Hello Flossie........

Area: Hilo, Keaukaha Area
Companion: Elder Griffiths

Mom!! I miss you so much!!!  {Awe, man......} My companion and I doing great! I'm emailing today because yesterday was not a p-day for us.  I just got out of the Kona Temple a couple of hours ago, I'm in Kona right now writing this letter to you.  It's so crazy how the climates change as you drive from Hilo to Kona. You got Jungle, lava rock crap, desert, grassland, rolling hills and whole bunch of other junk in between.   The ride over was good.   I got to drive, so that was a good change from the bike.  

Yesterday there was supposed be a big storm or like a hurricane or something {Hello tropical storm Flossie!} so me and Elder Griffiths were all psyched for some trees to get up rooted and stuff,  but we sat there in all it did was blow some kinda hard wind and rain. I was bummed, i haven't seen lightning in like a year!  Everyone put up their tents because of the storm, maybe they are up again by now, who even knows.

It sucks Treavor had to go home.  I hope that he's happy and doing ok.  I'm started to forget what peoples faces look like -- so I'm at that point.

"C" did not get baptized last Saturday, because he hasn't to come to church yet! But that's all good, he will come home sooner or later.

Elder Griffiths and I are really starting to get along very well, he's kind of crazy, but that's all good!

I wont be able to send pictures or any of that stuff because this computer is also friggen slow. There was a missionary fireside last Sunday where the Mission President spoke and so did some recent converts.  President Warner is going to be a good mission president, he's a lot different then President Dalton, but he's going to do well.

Earlier this week had an encounter with another different kind of dude.   We were meeting with and reading the scriptures with "F", who is a recent convert.  This dude was visiting.  Elder Griffiths offered the closing prayer and said something in his prayer that bugged this dude.  He started letting every kind of profanity fly right in the middle of Elder Griffiths prayer.  It was kinda awkward, he continued with the prayer and said "amen". We just sat there in silence, super weird!  :/

We also talked with this guy named "H" who said he could talk through lightning.

I have to get going but I love all you guys, and Hawaii and its people are awesome!

Love, Elder Shoemaker

....and Happy Birthday Dad!

Hawaii has become my Home

Area: Hilo, Keaukaha Area
Companion: Elder Griffiths

Hey hows it going? This week has been pretty crazy, I'm training Elder Griffiths from Draper Utah.  He's 18 years old and graduated 2013. He's a little bit taller then me but its all good. Its different then being with Elder Kellogg because Elder Griffiths talks a lot more and Elder Kellogg not so much.

Its too bad that Treavor is coming home home {Elder Shoemaker's cousin, Elder Green is coming home from his mission due to an injured knee that needs to be repaired}, I dont think I would be able to leave Hawaii now because its become my home. Keep me updated.

The first place I took Elder Griffiths was down to the tents by the beach to teach the restoration to Chazz. He did a lot better then I did my first time, so he's gonna do fine. We have been doing a whole
lot of biking lately, we saw this cow out in the boonies and I needed a picture. That thing almost charged me!

Mr. Cow.....and Elder Shoemaker

I'm starting to realize more and more that Keaukaha is just one big family basically. I would also say that at least a third of the people that live there are members, less active or active. Drugs are pretty big in Hawaii though. I can now say that I know what marijuana smells like.

Sorry about sending pictures then writing an email hours later, its just the computers are slow here and I like to send pictures as fast as I can, then write the email when I have time.

Its definitely weird being in charge, I would say that I'm not much of a leader, but kinda being put in this situation makes me have to be one!  O ya Alex's baptism went really well!  Brother Kamalamalama (its a mouth full) his good friend baptized him and Bishop confirmed him.

The baptism was super spiritual. Alex started crying after he was baptized and so did his non-member mother after it was over. Its was super good. Our bishop is awesome and so is our Ward mission leader.  They are really behind us in all that we do. I could see us doing a lot in this ward because it was once the highest baptizing ward. I could see it happening again.

Taught Elders Quorum on Sunday - it was pretty good.

We have been pretty dang wet ever since Elder Griffiths got here. I didnt know it, but I guess Hilo is the wettest place in the US. Thats why its so dang green here. We get to go to the the Kona temple next week, so that will be super sweet. Havent been to the temple in 6 months, but Kona is like a 2 hour drive away on the other side of the Big island.

Brother Billy Goat........I'd like to teach you about Jesus?

I went fishing on a big rock as I was waiting for dinner to be cooked at the Mortensens tent after Alex's baptism. I didn't catch anything! I think I need to invest in a fishing pole.

While I'm training I find myself saying a lot of the same things that my trainer Elder Niemann said to me. Its weird! I got to go, so love you guys! hope your doing well!

Love, Elder Shoemaker

District Leader and a new Greenie for Elder Shoemaker

Area: Hilo, Keaukaha Area
Companion: Elder Kellogg

 Hey, how are you guys doing?! Things have been a little crazy here lately, because this week is transfer week.  Have I ever told you how much I hate transfer week? well I do.

We taught Alex on the beach last Saturday and he's for sure going to be baptized on the 20th. He's already passed the baptism questions so ya! Chaz is also pretty solid for the 27th still.

Our door fell off of its hinges last night so we had to fix it.  It took a while.  We had crapes in the morning for P-day, then just kinda chilled.

We met the new president Thursday.   He's super different then President Dalton, but he's still pretty cool. It will just take a little while to get used to it.

The Hilo zone is going to change a lot this next transfer.  Elder Kellogg is leaving to O'ahu, Elder Packer's going home and so are a bunch of other people, so we will see!!   I'm also going to be training next transfer a greenie from the MTC........so I have a lot on my mind right now. When President called he also called me to be a District Leader.....so I can testify that right when you get comfortable and you think you know what your doing, then something comes up and changes everything. I'm gonna try my best, that's all I can really do! That greenie is gonna have a baptism on his very first week! I'm pretty nervous, so cant think of much else.

Love you guys! Cya later!
Elder Shoemaker

...a family oriented people

July 8, 2013

Area: Hilo, Keaukaha Area
Companion: Elder Kellogg

Hey Hows everyone doing?  I'm doing pretty good, everything is going swell down here. This week was a pretty eventful week. Lets see.......We now have two investigators that are now with a date. Alex and "C", their both pretty solid.  Alex is just such an awesome guy and the Mortensen family did a really good job at fellow-shipping him. Alex said that he would be baptized and we set him with the 20th of of July, so that should be super good.

Elder Kellogg had the great opportunity to ride his bike straight into a pole. It was pretty funny seeing him and his bike come apart, we both look at each other and we just start laughing. Some hippies came over to see if he was ok, but we told them we were good. He ran into it because he had his head down because of the rain and wasn't really looking where he was going.

The people here in Hawaii are so nice, they are really family oriented. I feel like most of the ward is related in some way. We got called over by some complete strangers to come eat some food and they just load us up. Most of the people here are always chilling in there garage's, because its a lot cooler to chill out there. They always have tables and sometimes T.V's, beds, and couches in their garage. It's basically like their living room.  I think they are like that because like three generations ago All of the familys lived on the beach and they were always together.

Fourth of July was pretty sweet. We ended proselyting at like 5 o' clock I think. President Irvin of the Stake presidency invited us to a hotel called The Naniloa where he had rented out a suite for all the missionaries to watch the fireworks from Coconut Island. It was Pretty sweet!  The suite was super nice. There is a picture of me on the balcony of the suite. {the picture's didn't make it through email..sorry folks} The other pictures are of us on top of Mauna Loa watching the sunrise. We had to wake up at 2:30 in the morning to get there in time. .........And awe man, I had to sit in the back of the pick up truck and I was sooo cold. In the winter there is always snow on top of the mountain, but not this time. I'm pretty sure from the bottom of the mountain which is in the depths of the ocean to the top of the mountain is the highest mountain in the world. It was kinda hard to breath up there but it was pretty sweet. The cool thing is that you can see Haleakala from there which is sweet.

Today was Elder Packers last P-day so Elder Kellogg, Elder Hall, Elder Jensen, Elder Uisele, Elder Packer  and I all went out to dinner. I think it was called The Hilo Burger Joint.   We didnt know it but it was kinda like a bar so that was kinda funny. They kept on asking if we wanted beer and we were like no we are good. But we ended up winning 5 dollars from this trivia game thing. So that was pretty fun. So other then that..... I'm still alive so yea! Love you guys!

Elder Tanner Shoemaker

New Mission President

Area: Hilo, Keaukaha Area
Companion: Elder Kellogg


How you guys doing?! This week has been pretty good, let me try and remember what happened this week. We now have a new Mission Prez.  I haven't seen him, heard his voice or anything. All of the Zone leaders
are on Oahu right now having a meeting with President and Sister Warner.   All I know is that they are good people from Salt lake City and their probably really rich because you kinda have to be in Hawaii.

Elder Kellogg and I ran in to the Area Seventy for Hawaii yesterday, Elder Auna. I didn't know it but he's our bishop's uncle. He said he was at President and Sister Warner's house just a little while ago and said
that we are good hands.

Uncle JJ, our ward mission leader gave a talk in sacrament and so did Bishop Auna. It was on missionary work.  The ward has had more fire in their veins ever sense this whole month Sacrament was on missionary work and that broadcast thing that was last Sunday night. Bishop went on splits with us the other night he got there late without a white shirt or tie. So I told him he could borrow one of my white shirts and ties he said sure. It was pretty funny because the shirt was way to small for him. But this Bishop is a really good guy. He called our ward mission leader straight out of inactivity. Uncle JJ was inactive until Bishop called him as a ward mission leader.   Now he's a pretty good ward mission leader. He can speak all kind of pigeon.

Elder Kellogg cut his finger open the other day with his knife. We were trying to open the baptismal font and the knife failed on him and closed on his finger. I got a picture of his bloody hand.  I would send it but this computer is too slow.

We have dinner and a lesson with "Chaz" tonight down in a tent next to the ocean so that should be fun, probably get some raw fish. We had a lesson with Alex last night, the plan of salvation. I invited him to
be baptized at the end of the lesson, but he said he would have to think about it. He's been coming to church for like 2 months so I think he will say yes.

Elder Kellogg had a root canal one of these days in the past so that's that.

I was having dinner last night with the Aina's --- rice with beef gravy and all that jazz. They had these knives out to cut the meat and Elder Kellogg likes knives.  So he's like cutco these are pretty sharp knives!! So because I'm me I decide to see how sharp it is and run my thumb down the blade.  I'm like WOW that really is sharp --- as I'm bleeding on their kitchen table. They all just laughed.  It was pretty funny.

So your asking about the change with the media since the missionary broadcast. There hasnt been any changes yet, probably because of the change in Mission President.   President Dalton was just gonna
let President Warner do it.  We don't even actually have texting.

We have a car today because the Zone Leaders are in Oahu, so we get to cruse all day today! It's super nice because it takes a while to bike out into the country where some people live. ......And yes, Grandma I got the box and thank you so much for all the stuff that you sent! It was truly magical.  I really dont know what we will be doing for the 4th of July,  probably watch fireworks over Hilo bay?  I dont friggen know.
So that's really all that I can remember that happened this week. So bye bye.


Love,
Elder Shoemaker