Elder Tanner Shoemaker: I LOVE it here in Kekaha

Area: Kekaha, Kaua'i
Companion: Elder Vaitaki

Hey Parents and Family! Sorry that I didn't email you last week, I felt pretty bad that I didn't. That p-day was kinda busy as we drove all the way to the other side of the mountain to hike a trail called Hankapiai. It was pretty crazy. We were hiking right along the Napali coast line and when we got done we were really tired. I then had to drive all the way back home. When we got back it was pretty late, then Bishop Akita invited us over for dinner so we spent pretty much of the rest of the day over there. When we got back I was even more tired so I just went to sleep.

However, the past couple weeks have been pretty crazy. The Santiago's are getting baptized on the 28th of this month, so that's pretty exciting!!!! "R" has committed himself to stop drinking all that dakine, so that's GOOD! We have also a committed a little girl by the name of Pohakea for the 18th of January. Also the Schmidt's to be baptized on the 29th of this month too..... hopefully it will all work out!! Were also working with this girl named Kimi who we found tracting, she's really nice. And the Watson family who we are currently working with and a older lady named Annie. We've been really busy, so things are moving along better then they were before!!

There will be a Christmas parade this Saturday in Waimea and the Kekaha ward is doing a float. It will be centered around missionary work and we are actually going to march in the parade and hand out pass along cards, along with the other missionary's on the island. It should be super fun. We did get word from President Warner he said that this Christmas we would be able to Facetime or Skype with our families. So just letting you know!! Super cool. ...... and yes I did get the Christmas boxes and all the stuffs. Just picked them from the post office today. .....and no I haven't been able to see the new Temple movie yet, there is no temple on this island. I think there is about 60-70 thousand people that live on Kauai, so there would need to be more people for them to build a temple or something like that. They pretty much have the same Christmas traditions that they have back home as I haven't seen much difference, maybe I will as the Christmas season goes on. Saturday night and Sunday morning there was a big storm with lots of thunderings and lightnings...it was pretty loud. Because of the storm a lot of things were getting flooded and all that, so a lot of people got called into work on Sunday because the ox was in the mire. So there wasn't a whole lot of people at church this Sunday. The tree in our back yard is now side ways.

I love you guys thanks your for all that you do for me! I love it here in Kekaha....

Elder Shoemaker