Companion: Elder Bradley
Well, it's official! The trunkiness is setting in... I'm getting tired of writing emails! :D. Haha!
This week we had another general authority come to our mission! Elder Hemula of the 70 came and spoke with us. We had a zone conference on Tuesday in which he spoke to us for about 6 hours and helped us understand the principles of repentance, faith, grace, mercy, and many others that were very enlightening to me. One of my favorite things that he said was that repentance is our ability to be able to get back up and try again after we have messed up. The Lord doesn't expect us to be perfect right now, he realizes that it takes time, grace upon grace.
One thing about Elder Hemula is that he truly has a love for the scriptures. He has studies them so much and he's become such a student of the scriptures that when we would ask a question to him he would throw out about 5 scriptures for us to look up from right off the top of his head! It was so cool to see. He has quite a way of explaining things in a way that you understand at the end of his explanation, while he is explaining it I would get lot a little but he would bring it all back and make some sense of it. He always took the long way around when explaining things which was always a big help. I have loved getting to listen to the apostles speak so frequently while on a mission, it has helped me to realize that these men are just like you and me; no different. They have lived their life is such a way that they are truly becoming more and more like the Savior each and every day and they have been called to the calling because they set such a good example and they help everyone along the way.
We are still trying to work very closely with Mahogany and Malachai to help them reach their baptismal date of July 4th but as of right now we haven't had much contact with them because they don't answer the phone and we haven't been able to catch them while they are at home so we are not quite sure where they are at in regards of still being baptized on that date. We are hoping and praying that they will make it! This ward hasn't seen a convert baptism in over a year so it would be really good to get that ball rolling.
Elder Bradley and myself have been struggling here in this area with keeping hope that we can baptize someone here together. It is our desire to do so, we are just having a hard time getting there. We have been a little negative lately and I have been praying for some type of uplifting experience to happen so that I my have a positive attitude. Last night, Elder Bradley and I were talking about the experiences we have had in the Kearney 3rd ward when we both served there and then out of nowhere we got a call from Bishop Walker last night!! He is a man that truly follows the spirit. I was going to email him today and talk to him about a few things but he covered it all when he called. We talked for about 20 minutes and he brought back so many good memories and shared also the success that is going on over there! It brought some hope into me and also kick started my faith that things can happen here! It truly was a tender mercy of the Lord. :).
The bugs have come out to play here in Kansas!! I wake up every morning with a new bug bite or two... We have soaked our apartment in Permethrin and we bug spray up every day, but you can only do so much. The chiggers will get ya like crazy! They bite you everywhere... And I mean EVERYWHERE... :O. The lightning bugs are really cool at night though, it looks like the grass is flickering on and off. If you catch one you can squeeze their behinds and than wipe the glowy juice anywhere you want and it will glow for a few seconds, pretty sweet!
That's about all I got for y'all this week! :D
I love and appreciate you!
Elder Shoemaker
Elder Shoe with Mitch Mathews from the Kansas City Chiefs
We went to this week overlook tower in a park that is near our apartment
that is about 30 feet up and I snapped some pics, check out Kansas!!
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