The Happiest Place on Earth

I am so sorry that I didn't write last week. . . Not only for all y'all sakes, but for mine too -- It has been a busy, crazy, wonderful two weeks and the only reason I didn't send one last week was because we were at the temple!!!!!! Yay!!! 

Last, last Tuesday it snowed!!! It was a crazy random cold front that gave a whopping 1-inch of snow (which I guess is a lot for Tennessee)! We went tracting in the snow and slipped down all the hills covered in ice. . . we only slipped down a few peoples' driveways, so it was all good haha. 

You can also bet that with the snow, our little tiny missionary Christmas tree came out as well!! I know it's not even thanksgiving yet, but we got a really good head start on the best time of the year! 

We went to visit a lady we had tracted into last week, and the member that was driving us, backed into the ditch and we got stuck there for another 40 minutes with the lady! It's funny how the Lord works!! 

Exciting news: Transfers were this week, and Sister Starks and I are both staying in Jamestown! BUT we got a third! We are now in a trio with Sister Burch. I was really nervous at first about how the trio dynamic would work, but so far so fantastic!! We spend a LOT of time laughing and it has been a wonderful week!! I can't wait to see what the rest of the transfer brings.

On Saturday we got to go to the temple. It was the most wonderful day I've had in a long time. We were able to do a little bit of everything there, and it was my first time participating in the sealing ordinances. They were so beautiful, and the love in that sacred room was overwhelming. I know that it is exactly what I want for my future family. I learned so much in the temple on Saturday and I will never forget the powerful Spirit is that resides in the House of the Lord. At Zone Conference a few weeks ago, we learned about how your home is second in holiness only to the temple. How powerful is that?! I want my future home to be worthy of the Spirit's presence because I know how much that influence will bless the lives and futures of my children. I am so grateful for the wonderful home I was raised in and I thank my Heavenly Father everyday for the best family in this world!! 

I love you all and I promise to be more consistent with my letters.

-Sister Shumway

Temple trip with my trio

How Much Wood Could Two Sisters Chuck?

How much wood could two sisters chuck if the sisters could chuck wood?

I'll tell you. . . . we chucked wood for three straight hours. That's how much. We got to go to a Ward service project where we split and stacked three trees worth of wood for one of the families in the ward. I loved having the opportunity to work hard with so many other people and all for such a wonderful service opportunity! I may have gotten splinters and been completely sore for the next two days, but it was so fulfilling. 

We had a lesson on Monday night with the wife of one of the Ward's recent converts. Tracy was baptized in July after reading the introduction to the Book of Mormon, he came to the Bishop and asked to be baptized! His testimony is so strong and he recognizes the Spirit so well. He is a big, tall, mountain man through and through, like Steve Jenkins but with a long white beard to top it off! We expected our lesson on Monday night to be with just him, since his wife is usually at work, and we were going to spend the time answering his questions about temple and family history work and studying Doctrine and Covenants section 128 with him. When we got to the church, however, he told us that his wife was just getting off of work and was on her way to join us for the lesson!!! So Sister Starks and I quickly changed our lesson plan and decided to focus the time on Caroly, Tracy's wife. When she got to the lesson, she was very stand-offish and acted as if she would rather be anywhere else. As we began to answer her questions and did our best to teach clearly and calmly the difficult questions she had, she began to open up to us. As we concluded our lesson we helped her recognize the Spirit that was so strong for each of us as we bore our testimonies of the prophet Joseph Smith and the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. 

Carolyn received it all wonderfully and although she isn't ready for baptism yet, she opened way up to us, came to church yesterday, and even invited us to spend Thanksgiving dinner with her and Tracy! 

I know that the Book of Mormon is true. Because the Book of Mormon is true, I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet called by God. We may not be able to PROVE any of this, but it can't be DISPROVED either, and that's the way God meant it to be. We are not meant to walk by sight, we are asked to walk by faith. This morning I read the account of Jacob's encounter with Sherem. As Sherem demanded a sign from God to prove His existence, I learned how important it is for us, as God's children to trust in Him, to experiment upon His words, to take our steps forward in faith. "Signs flow from faith. Their chief purpose is to bless those already converted. Signs are sacred grants of divine favor reserved for the faithful and concerning which the recipients are commanded not to boast." -Bruce R. McConkie 

I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to Earth in this dispensation. These are the fullness of times. I know that Joseph Smith translated the Book of Mormon through the power of God. I know these things not because I have been given some glorious sign or vision, but because I have taken steps of faith to leave my family for 18 months and serve the Lord with all my heart, might, mind and strength. I am so blessed to have been called to serve my Lord and share what I know to be true. 

I love the Lord, I love what He has done with me, and I love all yuns too!!

The last District Council of the Transfer

Power-ups with the Sister Training Leaders

Dogs and Country Roads

Hello friends and family!! I am so sorry that there wasn’t a letter last week. I kind of dropped the ball and just didn't write one. Y'all probably appreciated a break from my long windedness. 

I am growing to love Jamestown! It is very different from Sevierville but I love it in a completely new way. Tracting in Jamestown is 85% walking on sketchy country roads with no sidewalk and 15% knocking on actual doors and talking to people. Yesterday we were walking down one of these roads and for about half of a mile we had five dogs and a cat following us around. It was so funny!! 

We were pretty sad about one of ladies we have been teaching this week. She was supposed to be baptized on Saturday but she is still struggling with a smoking addiction so the baptism didn't happen. But she got married instead! That was quite a surprise for us because she hadn't told us that she was dating or even engaged. But her husband is very supportive of her and will hopefully be a positive influence as she continues to rely on the Savior and tackle her roadblocks.

I know that all things really are possible through Christ who strengthens us! I have been able to change myself and grow in ways I didn't think I could and I know that I owe it all to my Savior Jesus Christ and His Atonement. I really can't imagine where I would be without Him. In district meeting we do role-plays to practice teaching gospel principles, and usually they tell us to be ourselves without the gospel when we play the person being taught. I haven't been able to do that though, because I am literally NO ONE without the gospel of Jesus Christ, and I love knowing that Christ is my center. He is my rock. 

Alma 26:36-37: 

"36 Now if this is boasting, even so will I boast; for this is my life and my light, my joy and my salvation, and my redemption from everlasting wo. Yea, blessed is the name of my God, who has been mindful of this people, who are a branch of the tree of Israel, and has been lost from its body in a strange land; yea, I say, blessed be the name of my God, who has been mindful of us, wanderers in a strange land.

37 Now my brethren, we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in; yea, he numbereth his people, and his bowels of mercy are over all the earth. Now this is my joy, and my great thanksgiving; yea, and I will give thanks unto my God forever. Amen."

I love the Lord, I love my mission, and I love all yuns!!!! 

-Sister Shumway 

Sister Shumway and Sister Starks

Sister Sharks

What a great week! Transfer week always feels like a month long because I have been in two areas with two different companions and Sevierville feels like forever ago, even though I was just there on Wednesday. But Jamestown is wonderful!!!! 

My new companion is Sister Starks! Together, we are Sister Sharks haha! We have been having so much fun and working so hard, I am excited for this transfer!

My zone is in a different time zone from the rest of the mission, so I gained an hour! It has been pretty great, not gonna lie, when your body thinks your sleeping in till 7:30 and it's actually 6:30. 

There was another Sister Shumway who served in this ward a few years ago, so every time I introduced myself on Sunday they asked me if she was my sister. One lady we have on date for baptism was found and taught by this Sister Shumway so I think it would be a tribute to Charles Shumway for a Shumway to have found her and a Shumway to get her to the waters of Baptism. The only thing holding her back is a smoking addiction. She has been smoking since she was 7 years old, and missionaries have been working with her for years to help her overcome this obstacle. But we know that all things are possible through Christ who strengthens us! 

I love the Lord, I love Tennessee, I love the work, and I love all yuns!

Love, Sister Shumway 

Sister Rackley and I found some pretty funny signs on our last day in Sevierville. Tender mercy for what would have been a really sad day!

Sister Starks and I bobbing for apples at the Ward Fall Harvest Party 

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 

What to do When the Maintenance Guy Comes

When the super nice Russian maintenance guy comes to fix the toilet, we, as Sister Missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are not allowed to be in the apartment with him. So . . . . .we get to stand outside the door awkwardly and he has to keep going back and forth between the front door and the bathroom to ask us questions! I'm pretty sure he thought we were complete weirdos… well, we kind of are. 

We got to teach the restoration to an 8-year-old boy in the ward whose parents want him to take the lessons before he is baptized. I absolutely love teaching children! They seem to be able to understand the Love our Savior and Heavenly Father have for us so much better than any adults. They come to realize so much quicker that Heavenly Father does what He does because He loves us. To them, it is simple. And I understand so much better why Christ taught that we should be as little children. 

This week is most likely going to be my last full week in Sevierville because transfer calls are on Saturday and President told me that I will most likely be leaving :( I have to come to love this ward and area so much over the past twelve weeks, but I know that the Lord has great things in store no matter where I go! 

I had the opportunity to bear my testimony in church yesterday, and I wanted to share it with all of you as well. I know that my Heavenly Father and my Savior love me more than I could ever comprehend in this life. I know that Jesus Christ suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane for every single person. I know that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is real. He did it not only so that I could have the opportunity to return to live with my Father in Heaven, but also so that He could understand me. He knows how I feel, He knows what I need, and He knows how to help me. I rely on Him every day. I am far from perfect, all of us are, but I know that only through the Savior, Jesus Christ, will we be able to live our best lives. I can't describe the immense amount of joy and peace I have felt by drawing nearer to my God. I love Him and I know that He loves me.

I love you all!!! Have a great week and a blessed day ;) 

Sister Shumway

I love my companion!

Gramma Bear made us cartoons!

Southern pronunciation of "wash"

Because I'm HAPPY!

Lots of laughs this week! Lots of tears too, but more importantly: lots of laughs!!!

This wasn’t the most eventful of weeks, the work is going pretty slow. This is a difficult season for a tourist area because all of the locals who work with the tourists (which is just about everyone) are on vacation now that all the tourists are finally gone. 

We met two deaf people this week! I wished I'd had Chloe, Ethan, Olivia, or Aunt Stacy, anyone who could've signed for us!!!! But it was great experience trying to communicate with each other.  

We had interviews with President Pickett on Friday :D He told me that sometimes the work is going to be slow. It could be that Heavenly Father is trying to teach me how to fine-tune my ability to work by faith. There is a talk that all of the missionaries love called the Riccardi Letter that tells the story of the world's hardest working missionary, and the work was even slow for him sometimes too. I'll be honest with y'all, it has been frustrating and sad. But you gotta love agency. 

Our wonderful District leader, Elder Sowby gave the perfect training on Friday about finding joy in the work. I have no doubt that the reason I am happier now than I have ever been before is because I am serving the Lord. There is no other reason that being 2500 miles away from home and everybody I know would make me so happy.

It's also no coincidence that my Book of Mormon reading this week has been all of the "happiness chapters" in Alma :) If you ever want to know how to be happy, just read Alma 26-29. 

Miracles do happen!! We came home on Saturday night to the most wonderful package from the most wonderful Gramma Bear!!! There's nothing better to boost your spirits than Gluten free pretzels and the sweetest letter from Gramma Bear! 

I love the Lord, I love my mission, I love the scriptures, and I love all y'all!!

Sister Shumway

P.S.! The new Book of Mormon videos are out, and 10/10 would recommend watching!!!! And not just because Nephi is beautiful, they are super powerful and literally bring the scriptures to life!!! 

I found Jojo's street! (I miss her!)

The most beautiful clouds I've ever seen!

It's beginning to look a lot like Autumn!