Week 3

What is up Everyone! I hope you're all doing great! Life is going great here in the CCM of Bogota!! Spanish is coming along slowly but surely! We learn more everyday and I just can't wait for the day when I don't think twice about the using the language haha. Today was an awesome day though. We got to go up to the Monserrate church in Bogota which was built in the 1600's and it was amazing! Best P-day easily of the mission so far. This week was an interesting one, though for sure. At first a huge virus went around the CCM and I was one of the unlucky ones and came down with the flu. About 12-15 guys of the 60 guys we have here got sick sadly. But most of us are healthy now so it's all good! Yesterday, Presidente Hansen also dropped some huge news on us. For the first time in their presidency they changed all companionships and changed up the district here. It was a huge shock, as we thought we'd keep the same companion the whole 6 weeks here. My old comp, Elder Wilson, was a great guy and will be missed. But now I am paired up with Elder Evans who is an awesome guy! He is from California and we're hitting it off great. My spiritual thought this week is from the scriptures. In the book of Enos, in the last verse or so he mentions that after he had begun teaching the Word of God His joy was above that of the world. I don't have my scriptures on me or else I'd give an exact quote but y'all should go look it up. But that hit me harder than almost any scripture ever has. Anything else in the world didn't ever bring Enos more joy than when he was preaching the word of the gospel. I can testify of the happiness this gospel brings and more importantly the happiness you can feel of just testifying of this gospel. You don't have to be set apart as a missionary to do that. I regret so much not opening my mouth more before leaving for my mission to talk about the gospel with others. Everyone on this earth deserves the chance to hear our message and it is all of our duty to share that message with the world. I am thankful for each of you and your emails and thoughts and prayers. They have strengthened me so much. 'Im sorry for giving short replies to emails as we have little time to be able to email. I love you all and miss you tons! I pray for all of you daily. I know this church is true without a doubt!

Week 2 at the CCM

Well this second week here in the CCM has flown by compared to my first week! This week was great! Life is good here in Bogota! The MTC is nice. Next week I'll be able to send pics. We just have classes all day every day from after breakfast until 9:00 pm.  The food here is actually pretty good. That first email I sent I had just had a bad experience with it but we get rice and meat every day and its usually pretty good. There's obviously some food that is pretty bad but for the most part, I'm pretty happy with it. A couple days ago we had the chance to go out into the city of Bogota.  My companion and I went with an older missionary already out in the field. We went with an Elder from Peru! He didn't speak any English so it was difficult to communicate with him and the people at times but through the gift of tongues we were able to do so! We didn't knock doors, but we had a couple lessons planned. Some fell through but some we got to go teach. We also just street contacted about 25 people. A lot of people would at least listen to our message but then about 5 or 6 wanted to hear more! A cool experience was right at the beginning when we were in the taxi. I leaned over to my older companion and told him he should preach to the driver because I felt the spirit tell me so. It turns out the driver was interested! He took a Book of Mormon and we got his number! Now I don't know if he will ever be converted but I am thankful that the spirit deemed me worthy to speak to. We get to go out to proselyte again in 3 weeks and by then my Spanish will be way better! Teaching and testifying to and praying with the people out in Bogota in the Spanish language was such an awesome experience! It was honestly the most spiritual experience. I got to bear my testimony multiple times. One time to this girl that was about to get baptized. The older missionary with us told me after how good my Spanish was and that he was amazed. I have seriously learned that the gift of tongues is real. At times here, I feel like Ammon and that I just can't stop giving thanks to my God. I have found such happiness here as a missionary. I think there is just something about serving our Heavenly Father that will do that to ya! A really cool thing that an Elder here said that I loved was, "Obedience brings blessings, exact obedience brings miracles!" I love it, I know if we each show exact obedience in our lives to our Heavenly Father's commandments, we can see miracles in our lives. I am so thankful for this opportunity to be a missionary and I cannot wait to get out into the field! I miss you all! Adios!

First Pics from Colombia of Elder Shoe

We got a surprise email from the Colombia MTC President with some pictures of Braxton and a report that his Spanish is coming along and he is out on splits teaching the first discussion today.  It was fun to finally see pictures of him there! :)  These are in front of the Bogota Temple from August 10th.

Elder Wilson, Presidente & Hermana Hansen, and Elder Shoemaker

Week 1 - Hoy es el dia!!!!

What is up everyone! I survived my first week here in the Bogota Colombia MTC!! Bogota is a very beautiful city. I am going to apologize right now for any spelling errors or anything because I'm on a weird Colombia keyboard and don't have much time to email! I am loving it here though in Colombia. I would be lying to you all if I didn't say how difficult it is to one day go from living a comfortable life in South Jordan, Utah and then the next day waking up in Bogota Colombia as a missionary. It has been an adjustment for sure. But about the 3rd day we went to the Bogota temple and ever since it has been so much better. I am having a lot of fun here and learning some good Espanol! Haha our teachers don't speak hardly any English so we are forced to learn quick! But I can testify that the comfort the spirit can bring you is real. If you have faith and pray for it. I am beginning to love my mission and can't wait to get to Uruguay already! This gospel is true and I've felt the spirit more so in the past week than I maybe ever have! I miss you all and hope you're doing good. This gospel is true!

Sorry for no pictures. It's a little sketchy here so we get our cameras taken away and only get to use them for one P-day to send pictures in 2 weeks!

Elder Shoe’s first letter

 Hey Pops! What’s up? I don't have time to add the other family so please send this to them. I am doing good here. Colombia is pretty sweet although I haven't seen much other than the mtc. I miss you guys but I’m doing good here. My companion’s name is Elder Wilson.  The breakfast this morning was pretty bad not gonna lie. It’s gonna take some getting used to. Our teacher hardly speaks any English.  So far its been pretty difficult haha. I have already had to memorize the the baptismal invitation and other things in Spanish.  I learned very quickly my memorization is not very good. We got here about 1:30 last night so I am running on pretty low amount of sleep. Don't worry about me though, I am doing great here. I have already made a few buddies and it’s been fun. I can’t wait to learn Spanish. The older guys here who have been here a couple weeks already can speak a decent amount of Spanish so that has given me something to really look forward to. I was thinking on the plane how it was probably way harder to leave our Heavenly Father in the premortal life to come to earth than it was to leave home for 2 years. I know these years will go by fast and I will see you all again soon. I love you guys and I got to go now. Sorry if spelling sucks, I am on Spanish keyboard. Adios! I think my P day will be on Tuesday from now on! Talk to you soon!

See ya in 2 Elder B Shoe!!

Elder Braxton Shoemaker left this morning for the Columbia MTC.  He will leave a huge hole in our family for awhile but we are very excited to follow his adventures in Columbia and then Uruguay! Thank you all for your support for Braxton!