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