Welcome to Kearney and Zone Leader

Area:  Kearney, Missouri
Companion:  Elder Anderton

Well hello! 

So I am now serving the the Kearney 3rd ward!  President Vest has said that this is the best ward in the whole mission.  That would probably explain why there are 3 sets of missionaries just in this one ward!  Two sets of elders and one set of sisters.  It is insane and planing has to be done very carefully.  I'm serving with Elder Anderton, a missionary I was in the MTC with.  He is probably the one missionary I have wanted to serve with my whole mission and am so grateful to be with him and to learn from him.  We were called to be Zone Leaders here in the Liberty North Zone!!  Neither of us have been a zone leader so this is a completely new experience for both of us.  President said when he called us that he has never put two completely new zone leaders in one area before and that he has full trust in us to take this zone to the next level.  These last couple of days have been pretty crazy trying to figure all this out!

New Transfer Area of Kearney

I love this area so much!  I am out in the country and am with my kind of people!  A lot of the people in the previous areas I was in were pretty stuck in their ways.  Out here every one is so nice and will talk with you anytime, its pretty sweet.  There are around 5 cities that we serve in so our area is huge!  Takes about an hour to get from one side to the other.  Farmers and hillbillies, my kind of people!  I have a picture that perfectly explains what kind of area I am in...

When I got to the apartment the shower drain was clogged like crazy!  The water would fill up to the top while taking a shower.  So we went and got a snake thing and pulled out about a cat worth of hair!  Haha

Our Bishop here is amazing!  Bishop Walker (ironic huh?).  He actually has his own "I'm a Mormon video" so go check it out.  He lives on this 120 acre property and has a lot of super sick stuff.  He has a gym and a personal trainer we are allowed to work out at in the morning so he works us pretty hard.  He actually got Elder Anderton to throw up several times. haha!   This Bishop is the most outgoing and active Bishop I have ever met.  This ward is just ready to go and I feel so blessed to be here right now.  He is such a humble man as well.  

That is really what is up with me this week.  We have seen so many miracles and tender mercies and we go about our days.  That is one thing Elder Anderton is very good at is recognizing what the Lord blesses us with every day.  

Love you all!  

Elder Shoemaker

A 7 WEEK transfer

Area:  Parkville, Missouri
Companion:  Elder Christensen

Hello family!

This whole week here has been a rainy week!  It seems like it never stops.  But I don't mind because with rain here, you also get the coolest lightning and thunder storms.  Those have been cool to watch all week.  We actually had a tornado watch a couple days ago and there has been a lot of flooding in other parts of Missouri from what I have heard from the members here.  Exciting stuff!

So this was a 7 week transfer because of an all mission conference next week.  So transfers would have been last Thursday but they are now this Thursday.  Haven't heard anything about it but will on Tuesday.  I have no idea what will happen!  

We had a cool little "cottage meeting" last night with some members and less actives.  The goal is to eventually get the members to bring their nonmember friends and for our investigators to come as well.  This is something that our ward mission leader set up.  Hopefully it works!  It is just a little hour long meeting with a little socializing, spiritual message, and refreshment.  

So this week we had a cat follow us around the outside of the apartment.  It was basically stalking us. haha  But it snuck into our apartment between our feet and so we grabbed it and took some pictures with it in our apartment.  Whoops!  We aren't supposed to have pets.  haha!

Tanner:

We met some Micronesians on Friday who used to live in Hawaii in a place called Makiki?  He said he was there a year ago.  It is on the same island as the Polynesian cultural center and I was thinking you served on that island.  Their last name is Buliche.  He said he was meeting with missionaries down there as well as here.  I know its a long shot, but its a possibility!

Kind of a slow week with a lot of canceled appointments which always makes it hard.  I think that is the hardest thing to deal with is the consistent rejection from people.  Also, how people treat us like we don't exist or are people too.  I sure every missionary get that no matter where they serve.  But, you just keep on keeping on!  

Love you all! 

Elder Shoemaker 

Here Kitty Kitty!

Here is a picture of the district I am in. :)

(Me, Elder Christensen, Paris, Leary, Bishop, Brady, Sister Ita, Hafoka)

The Iron Rod.....hold tight!

Area:  Parkville, Missouri
Companion:  Elder Christensen


Mommy and Fam!

It was so great to talk to the family and see everyone.  Makes the days here pretty bright.  

 

Glad to hear about Dad and that he is already doing better.  I know that he is getting the best care and I am grateful for prayer as I have felt like that is my only way to help him right now.  I will most definitely write him a letter and send it to you to take to him.  Sometimes it just doesn't make sense to me why people have to go through things like this.  But this is the way we become who our Heavenly Father wants us to become.  The trials in life aren't easy and sometimes push you to the edge.....but he will never let us fall to a point that he can't bring us back and when he does bring us back we are so much stronger! 

Something that was shared in Elders Quorum was pretty profound I think.  We were talking about Lehi's dream and how there was a mist of darkness that arose.  Sometimes in life we can't see the iron rod because of the mist of darkness that is there.  As long as we are holding fast and secure to the rod we will never be lost!  I don't recall the scriptures ever saying that there was a gap in the rod.  Keep hold to what you know to be true!  

I am so grateful for all the support and love that is sent from home.  Know that I love and pray for you all every night!

 

Love,

Elder Shoemaker 

 

Our Baptism this week!  

 

Me, Jacob (confirmed Stephen), Stephen, Brandon (Baptized Stephen), Elder Christensen 

Jungle Journey.....

Area:  Parkville, Missouri
Companion:  Elder Christensen


Hello family!

For Mothers Day I will probably be calling around 7-7:30 PM Missouri time.  So I believe that is 6-6:30 PM your time.  :)

That so crazy that Paul is married!  Congrats to Tanner on being asked to be Bryon's best man.  When is that day coming up??

I can't believe I'm going to be a grandfather!  Baby guppies galore!  Who would have thought that I would be a grandparent before you guys??  Haha!

Is Josh or Tanner dating anyone??

 

Today for Pday we are having a BBQ at a park by the Stake Center in Platte City.  That should be fun!  There will be a lot of missionaries there.

The baptism for Stephen is still on for this Saturday and we are really excited for that!  We didn't really play to big of a part in his conversion as he was already converted, but we are grateful to be a part of Stephen's baptism.  

 

My Jungle Journey Story:  So we were trying to find a short cut through some trees to save some time in the future if we needed to.  We stared following this old deer trail and eventually were led to a little river.  We threw a dead tree across and boogied on over that.  We soon realized that there was no more trail. haha  So we bushwhacked it through the trees and bugs to the top while still in our pros clothes.  We eventually made it back out right before it got too dark. 

 

 

We had a great lessons with our investigator Jason, the Jamaican.  It has been awhile since we have been able to meet with him but he is changing.  His heart is soft and he is willing to listen. He most definitely felt the spirit and committed to a soft baptismal date.  He is BBQing for us this Friday.  Jerk Chicken! Yum! 

Elder Christensen and I were talking yesterday about faith.  Everyone keeps telling us we need to have more faith and if we have faith, people will be brought to us who are ready.  I think that no matter how much faith we have, we can't alter God's will.  He has a perfect plan for us and we can't change it.  Having faith is aligning our will with God.  Not God aligning his will with ours.  If he did that we would be a mess!  But, I think that when we do have faith is shows God that we are willing and ready for his blessings.  He is ready to bless us, faith is the way for showing him we are ready.  Just my little two cents for the day. :)

 

Love you all!  

 

I am looking forward to seeing you on Sunday!

 

Elder Shoemaker