First Email!!

Hey everyone! Today is my first Personal Day at the MTC (missionary training center, Provo, Utah)! Which are Fridays as you can tell! Once I arrive in Hawaii personal days will be Mondays!  Today is my second full day, third overall! It's not too bad but a lot of work. It is so cool to have a name tag! We get up at 6:30 and we are non-stop till 10:30 at night. The food isn't bad but it is BYU cafeteria food so it all tastes the same. My companion Elder Hatch is from Arizona and is a computer guy. He is barely 5' 6" very skinny and NEVER talks. I'm starting to get him to know him slowly and he's great. He has great views on the gospel and life. We get along pretty well. I am in a district of 6 guys. We are all going to Hawaii which is rare for the MTC for everyone in a district to be going the same place. I love my guys. Elder Spencer and Elder Penrod are from Utah, Elder Willis is from Arizona as well and Elder ILI in from Cali. We have great times together. Unlike most districts we stick together. At the MTC we must stay in sight and sound of our companion.  So far I feel super overwhelmed trying to learn everything I need to know in just twelve days but other times I feel pretty good. As a district we support each other the best we can and keep it light hearted most the time. But we are also very spiritual in class and during our studies. We spend most the day in our classroom either getting instruction or we have personal and companionship study times. Sometimes we have the personal study time to study what we want such as read the Book of Mormon or Bible but most the time we are study to prepare for our next discussion with our Mock investigator. Usually played by our teacher. Elder Hatch and I are currently teaching our teacher Sister Wilkinson who plays a friend of hers in real life named Grace who isn't a member. She acts as if she were Grace then afterwards she gives us feedback on things we did well and other we could change or improve on. We have learned quickly that as cookie cutter lesson doesn't work for every investigator. We have learned that you have to change it to fit each investigator's needs and what they are seeking. It is a humbling experience being here. You really have to rely on the Lord and the Spirit to guide you. Without it there is no way you can be successful. Today we got our itinerary for Hawaii. We fly out at 9:00am February 11th on Delta airlines non-stop to Honolulu. A SEVEN hour flight. I checked with the travel agency and both business and first-class are full already..... this isn't going to be fun. For all you who don't know I do not fit into economy seating. I have to have more leg room.  Looks like zzzquil will be my best friend on this flight. I'm going to check again when I get to the airport but I'm not getting my hopes up. but I cant wait to get to Hawaii!!! Also on another note since dinner is at 4:30. We raid the vending machines every night. The problem is they only give us a $6.00 limit each week on our ID cards to spend on dry-cleaning, bookstore, vending machines etc. Well I blew through that the first night on the vending machine so I quickly had to find someone to break a $20 so I could use cash haha. So if you would like to send us food it would be appreciated:) but just make sure it gets here before the 10th! On another note I am seeing people I know everywhere. All the guys are blown away by how many people I know, which is all due to my connections. I have seen several friends from BYU already as well as friends from Pageant in the summer of 2012. I have also seen the other guys from the BYU football team as well as Chris Cox and Hayden Klienhenz from home. Both are doing great!! but I have seen the other missionaries going to Russia who have been here for NINE weeks already with three to go and they have all gone insane. They play curling in the bathroom....  I fear Chris will soon join them in insanity. Good luck Skyler:) but overall everything in great! I love being a missionary and can't wait to see what is in store for me. I love and miss you all greatly. Hope all is well. Talk to you next Friday!  "Through God all things are possible."

Love,

Elder Shoaf

Honolulu, HI

P.S. If you would like to email me please do it through DearElder.com. This site receives your emails and prints them and places them in my mailbox the same day. I can only check my email once a week so if you go through DearElder I can read it the same day you send it and send a letter by mail that day if its urgent if not I will respond via email. As well I only get an hour to email so if I can read them on paper I can use the whole hour each Personal day to respond individually. Also if you would like to send packages or letter I will have Mom respond all and provide you with my address here at the MTC. She can also assist with DearElder questions since she has already sent me two letters