Week 37: The Perfect Missionary

Holy last week of February!!! That's insane. Hope you all enjoy it :)

Few little things first. HAPPY BIRTHDAY KASSIE HYMAS!!!!!! Love you so so much and hope you're enjoying...or tolerating (haha)...being home from your mission. Have the best birthday!
SO SORRY to my beloved Mommy; I didn't tell you happy birthday last Monday. So I hope you had the best birthday ever on Saturday! I hope you know how much I love you!!
HAPPY WEDDING!!! To Cara and Kendon!! I am so excited for you :)) Gonna be a crazy week for the Shumway and Hatch families! Welcome to the family, Kendon! Love ya, Big Bro ;)

Soooo this week was good! Ya know how last week I said that I made the promise to never miss a sacrament meeting no matter what? Yeeeeahhh...well. Saturday night is snowed super a ton annnnnd church was canceled. And I was like "welp! There goes that!" haha just kidding. It was a super big bummer though because we had people planning on coming and I really really wanted to take the sacrament super badly, but that's okay, we shoveled people's driveways instead :)

One fun fact about Kansas. Here, the Pizza Huts are like...sit down restaurants. So that's really interesting!

Reason for the subject... This week, my weaknesses were very apparent to me. Especially in teaching! And I wished SO badly that I could be a perfect missionary to match the perfection of the message that I am sharing. I am amazed every day that Heavenly Father puts His trust in small and simple 20-year-old me to share His Gospel with His precious children who need to find Him again. I am so grateful I don't have to do it alone and He doesn't expect or want me to :) I know that if we rely on Him, miracles happen!! I am so grateful to be on the front lines of those miracles.

Lots of things happened this week, the mission is a HUGE learning curve. haha like it's super insane!! Cuz you just gotta get out there and DO IT! haha I love that I have so much more to learn and I can't wait to see what the Lord still has to make out of me :)

Happy March on Sunday!! I love you all!!

Con todo mi corazon y mi amor,

Hermana Shumway

Katelyn is baptized!!

Bye Sister Hymas!! I LOVE YOU!

Thank-you to Mommy for the pillowcases!! We love
them!! Love you MORE!!

Week 36: Proclaim to Kansas

Hello wonderful, wonderful family and friends!! I hope you had a faaaabulous week!

Thank you to my family for the Valentine's Day package!! Sister Mendoza and I love the pillowcases!! (Probably thanks to Annette, too!!) I would send you a picture of us with them but my camera is being weird with the computer this week so I can't send any pictures :/ Maybe next week! "Love you more!" :)

This week wasn't crazy busy, well of course it was, but there's not a ton that's sticking out to me to share....hmmm well! Sister Mendoza and I really learned a lot this week. We learned the miracle of repentance and the reality of the Atonement. Especially the power of the sacrament. I really tried hard this week to make taking the sacrament a temple-like experience. I felt the power of Jesus Christ as I reviewed our week and prayed for strength to be better this week. I truly felt like I was being cleansed, just like getting baptized again. But I know I only felt that way because I prepared for that kind of experience. The sacrament has truly gained so much significance to me. I have made the resolve that I will do everything I possibly can to never miss a Sunday going to church so I can partake of the sacrament. I am so grateful for my mission - it has put so many things into perspective and priority for the rest of my life!!

We had zone conference this week with President Bell and Sister Bell and the APs and another zone in the mission. It was AWESOME. I love getting together with all those missionaries and having the opportunity to strengthen one another through trainings, role plays, and testimonies. This was a special zone activity because it was the last time I will ever see Sister Hymas :( the next time I see her she will be Kassie. WEIRD. Did I cry when she was bearing her testimony? Only a little. She has changed my life for sure and I don't know if I could ever thank Heavenly Father enough for her.

Transfers are this week! The last 6 weeks have FLOWN by!! It's so insane!! Thankfully, Sister Mendoza and I are staying right here in good ol' Garden City :) We are very happy about that! I was so worried I wasn't going to be able to train Sister Mendoza the whole 12 weeks, but I do!! Yay :) I love Garden City. Love it, love it, love it!!!

OH! Katelyn got baptized on Saturday!! That was a huge miracle. I think I already told you the whole story about her. But so many missionaries were rejoicing that day. It definitely has been a long time coming. I know the Spirit changes hearts. Katelyn is such an example to me of a young girl who loves the Lord and wants to be obedient. She knows baptism by the proper authority is a commandment of God and she was and is willing to be obedient to Him because she loves Him.

I love Him :)

Have an awesome week! The Church is true. The Book of Mormon is true. Jesus Christ lives and His Atonement is real.

I love you all so much!!

Con todo mi corazon y mi amor,

Hermana Shumway

Week 35: Our Lovely Deseret

Hola! Hello! Yo! Hey there! Hi there! 'Sup?!

If you don't know what this hymn says...look it up. hahaha Sister Mendoza and I were cracking up while we were singing it in sacrament meeting yesterday....good one to sing when investies are at church. hahaha oh my...good stuff!

Lots of cool stuff happened this week! I'll give the run down on some miracles, some evidence of the Messiah among us, that we saw this week!

First off, Amy and Fredric. They are a family, don't know if I've mentioned them before or not...buuut they are awesome. We met them just simply by talking to everyone. They came to church yesterday which was awesome! In one of our lessons with them this week we talked to them about tithing and fasting. In the lesson, Amy was different. Not her usual curious, lots-of-comments, self. We asked if she was okay, she said yes, but of course we knew something was up - girl intuition, right? :) When we extended the commitment to live the law of tithing, they hesitantly said yes. Amy has been a little unsure of baptism, definitely more than Fredric. So we invited her to fast about the decision. We also went over prayer again and how you pray, why you pray, testified that prayers are answered, etc. All the good stuff. Then we left. The next day, we went back for our next lesson and in the opening prayer, Amy thanked Heavenly Father for the raise she got at work! So we of course congratulated her after the prayer and she told us what happened. So. She had had an evaluation at work that day and the night before, when we were talking about tithing and stuff, she was really stressed about it. She didn't know if it was going to go well or if she was going to lose her job and especially with paying tithing, she just didn't know how they were going to get on. Before her evaluation, she prayed and told Heavenly Father that if this is the religion she's supposed to be in, if this is what she's supposed to do, to just give her a good day at work, help her evaluation go well. And thennnnn she got a .90 raise!!! Heavenly Father ANSWERS prayers!! She had such great faith. Now she is as excited as Fredric for their baptism on the 28th :)

Sister Hymas and her companion gave an AMAZING training at zone training about FEELING the Savior "one by one" every week when we take the Sacrament. I copied her description of it from her email - yes, cheating!

Our training was all about feeling Jesus Christ.  So we talked about when Jesus came to the Americas and he invited all to come and feel him.  Then we went onto the chapel and had everyone blindfolded.  We went through a "sensory experience".  We walked them through the atonement really.  There were things they could listen to and things they could touch.  It started out with Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, and everyone got to touch a piece of the plant.  They could hear him praying, the crickets chirping, and a bit of wind.  Then it went to the scourging, you could hear the crack of the whip over and over again, and then the whip was passed around and they each got to feel it.  Then it went to when Jesus was nailed on the cross.  Each person got to hold a nail, and then the hammer was passed around. Then it was the sound of the tomb closing and everyone got to hold a rock.  I wish I could explain the powerful spirit that was there at that time.  It was very real to us all.  Then we played the song from Nashville Tribute! The "He is Risen" one.  SO POWERFUL.   At the beginning the song is very quite and its Mary, asking where Jesus is, and then Jesus comes in and says, "Mary".  At that moment we had one of the elders go around and hold everyone's hand.  Each person got to feel Christs hand.


What I felt the most from that training is the REALITY of Jesus Christ. I KNOW He lives. I KNOW His Atonement is real. I know I would not be who I am now without it. I couldn't be better without it. I am so grateful for Jesus Christ. When I felt that hand in mine...I can not describe the joy and gratitude I felt. I love Him. I cannot wait to see Him again and just hug Him. I hope and pray I hear the words "well done, my good and faithful servant." :)

I love you all and hope you have the best week!

Con todo mi corazon y mi amor,

Hermana Shumway

A less active, Jean, who stopped smoking
and put her ashtray outside - "will you make
me a 'NO SMOKING' and 'NO DRINKING'
sign to put on my door?".... yeah, we could
prolly do that. UM YES!! haha :)

Consuelo, a recent convert......doing my hair "like the
Mexican girls do it".

The finished product....

Week 34: A Marvelous Work and Wonder

Hello my wonderful friends and family!!! You are all just the best! :)

Missionary work is truly such a marvelous work and a wonder - I am so blessed to be a missionary.
We have seen so many miracles in talking to everyone and just working hard. Always keeping our fishing line in the water - which means taking every opportu...

hahaha I have to tell you this before I move on...soooo right now we are obviously in the library and we are also on a conference call with the zone in order to set a baptism goal for February. We had 2 numbers in mind to set for our goal. Then the zone leaders asked me to be the one to say the prayer to ask Heavenly Father which of those 2 numbers we should set as our goal. Sister Mendoza had the phone and she was like "uhhh...they want you to pray..." and I was like "okay! that's fine!" and then I thought "oh wait...I am in a library with lots of people...." then I was like "whatever, I'm a missionary - it's fine" and went on to say the prayer. haha so funny! #notashamed bahaha super funny :)

Anyyyywaaaay...so we made sure to take EVERY opportunity to talk to EVERYone last week. And we saw miracles!! We found 3 new investigator families! We are so stoked to work with them more and bring them closer to Jesus Christ!! Saturday night, I just laid in my bed thinking about our week and tears were just rolling down my face. I am just so so happy! I don't even think I can adequately explain it, but I know every missionary or return missionary knows what I'm talking about. Not even happiness, but just indescribable JOY. Sorry I can't describe it better. I wish I could. The fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ just FILLS you up. It reminds me of the scripture that says if your eye is single to the glory of God, your body is filled with light and there is no room for darkness. I know I still have a lot more to give to the Lord, so I know I'm not quite there yet, but I am so grateful I was able to feel just a glimpse of eternal joy this week :)

And then....Sunday came. haha I feel like the longer I am on my mission the sweeter the joys and the more bitter the disappointments. I was crying for joy Saturday night, then when those families chose not to attend church, I was heartbroken, and I cried again! I was so sad they chose not to draw closer to Christ by partaking of the Sacrament and learning more of Him in His true church. They will come next week though, so I am excited about that :) I still am filled with joy! No worries :) haha

I KNOW that this is true. I know that Jesus Christ DOES have one true church with HIS authority and HIS power. I am so blessed to be His representative. I am grateful for the Spirit of God who guides us and directs us if we are humble enough to receive and follow its promptings. Jesus Christ lives. The Book of Mormon is true. Joseph Smith was a true prophet of God. We have a prophet today :) How grateful I am for Jesus Christ. I truly do love Him. :)

Talk to you all next week! Have the best week ever!!

Con todo mi corazon y mi amor,

Hermana Shumway

Biking, biking, biking! haha, don't we just looks so cute?!
Haha I love it. With the field in the background......welcome
to Kansas everyone :)