncle Orley at his house or the Ponderosa Market, Playing in the small ditch in front of the Pine House and enjoying visits and food with Grandma. I hope that our children do not lose the heritage we have in Pine.

Sssssseeeeee ya, Ro

Pictures from Italy

THE ITALIAN JOB

It is hard to believe that we are already 1 month plus into this New Year. Time is moving along and I find that trying to write in a blog is pretty unrealistic for me.

I have spent the past 3 Saturdays building a chicken coop. I am modeling it after the one that I remember at my boyhood home. I thought that this would be as easy as pie (although I must admit I don’t make pie and have no clue how hard it would be) and have found otherwise. First off, I think that I was wise to not choose a career as a framer! My first clue was that David, my 10 year old was truly HELPING me. It was great to have him around to do all the mathematical calculations. Secondly, I thought that I would just be using some scrap lumber that was around the house and badda boom badda bing…I have chicken coop. NOPE. My third thought on this (after my second $100 trip to Home Depot) was . . . . . How many dozen eggs can I buy with the cost of a chicken coop? I know that there are other reasons for working towards self sufficiency so that is what I am hanging my hat on, since there is no financial justification here.

Over the past few weeks we have been the puppy pushers. Marci and McKayla have been walking around town in trench coats, approaching strangers in dark parking lots, and with puppies hanging from the liners of their coats, saying “Psssst, hey wanna buy a puppy?” Naw not really, just an ad and some phone calls, and the Puppies are gone. They are wonderful about caring for them and I appreciate their efforts.

McKayla is playing Volleyball and frequently you will see her serving to the volleyball ghosts in the yard. So far they have not been able to return a single one!

Since I am very involved with the Young Men in our ward I must give a little print to them. Priest Quorum Basketball is over. It started out very painful, but there was some great improvement. I think that the Lehi Second Ward had one of the most talented group of ball players in the stake. They just don’t play ball much and did not play as a team. The tremendous improvement seen over the short 4-6 game season is clear evidence of this. We are going to try to change that in the next year with some practice. We have a quorum of diverse interests, sand dunes, rodeo, running, swimming, pole vault, band, guitar, video games (arghh!) and of course school and girls all take time away from the very important pursuit of Basketball excellence. (IMHO)

Jake has been acquiring guitars and guitar equipment. He currently has 5 guitars and just got a “half stack” (no…that is not IHOP terminology) that will literally rock the house.. He seems to have been playing some more blues type music, which is definitely OK with his father, but don’t tell him Dad likes it because then he won’t want to play it anymore. He has a great talent for playing guitar and has written some music too. Jake has earned his Bronze palm in Scouting and made the regional choir. Good job Jake!

We got to talk with Anziano Shill in Salt Lake, a tiny bit in Chicago and again in Frankfurt. The Frankfurt conversation was a bit short too. He was very tired and it was about 11:30pm in Arizona and we were awakened from our slumber for the call. Jordan is now in Verona Italy. Of course, we have done the google earth thing and found where he lives and that he is in a very beautiful place. They have some baptisms scheduled for later this month and possibly some next month. His companion is Elder Aillon from Gilbert, Arizona, so hopefully he has made a friend that he can continue to associate with in the post mission life. Mission Trainers are forever your big brother!