Christmas Caroling.....

Area: Waipiolani and Mililani Ward, Oahu

Companion: Elder Goodman

Hey whats up people?  So after I called you guys we went caroling at a hospital.  All of the missionaries were invited but only me, Elder Goodman and the Zone Leaders showed up. It was kinda a funny experience as we didn't even know what we were doing so we winged it.  The first guy we sang too we just couldn't stop laughing, because we walked in and started singing and he was totally out cold with his mouth open....and it gave us the giggles for some reason.  Then like and hour later we were singing to this other guy, he tried to stand up but I guess he wasn't supposed to stand up. but we didn't know that and he fell over and hit the back of his head on the wall.  We kinda didn't know what to do, so Elder Wahlberg had to pick him up and put him back on his bed.  We went and got an assistant.  It was a good experience though to go caroling.

So the Kaaiawaawa's finally actually came to church this last Sunday, which was super nice because I've been trying to get them to church for a long time. I texted him and he said that they might come, so that was pretty cool.  We found this new investigator while tracting the other day. Shes Filipino and she lives with a member. Shes been taught before but never baptized, so we will pursue a steady course with that one. 

so ya I love you guys cya later!

Elder Shoemaker

How about a 7am phone call?

Area: Waipiolani and Mililani Ward, Oahu

Companion: Elder Goodman
So ya... I will probably be calling home around 10 AM or 11 AM Hawaiian time.  So I'm not sure what time that is in Utah (thats like 7-8am yikes...so much for sleeping in for us!) but just to let you know. 

This week was pretty good. We found some new investigators the Lacio family in the M2 ward and the Worley family in the Waipiolani ward. We were just walking back from the Kaaiawaawa family when Mrs.Worley just called us over asking where her church building was.  We told her and we found out her husband was a non-member.  We thaught him Satuday he has some problems with some pride and stuff that I think is holding him back.  Our ward mission leader in the M2 ward set us up to meet with a Lacios and they are a nice family.  The husband is a non-member and kids as well.  Husband has been through some pretty deep stuff.

Church yesterday was really good!!  A lot of singing, actually the entire sacrament was singing and some how me and Elder Goodman got roped into singing with brother Hoopii and sister Simpson.  

But ya that's pretty much it for right now. I'm kinda getting bored of writing every week haha.  I'll be home soon I guess.  

K cya guys later.

love, Elder Shoemaker

A $3,000 Kirby Vacuum

Area: Waipiolani and Mililani Ward, Oahu

Companion: Elder Goodman
Yes Family.... I did get the Christmas package, it made it all intact, which is pretty nice. I'll be sending the cousin gift soon, I have it in a  box and stuff.  It's not gonna be super extravagant. 

We had a Stake Christmas concert thingy this last Sunday @ 7 pm.  Our ward sang, the missionaries also sang a song. We also had our other wards Christmas party for the Waipiolani ward.  The young men and young women were in charge of the entire thing, it was pretty cool, lots of good food. 

Some guy came over and Kirby vacuumed our house for free! but then after he was trying to sell us a $3,000 dollar vacuum, we aint got time for that!  Our carpet looks better though for sure. 

So ya our week was pretty good. love you guys and ill see ya later!

 

Love Elder Shoemaker

I SWEAR it wasn't swimming....

Area: Waipiolani and Mililani Ward, Oahu

Companion: Elder Goodman

Hey whats up everyone!??  

This week was pretty fun, some parts were a little tiring.  We have been having splits pretty consistently with our WML (ward mission leader) and all of our Ward missionaries every Tuesday at like 7 pm for a long time now......so thats pretty cool, if you guys want to come you can.  :)

Man, yesterday we were at church pretty much all day. We got there around like 6:30am and then had church until like 3. We only had from 3 to 4 to do anything cuz we had dinner then we had our mission tour @ 6 all the way till 9.  That was pretty cool.

Elder Johnson from the Seventy came down and slapped some ward mission leaders with the missionary work. It was nice.  All the missionaries on the entire island were there with WML's and Bishops. 

We did some pretty hardcore service for this dudes eagle project. I swear it wasn't swimming it was service! We were de-weeding a bunch of ponds up Waimea valley. It was hard work, my back really hurt after that. Still kinda does.

Mililani 2nd ward had there Christmas party this last Saturday, so we attended.  It was pretty fun with a lot of food, but during the party kids got freaked out cuz this guy walked up and was looking really creepy and stuff.  So we had to go and investigate and look in all the rooms make sure those was no guy creepin' around.  We secured the area only to find that he was cruising in his car.  Later we found that same guy was arguing with one of the other ward members cuz I guess he was drunk.   I went a found Brother Gustaves our WML in M2 and he calmed the guy down. It was pretty fun. 

We have been sharing the He Is The Gift video with a lot of our ward member as we go around. We talked forever with the Gaileys, they are Scottish Hawaiian. We talked about family history work for along time. 

Well that's pretty much it! You guys have good life! 

Love Elder Shoemaker

A Turkey Imu

Area: Waipiolani and Mililani Ward, Oahu

Companion: Elder Goodman

Hey hows everyone doing!?

So transfers are this week and I'm pretty sure that I'm going to stay here in Mililani and just cover both areas until I go home.  Should be fun.  

This last Thanksgiving was pretty fun.   We had dinner with the Kings, a Tongan family that is in our ward. We were at the park and the weather was really good. We helped Brother Jackson out a lot this last week with making an Imu ....which is pretty much digging a big whole in the ground and I was the one that had to tear apart the banana tree's.  The Imu pretty much steams the food with all the water in the banana tree and the fire and stuff.  Pretty cool!  The turkey tasted really good, it falls right off of the bone as its steamed and then soaks in all of the juices so its not dry at all.  Really good turkey!  We also watched the best 2 years Thanksgiving night as a zone, pretty fun. 

Imu

 Our new ward mission leader in the Waipio ward has really been a big help for us lately.  There is a senior couple that works in our stake that has been on 10 missions. I thought that was pretty cool. They talked to us this last Sunday and always come to district meeting and stuff.  

Things have been going good though!  I'm so thankful for all that you guys do!  Thanks Grandpa and Grandma for the box you guys sent!

Love Elder Shoemaker

60,000 miles....

Area: Waipiolani and Mililani Ward, Oahu

Companion: Elder Goodman

Hey hows everyone doing? Everything is going pretty good over here.  Today for p-day we just went to the beach, but we didn't go swimming or anything just watched the waves and all that good stuff..

We had a lesson with Kelsey and we set her with a baptismal date for the 26th of January I think.  I wont be there for it but its ok... its all good. The Mililani football team just won the state championships so that's pretty cool.  A lot of the people are talking about that around here.

 Our car also finally hit 60,000 miles, which means eventually we will get a new car maybe... we will see what happens. We did a lot of service this week. A lot in Wailua.  We were taking out a whole ton of California grass.  That stuff is pretty gnarly, but they had a sweet back yard with a river in the back and fish and all that stuff.  One of the Filipino Elders tried to spear one of them with a stick.  We did service also for the Velascos... we usually go over there every week and help them with their yard, because he cant walk very well and neither can the wife now. 

Sundays are pretty exhausting because we have to go to two different wards. It felt like church overload yesterday, I kinda got a headache.  Our AC unit shot out ice at me this morning. It was actually pretty cool.

Ok cya guys later hope you guys have a good thanksgiving and have fun at the cabin. 

 

Love Elder Shoemaker

 

We are supposed to get a new car @ 60,000 miles......proof

 

Ocean reading

 

Beach Elders

 

 

Two Elders, Two Wards

Area: Waipiolani and Mililani Ward, Oahu

Companion: Elder Goodman

Hey hows it going people! So last week I was in a tri-panionship, but right after I had emailed you guys we got called from President Warner and then Elder Gee was transferred to Maui.  So now I'm companions with Elder Goodman and we cover both Waipiolani ward and Mililani 2nd ward.   It's been pretty fun to do that.  Just an extra ward to juggle now. 2 sacrament meetings 2 ward councils in the morning every Sunday! ... all that kinda stuff. Its been pretty interesting with both wards as we keep pretty busy we just have to coordinate all of the things that happen a little bit better so it all works. Elder Goodman is from Gilbert Arizona hes been out like 19 months or something like that. He's a pretty cool guy. 

We went to Pearl Harbor again this last Wednesday to do service. I forgot my camera, but its ok I've been there plenty of times.  This morning we went fishing with some of the other elders at some small lake. Some of the other elders caught catfish and stuff. I didn't catch anything though. It's all good.  Then we went and played rugby and I left my shoes in another elders car so I just played bare foot. I was pretty dirty after that. 

The only problem with the Mililani 2nd Elders pad that I'm living in now is that they have cockroaches!  I friggen hate those things. 

The Kaaiawaawa family said that they would come to church this last Sunday but we were there and they never came.  Also I visited the Davis family with our Bishop, Bishop Goo, they said that they were going to come to church as well but  we were there and they didn't show up.  Its ok its not that big of a deal. I know that they will come to church sometime in the future. 

.......And mom you don't have to be worrying about me. I'm fine! 

O ya, we're teaching this one kid named Kai.  He's a little Vietnamese kid that 9 years old.  He has ADHD and tourettes.  Man kids now a days cant get away from there friggen iPads and all that kinda of stuff.  its really hard to teach him. 

I kinda need to go soon, but the scripture that I really liked this week was Ether 12:27.  I use that scripture at one of our lessons this week.  I always liked that scripture.  

Ok well you guys have a good week!

Love Elder Shoemaker