Homecoming & Release

Elder Shoaee & Elder Harris

Salt Lake City International Airport [07/14/2018 | 7:57 PM]

Jordan Shoaee & President James Brinton
Elder Shoaee's Release [07/15/2016]

Day #720 | Week #102: Homeward Bound!

Mission Accomplished!

This last week was amazing! We had a multi-zone conference with President Bush and his wife. We were able to get to know them and hear some great talks that they had prepared. 

Also one of our companions, Elder Permenter, finished his mission so we saw him leave. The rest of the week we have done a ton of service. We helped three people move this week and while we were moving some investigators into their apartment, we found a blind girl named, Jensi. She is 12 years old and is super nice to us. She told us that she wanted us to take her to our church. So we guided her to the church and she stayed for all the meetings. She said that she loved it and wants to be baptized. 

My mission has been awesome! I can't believe that I'm writing my last letter while in Honduras. It has been an amazing experience and I am proud of all the service and help I could do in these two years. I hope that the little I've done will help others to grow and progress so that they can take on the work as well. 

Thanks to everyone and their support! You guys are awesome!!!

Elder Shoaee

Homeward Bound | BYU Vocal Point & The All-American Boys Chorus

In the quiet misty morning

When the moon has gone to bed,

When the sparrows stop their singing

And the sky is clear and red

When the summer's ceased its gleaming

When the corn is past its prime,

When adventure's lost its meaning

I'll be homeward bound in time

Bind me not to the pasture

Chain me not to the plow

Set me free to find my calling

And I'll return to you somehow

If you find it's me you're missing

If you're hoping I'll return,

To your thoughts I'll soon be listening,

And in the road I'll stop and turn

Then the wind will set me racing

As my journey nears its end

And the path I'll be retracing

When I'm homeward bound again

Bind me not to the pasture

Chain me not to the plow

Set me free to find my calling

And I'll return to you... somehow

Day #713 | Week #101: 3 Baptisms

This week was cool, we had a ward activity and all the missionaries dressed up as a Book of Mormon character and gave a speech about each one and what that person did. 

We had a few investigators show up to the activity.

We also had 3 baptisms this week! A few young men that the missionaries had been teaching were ready, so we baptized them on Saturday. We have plans this week to have 4 baptisms, but we have to help them get married first. These people have been waiting three months, so hopefully everything works out well.  

One of my companions goes home this week, so it will just be two of us for a week until I go home.

Elder Shoaee

Day #706 | Week #100: Last Transfer

This  week I finished my last area that is now going to be part of San Pedro Sula East Mission by showing my companion from that mission the area. His mission had changes so I got transferred out of the area and I was sent to an area called,  La Lopez, in the Fesitranh zone. 

I am in a trio right now with Elder Quarnberg (he was in my last area when we had 4 missionaries in the ward and he was with me for 12 weeks) and Elder Permenter (who came with me but is going home a week early). It's a great area and we have 8 baptisms planned for this week! 

My companions are the zone leaders, but I'm just assigned to the area. The ward is pretty big and there are a lot of members here. I really don't know that many people, but its going to be an enjoyable last two weeks in the mission field. 

The people really take good care of us and our investigators are awesome. We are going to help four of them get married this week so that they can be baptized.   

President Dester & Elder Shoaee

I also had my last interview with my mission president, President Dester. It was amazing to look back on my mission and talk with him about the future. He really gave me a lot of good advice. I felt so much peace talking with him. He has been an amazing mission president!

Elder Shoaee

Day #698 | Week #99 [23-More Days]

This week was great! Elder Crosgrove and I had the baptism of Virgilio. He is an investigator that the missionaries had been teaching on and off for about a year. We have been teaching him and helped him get on the right track and understand what he needs to do. He became so motivated that on Saturday we had his baptism. A member/friend baptized him, because they know each other very well. 

Virgilio's Baptism Day | 06/18/2016

We also were able to some service. We cut down some firewood for a sister in our area with machetes.

Also, we had a zone planning meeting so we all met up and then we ate as a zone after it was over. I think this week I will be transferred to another area, because my area is getting taken over by the San Pedro Sula East Mission. 

Elder Shoaee

Day #692 | Week #98 [30-More Days!]

This week was cool. Elder Crosrove and I went on divisions so I was in another area for a day. We had a lot of lessons this week and we were able to find more people to teach. 

We have an investigator who's name is Virgilio. We have a baptismal date for him for this Saturday. He is awesome and has been going to church for a year and we have helped him clear up some things. We have taught him that we don't know exactly when Christ is coming, so we have to do what we can so we are ready. 

Today we played soccer as a zone on a indoor field. It was nice to be able to play and relax a bit.

Elder Shoaee

Day #684 | Week #97: East Meets West

This week was crazy! We had changes and I stayed in the same area, but my new companion is from the other mission (San Pedro Sula East Mission) Our area is going to be part of the other mission so I'm showing him the area and then I'll leave the area. I have been introducing him to our investigators as well. My new companion's name is Elder Crosgrove. He is from Idaho and he's pretty cool. 

This week I did two baptismal interviews for another area in our district. We have had some new investigators this week and we were able to help some people clear their doubts about our church. 

The power went out several times during the week and it rained a ton on Sunday. The power went out again, so it was an interesting way to end the week. I'm not sure how much longer I'll be in the area and I don't think I'll finish my mission here, but we'll see what happens.

I finally got my travel itinerary. I'll be returning to Utah on July 14th! (37 more days)

Elder Shoaee

Day #678 | Week #96 [43-Days Left]

This week was pretty good. Elder Nolasco and I had a rough start at the beginning of the week, a lot of our appointments fell through. We walked a lot, but we just decided to not quit and keep going. We were able to help a lot of people through service. We helped a lady carry stuff up a mountain and cut a lady's lawn. It was nice to be able to do more service. 

Also we have an awesome investigator named Felipe. He wants to get married to a member that he has known for a long time and he wants to do the right thing. He is very humble and he understands the importance of our message. On Sunday we had a Gospel Principles class and Felipe was participating and answering questions about how the restoration of the gospel was so necessary. It is amazing to see how fast some people progress.

Watermelon Eating Contest

I also did 3 baptismal interviews for some investigators in our district. It was a great experience to see their testimonies and that I could help them move onto a greater path.

Elder Shoaee

Day #671 | Week #95

This week was amazing. Elder Nolasco and I have been working on contacting more people. It is incredible to see how much better we have gotten at talking to more people. 

Also we did service project in the area of the other missionaries in our district. We went up into the mountain and got some wood to help a lady build a house. It was a cool experience. 

Another good thing that happened is that a man, Virgilio, that we are teaching wants to progress and be baptized. He has had some difficulties with a few commandments, so we helped him using the example of the savior when he said to the disciples, "Come follow me". Jesus was direct and they followed him and left everything behind. So we said that is what we all need to do and not to focus on how other people will react to it. When we follow Him we can know that God will direct him to where he needs to be. 

Elder Shoaee

Day #662 | Week #93 & #94 [58-Days Left]

Hey!  This week was chill... Elder Nolasco and I have been contacting a bunch this week and we are trying to talk to more people, even though we felt a little stressed, everything worked out fine and we were able to talk to a bunch of people. We also had to leave 3 investigators who weren't keeping their commitments. I know that in at a later time, they will want to do it. 

We also had an open house with the ward missionaries at the church. Every ward missionary explained the different organizations and rooms. As you can see from the photo below, we had a table set up with pamphlets about The Restoration, The Gospel of Jesus Christ, The Plan of Salvation, Chastity, Tithing and Fast Offerings, etc. and copies of the Book of Mormon. 

It was a busy week and I hope we can find more people to teach this week.

Elder Shoaee





05/09/2016

This week was really good I went on divisions with the other missionaries in another area in my district. I went with Elder Montoya. He is a new missionary so I went to their area to see how everything was going. He is a good guy and is really excited to be here. 

Also Elder Nolasco and I helped with a Mother's day BBQ. My companion helped serve the food and I helped keep the fire going on the grill. 

We are having some trouble with our appointments. They are falling recently so its been hard to get in contact with our investigators. We have had some lessons of success and we keep moving forward. 

Elder Shoaee

Day #648 | Week #92: These Boots Were Made for Walking

Elder Nolasco and I did some service this week.  We were able to cut firewood for a family. 

We also found a new investigator to teach, his name is Virgilio. He is a farmer and he is really interested in our church. We are also working with a lady in our new area who has a son who is a returned missionary. She isnt a member, but we are visiting her she still hasn't gone to church, but we have faith that she will go soon. 

Also we are working with our recent converts some are progressing more than others, but we are doing our best to help the ward and our converts progress. We also organized appointments with our ward missionaries so well see how that turns out this week.

Elder Shoaee

Day #641 | Week #91

This week was really busy. My companion and I have been trying to organize ourselves and work in our area. Sometimes it was hard, because our appointments fell through, but we just kept moving forward and working. The secretaries of the mission came and we helped them take out some of the stuff that was in the other missionaries apartment who left the area. 

We had a pretty good attendance at church. We are going to start teaching some references that we received this last week. Things are moving pretty well here in Ocotillo.

Elder Shoaee

Day #634 | Week #90: Moving Blocks & A Bigger Area

This week was crazy! We were able to do two service activities. The first one we helped move adobe blocks down a mountain and the second one we helped cut down a tree for one of the other set of missionaries investigators. 

Elder Nolasco and I are looking for new people to teach. It was a little rough this week as a lot of our appointments fell through, but we made the most of it. We contacted, did some service, and we taught all the people we could with the time that we had. 

Good news! Our area is getting bigger. In our ward right now we have four missionaries, but the area that the other set of missionaries are assigned to is getting closed. They are both leaving tomorrow so we will  get to take their area from them. Now we will have a lot more stuff to do. 

That's about it for now.

Elder Shoaee

Day #627 | Week #89: 1 Baptism, 1 Latrine, and 8 Blisters

This week was great!  We had the baptism of David, who is the brother of Nadia and Lorena. We had baptized Nadia and Lorena last change and now we taught their brother this change. We have also started teaching their parents. They are awesome and know a lot about our church. 

 

 

 

We also got to make a latrine, which is basically a huge deep hole in the ground. 

Three elders and I made it deeper and wider. 

 

  

 

We also found two more people to start teaching. They were a reference of a member and they are a mother and a daughter, their names are Sonia and Sindi. They are super awesome and really nice, I hope they can progress.

Things are going good in this area and hopefully we can keep going at this pace.

Elder Shoaee

Day #620 | Week #88: General Conference

This week was awesome! We helped chop down this members yard with machetes. 

Before

During

After

Elder Nolasco and I have had some amazing lessons with our newer investigators. Also we are still working with our recent converts and with their families teaching them. We had an Elders Quorum activity on Friday. We had a BBQ and helped cook the meat. We made salsa too. It was super fun and it was great to help support the ward. 

We were able to go watch the 186th Annual General Conference in San Pedro Sula. All of the talks were awesome, so all of them were my favorite. 

Elder Shoaee