Week 22
Aloha everyone!
I hope everyone has had another stellar week around the world. I just realized that this email is going to 5 different continents.... that crazy! And a few more islands at that. Well it had been another brutally hot week he in the Paradise of Hawaii. I swear since im either walking or biking all day and our pad is not air conditioned I am showering at least 3 times a day... haha but its all good. Its starting to feel like an Indiana summer here. We had what was left of a Hurricane roll through Saturday and it was really cool to see a thunderstorm again! Oh and it dropped 14 inches of rain in 6 hours.... crazy. But we are an island so we don’t really have to worry about flooding. And so the humidity is supper thick right now. But the sweet summer sun will make quick work of that!
It had been a really great week this week. Lots of fun as well as some great missionary opportunities.
Monday we met up as a district and played some volleyball and football at a Beach park in Kahala so that was really fun!
Tuesday was a rather normal day. Wednesday we had our quarterly interviews with President Warner and it went super well. And its always good to hear the advice and counsel of our mission president 1 on 1. we also we asked to prepare a 3 minute talk on the subject of Obedience to present to Sister Warner to give us a chance to get some feedback on our speaking skills and poseur. Overall a wonderful day.
Thursday was just a Grind-it-out day just hitting the streets visiting tons of people and talking to everyone.
Friday we did service at the Kurihara's again preparing the yard and moving furniture around in preparation for them to put their house on the market. Then we hit the streets again. Then the best part of the week up until this point was we had the opportunity to tour the Hawaii 5-0 studios!!!!!! a family in our ward cleans and does the trash their at night and so they have keys to everything!!! it was awesome. We got to see everything including wardrobe, props, producer's office, set designer's office and best of all Center Stage where they film the Hawaii 5-0 Office scenes as well as many others and I got to walk through the set and try on all kinds of costumes! Tons of fun! We even saw Danny’s Car and some other things!
Sitting in McGarrett's office on The Hawaii 5-0 Set!
Saturday was a pretty good day. Except I broke my bike again... my back rim was getting wobbly on me all week then on Saturday I ended up breaking a few spokes... so we are now a walking area... haha eventually they will learn im too big for a medium wal-mart bike..... haha especially after ive had it fixed 17 times now in 6 months... haha were able to though to attend a ward party in the afternoon down at the Kapiolani Beach park as a farewell to Bishop Stanley and his family. It was really a good time and lots of good food and such. Then that evening the thunderstorm rolled in and I was so excited I just sat outside in it for an hour or so! I LOVE thunder storms!
Sunday was wonderful as always except it was a sad day as Bishop Stanley was released and bore his testimony and Brother Hamano was called as the new Bishop of the Kaimuki Ward. We then had dinner with the hardingers and it could possibly be my last with them with Transfers coming up on the 30th.
And yesterday (Monday) we got the Chance to spent the day at the PCC (Polynesian Cultural Center). It was really fun and even better since we are missionaries everything is free! Free is always better. :) It was really fun and loved it! This is why my letter is coming today we didn’t have the chance to write yesterday.
Climbing a Coconut tree in the Samoan Village
This week I reflect on my preparation for my talk on Obedience and as I was studying in the Book of Mormon and Bible really dove into why we should be obedient. As I did I reflected on why I had decided to come on a mission and the man I am today. Its because from my early years I was obedient to my parents and those I looked up to. I hardened to their teachings and counsels, even when I didn’t understand why or didn’t want to. I did it anyway. And now I have come to learn why obedience is important. As we are obedient we are preparing for the future and bettering ourselves. We are listening to the counsel of those who have come before us be cause they have seen what lies ahead and want us to be prepared. I am grateful for that now. I have grown and learned so much through my life and continue to now more than ever as I serve the Lord.
In Sunday school we taught the Law of Sacrifice and at the close in my testimony I shared that I haven’t always been the best at making the sacrifice to help others but when I have I have NEVER ONCE regretted it. And have always seen the Joy that comes from serving others. I feel the same way about being obedient. I am grateful for the wisdom of me peers, parents, and of coarse our Heavenly Father. And their guidance and help in making me the man I am today. Because I was obedient to my Coaches I have the opportunity to play football in at the next level and have learned discipline and punctuality. Because of my leaders at church I have learned how to be more in tune with the Holy Ghost and be a better person and continue to grow in the gospel. Because of my parents I have learned everything. I have learned what kind of husband I want to be, what kind of father, what kind of man. I have grown so much through being obedient and have fallen when I haven’t been. It has given me the opportunity and prepared me to serve a mission now and be a father and a husband in the future. In the book of Mosiah Chapter 4 in the Book of Mormon it says;
“9 Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.”
this is a prime reason why obedience is so important. Our Heavenly Father has all wisdom and ?Power and wants us to become the best we can be and learn all that we can and return to live with him. For this reason he leads us and guides us through commandments, prophets, and our peers. My question is are we listening and obeying this counsel? Are we talking those opportunities to grow and become worthy to return to live with our Heavenly father?
I Hope you all have a wonderful week this week. We are anticipating transfer news this week and will know by Sunday weather I will stay another transfer here in Kaimuki or be moving on. Hope all is well. Love and Miss you all!
Elder Shoaf
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