June 24, 2013

Dear Mom and Dad,

 

It sounds like Trek was an amazing experience with many trials that all in all helped the trek family to learn and grow. I love the ideas that you had for different activities and to help make the experience more life like. I still remember the first day of our Trek and how we accidentaly took a long-cut adding a couple extra miles onto the journey to Zion. I remember that day when we came to the final destination there was shade, a sprinkler to cool off in, and people handed us fresh watermelon that was the most pleasurable thing I had ever tasted. It was also a great experience coming to grow close as a Trek family and have many different experiences with each other.

 

The conference yesterday was very exciting and I am so glad I am here as a missionary as major changes have taken place.

 

I wish you all good luck with this next week endeavors and will make sure to keep you in my prayers with Girls Camp, house projects, and surgery. I had a feeling that the Browns would be home soon.  I feel like it was just yesterday that I was with them at the MTC. It is also sad to hear that Bro. Christensen passed away but I am very gratetful knowing where all will go after this life. This last week a man passed away in the ward here. We knew him and his wife well and were able to be in their home this last week teaching some of their relatives who were not members. One of them was named Theresa, whom we got to know very well.  She loved us and we love her. She said many times she wants the peace that she has seen in the members she met. She also expressed that she could not deny the feelings she felt towards the church. We committed her to be baptized and will be sending the missionaries to her home in Victoria Texas.

 

This last week was probably the busiest week ever and was very fast and wonderful. We were able to teach a lot this last week and really connect with many people and find ways to help them. There were 11 investigators at church and it was so wonderful to see them there and enjoy the spirit that was there.

 

Anyways transfers are this week and Edler Russell and i are staying here together. I a very excited to continue to serve with him here. The Rongeys are doing great and should be getting baptized in the next 3 weeks.

 

I love y'all so much and I am so excited to be a missionary here in Arlington.

 

There was a quote I read this morning that I really liked from this last conference.

 

"We who have mortal bodies have the power over the beings who do not."

 

We have so much power over satan we must use it and not allow him and others to control what we do. We must be servants of the Lord.

 

 

Love,

 

Elder Shoemaker