FOUR Thanksgiving Meals this week!!

Dear Mom, Dad, Justin and Everyone,

Thank you always for your letters.  It is so great to be able to hear about the things that go on at home.  I am very excited for the cruise that you will be going on. Honestly, do not worry about making me trunky or anything.   I love it so much out here and I know that this next week I am supposed to be here and y'all are supposed to be out soaking up the sun and swimming with the fishies. Just make sure to send pictures of the family and also a sweet picture of the aqua blue ocean.

So, this week we have four people that have us scheduled for Thanksgiving dinner.  One with the bishop, another with one of the recent converts that was baptized last week, another with a part member family, and then the last with the Spence family - another part member family.  I will most likely be super stuffed and that day with be so great! There also was another baptism this past week for Kristy Jones.  She actually asked me if Ii would baptize her, which was such a great opportunity. She was going to ask elder Dunn but actually last Friday I got a new companion, Elder Moses.  It was a very fast change and we are working hard with our little knowledge of the area.  There was no problems with me and elder Dunn, it was just his time to leave the area.  Please pray for him and also me and Elder Moses in the Joshua area. 

Sad to say, but I will not be able to talk any longer at Christmas time.  The missionary handbook lets us know to keep the calls no longer than 40 minutes. I know there is so much to talk about but I know you all will understand. 

Just know, I will always answer questions, so feel free to ask them.  Here are some pictures.  Elder Dunn is the one that has the armadillo on his head and Elder Moses has brown hair.  The picture with the five missionaries at the conference last week is me,  then Elder Payne, then Elder Wilson, the missionary Elder Payne trained, Elder Williams, a new missionary Elder Payne is training now, and then also Elder Weaver the missionary Elder Wilson is training. Wow, I feel so old.   Ha ha.  They are all great missionaries and I am glad Elder Ericson helped prepare me to train so the mission can have good solid missionaries. There is also a picture of a cow to prove that we live in a barn, and also a drive-thru prayer.  Ha ha  - ONLY in Texas. Also pictures from the baptisms the past two weeks.

I love y'all so much and I hope you enjoy the cruise.  They are so great and I loved the time we had to spend on ours last year.

Love Elder Shoemaker

Clean and Bright, Perfect in White

Dear Dad and family,

This past week has been so amazing. There were 5 investigators that were able to make the step of baptism this week. It was such a cool experience.  During the baptism I had closed my eyes real quick to contemplate and as I opened my eyes I forgot that I had all my whites on. As soon as I saw my white pants I was struck by the spirit and knew that I can be as clean as my pants and also those being baptized that day would be the same. What a great experience!

This week on Saturday another person that we are teaching will be getting baptized too. There is so much more that I need to tell you all about but we just got back from a General Authority Conference, which was amazing, and just had a little time before our appointment to email. I will make sure to fill you in on that and the area more next week along with pictures. 

Love your son,

Elder Shoemaker

Making Commitments is Awesome!

Dear MOM and everyone else,

Ha ha love the costume. This Halloween we had a district meeting in the evening and that went pretty well.  I dressed up as elder Dunn and Elder Dunn dressed up as me. Our meeting was focused on how investigators, missionaries, and members must feel in the process of conversion. I led the main discussion on feeling the spirit and teaching by the spirit. I committed the Elders in the district to thinking of commitments to extend to investigators before they teach. This will allow the investigators to act and feel the spirit on their own and even lead to conversion experiences. 

It sounds like there is a lot going on at home especially with callings and church functions and activities. I bet Justin was a stud during Halloween and I bet y'all made some pretty sweet pumpkins. I almost thought of carving one but could not find the time. I hope Dad's finger is okay. That's sad to hear about the Christmas gift exchange stuff but we should definitely continue it with our family.  I have a gift I am working on, even though it may come later,  but it will get there eventually. 

This past week was great.  There were seven investigators at church on Sunday and we are super excited for all of them. This Saturday will be the baptism of Mike and also a woman named Melissa and her three daughters. We are so happy for all of them and the amazing step that they will be making. Halloween went very well and I can now tell that fall is finally starting to come. I am super sorry - pictures will come next week.  I have my SD card but there isn't a slot for it on the computer. For My Christmas "wish list", I would say an electric razor, GPS; and the traditional chocolate orange and socks are always wonderful. Thank you for the notes from the Stake Conference and that scripture.  I always love hearing about those things.

Love,

Elder Shoemaker