Hi dear ones!  

It's still January - right?  You'd think it was here-  soooo cold and snowy!  In Oklahoma!  Today it was 21 degrees- it's supposed to be 64 on Sat.  

"Saturday is a special day"!

Monday Jan 13, 2014

A meeting with our assistants-  calendaring and planning.  Then I spent the next hours doing some missionary medical work- lots of phone calls and recording.  And then trying to catch up with some other records.  One of my two wonderful assistants came to help-    I could not keep up without their help! 

I don't get full days to do this very often, so I really take advantage of it when I have the time. 

Tonight-  Abby had her tumbling class early and then we had Family Home Evening.  Taylor is so tired every night.  He's up at 5:10 most mornings for Seminary then straight to Trojanaires - show choir- by 6:30 (they call it 0 hour).  Then a normal school day, football practice, play practice (he's in the spring musical-  "Tarzan"!  And then he comes home beat - ready to eat, do a little homework and go to bed so he can start it all over again the next day!  I wish I had his energy!

Tuesday Jan 14, 2014

I traveled to _____, OK early this morning to spend most of the day with Sister ____and Sister ____  both outstanding missionaries.   We spent some time counseling together, then went on one appointment together- a lady who is hoping to be baptized soon.  And another appointment later in the afternoon-  a less active family.  One man in the family is not a member and our lesson was geared for him, but he played games on his phone the entire time we were teaching him!  His wife however, a young very sweet girl, just shines.  She has come back to church and she is loving everything about it and enjoying the company of the sister missionaries.  They have done wonders with her!   The Lord knows who to send!

Wednesday Jan 15, 2014

Happy, happy, joyous day!  Nate and Jisoo called today.   A judge granted Nathan legal custody of Jenevi-  she is officially adopted and officially a Shumway. 

Her new name- Jenevi Anne Shumway.   I’m humbled and honored and so proud to be her Grammy.

They will have her sealed to them soon-  how I wish we could be there, but even from a distance we have faith in that great power that seals and binds.  She is ours!

This morning Scott and I attended a district meeting of one of our nearby districts-  impressive!  They plan and prepare-  they are fine missionaries and they are working so hard and trying to do the Lord’s will.  Oh how we love them.

Thursday Jan 16, 2014

Got to spend a part of this day working with two of our Sister Missionaries.  Two solid sisters with solid testimonies.  Everything we tried fell through.  That’s reality here sometimes, but they were not discourgaged.  In the very next minute they will find someone to teach!

 Friday Jan 17 2014

I’ve felt some sadness in the last couple days.  Two of our missionaries have had to deal with deaths that happened at home.  It breaks my heart, but I am so proud of them.  Their hearts hurt and they just keep going and doing what the Lord sent them to do.   I know they have help from the other side to do it.

I have often felt that my parents and President’s parents were helping us.   In a private moment at our MTC training, one of the general authorities told President Shumway that his father would be much more help to him from the other side than he ever could have been from here.  I know they are here.

I felt prompted to join President Shumway today in one of the trainings he usually does alone-  just so I could give a hug to one of those missionaries, a sister.  She is so very sad, but very strong as well and she’ll be alright.

Tonight two of our missionaries got in a car wreck -in a far out area of our mission.  They are mostly ok.  One will need stitches on her hand.  But every time we hear of an accident our missionaries are in, I am so grateful that they are ok.  The Lord has truly blessed us every day.  I can’t even think how devastating it would be if anything serious happened to any one of them.  I’ll be on my knees in gratitude tonight.

Sunday Jan 19, 2014

A lovely Sabbath day spent with my children.  I drove Taylor 20 minutes away to the Sapulpa Ok Ward Building to practice with a group of about 8 other string players to perform in a Stake Youth Fireside tonight.   After the practice we rushed to our ward and barely made it on time, then jumped in the car after church, stopped at the house for a minute and headed to Bartlesville OK, one hour to the north , where our Stake Center is for the Stake Youth Fireside.  We had Taylor’s friend with us.  We had to be there early for another string practice and then we enjoyed a wonderful fireside.  I was so impressed with it.  Our Stake President is an outstanding leader and speaker.  He really connects with the youth and I was so glad Abby and Taylor and Taylor's friend were there to hear the important things that were said.  We got back home just in time for Taylor and his friend to go out with Elder _____ one of our local missionaries- whose companion was going with a member to give a blessing.  Elder _____ needed a companion or two to go teach a lesson.  Both Taylor and his friend had an opportunity to bear their testimonies and they told me that the man they were teaching cried because he felt the Spirit.  I’m so grateful for the boys to have these opportunities.

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