Oh you know just making deer jerky:)
proof! haha
our haul!
Molokai North Shore
Kahalui Maui!
Sunday, November 1, 2015
Update October 19, 2015: Kalaupapa, Small planes, and fast food!
Week 84 & 85
Aloha everyone!
So yeah…. I swear it was just Monday… but I guess its been 14 days… and wow those 14 days have been busy!!!! Probably over 100 hours of service, a Trip to Kalaupapa, 2 day trip to Maui, 2 Sundays, and a bunch of teaching sprinkled in the mix. Oh and did I mention we are going back down to Kalaupapa for 2 days this week? Yeah. Its kind of nuts over here right now! And so I know its kind of overwhelming so I will try and stick to the highlights of our trips and I have over 200 pictures from these past 2 weeks so ill try and summarize and after my mission you can ask me to see them all because some of them are million dollar views.
Ok so Kalaupapa. The quick story of the place is it is a leper colony on the back of Molokai where all the lepers were sent during the King Kamehameha reign until the cure was found for leprosy. It is on the north shore of Molokai separated from the rest of the island by a 2000 foot cliff… yeah that’s big! And the only way in is either hike down or by plane. The water is too rough fro boats except in June. So anyway a catholic priest and a Mormon boy went down there to help and most of the patients were then Mormon or Catholic. Well there are no longer any patients living that are LDS but there are still 9 lepers and then the support staff of 100 federal and state workers that take care of them and the peninsula.
#Conquered
Down there the church has a chapel, mission home, and cultural hall. And in past members of the church would hike down to administer services to the patients and the workers that stay down there full time. But when the last patient died they stopped (about 8 years ago) but lately they have decided to restart having services down there so we went down with a ward from Maui to clean the grounds and prepare the chapel for the first services. The hike is 3.5 miles of 26 switchbacks of stairs… Stairway to you knows where… it took us 45 mins to get down and 1.5 hours out. Most people it take 2 hours plus to get out. It was an amazing experience to be there and to feel of the sacredness of the place. It is a very peaceful place and the resting place for all those who were out cast from their families to be exiled there. We are going to go down on Wednesday with President Warner to do another serviced project and to do whatever we can to help the community. We will stay the night and hike out on Thursday.
Our other trip was to Maui for Doctor’s appointments and Zone conference. We flew over Wednesday morning then came home Thursday night. Our flight was on Mokulele Airlines, which flies between the islands in little 9 seater cessnas! It was awesome! It was a brisk 25 min flight along Molokai’s North shore. And I can honestly say it is the most beautiful view I have ever seen and probably will be forever. We flew at about 3,00 Ft. about a mile off the coast and it was incredible. Pictures don’t do it justice. Anyway it was like heaven having fast foot and real stores!!!!!! We went to Panda Express first of coarse. Then went to Walmart!!! It was awesome! We had Tacobell for dinner then Krispy Kreme for breakfast! The only one in Hawaii! Our Zone Conference was great and we got a lot of great instruction!
Our Taxi to Maui!
Anyway! Im about out of time and I don’t want to keep you too long! Im grateful for the opportunities and experiences I am blessed to have here. I will try and include some pictures and blow your mind! Haha I Love you all and cant believe I soon will finish my time here and return home.
I love you all!
Elder Shoaf
Sunday, October 18, 2015
Pictures October 5, 2015: Trip Out to Halawa Valley!
Halawa Valley!
Another view
NeNe crossing.......... yup. for real... didn't see a whip crossing though.....
Update October 5, 2015: Aloha!
Week 84
Aloha Everyone.
Sorry dont have much time to write. busy as heck over here on Molokai! all is well. confrence was AMAZING!!!!! so many good messages shared and thing for me to apply and work on in my life. if you missed any of it Watch it!! it was awesome! and it was cool to see 3 new Apostles get sustained!!! anyway ill send some pics because thats what everyone wants anyway! haha love you all!
Elder Shoaf
Rusty Got his call!!!! He is going to the California Roseville mission!!!! he reports to the MTC on November 11th!!! he so pumped and im so proud of him!
Man i love the sunsets here!
Update September 28, 2015: Paddlers and Guava
Week 83
Aloha everyone!
This past week went faster than the last! Crazy I have less than 14 weeks left. Well the big news is Elder Willis is off to Wahiawa and Elder Kelly is here. He has Less than 6 weeks left! We are probably the oldest companionship in the mission! Crazy to think about. He Is from Colorado Springs, Colorado and is 5th generation Army! We get along real well. Guns, knives, and anything outdoors. We are excited to work together here and to push our last couple weeks. Go out with a bang! That’s our motto! Heavenly Father has a purpose for us here and we are going to fulfill it whatever it may be!
This week
Monday- we spent most of the day chillin and cleaning our pad.
Tuesday- was Elder Willis’ Last full day so he packed and we had a service project then spent the rest of the day saying goodbye to people.
Wednesday- Elder Willis flew out at 1:30pm so we went out East end for lunch with Wade and Rusty then took him to the Airport. We picked up Elder Kelly and went straight to service! We are helping the Kalani’s put in a storm drain in their driveway and then spread some fresh gravel.
Getting ready to Dig!
Thursday- we made a dump run in the morning then more at the Kalani’s. Thursday night was our Ward Chili Cook-off it was awesome! Elder Kelly, Rusty and I were the judges. It was super good and hard to choose the best!
Friday- we spent the morning at the house cleaning and mowing the yard and some other things. We then had a couple great appointments then went downtown for the Block party. The next couple weeks is the annual Canoe race from Molokai to Honolulu. There are paddlers from all over the Pacific here to compete! It was really cool!
Saturday- morning we went up hunting. Got nothing but did come home with a bunch of Strawberry Guava so Elder Kelly and I Made Strawberry Guava syrup for pancakes and drink mix! It worked out really well! We are going to head up there again today to pick some more!
Preparing the Strawberry Guava
Sunday- was good as always and had a great lesson with a potiential investigator that night! All was good this week!
Blessed to be here. Blessed to have a loving family. Blessed to serve my God and these people.
Love you all,
Elder Shoaf
Sunday, September 27, 2015
Pictures September 21, 2105: Taro and Sunsets
Update September 21, 2015: Sunsets and Service
Week 81 & 82
Aloha everyone!
The weeks continue to pass faster than the last. So fast I didn’t even get a chance to write last week! Sorry! Lots of Pictures though. The weather has been nuts. In 5 weeks we had 4 Hurricane Warning and then on Thursday a Tsunami Watch! We have had to stay on our toes but all is well. In the past 2 weeks Elder Willis and I have a combined 92 hours of service! (46 each) plus another 60 something form the other elders. We have been given so many opportunities to serve and it has been awesome!
This past week!
Monday- was P-day and we went Golfing again and guess what!?!?! I’m still terrible! Haha but I am getting pretty good at maneuvering the Golf CartJ
Tuesday- we had 3 service projects before Zone Meeting at 11! With all of this rain the grass is getting out of control so Elder Willis and I went with a few members of the weed wack and clean yard for 3 widows in the ward. We then Skyped in to Maui for our Zone Meeting which is always fun! We then had alittle bit more service in the afternoon.
Wednesday- more service up in Hoolehua.
Thursday- was a love/hate relationship with food... we lifted in the morning then I made a HUGE breakfast for all of us then we went to help a family with their yard then they took us to Lunch AND ice cream. So at this point im about to explode. Then we helped an old uncle who isn’t a member with is yard and he fed us pizza…. Then dinner 3 hours later at 5…. I almost died of over eating! Haha
Friday- was more service up in Hoolehua and a beautiful dinner up on the mountain in Kawela where I took this sunset.
Sunset under the Rain
Saturday- was Brother Wade’s Birthday. First we all went to the Molokai High School Football game which was awesome even If it’s only 8-man football! Then per Brother Wade’s Birthday Request Elder Willis and I went to a Taro Seminar put on by University of Hawaii every year. Learned how to prepare, plant, and take care of Taro then they have a large taro patch of over 40 different taro and we were allowed to go and harvest as much as we wanted! This is for Wade’s Garden! We then had an awesome dinner down at the beach park and they told me BYU lost… sad.. But still killing it!!!!! #BYUFOOTBALL #BleedBlue GOOO COOOUUGGGAAARRS!!!! Sorry I had too……
Sunday- was pretty relaxed at church nothing crazy then we had dinner with Bishop Ha’o and his wife which was really nice. We also found out my new companion. Elder Kelly is my new companion he finishes his mission in 6 weeks so it will be a quick companionship! Elder Willis is going to Wahiawa! Lucky Duck!
Today- Elder Willis and I dug a Lo’I (Taro Patch) and planted the taro! Wade was pretty pumped! In 6 months we will have a whole garden of Taro!
My Thoughts this week are about service the Scriptures say that “When you are in the service of your fellow men, you are only in the service of your god” it’s so true you feel so great after serving someone in need. No it’s not teaching but it is still part of our calling as a missionary. Heavenly Father has blessed us with several teaching opportunities due to the service we have done. It softens hearts and opens doors. The Pure love of Christ is Charity. Serving others is Charity. The first and great commandment of heaven is love god and love others. When we serve no matter the circumstance or reason if we serve others we grow to love them and to love god and in turn we feel the love of God pouring out upon us. I hope everyone has a great week. I love this opportunity I have to serve. I Love these people. I love all of you. And I Love my God.
Elder Shoaf
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