Happy Easter!

This was such a wonderful week! We had so many good things to help us through the down moments. We had Zone Conference on Wednesday! Don't worry, we did it over Zoom, so there were no gatherings of more than 10 people! It is always so good to hear from the Picketts and from our fellow missionaries. I feel SO blessed to be part of this work. Especially right now when so many missionaries have had to put the mission on hold to stay safe and healthy, I know that my Heavenly Father is aware of each of us! We are ALL where we need to be!

 If Zone conference wasn't enough Pickett for the week, we also had interviews on Friday! (Also not a gathering of more than 10 ;) I am so grateful (I don’t know how many times I can say that in one email, but I AM) for how aware of me the Lord is. There is no doubt in my mind that He loves me and is here to help me with the little trials that I think are so hard sometimes. 

We also had powerups with the Sister training leaders. Instead of lasting 24 hours, however, they only last 3 hours. But it was still way fun to be with other sisters for a little bit! Besides us, our whole district is Elders. . . . And sometimes ya just need another set of sisters to talk to. 

And to top it all off: yesterday was Easter! I got to talk to my most amazing family for a world-wide Shumway church service!! And it was such a blessing to see them (or at least as much as I could through the tears haha). I am SO BLESSED to be part of this amazing family who all have such strong testimonies of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for the 8 return missionaries in my immediate family who provided the example and encouragement and support to help me come out here to Tennessee. THEY ARE AMAZING. 

Not everything was daisies and roses this week, however, as nice as that would have been. . . . We had a baptism scheduled for yesterday, but we have not, for the life of us, been able to get in contact with the sweet lady. It has been pretty difficult knowing that she has felt and recognized the Spirit and has that desire to be baptized, but for whatever reason, we haven't been able to catch her for the past week and a half. We think that she might just be taking extra precautions for the virus and we will be able to talk with her again soon! 

Downside #2: President Pickett told us we have to wear facemasks whenever we go out in public now. . . . So shopping was more like suffocating today.

I know that my Savior Jesus Christ suffered and died for me and for you. He conquered death and rose on the third day so that each and every single one of God's children could be resurrected. I know that death is NOT the end. I know that God loves us, and everything that He does is FOR OUR BENEFIT. Weather we like it in the moment or not. I know that Jesus Christ DID restore HIS church to the earth. It is the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! I just can't get over how amazing that is! 

Anyways, I love you all, I love the mission, and I love the Lord! 

-Sister Shumway 

No Unhallowed Hand Can Stop HIS Work From Progressing!

Wasn't general conference just AMAZING?!?!?! Literally soooooo good. If you have not had the opportunity to watch/listen to it, then DO IT. Because it was SO good. My favorite part of being a missionary watching conference was how often my thoughts were drawn to other people. I just love this gospel, and I love the people we serve, and I want so badly to share what I love with those I love!!! I know that this is Christ's church on the earth today. It is HIS. And nothing can stop the great and marvelous work that He is bringing about. We are seeing more and more miracles as our efforts to share the gospel on Facebook are slowly but surely becoming more effective. People are responding! And we have even found some people who are interested in learning more about the gospel of Jesus Christ  

I have felt the Spirit so strongly this weekend. I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. I know that He lives. I know that He restored His church through the prophet Joseph Smith and CONTINUES to lead His church through living prophets today. I know the Book of Mormon is true! It testifies of Christ!! I have found so much joy and am overwhelmed at how much the Lord has blessed me. I love this mission, I love the church, and I love the Lord!!!

-Sister Shumway 

Welcome to Dangerous. . . I mean Dandridge!

So transfers were this week, and it was actually really hard to say goodbye to Loudon. But we finished the transfer really strong and on Tuesday we had a lesson over the phone and put our sweet Liz on date to be baptized! 

For transfers, all of us missionaries who are leaving our areas go up to the Knoxville Stake Center in Farragut and it's always so fun to reconnect with old companions and other missionary friends!! But this time. . . . Due to the Coronavirus, we weren't allowed to hug, or shake hands, or touch. . . . And we had less than 30 min to find our new companion, move all the luggage, pick up supplies, and leave! It was weird and SO HARD not to hug the sister missionaries I haven't seen in soooooo long!!! (And don't tell the President, but it was a gathering of definitely more than 10 people haha). 

My new area is Dandridge! And the members here are so few and far between, that it's not a ward, or a branch. . . . It's a group!! But we aren't even meeting together for church, so I haven't met very many of the members anyways.

My new companion is Sister Whitney and she is the nicest human ever! We are already having a blast and I just know this transfer is going to be SO GOOD. Also, this is area is pretty new, this is only it's second transfer. . . And the apartment is soooooooo nice. It's not an apartment. It's a 3 bedroom, 2 full bath HOUSE. Literally the nicest one in the mission (I guess it makes up for our area not having a Walmart). We are in HEAVEN! 

We even got permission from President Pickett to go teach a lesson in person and oh how I miss teaching people. . . . this isolation thing better be over sooooon. 

Miracle!!! I know that I am supposed to be here in Dandridge because waaaaay back in Sevierville (my very first area) we taught the most wonderful lady. Some of you might remember me asking y'all to pray for Julia, she was never able to be baptized in Sevierville because of her health and living situation, but she moved to Newport to live with her son and get better care a while back . . . . And guess what???? She re-connected with the missionaries HERE (we cover part of Newport) and we get to go see her as soon as this virus is gone!!!! WHAT ARE THE CHANCES OF THAT? Chances don't matter, it was all the Lord! 

On Sunday morning we woke up to quite the storm. It was crazy, and we got a call a little later from the lady who we were planning on having a little Sacrament meeting for, and she told us that the storm had hit her trailer park particularly viciously and she wasn’t sure if she would be able to get out. This was heartbreaking news for us! So we said a prayer, asking for a miracle and for the Lord to provide a way. We got in the car and headed over to see how bad the damage was. It literally looked like a tornado had gone right down the street. It was the scariest thing I think I've ever seen. There were probably 20 trees that had completely been ripped out of the ground and were lying on top of cars and trailers. Luckily, no one was hurt and only one lady had been temporarily stuck inside her trailer. AND the miracle is that every time there was a tree lying across the road, there was JUST enough room for a car to squeeze around it. So you bet we got Carolyn to the little church service! The Lord answers prayers, and He will provide a way for us to accomplish the things He has commanded.   

This week was my half way mark for my 18 months in full-time service to the Lord, and it breaks my heart that it is going so fast. I find comfort in this little segment of the Missionary handbook: "Your mission didn’t really begin the day you were set apart and won’t end the day you are released. A mission isn’t like putting on an employee or school uniform in the morning only to take it off again when the day is done. Since the time you were baptized, you have been on the covenant path that leads to eternal happiness, joy, and peace. Your full-time mission experience can be a transforming event but should also be an integral part of your life mission experience." I know that the many miracles and the immense joy that I've seen and experienced are not just limited to Tennesse. This is all part of our LIFE mission. Miracles are not just reserved for full time missionaries. Sharing the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is not reserved for full time missionaries! I promise that it brings a joy beyond anything I've previously experienced: you should try it!!! 

I love you all so much! Stay safe and don't get sick! I love you, I love the missionary work I get to do, and I LOVE THE LORD 

-Sister Shumway 

When the TKM Can't Tract...

Up until now, my Mission President has pushed all of us missionaries to be the "boots on the ground" mission he expects us to be. We have learned to go go go and tract tract tract and teach teach teach teach. And then all of a sudden we can't. We have been asked to isolate. No more knocking on doors, no more in-person lessons, no more member meals! What do we do?! 

Luckily, President Picket is a genius and gave us a list of ways we can still be missionaries from our apartments. The main window to the outside world is through Facebook, and I have LOVED seeing so many hundreds and thousands of stuck-inside missionaries flooding Facebook with scriptures, and questions, and testimonies. It is amazing. Heavenly Father has provided us a way to continue sharing the Gospel with the world, even if it's not actually face-to-face. We have already seen miracles happening within the mission of missionaries who have been able to find, teach, and prepare people for baptism all on Facebook! This is the Lord's work. This is His vineyard, His work won't stop for anything, and He is working right along side us. 

In other news, we had transfer calls on Saturday. I will be leaving this wonderful area of Loudon and head over to the other side of Knoxville into Dandridge Tennessee! I am so excited but so sad at the same time. Loudon has definitely stolen my heart and it will be so hard to say goodbye. But the Lord needs me in other areas of the field, so I will go! 

With this whole isolation thing, we have had the opportunity to have a handful of lessons over the phone, and I think it's been amazing to still be able to recognize and point out the Spirit in those lessons, even if we can't see the other person, and they might be miles away from us. How amazing is the technology that we've been blessed with? How amazing is it that the Lord has prepared us for times exactly like this? How blessed are we to know that there is a living prophet who will continue to guide us through these times? 

I LOVE this work. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the Come Follow Me lesson this week on the allegory of the Olive trees. The Lord really does love us. Our progress is His project. I will hit my half way mark this week and it has really been hitting me how quickly time has flown by. It hurts my heart that I have only a few short months left, and I feel like I have so much more to do!! But I will go where the Lord needs me to go, I'll do what He needs me to do, I will say what He needs me to say, and I am working my hardest to be who He needs me to be.

I love you all, I love my mission, and I LOVE THE LORD!

-Sister Shumway

There's No Toilet Paper!

I feel like we are living in a movie. I've never seen contagion, but from what I've heard, I feel like I'm living it! The Coronavirus is making such a BIG impact, it's pretty crazy. On Thursday we found out that all church meetings are temporarily suspended until further notice due to the Coronavirus, and on Friday we all got an email saying we should go to the store and make sure we have provisions to be able to survive in our apartments on the risk we get quarantined. Yikes! So we had to go stock up on food and soap and toilet paper, but literally everyone else in Loudon County was doing the same thing because shelves in the stores were EMPTY. It took us FIVE stores to finally find some toilet paper! (Thank you Loudon Dollar Tree!!) It's been weird to say the least. But I can't even imagine how much crazier it is out West, or even North of us, because down here in Tennessee, 90% of the people believe in Jesus Christ as their Savior and have no fear of what may come. Most of the people we talk to have the faith-filled attitude that the world is in God's hands and that whatever happens, we will be okay because Jesus Christ loves us all. It's amazing to see! 

On the bright side, how absolutely amazing is it that our Heavenly Father has called a doctor to be His prophet during these times? That President Nelson has taught us how to strengthen our testimonies of the gospel at home and not just at church so that we can continue to grow and have "church" at home? We are prepared and we shall not fear because we are led by the prophet of God! 

Sister Christensen and I had the most beautiful experience having the Sacrament in a member's home yesterday. The Spirit was so sweet as he testified to me of the importance of the Sacrament in our lives: wherever we are and whatever the conditions of the world, the Savior suffered and died for us. We have the opportunity to remember that sacrifice and express gratitude for it as we apply it to our lives every single week. How beautiful is that? Remember Him. Be still and know He will always be there for you. 

Other than all the Coronavirus chaos, this week was pretty slow. With it being Spring break, and with the Coronavirus scaring the other 10% of the people down here, we didn't have much success talking with new people about the Gospel that we know to be true. In fact there was one guy who didn't open the door, but yelled at us through his closed window that he was "isolating!" I'm trying to find it funny while I'm not quarantined, but it won't be nearly as funny when I have to say the same thing. . . . 

 I know the Lord lives, I know He loves us, I know that there is a living prophet on the earth today. I love this gospel, I know it's true, and I have felt more fulfilled than I ever have in my life out here in Tennessee serving my God. 

I love y'all! And don't you forget it! 

-Sister Shumway 

Preaching the gospel to ever creature (not featuring the skunk we met this week)

P-day hike (Sister Christensen and Sister Shumway)

"Bless Your Hearts, Y'all Can't Read!"

We had a pretty darn good week. It seemed like we taught the restoration over and over and over and over which is fantastic because it's my favorite lesson to teach. 

We went tracting in this one neighborhood that had a little 1'×1' sign that was half covered by some big bushes that probably said something like "No trespassing, no soliciting, no skateboarding, . . . " etc. We decided to go knock in all their doors anyways because, legally, they can't tell you not to solicit unless the sign is on the actual house, but we are not soliciting anyways. Well, in the whole neighborhood, only one old lady was even aware of the sign. Maybe she was the one who put it up because when she answered the door, she said "Oh! Bless your hearts, y'all can't read!"  LOL she didn't like us very much. But that's okay, because we found a sweet young mom just down the street who was so excited to have a Book of Mormon. Being called illiterate was worth it!

I have LOVED being outside in the sunshine this week. The trees are all starting to bud and sun has been out and I just love it! I can't wait for spring to be here!!!!

I am learning a lot about faith right now, but sit tight because I haven't completely figured it out yet, so maybe I can share it next week. Just know that I love being a missionary! I know that this is Jesus Christ's church in the earth today, in its fullness, how amazing is that? Let's share it with as many people as we can!!! 

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

-Sister Shumway 

Sister Christensen and Sister Shumway (and spring if you look closely at the background!)