Monday, June 22, 2015

Missionary life adventures....

Area:  Kearney, Missouri
Companion:  Elder Anderton


Howdy family!  This week has been full of ups and downs.  Also, some pretty interesting events happened out here.  

On Tuesday, we were at the church with the other set of Elders and Sisters that are in this ward doing some service for a member and helping them set up a church function.  We were going on exchanges and the other Elder had the keys to the car I was going to be driving.  He tossed them over to me and it came up short and I didn't want them to hit the ground because they are the nice electronic keys with all the gadgets and what not.  So I squatted down to catch them and frrrrriiiip!  The seam that runs right below my crotch split wide open!  Luckily there is a member in the ward who is really good at tailoring and sewing so he is fixing them for me.  Haha!  Everyone was laughing pretty hard after that happened!  I have a picture of that to send, but it is on my camera so I need a computer to send that to you.  I'll send it later today.  

While on exchanges we met a guy named Mason.  He is an old guy who is scraggly, but very nice.  We started talking to him and it turns out he lost his son not to long ago.  He had no hope in life whatsoever.  He didn't really want to talk to us, but we bore testimony of Gods plan and the love that he has for us.  We also bore testimony that he would see his family again.  He wouldn't take a Book of Mormon from us but we felt that we should leave one.  We got in the car...... made some scriptures that applied to him, wrote a little note and left in on his porch.  It is hard to see people who don't have the knowledge that we WILL see our family and friends again after this earthy life.  I know we are together forever! 

This week on Wednesday, I also had the opportunity to sing with another Elder and two Sisters.  That was a little nerve racking because I don't like singing in front of people, but it actually went very well!  The other Elder sang so quietly because he was worried of people hearing him that it was almost like I was singing by myself!  Anywhoo, my singing talent is improving! 

On Thursday we were driving with a member home when a car came zooming past us on the suicide lane on a hill. (Dumbo!) before we know it we see him swerving and then bam! The car was rolling and smacked a telephone pole.  The guy came jumping out of his overturned car and plopped onto the ground.  I ran over and helped the guy out and Elder Anderton called 911.  He ended up being fine with just a minor concussion and a hurt back.  He got off pretty easy with a wreck like that!  The lifeguard training came in handy! 

Elder Anderton fell asleep on the couch one night and I couldn't go to bed without him in the same room.  So I thought I would have some fun with waking him up.  He has some lemongrass oil on the table so I grabbed it and kept flicking it at him until I got it on his lips.  This stuff burns like crazy when it gets into your mouth (from prior experience).  He wakes up and just starts freaking out how bad his mouth was burning and ran his mouth under the faucet for awhile.  That was pretty funny! 

Our Bishop has this crazy cool ward party that is specifically for investigators.  There was about 75 people there and about 20 of them were non members!  Our Bishop is so missionary minded, it's amazing!  Before we left he said that if there is something that our investigators enjoy doing, that we would change the whole party to help them feel included.  

We had the best lesson with Kristin this week!  We felt like we were just throwing things at her like crazy and she wasn't progressing very much.  We went into the lesson with no lesson plan, but we just wanted to listen the whole time.  She poured out her heart to us and we found out things we would have never known!  She told us exactly her concerns and worries.  It was amazing!  I truly learned the power of listening in that lesson and the miracles that listening to someone can bring.  By listening we now know how to help her come closer to Jesus Christ and to our Heavenly Father.  

There was a pretty nice tender mercy that happened last night.  We were at dinner with a member and they invited over a family who is investigating the church.  This family just lost their father.  They started the tradition in their home to go around the table and say what was hard that day and what the best part of the day was and what they felt like.  That reminded me of home and sitting around the table with our own family.  Heavenly Father is aware of us and who we are.  He knows us better than we ever will and that is because he created us.  He loves each and every one of you!  

I testify that God is our loving Father in Heaven and that He is our creator.  Pray to him in times of success, struggle, hardship, pain, worry, want, need, whatever you are feeling.  Just like our earthy father loves to hear from us, our Heavenly Father loves talking with us.  

"If you want to talk with Heavenly Father, pray to him, if you want Him to talk to you! Read the scriptures!"
-unknown 

I love you my wonderful eternal family!  May you be happy and full of peace and joy!
 
Stay safe,
Elder Shoemaker

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