Week 48 and 49….
Aloha Everyone!
Yeah sorry about last week… we couldn’t go to the Library since it was closed for MLK day so we had to email at the Chapel. Limited computers and lots of distractions called dodge ball and basketball… so I didn’t spend much time on the computer so I didn’t get to writing everyone! But I will make up for it this week!
We have had two VERY busy weeks with lots of great teaching and lots of road trips around the island for various reasons. But we will get into that. This is my last week as a young missionary. Come Thursday I will be “old. I will be on the way home… more behind me than in front. It’s so crazy to think about I can’t believe how fast it’s gone! A year is GONE! It was a year ago today I was set apart as a full-time missionary. Any who, enough with that.
Last week!
Monday- was pretty typical P-day ended up pretty much just chillin.
Tuesday- was Temple Trip it was Fantastic! I LOVE going through the Temple. It’s such a peaceful place! We then went on a tour of the Temple Visitor Center just for fun! Then any trip to Laie without going to Seven Brother Burgers in incomplete. So we had lunch there before heading back to Wahiawa. (Trip #1)
At the Visitor Center! (Snell, Ili, Me, Henderson)
Apparently Seven Brothers had good Milk shakes...
Wednesday- we had a pretty slow day it was transfers but since I’m training we knew we were both staying. So we just worked then the Wahiawa 2nd Elders found out they were getting a car! (They have been walking) so we took them to Honolulu to pick it up! (Trip #2)
Thursday- was another pretty typical day of just working and planning.
Friday- we found out Mililani 1st is also getting a car (been walking as well) so we took them to Makakilo to pick that one up. (Trip #3) then we spent the Whole day visiting families on base and had a couple great conversations. Then our dinner cancelled so we just ate at our pad.
Saturday- was Ultimate then we helped a family move that is moving onto Schofield from Pearl Harbor so we helped them then another service project in Mililani doing yard work. Then we stopped by the Trautman’s who we helped move the week before and asked Rob, the husband, who is not a member if he would like to take the lessons and he said yes so we Scheduled for Monday evening to meet with them! We are really excited! Then had dinner with the John’s then had the first night of Stake Conference which was fantastic. Elder Golden of the Quorum of the 70 was there he’s from South Africa! And he had some great things to say. More on that later.
Sunday- was the rest of Stake Conference. Which went really well and we had a great dinner with a couple families from the ward as a potluck.
This week!
Monday- P-day at the Stake center for MLK day. Basketball. Dodge ball. All sorts of shenanigans. Then we met with the Trautman’s and had a FANTASTIC first lesson! Super excited for them!
Tuesday- I was on Exchanges in Mililani with Elder Ili which was awesome because for the first time in a long time I haven’t been in charge of what we were doing! So I just got to talk to people and share the gospel without worry about what was next or anything like that! Good day. Oh and we had to go to Honolulu for Materials (Trip #4)
Wednesday- we woke up early to meet up with Elder Lee Chip Sao and Olsen to Exchange. Elder Lee and I had a training meeting in Laie at 10am but we had to leave early to go the long way around down through Honolulu because the North Shore was super jammed up because there was GIANT waves coming in so there were people EVERYWHERE. We ended up being 2 hours early because there was no traffic through Honolulu or Kaneohe so we just drove around then went to the Visitor center. Our Meeting went really well though! Learned a lot it was for the mission leadership on the island so it was cool to see others that we haven’t seen lately. On our way back from the Meeting we came through the North Shore and got to see all the huge waves! some of the surf was 35ft! I will add pictures! (Trip #5)
The Highlight of the day was at church the Youth were learning line dances and the girls that we are teaching weren’t very comfortable there so Elder Henderson and I Jumped in with the youth and started showing off our bad… I mean mad dancing skills! It was so much fun and the girls kinda relaxed and joined in by the end of the night Elder Henderson and I were sweaty messes! Totally worth it! Then we had a great lesson with them about being spiritually minded:)
Thursday- Pretty typical day except I had to make a run to Honolulu to men’s Warehouse to get a new suit and got a great deal so I got 2 suits for half the price of one! (Trip #6) Then had our weekly Scripture study night at the Laumatias.
Friday- Started with a trip to Waipahu with Elder Snell to have their car serviced. (Trip #7) Neither of them knew where to go so I went with one of them. That ate a few hours then I spent the afternoon working with Elder Snell in Mililani until dinner then we switched back. After dinner we headed up to the Stake Center for the annual 3 0n 3 Basketball Tournament which went really well and our district had several investigators their! Tons of fun!
Saturday- we had our Weekly Ultimate game in the morning with the Wahiawa 3rd ward and we ran Elders verses everyone else and the Elders won!!!!! Then lost twice…. So I guess we should have quit while we were ahead! Then we had a great lesson that afternoon with the Trautman’s about the Plan of Salvation and it was awesome! They had all kinds of great Questions! Then we had Dinner with the Joslins and had Navaho Tacos and he’s a Black Hawk Pilot. Enough said.
Sunday- was jammed pack with church Meetings then the Stake Cottage meeting which went really well!
Today- we ran to Honolulu to have my Knee Looked at its infected Pretty bad… but they aren’t worried too much just will take time to heal. (Trip #8) now email then chillin it!
Well I think I got it all. Sorry it was so long! So much to talk about!!! I can’t believe how much is going on right now! I swear we never slow down! It’s a lot sometimes but I love it sooo much! I LOVE serving!
In Closing, I just want to share some thoughts with you about what I’ve learned this week. There were 2 things that really struck me this week. Elder Golden’s message at Stake Conference and my Meeting in Laie.
Something that Elder Golden said really struck me he said that those who study the scriptures daily, pray twice a day, and attend Church weekly and other meetings such as Family Home Evening will never fall away from the Church or our Heavenly Father. This statement blew me away how could it be that easy? But with the power he carried I know it to be true. We usually call these the Primary answers but he said that yes its simple like primary class is but he referred to it at the Covenant Path. And said that Jesus Christ’s Gospel is simple. Simple as study, Pray and attend meetings and you will never fall away. That’s not to say we won’t struggle or have trials or anything like that but we will make It through if we follow the covenant path.
The other was at my meeting in Laie we talked a lot about how we as the leaders of the mission could be better examples and help others achieve their full potential and though out the meeting I was really feeling a lot of doubt in myself and how good of a missionary I was and that I wasn't good enough and towards the end of the meeting someone shared a similar thought and we started discussing it and president Warner talked about it some and we all realized that we aren't taking advantage of what we have been given. We go out and preach and teach about how if we do the simple things we will be blessed, that if we turn to Jesus Christ that we can be forgiven of our sins, that we are not perfect and never will be but that Our heavenly Father expects Progression out of us not Perfection in this life. We then talked about how we go and teach people these things but then still expect ourselves to be perfect. That just doesn't make sense!
I am learning more and more about how to forgive myself and to understand that those feeling of guilt and inadequacies are not of god but from Satan. He wants us to think we can’t be changed that we can’t overcome our struggles but we can. We can be sanctified through Jesus Christ. It will take a lot of effort and struggles but we can all make it.
I close with this, the Gospel is true and regardless of whom you are or what you have done, we can all live with our Heavenly Father again. Jesus Christ has given is the Key to the door to heaven (the Atonement) we just simple have to use it.
I love and miss you all and know I’m here for a purpose and I have another year to grow, learn and serve of which I’m grateful for.
Elder Shoaf
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