PARKVILLE!!!

Area:  Parkville, Missouri
Companion:  Elder Jones

Wowie! 

This place is awesome!  Small town and good people.  We have a couple little towns and part of Kansas City in our area so we have a full time car right now which is so nice!  I was able to bring the bike so it is taking a break in the closet for now.  :)  My companion's name is Elder Jones and is from Bountiful, Utah.  He is a country boy and we both love the same things!  He is 21 and went to a little college in Cali to play baseball.  He has been out for 3 months.  Two peas in a pod, right??! 

 

This week here has been busy!  Getting to know the ward members and our investigators has been quite the undertaking.  Its always hard to learn a new area as well. haha  I was able to finish the Book of Mormon for the second time today!  Yippee!  I always get something new out of it every day. 

 

I'm so glad you were able to talk with the Hawkin's family!  They are some amazing people and I really look up to them.  You and Dad trained me well and I appreciate it.  It just seemed like the right thing to do!  Merrill is a great kid and made the choice to serve a mission!  :)

 

Yep, District Leader over here in the good ole Parkville!  Basically I just get all the crap if our district isn't up to par... haha  Its been great and I have already learned a lot!  Elder Jones has been helping me because his last companion was a district leader as well. 

 

Buh Bye tonsils!  Glad to hear that went well.  Hopefully Tanner can find a job here soon!  Glad to hear Treavor got a job! 

 

I know how you feel about getting that new car.  That's how I feel whenever I get a new motorcycle haha!  Even though they aren't quite as expensive, principles the same.  How is my motorcycle doing?  Is Dad riding it?  I sure hope so, I feel that would help him to chill out a bit.  :)

 

No more truck?!  How is dad going to haul his hang glider around??  Is he going to buy another truck?  That thing had so many miles on it... probably about time.  Who bought it?  

 

The cabin is keeping you busy sounds like.  Glad to hear there is renters and a little money flow there to help fix it up.  it looks so much different than when I last saw it.  Its probably the talk of the town now!

 

How are the puppies doing?

 

Love you all!!  :-) 

 

P.S. Good luck with your talk Mom and I'll keep praying and fasting for Dad. :)

 

Love,

Elder Shoemaker  

 

Hawkins Family!

 

Elder Jones and I

Our version of "fishing" sense we can't actually go!  haha

Best BBQ in KC!

 

Transferring to Parkville, MO

Area:  Independence, Missouri
Companion:  Elder Thompson

Welp, transfer week is here!  I got a call today and will be being transferred to Parkville, MO... Wherever that is haha!  I'm ready to leave this area, but I love it so much!  I'll be transferring this Thursday and my new comp is Elder Jones and I'll be a district leader too.  'Bout all I know about that.

David was ordained a Priest at church on Sunday.  That was so cool!  He didn't even tell us he was meeting with the bishop or anything.  We asked him why and he said it was because he thought he had to keep it a secret. haha!  Merrill, the one who baptized him, did the ordination.

Jdubs... (Jehova Witnesses)  They are swarming around here like flies it seems sometimes.  Saturday morning we were sitting in our apartment in our service clothes getting ready to leave for service when we heard a knock on our door.  We go and answer it and its jdubs!  We didn't have our nametags on as we were still getting ready for the day so they didn't know we were missionaries.  haha!  They gave us their little spiel and asked us what we believed.  WE told them we were missionaries and they continued to degrade our religion.  We bore testimony and taught the restoration in 5 minutes and introduced the BOM.  They ended up walking away with a BOM in their hands and I know the spirit touched their hearts.  Pretty sweet experience to do missionary work.

I did get the package and I really appreciate it!  It was perfect and you always send the best stuff!  They know me around the office because I get so much mail from everyone!  It like Christmas every time you get mail.   Also tell G&G Shoemaker that I've been receiving their letters and packages too...please tell them how much I appreciate them. 

The Cabin looks amazing!  So much nicer than it used to be.  The Walker touch is really what it needed.  Excited to hear that renters are coming in here soon.  

My little though for the week comes from Mark 8:34 and Matthew 16:24.  It talks about taking up your cross and following "Him."  In Mark we read that and so as I read I was wondering, what is our cross??  So if we jump over to Matthew we see in the JST that it is to deny all ungodliness, every worldly lust, and keep the commandments.  So I challenge everyone to figure out what is holding them back, or in other words, what is your favorite sin?  Get rid of it and come unto Christ.  Instead of asking, "Lord, is it I?"  ask,  "Lord, is it this?"  Is this what I need to get rid of in my life to come closer?  I know that as we all strive to come closer to Christ he will bless us immensely in all aspects of our life. 

Love you all!

Elder Shoemaker

Tracting, Tracting and more Tracting

Area:  Independence, Missouri
Companion:  Elder Thompson


Heya Parents! 

Glad to hear that Zac is getting comfortable and situated at home.  Sounds like he is a whole new man.  Can't wait to see how he has let the Lord change his life.  :)  I heard Boston is the cutest baby there ever was??  Doesn't surprise me, he's pretty cool.

 

Wow!  Going big with the 2015!  I never thought I would see the day when my parents bought a brand new car... 

 

Katherine Hanks and Tyler Orr???  Wow!  Good for them!

 

Sad to hear about Treavor's job.  Especially since he just moved out into his own apartment.  He will find something soon.  Hopefully Tanner will too!!

 

I'm sure you will know what to speak on in Stake Conference here pretty soon.  Whenever I'm in a situation that I don't know what to say or do I always think of the scriptures, D & C 84:85 and D & C 11:21.

 

Well, This week has been a long week.  Slow with the work and we basically have 1 investigator right now.  Which makes it tough!  We have been in finding mode for about 3 weeks straight with what seems to no avail.  Every day all day is finding!  Never tracted so much!  We ended up at an apartment complex that we had partially tracted out and we decided to go back to a potential we had tracted into maybe 6 weeks ago.  He is an atheist and won't budge at all, but we were determined!  We went in and he started going off again so I told him we weren't going to do that again (this is the guy I told to put his laptop away)!  So I pulled out the scriptures and read parts of the story in Alma 30 about Korihor (anti-Christ) and Alma.  Well, it didn't end up how I wanted it too.... haha!  He asked me why he didn't get a sign like Korihor!  I asked him why he would want a sign after reading about how he was struck dumb!  This guy doesn't make much sense to me at all.  We decided to let some other missionaries try him when we aren't in the area. haha!  But, before we walked out on him again, we committed him to read 10 minutes out of the Book of Mormon! 

 

This past week and this week we are supposed to have the car, but about 3 weeks ago the elders that we share the car with wrecked it!  So we have been on foot and bikes for two weeks, which makes it hard because out area is so big!  But, we got word we would be getting a car today!  Yippee!! 

 

That's basically the week! 

 

Love you all so much!

Elder Shoemaker

David was Baptized!!

Area:  Independence, Missouri
Companion:  Elder Thompson

David was baptized this last Saturday!  What an amazing experience it has been to see his life change and the life of his close relatives change as well.  What an amazing experience it has been to be apart of someone else's conversion and help them change their life.  Confirming him was an amazing experience as well.  I was nervous as expected haha.  But as I began, my mouth was filled with the words and it felt like I was the only one there.  I'm very grateful for that opportunity! 

 

 Thank you for forwarding me that email from the Hawkin's family.  Did they call you??  They are an amazing family as they picked up just what would fit in their van with their 9 kids and moved here from Utah.  With almost nothing.  They said they were called here by the Lord and I have no doubt they were.  They have done so much good for this ward and those investigating the church.  Such an amazing family!  

 

Our mission has just changed so much!  They are calling the younger missionaries to the leadership positions because of the many changes, they are trying to cycle out the old rules basically. 

 

So who is this girl that Tanner is a courtin'??? I'll continue to pray for his employment as well. 

 

It was so great to see Zac made it home safely and had a great welcome party to join him.  He looks so happy and well.  I expect Josh, Treavor, Tanner, and Zac are going to have some get togethers here soon and catch up on movies and games. haha! 

 

Awesome news about Shannon!  Good for her!  I knew she wasn't sure if she would serve or not, happy she chose to!

 

The cabin is looking amazing!  Glad to see you made it to church. :)  Hows the Liberty ward over there in Idaho??  

 

What??  A new car?? !  I knew it was going to happen sooner or later.  So Tanner gets the mommy mobile!

 

Other than David's baptism, nothing else happened much this week.  That consumed a good chunk of it.  As it should!  

 

Love you all so much!

Elder Shoemaker

 

PS:  Elder Tuakalau was able to come down and see Davids baptism.  So great to see him!