Elder Landon Shoemaker: One FANTASTIC week!

Area: Kearney, Missouri
Companion: Elder Anderton

This has been one fantastic week! Kristin was baptized! She is a perfect example of how the church can make good people better. It has been so cool to watch her transition from when I first met her to now. I had the wonderful opportunity to baptize her this past Saturday and what an amazing experience that was. That was the first time I have been able to perform the ordinance and the spirit was so strong. Memories of my own baptism flooded my mind as I was in the font. Elder Anderton was able to confirm her in church the following day. We got news that Kristin will be moving to California in about 3 weeks, which stinks, but it is on the Lords timing. She is moving to be with her kids so it is for a good reason. We went to the temple with her Monday and Bishop Walker is hoping to get her in for her Patriarchal blessing before she leaves! Kristin has been such a miracle and there is a tangible light difference and counts once about her!

That is why this email is coming in on Tuesday, because we went to the temple Monday to do a session and then do baptisms with her that night so we had to swap our p-day.

We had such a once in a life time opportunity to give a blessing to a non member Catholic boy this week. There is a huge long story behind this....that there isn't enough time to type it or tell it. This is a story I would rather share in person anyway. It was so long that I typed it up on the computer and then glued the 3 page story into my journal rather than writing it. This is one of those stories you will have to ask me about when I get home. The biggest faith building experience for me and a huge testimony builder in the power of the Priesthood!

Funny story... We were doing service for a member who was having us tear up his deck around his pool because it was all rotted and he was selling his pool so they needed it gone. We had torn up all the deck so we were working on all the side railing. This is a 20 year old deck that has been in Missouri humidity so it is pretty rotten! Elder Anderton was holding onto a 4x4 about 4 feet off the ground rocking back and forth trying to get it to come loose. I look over at him and I hear a big crack! The 4x4 snaps in half and he goes flying backwards. His legs shot straight up and he fell flat on his back with the 4x4 smacking his chest right after he landed! I was laughing so hard that I couldn't stay standing up! He ended up being just fine so no worries there.

We really only have about 3 solid people we are currently teaching and two of them are Dillon and Daylin. They are boyfriend and girlfriend and they both are 20. Really cool how we are getting in to teach with Dillon lately! Bishop Walker is so inspired and such a hard worker. We go and work out with him in the morning and Dillon is a foot ball player for a college here in Missouri. Bishop invited him to come work out with us in the morning and he comes! We have taught him almost every day this past week in Bishops gym after a hard work out. We also were able to teach Dillon and Daylin together yesterday which was great. You know that you are following the spirit when you go into a lesson planning on teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ (through Christ we can be cleared from sin, faith, repentance, baptism, gift of the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end) and the lesson ends up on being how faith leads us to follow the word of wisdom. The lesson went great! :-)

Here is one of my favorite quotes,

"Being humble isn't thinking less of yourself, it is thinking of yourself less."

Here is another one to really think about as well.

"We are not obedient because we are blind, we are obedient because we can see."

- President Boyd K. Packer

I'm so very grateful for this amazing opportunity I have had to be here in the Missouri, Independence Mission! I am learning so much about the Lord and have grown to love and appreciate him more. I invite you all to take some time every day this week to really study the Saviors atonement and write down what you learn. It has helped me everyday as I have been able to look back and see what I have learned.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY GRANDMA LIN!!!!!

HAPPY WEDDING ABBIE!

Love you all!

Elder Shoemaker

Here are some pictures of Kristin and her baptism. You can notice a tangible light difference in her countenance! She is such an amazing woman. :-)