Sister Shumway Takes Tennessee!: I Know the Scriptures are True!

Sorry, the subject line doesn't really have much to do with this week, I just had the song stuck in my head and couldn't think of anything else to write. . . . . :)

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY. I don't think I can say it enough to express just how much joy I have being here in Tennessee serving the Lord and sharing what I love the MOST with so many other people and watching it change their lives! AAAHAHAHAAAAAHHHHH! I just LOVE it!!!!!

We had such a fantastic week! I am so grateful for the companionship of the Holy Ghost and I know that the only reason we have had such successful and powerful lessons this week is because of the Holy Ghost.

But as we have been seeing so much success, we have also been seeing more criticism. One lady came to the door and told us that we were a cult and that we were going to die in our sins if we didn't learn the true nature of the gospel. Ouch. I definitely didn't feel the Spirit testifying of truth to that statement. . . . I am just SO grateful for the Plan of Salvation that has been made known unto us because our Heavenly Father loves us. And we will ALL get that opportunity to learn the gospel, whether it's in this life or the Spirit world, we won't be condemned to Hell for not understanding. Wouldn't that just be so sad if that were the case?

Okay.. . . I'll lighten up. Here's some funny things that happened this week :)

- We were tracting and we met someone whose grandkids live in Hermana Hall's super tiny, middle-of-nowhere town of Hotchkiss Colorado! So Hermana Hall totally knew who all of their grandkids were! Ha! What a small world.

- A very drunk guy kept offering us scotch while we were trying to teach his girlfriend about the restoration and book of Mormon

- I used the phrase "Thanks for answering your doorbell!" . . . . And it was weird because it was an appropriate, accurate statement. . . . We live in a crazy world.

- My favorite quote from this week: "First Baptist? I thought it was first faith, then repentance, THEN baptism!" HAHAHAHA!! I think of it every time someone tells us they go to the local first Baptist church.

-We were greeting people at the Branch before church started on Sunday, and Elder Boris, who was standing by the door, looks over at the rest of us with his eyes really big and he says, "President Pickett." We were all . . . "Noooooo. . . " and then President and Sister Pickett walked in! Surprise! Hahaha!!! I loved getting a little extra dose of the Picketts. It was such a fun surprise!

I just love this work! I know I probably say it too much, but I really really do love it with my entire soul! I love my mission, I love my family, I love the support and the letters and I love the Lord!

-Sister Shumway