Lasting Conversions May 29th 2012

Dear friends and family, This past week was so amazing with having a baptism on Wednesday and then the next day having Zone Conference. I am so excited about what I learned at Zone Confrence and how I will apply it to my missionary service. Stepenville was kind of slow this week. We managed to have a lot of members come on exchanges with us but we had alot of appointments punch on us. However, we have some people that we are teaching that are coming along very well. It has been exciting working with the kind of people that are so well prepared. Elder Payne is doing very well. He has been taking the role as senior companion more days a week now than me and he will be on an exchange this week in Stephenville with the district leader. I know it will be a great learning experience for him. We are helping those that we teach prepare for baptism by really making sure they understand the major inportance of it. I have seen where people do get baptized and go inactive right away. We are also making sure that they are truly living the commandments and making the steps in the right order. Faith, repentance and then baptism and recieving the gift of the holy ghost. We then help them as recent converts to continually live rightously by helping them reach lasting conversion so that they may be that memeber that adds to building the Lords kindom here on earth. I am excited for this week to prove to satan that even though we had a slow week this past week, I can still go out and work hard by bringing others closer to Jesus Christ. It sounds like the family room food/storage and excersize room project turned out well. I am trying to picture what it is like. I am sure that Day Camp is going to be amazing. I know that the scouts will have fun with the things that you have planned Mom. That is a crazy bike ride Dad. I remeber when we went on the 50 mile bike ride and I went the whole way and Spencer and the other kid that went held onto the car to get up the long big hill in Prosser. (haha) It sounds like Justin is taking some initiative in getting his spanish down. I decided that I want to learn Spanish when i get home. I have already learned more out here than in Spanish for two years. I actually understand the spanish members pretty well and I am going on an exchange on friday with a spanish missionary to his area so we will see how my Spanish bodes. I hope things go well this week and yes, I am doing very well on using my journal to write in. I actually have a study journal and also a regular journal. Oh, and before I go there was something pretty cool I learned at Zone Confrence. One of the missionarys that gave a training compared the holy ghost to the Liahona. If we do not have faith, diligence and give heed to the holy ghost, it will not work. The same thing went for Nephi's family and using the Liahona. Anyways, I hope this next week goes well with school wrapping up, Day Camp and bike rides. Love, Elder Shoemaker

May 21, 2012

Dear friends and family, This past week was a really hard a rough week. We had been teaching a lot of people the past couple of weeks and did not teach as much. We dropped a couple of investigators that have been hanging by threads this week. I am not going to say it feels good but we needed to do it so we can truly focus on those that are progressing and also working on finding new investigators. There is another new member this week in stephenville and we are super excited for him he was able to receive the priesthood right away because we have been working with him so much through the ward and the Bishop. We are also excited for the baptism of a 16 year old this Wednesday right after mutual as well. He has been fellowshipped amazingly and it will be a great turnout for the baptism with all of the youth and also the leaders that he will be associating with him as a member. We have been really pushing the ward to work with the investigators that we teach because it helps the transition better and also helps them to really stay active and feel welcome even when they may fall or relapse. That is one thing that I really love about this area -the members are so good at helping and especially the Bishop. It allows us to teach more member present lessons and really helps the work to progress in this area. We are helping the recent converts to understand the importance of the holy ghost and if they do not continue to be faithfull members they will not have that companionship to help lead and guide them throughout their lives. Just recently me and elder payne have revamped our studies and they are proving to be way more effective. We have already noticed how well it is helping us to teach in unity and also is contributing to us being able to be more obedient. It sounds like Sunday was amazing. I love the cookie story. I think gossip is on of the main tools that satan uses to work againts good. It tears wards apart. The Stephenville ward has problems with gossip too. A lot of members get offended to the point of not even returning. It is sad to see how it effects the church. We just need to do what President Uctdorf said to do. "STOP IT" haha it is really the only thing that is going to work. One awesome scripture is D&C 64: 9-11 that may helps those who have been offended. It is also cool to look at the numbers in there it was givin on september 11 and it is on page 119 and also verses 9-11. It just screams 9-1-1. I hope that makes sense. That is awesome to hear about bro Yearselys story and also I love the fact of the topic of journals. They are not used enough. I wish I would have understood that sooner. I hope you can get on a bike ride today dad. Me and elder payne might try a mile run today and see how fast we can do it. Haha I am not gonna lie, I am getting pretty good at requetball and might give you a challenge dad. Haha. The temple trip sounds like it was awesome the 16 year old that is getting baptized his name is Jeremy. He might be able to go to the ssephenville wards youth baptism trip on the 9th of june. I am so excited for him he is so awesome and has an amazing testimony. I love seeing how the gospel can change lives and it really helps my testimony to grow. I hope you all have an amazing day. Love, Elder Shoemaker

Mother's Day Was the Best - May 13th

Dear Family and Everyone, This was yet another awesome week with a new transfer and just getting out and working. Oh, and also it was so great being able to call home. It is so weird to think that Justin is taller than dad. That is crazy! You should take a picture. I have redetermined myself to striving to be as obedient as I wanted to be when I first got here. Now that I know more, I have more work to do but it will definitely pay off. We have really been helping those we teach prepare for baptism this week by building our faith. This helps us to prepare them because we are having more confidence in what we are doing and in turn helps those we teach in Stepenville be more comfortable. We are striving to work with the ward to help recent converts and less active members along. We are working to give them someone they can look to as an example and also to help answer questions. I have had so many great opportunities to learn from my studies. I am taking longer to get through things I study, because I am applying it to myself and also those we will teach. I am super excited to get out this week and continually reach new goals. About socks -black is the best color and CTR Clothing makes some really good Drimax socks. Thank you for all you do. It was so awesome hearing everyone's voices. I am glad to here Apence and Chelsey are doing great and working a lot. I am so glad to hear about Brother Smith - that is so awesome and is really going to bless their family especially being able to hold the priesthood. Keep up the good work with Bro Sullivan Justin. That sounds awesome. Love, Elder Shoemaker

Dear Family and everyone, This past week was so amazing. Elder Payne and I have been focusing on teaching lessons more by the spirit and being more in tune with it to help both of us know what to say. We have also been focusing on planning our week and appointments in advance so we can better prepare. I started right from the beginning of preach my gospel again this week and have been using things I am learning to help us throughout the week. It had talked about how you can recognize that you really are set apart as a missionary by what results from the choices we make. One example specifically is being in the right place at the right time. It has happened this whole week we seem to see those we need to teach and be in the right places to find those ready to accept the gospel. I know that the lord is preparing people that are ready to accept the fullness of the gospel and we are making sure to be righteous so we can continually receive inspiration. We have really focused heavily on Moroni's promise and knowing the truth through the holy ghost to help prepare people for baptism. This focus has really helped the people we teach gain not only logical evidence that what we teach is true but a spiritual witness. It is so awesome to see how much that and working by the spirit has changed the progress of those we teach. I know that the message we share and teach is true and heavenly father is preparing the people that are put in our path to hear it. This past week has been filled with a lot of lessons taught in a members home. It not only is a way to help the investigators progress but to really strengthen the members testimonies and also help member's to see how much the gospel and the church they belong to can changes lives. Jacob 1:19 is an amazing scripture. we as missionaries focus on doing this in how we teach not only investigators but as we teach members. It is important that we do testify of what we teach and also know. One main thing that we do with everyone is commitments we leave people with specific challenges that will help them grow if the are member's or investigators. We always wait for them to answer us with a yes. One thing that I really know will help the ward is strong commitments because it is hard to break a promise when you say yes. A maybe gives people a way out and is often not effective. So, Shoemaker family will you invite someone in our home to have dinner with the missionaries and have the missionaries teach them? I know it may be really weird but one easy way would be to tell someone how you have a son on a mission and that you would like them to see what he is doing. I am already thinking of some names... Really, I know and can promise you that our Heavenly Father is preparing people all around us to learn and accept the gospel. Haha and guess what? I can check up on how that is going for all of you on Sunday and maybe give you some ideas. I am pretty sure that you got an email from President Sagers about details of how it will work out. I only have a max of 40 minutes. Please help me to stick to this because I do not want to disobedient time wise. Anyways I will be calling about 7:40 Texas time which I think will be 4:40 p.m. there. I am super excited to talk to everyone and make sure you have some questions for me haha. Lastly, I want to share a scripture with everyone. This is in 3rd Nephi chapter 27:13-22. This has really meant a lot to me on my mission. These are Christs words and it is labeled as the doctrine of Christ in my scriptures. This passage really is that what we teach as missionaries and why we do what we do. It is also like the missionary purpose "Our purpose is to invite other to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and his atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and enduring to the end." As you read through this, try and find these things in it and apply them in your lives. I have been focusing on doing this as a missionary and will the rest of my life because I have seen the influence it has had on my life and others. Thank you everyone for all of your prayers. Elder Payne and I have really seen their influence this past transfer. I will talk to everyone on Sunday. Here are some pictures of a thunder storm sunset, hay field behind our apartment, a mommas boy, and what happens when you freeze a open can of pop haha. Love Elder Nathaniel Shoemaker

Full Schedule

Dear family, Elder Payne and Elder Shoemaker are doing great here in Stephenville. This past week went so well it seemed like me and Elder Payne were in all the right spots at the right time. I have talked to more people this week than I ever have - it was so awesome. The Assitant's challenge to talk with every living soul has amazing benefits. This past week we visited quite a few families in the ward and taught them too, wether it was after dinner or just stopping by. We are develpoing better friendships and it is making it easier to have members connected to the investigators we teach. This we know will help to prepare those we teach for baptism because it gives the support for their conversion and a friend to ask questions. I finished the Book of Mormon two days ago for the first time on my mission. It was an amazing experience and I have gotten so much more out of it than I have ever before. I started over the next day and I am already finding new things that stand out. It is helping me so much and making my testimony grow stronger as I read and study. Sorry mom, I was not able to get your email last week. It sounds like the CEFY was awsome. And also the time out for women. I bet Sis Jones did an amazing job. She was such an awesome seminary teacher and is supper good with all of the youth. I am not sure if the Browns know Elder Paynes family but I will show him a picture and see if he recognizes them. I bet you are doing an awesome job with the lawn dad and I bet you do it better than me. I actually started doing patterns because one day I saw you do it diagonally and I thought it was awesome. I started doing it when I mowed and it actually made it a lot more fun to me to be able to turn it into an art project rathen than just a chore. Haha. I am glad to hear that your lesson went well in Sunday School. To anwser the question about the ward accepting the missionaries well - they actually do an amazing job. Bishop Graff was actually a Mission President and loves to work with the missionaries. We have actually had to gain the trust of the ward because almost a year ago the Stephenville area was considered outer darkness for missionaries. The Bishop noticed how things were going and told the president that he needs good misionaries. President sent in a missionary who had been an assistant who actually trained Elder Ericson. So Stephenville has been booming with missionary work and the ward is starting to work harder to help the efforts. Famiy Book of Mormon studying sounds like it is going great and also the Book of Mormon Challenge sounds sweet. I wish I would have taken more advantage of those challenges because they are not just so we can have prizes but for the benefit of reading. I Love having the Book of Mormon as part of my studies and it really helps me to become a better teacher and also is a strength to my testimony. This week has really turned out awesome and we had a great Sunday with a lot of teaching and the talks and lessons were perfect for the investigators that attended and also for the members of the ward. Hope things go awesome this week. We already have a whole bunch of appointments set up this week so we will be working super hard. Love, Elder Shoemaker

Busy, busy, busy

Dear family, This past week was a pretty trying and hard week. We had preparation day on Monday, district meeting on Tuesday, new missionary meeting on Wednesday, interviews on Thursday, weekly planning on Friday, correlation meeting on Saturday and church on Sunday. All of these ate up a lot of each day throughout this week so we had to work extra hard to meet our standards of excellence, meaning we should teach 20 lessons a week and meet key indicators which show that we are working and we still managed to meet them. It was an amazing answer to my prayers because it was a super busy week. It has showed to me that we should make sure to plan our days well so we can be effective and say to people when we meet them that God has sent us here specifically today. It is awesome to say that and really helps me and Elder Payne to be effective missionaries. We have really been helping those that we teach to prepare for baptism by really focusing on their needs and making sure that they have friends in the ward that they can be fellow shipped by and also helps the conversion process better because we cannot keep teaching everyone that has been baptized. We help those that have been baptized by having them join us in teaching appointments and having them see the influence of their strong testimony and it also helps the people we teach see how much the gospel can change their lives. Gospel studies have been way more effective this last week I have been applying Preach My Gospel to help me be a trainer and the things that me and Elder Payne study and role play have been more spirit guided and really help me to teach and also learn. I love how the spirit is working not only when we teach others but also as I learn and teach myself and also help Elder Payne become the type of missionary to be ready to teach others well. I will probably finish the Book of Mormon this week and that has been an amazing testimony builder for me. I have said this before but I really love the Book of Mormon and how it has blessed my life and how much it can influence everyone's life who sincerely reads it. Those hike pictures look awesome. I have never hiked in that area and it looks so amazing. CEFY sounds like it is going to be a blast. The Slaugh's place is so perfect and I bet the youth will love it. For your lesson this Sunday dad, my studies have always been more effective when they start with a prayer and end with a prayer. It shows Heavenly Father that you are really ready to heed the promptings of the spirit. The spirit really helps me to understand the things that I study. Also, another thing that really helps is that I use a study journal. Preach My Gospel talks about how if you show that you treasure insights and spiritual experiences by recording them, you will be more apt to receive experiences like that. I love how these thing have made my studies more effective for me. These principles can also apply to more than gospel study, but also for school tests and other studies. Anyways I hope that helps. I love you all and hope things go great for this weekends CEFY. Love Elder Nathaniel Shoemaker

April 16th, 2012

Dear family, This past week went by so fast and I feel like I wrote yesterday however things just worked out and we were able to teach so many different people. Elder Payne is doing great. He is almost done with the 29 day challenge and is working hard on lesson principles so he can teach better when we go out to appointments. He has gotten already so much better since he got here we will even end up saying what the other would say when we kindly interrupt each other. Our unity is getting much better and make the lessons go a lot smoother. I have had those hard time so frequently but I can never remember the details because when good things happen they take over. Anyways to help investigators progress towards baptism we have been applying what we have learned during the twelve week program and making sure not to forget what we learned in the previous week. It seems to just make thing go smoother and allows the spirit to be there ten time stronger. Gospel study has been so amazing I really love the time I have to read the Book of Mormon. I am almost finished studying it again and it is amazing how the things that I read stand out to not only me but the people that we see that day. This last week was amazing and this next week is super busy with missionary meetings but I hope me and Elder Payne will still be able to teach as much as we have even with shorter days. > > > > It was really awesome this past week. We were able to set two firm baptismal invitations with investigators that had a firm yes to the invitation to be baptized. One example was we had an appointment set up that dropped on us an hour before. So we went to our backup appointment and after that we felt prompted to go and check on the investigator that the appointment fell through with. We went and knocked and ended up teaching the lesson. It was with Jerry Boykins daughter. He is a recent convert. She firmly accepted baptism and when we told her that her dad would be able to baptize her she almost began to cry. The spirit was so strong and it was such a great lesson. We also went to another investigators house and her son was there we asked him to join in on the lesson and we again felt prompted to invite him to be baptized and he was so ready to accept that he took what we taught as truth but understands that he must have a spiritual witness too. > > > > Anyways about the graduation gown I think it might be in either Justin's closet or I think I might have let Sister Halter borrow it for Elise's graduation. I know i did not pack it away but make sure and check every closet like the library or the front closet too. It sounds like the yard is looking so nice. I love the picture. The grass looks so amazingly green and the flowers look beautiful. I would love it if you sent a picture of the back yard especially with a super fancy mow from dad. haha You should get Justin on it along with the other lawns that I used to mow. Also I would love the picture because I guess green grass does not exist here. haha. I am excited for the Time out for Women and the CEFY. They are both marked on the calender I. brought from home. It is so funny how all those yard projects work out haha It is how the missionary work is turning out here for me and Elder Payne. To answer your question dad, Elder Payne is just as devoted to living obediently. He got here and was ready to work. I love that about him and am glad to be his companion. I forgot to bring my camera today but Ii will make sure to send some pictures next time. How is the preach my gospel FHE going? I would recommend chapter 5. It is on the Book of Mormon and will really help to get more out of reading in the BOM. Also IIwant you all to find someone that you can invite to have the missionaries come and teach maybe even have them for dinner and then have a lesson afterwards. Okay well sorry i have to say bye. I love all of you - even you Justin. I hope you have a wonderful week and be a member missionary! > > > > Love you son and your missionary, > > > > Elder Nathaniel Shoemaker >