A day in the life of an LDS Missionary

Area: Waipiolani Ward, Oahu

Companion: Elder Stulce

Hey whats up Mom and Dad! Hows it going?  Things are going pretty good here.  

We got to teach Tatiana the word of wisdom this week, but they didn't come to church.  We'll keep working with her.

We also had a dinner appointment with this lady.  We went over and immediately I could tell that she was drunk.  Her eyes were glazed over and all that.  We ended up going to Taco Bell.  It wasn't pretty.  She started crying and she start to tell us some things in her life that happen, which were not good and I dare not repeat.  She kept asking why did God abandon her and all that and basically she had a melt down.  That was a bit of a difficult situation and we did the best we could.

We went to Pearl Harbor this week to do service.   That's always enjoyable.  Elder Stulce is progressing with his teaching too. 

Thank you guys so much! 

Love you guys cya!  

Elder Shoemaker

General Conference at the Mission Home

Area: Waipiolani Ward, Oahu

Companion: Elder Stulce

This week was pretty nice!  We finally got to teach, Brad, one of our investigators.  He's a really cool guy and I think that he might have potential for baptism.  We also had lessons with Tatiana shes around 14 she wants to be baptized we just have to get her to church.  We also taught another little girl named Kiana she is 9 and shes really sweet.  Those are all the progressing investigators that we have at this time.   Now, we just got to work on getting them to come to church. 

We had a chance to watch Meet The Mormons in Laie this last Wednesday -- it was pretty good!  

The talks I liked the most from General Conference where probably Elder Nelson, Bednars and Hollands -- those where my most favorites I think.  My memory wasn't that good.  I was drawing pictures and doodling so I could stay awake. 

well that's pretty much all that I can think of saying and writing right now. 

I love you guys -- have a good week and Aloha oe

Elder Shoemaker

This is when we watched conference at Presidents house at 6am in the morning had to wake up at like 4:30am.  The breakfast was pretty good.

 

This is all the food that a Tongan member gave us. They like to give us cereal. ​ 

 Elder Stulce forgot to where his tie this day haha!

Pancakes with the Prez

Area: Waipiolani Ward, Oahu

Companion: Elder Stulce

 
Hey Mom and Dad -- how are you doing!??  This week was pretty good.  For this next general conference weekend we get to enjoy eating pancakes with President and Sister Warner because we achieved all of our goals that we had set to ourselves. 

This previous Sunday we had a chance to teach gospel principles again and we got to teach the law of chastity. It was pretty fun actually!  I kinda have to go soon, but just know that I'm doing good!

K Love you guys cya later 

Love Elder Shoemaker

I can name that tune in 6 notes.....

Area: Waipiolani Ward, Oahu

Companion: Elder Stulce

Hey Mom and Dad hows it going?

This week was pretty good.  I was glad when it rained this week.  Hopefully it will rain more soon, but the bad thing about the rain is that it gets our couch that is outside wet sometimes and also for some reason after it rains tons of friggen gnats come up and try to get in my eyes and ears and mouth. Its grotesque. 

 

We had a ward party this last Saturday. It was really fun. It was a game show showdown where members of the ward played different game shows. I won the name that tune game and at one point randomly they were asking for a surf board so I stole Brother Serrao's surf board that was laying on the ground and won the 100 grand ( just a candy bar).  It was pretty funny. 

 

Brother Serrao's Surf Board! He's a funny funny guy

 

 

Healthy Food from the Party!

 

 

 

Today for p-day we went to Waimea Valley.  Saw a waterfall and I learned how to make a bracelet out of dried leaves. Its was pretty cool. 

 

Fruit from the Tree of Good and Evil! - (It's true!)

Bracelet that I made!

 

The work is moving forward. We have potential for like 4 baptisms but its kinda hard sometimes. People are always so busy and the kids that we work with all have sports on Sundays and stuff like that so its hard to get them to church. I've been trying not to push people as much, but more let them make the decisions for them self.  I feel like its better that way. I really think that this ward is the best and our Bishop is one of the best Bishops that I have ever worked with. Everyone is just so supportive - its awesome. 

 

I had time to play risk with Elder Stulce.  I friggen moped the floor with his entrails haha, it was pretty fun.

 

I hope that you guys have a good week love you guys and Aloha Kinisou Chapur.

 

Love

Elder Shoemaker 

 

Our trip to the La'ie Temple last p-day

God placed us there for a reason

Area: Waipiolani Ward, Oahu

Companion: Elder Stulce

 Hey hows it going! Things over here are getting pretty dang good. But oohhh man its been really humid over hear lately.  Makes me miss the dry air back in Utah. 

This week was pretty eventful, even though my companion is kind of a silly guy, I still love him haha.  He just confuses words really bad and its the most entertaining thing in the world when we go tracting.  Its just kinda funny and he makes me smile.  We found like 6 new investigators this week! Which is pretty dang good!  We were just making contact with a lot of the former investigators that the missionaries in the past had taught. 

Tomorrow we are going to the temple so we get to drive all the way to La'ie which should be fun.  

Today we woke up at like 3:45am and we played murderer in the dark.  Mannn that was like the most fun that I have had in a long time.  We were just playing in the church. Its really scary at night/kinda freaky.  

We taught a less active guy this week named John.  We went with our Bishop.  We met him last week.  We were just walking and he called us over and he lived in the apartments that we had just visited but he was not on the ward list.  He said that he was trying to figure out a way to get in contact with the missionaries and that he wanted to become active again.  I told him that God put us in his way for a reason and that we would help on his road back to activity.  Bishop Goo came with us to his house.  He's a pretty nice guy and has one unbaptized kid 16 years old.  We have been able to work a lot better with the ward lately.  Our ward is a really good ward even though its one of the smallest wards in the stake.  

O ya I went to a garage sale the other day after we were done doing morning exercise and I was able to bargain myself a fishing pole, its pretty ok too!  So hopefully I will get to try it out soon.  I surprised myself because I remembered how to tie all the knots and figure it out and stuff.   We also found like 3 fans on the side of the road and like a couch a couple wheely chairs.   Man its been pretty hot here too. It makes you glad that you have air conditioning in your house.

I have pretty much had to teach gospel principles class like every Sunday since I  have been here, but its pretty fun. We got a new ward mission leader so things should be getting better.  We had dinner with the Tunupopo family this last Saturday at Ruby Tuesdays.  I havent eaten there in a long time so that was nice.  

I got a hair cut --- my hair was starting to get too long. One of the Samoan members in our ward gave me a hair cut. His name is Johnson and he's 18 -- straight from American Samoa.   He's a pretty cool guy. 

Well I'm getting kinda tired of typing on this key board and my arthritis is kicking in so I think that I'll just call it a day. ....haha  

Love Elder Shoemaker

Forward Momentum

Area: Waipiolani Ward, Oahu

Companion: Elder Stulce

Hey Mom and Dad --- I don't really have a whole lot of time, but this last week was pretty good.  We are trying to still get some momentum going in this ward as things are moving forward slowly, but they are at least going.  I just went on a long hike so I'm really kinda dirty and my companion doesn't have a library card so I'm going to let him use mine so I have short time. 

Yes I did receive the stuff that you sent me.  Thank you so much Mom. 

We have lots of good people in this ward a lot of Samoans and a lot of Filipinos.  There is a member of the ward that we just give a list of all the food and stuff we want and she goes and just buys it all for us.  One of the nicest ladies I have ever met.  We have some potential investigators that we will hopefully have a chance to teach this week, so that will be good. 

I need to let my companion get on the computer so I will just say have a nice day!

Love Elder Shoemaker

New Companion

Area: Waipiolani Ward, Oahu

Companion: Elder Stulce

Hey how's it going? I can't believe that you guys got another friggen dog. I guess that's pretty cool.  My new companions name is Elder Stulce from Springville Utah I believe.  He's a young one at 18 fresh from the MTC.   He's a little tentative about teaching, just like I was when I started.  We will just keep on practicing.  We are still getting acquainted and he seems like a good kid, but he's definitely much different than me.

Oh Ya I did get my glasses and they work pretty dang good.  Thanks Mom!  We drove a lot this week so it was good that I had the new glasses.   We visited a lot of less active members and we got a new ward mission leader which is pretty cool.  Both of the ward mission leaders in the ward are awesome guys. 

Well I hope you guys have a good week.

Love Elder Shoemaker 

Newest addition to the Shoemaker Family.  Meet Petunia aka "Tuna"