Consistently and Resiliently Happy

What a week!! I don't even know where to start. I guess the beginning would probably be good.

We had powerups (switch companions for 24 hours) with the Sister training leaders on Tuesday! I love what an opportunity it is to learn even more by working with another missionary who might do things a little differently. Not to mention we have the best STLs. 

Transfer calls were on Saturday!!!! Sadly, I will be leaving Sevierville and heading up towards Kentucky to Jamestown, Tennessee! My new companion is going to be Sister Starks. I will miss this beautiful place and all of it's funny tourist attractions, but the Lord needs me elsewhere.

Something that I did not anticipate coming to the south, was the large population of Hispanic, non-English speakers who live in Tennessee. About half of our ward is from Honduras and the programs for church are all printed in both Spanish and English! Well, we received a referral from the South Carolina mission for a lady who doesn't speak English, and neither Sister Rackley nor me are Hermanas. Luckily, we have the best ward ever and one of the ladies in the ward was willing to come translate the lesson for us! It was by far the most wonderful experience this week. Even if I couldn't always understand what was being said, or the testimony that our Sister in the ward shared, I felt the Spirit testifying of truth to me. I know that our Heavenly Father loves all His children, and He is not going to let something as trivial as different languages get in the way of bringing us the joy and peace that come with having faith in the Savior. 

And how about General Conference?! What a way to finish off the week!! My favorite talk was by L. Todd Budge in the Saturday afternoon session. I couldn't help but relate to his missionary son who wrote home about being the most consistently and resiliently happy. I might not be sick in an African medical center, but this mission has not been a piece of cake so far either. I know that as I have learned to more fully rely on my Savior and the enabling power of His Atonement, I have found Him to be the source of the joy and love that I have never felt in this magnitude before. 

I love this gospel and I know that Russell M. Nelson is the living prophet on the earth today. He has been called by God to guide and counsel God's children on earth. I have one suggestion that I know I have fallen short of in the past. Don't let General Conference just have been this weekend. We were given so much guidance in the past two days, there is no way any of us could remember all of it after only hearing it once. Go back and keep listening! I promise that you will keep learning! It is especially important for us to follow the prophet with exactness in these letter days. Do what he asks you to. Even if it is as simple as prayerfully studying D&C 25.

I love the Lord and I love all y'all!!

Sister Shumway