New Responsibilities

Dear Mom and dad,

 

Wow! These weeks have been going by super fast. I feel like I just got into this area yesterday, but yet there has already been so much accomplished. Saturday we had interviews with President Sagers. As Zone Leader, we were in charge of setting up for that and arranging the times for all the other missionaries in the zone to be interviewed. My interview turned out very well.  There were things said that I really pondered and have written down in my study journal, which has been one thing that has really helped me to be more sensitive to the spirit. I will write down spiritual insights and take them and treasure them showing the Lord that I care, thus helping me to recognize the spirit more.

 

Oh, another cool thing that worked out this week that is sad and exciting at the same time. There was these investigators that were living together while not married and they split up. She still came to church on Sunday and should be making steps toward baptism soon. We are meeting with her tonight with her fellowshipper and will be committing her to a baptismal date. She is so ready and I am super excited.

 

So, I will try to list some things that I am doing now with the assignment the Lord has given me.

 

-weekly reporting to the assistants of the president of the key indicators throughout the zone

-organize interviews for every other transfer which is 6 weeks a transfer

-sometime organize zone confrences whether or not they are held in our zone

-monthly meeeting with the mission president to dicuss goals for the mission and also focus

- monthly trainings on the goals and focus with the zone (the Lewisville zone consists of 7 companionships)

-we also go on exchanges with the district leaders in the zone and once a transfer we go on exchanges with the assistants

-there is no specific driver in our companionship so we alternate who drives and we also have a truck, which is a big deal

-this is the last one I can think of today but we also meet with the Stake President once a month and go over the investigators in the area and receive assignments and report on former assignments.

 

I will make sure to send pictures next week.  I do not have my camera in the library with me. Also do you want pictures of just my new apartment or all of them?

 

Dad, it is really cool to see the things that are coming out of church that you take and apply to the family. Also everyone great job on the diet plans and what an intense bike ride dad.

 

I am sorry I cannot look at my missionary blog. I will make sure to go through and explore it when I get home. You could also print off prints of the website and send a hard copy. 

Ha ha I have definitely noticed the moon.  We had clear skies last night and it lit up the sky! Also, it sounds like your retreat is starting to grow bigger and bigger.  I am sure it will eventually be a pretty big deal. Mom, good luck with working at the school, Justin, keep on track with you diet, and Dad, keep biking.

 

I love y'all and hope you have an amazingly wonderful week.

 

Love,

 

Elder Shoemaker

Settled in New Area

Dear Mom and Dad,

I will have to be a little quicker today as I am on an exchange today and I also have lots of info to send via email for zone stuff.

That is super exciting to hear about trek and the preparation for it. Also, Dad that is so amazing about  the opportunity that you have to make such a large impact in peoples lives.  I did not really comprehend how much you help those people until today. I understand why you love it so much. You are able to serve others without having to receive praise. It reminds me of Ammon and how after he protected the flocks the king did not find Ammon among the people in pride but in the stables taking care of his assignment. I am excited for that opportunity that you have and am also grateful for the spiritual impact that you have had on me and also those you serve in the church.

Well, yes the place we live is pretty fancy. We live with the bishop in the apartment above his garage. The address in actually 790 not 7090. This place is for sure a lot bigger than my last living quarters but I still love the Joshua apartment the best. I am still learning what I do as a Zone Leader, but one of the main thingsIi will do is find, teach, and baptize. A lot of what I will do is to mainly set an example of missionary work and lead as the Savior does. I will for sure fill you in more on what I do. One cool thing is that I will get to work with the stake and also meet with the Mission President once or twice a month. Elder Davis is from Toronto, Canada and is super good with people. He is very intelligent and goofy. He does improv and loves to have fun. He actually has a month left on his mission so I will send him off. Also, just to let you know a little about the area. It is very wealthy with a lot of comfortable people that do not really want to change. So, we focus mainly on working through the members which is great.

I love y'all and hope you have a great week

Love, 

Elder Shoemaker

New Area - New Zone Leader!!

Dear Family and friends,

First of all, thank you for still writing to me this past week even through snail mail. I got the calendar and it is perfect.  I was about to buy one, but I see now, why I did not. I love your picture in there dad and it is so exciting to see that in there. 

Well I found out on Friday that I will be transferred up to Lewisville, TX this coming Wednesday. My new address is:

Elder Nathaniel Shoemaker

7090 Estates Dr.

Copper Canyon, TX 75077

I have also been extended the responsibility of being a Zone Leader there with Elder Davis. I was very excited to have this trust and I know that I will continue to grow and progress in my new area. I found out that I live with the Bishop in an apparently nice house. It will be an upgrade from the cube, but I will definitely miss The Cube, Joshua, and Elder Moses. 

Thank you for all the pictures of skiing and of the Medina family.  Ammon looks so much older. WOW!! and it looks like y'all had a great time skiing. 

This past week was very interesting. It was raining off and on the other day with the most rain I've seen.  I was on an exchange in a bike area and I was completely soaked by the end of the day. It was super fun and we were still able to teach.  I also had the opportunity to serve with a stellar new missionary, which reminds me.  Elder Moses is going to train a new missionary and he is super excited. He has made a lot of good changes here so he can have the sacred trust of training a missionary. We may have some new missionaries that are 18 but I am not sure yet. 

We finished the week off by providing some service for and older lady.  We helped getting Christmas decor taken down and also helped get some stuff out of her attic that her grandson had used to grow marijuana (note there was no plants just lights and tools). She actually even showed up to church this week and sat with us. It was really cool to see her there even though her Sunday was very busy. 

Well, I have been asked to write the mission office this week for the monthly newsletter and I want to send some pics. I love y'all and hope you have a great week. 

Love,

Elder Shoemaker

 Area map of Joshua

 Dirty shirt

 Bro Browers glasses

 Christmas lights

 Santa Shoemaker

 Pictures of me and elder Moses

A New Year and a Great Year

Dear Mom, Dad, Spencer, Chelsey and Justin,

Wow!  This past year has gone by super fast.  It seems like it just flew by. I feel like I just got to Texas but recently by listening to how I talk has proved otherwise. Elder Moses this past week has pointed out my y'alls and other Texan phrases such as "right quick" and "fixen". Ha ha I guess it  has really grown on me. This past year I have learned to love the scriptures more, how to love people easier, and also how to find way to get along with all types of people. I have also learned what true BBQ taste like and also learned to love Texas and being a missionary. But most of all,  I have truly come to love my savior Jesus Christ. 

This new year I would hope to find ways to develop humility. Also I want to really be able to look at people the way the Savior does which will in turn help me to have a desire to talk with all and find ways to help them first develop faith in Christ which will then lead them to repentance, making covenants, receiving the holy ghost, and then living a life the way the savior wants us to by enduring to the end and helping others to find their way too. 

Well, I have had a great week.  Me and Elder Moses get along very well and love serving here in Joshua Texas. It will get hard and we have times of the week where things don't go how we would like, but the things that we go through help mold us into better servants of the Lord. 

Dad, I was thinking last week about sharing scriptures. This week I have been studying in Alma about the sons of Mosiah and their missionary work among the Lamanites.  I want to share a scripture will all of you about how the sons of Mosiah find strength. In Alma 17:9, it talks about how they fast and pray, allowing the spirit to be with them so they can be instruments in the hands of God. As we study the scriptures, pray, and fast like we were able to do yesterday we will have the power to be instruments in the Lords work whether we are full time missionaries, leaders, or teachers of youth in the church.  We can all be instruments and be an example to others. 

Transfers are coming up on the 16th.  I will be excited to see where the Lord wants us and I will let y'all know ASAP where I will be. I will take some good pictures and send some next week.

Love,

Elder Shoemaker

Developing Humility January 2, 2013

Dear Mom and Dad,

It was so great to be able to talk to y'all in person finally. There is definitely a mouthful of information today. I am so excited to hear about the new missionaries going out ,especially some very close friends. Also it is exciting to hear about sister Cates, and Tanner (Shoemaker Cousin). It was super exciting to hear about the Spirit of Elijah.  I have definitely gotten that out here.  I will for sure get into family history when I get home. Wow!  The Medinas are home.  That is so crazy.  It was great to see his picture.  Would you send me a picture of their  family.  I would love to see how different the kids look. Dad, just to let you know, I love the scriptures that you post.  I usually take them and read over them and have even used one of them in a district meeting. It Texas,  it is not uncommon to see scriptures written everywhere.  I love it and I always love reading special scriptures. I am glad to hear that you are getting around more mom and that your surgery went well. I apologize in advance for the typing mistakes in my email and if it is not as long. We just got out of our district meeting, which went well, and we will be heading to a service project this afternoon. If there  was any struggle on my mission it would be humility.  Not in the sense that I do not have it,  but trying to go where the Lord want us during our efforts rather than just going off of my own knowledge. This morning was a true test of that as we had a little time to work before we went to our meeting. We cold have used the time to make copies for the meeting but instead followed a prompting to go by a store that is owned by a part member family. They were not there but the person who was working took a message for us and we found a way to finally come in contact with the family which was very cool. I am really working on developing humility along with other Christlike attributes. 

I am super excited for this new year and the new goals that everyone is making. I encourage y'all to find goals you can set that will help you stretch physically and spiritually, but will in turn, provide blessings in the end. I love you all so much and want to say again how wonderful it was being able to hear your voices.

Love,

Elder Shoemaker