In our mission, there is usually an average of 170 missionaries. With so many being sent home early because of COVID-19, we currently only have 130. BUT we just found out that in the next couple months, we will literally DOUBLE that number until we have 260 TKM missionaries! Wards will all have double the companionships, new areas are opening, literally everyone will need to be a "trainer" in one way or another. I am so excited to welcome these missionaries who are so eager to get back into the field, no matter where it's at. I have a strong testimony that we have been called to serve the Lord, not necessarily called to serve in a specific area, so we can serve the Lord wherever in the world we are.
Our phone has been giving us some issues the past couple of weeks, but this past week it started working again so we were calling people like crazy and it felt a little bit like tracting. People would say funny things, hang up on us, and even gave us fake numbers! It was kind of a tender mercy to feel like a missionary again. You know that you are standing up for something good and true if you have to face opposition and adversity.
My mission President's wife told us that this isolation situation is kind of like Zion's camp for us. Zion's camp was an opportunity for a lot of the early leaders of the church to show their faith by marching into the unknown, and even though they never actually fought any battles, or seemingly accomplished anything, they came back more faithful, more grateful, with better leadership skills, and a stronger relationship with their Savior Jesus Christ. This is our Zion's camp!
Also, MIRACLES ARE STILL HAPPENING. I just found out that one of the sweetest ladies that I have taught on my whole mission is getting baptized on Wednesday! She is back in Loudon but I will have the opportunity to Skype into her baptismal service, and I could not be more excited! I will be honest with y'all, it's been a little bit of a sore spot for me that I've not been able to help very many people make the covenant of baptism with their Heavenly Father because I've had so many examples of powerful missionaries who seemed to baptize and bless nations. But I do have a testimony that success as a servant of the Lord is not measured by baptisms, it measured by commitment and obedience. And I am committed. I know that this is God's work. I feel so blessed to have the opportunity to be part of it! I love it! And I love the Lord.
-Sister Shumway
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