Hi dear family and friends!

Can't believe January is already gone-  it's making me panic!  We still have so much to do and so little time to do it in!  Hope you'll pray for us that we can work faster!  And get by with less sleep!  We are sprinting!

Love all of you so much!

Sister Shumway

Tues Jan 27, 2015

Yesterday- Monday- we held Mission Leadership Council in Bentonville, AR.  There were 38 Zone leaders and Sister Training Leaders-  all outstanding young men and women-   We count on them and trust them completely!   They did a lot of the training and it was incredible.  So many of them are natural teachers. 

Sister _____, one of our office staff, and responsible for keeping the records, came to show the Zone Leaders how to do some of the recording on a new system.  She saved my life!  I had chosen a potato bar for lunch.  It turned out to be a little more difficult than I thought to transport everything we needed.  Sister Fowler helped get it all ready, serve it and then stayed while we were in the meeting and washed a huge pile of dishes-  bless her!  I was so grateful!

After the conference ended about 4 pm, I traveled home (2 hours) to be with the kids and President stayed in Bentonville to start his 9 days of interviews. 

This morning early I traveled the 2 hours right back to Bentonville, to be with the missionaries.  I have a little visit with the missionary that will interview next with President, while he is interviewing the previous one.   It gives me a chance to get to know our missionaries better.  I love doing this-  I love these missionaries.  My heart hurts when theirs does, and I rejoice in the wonderful blessings that come to them-  the baptisms, the new investigators, the miracles! I treasure these visits.  We went from Bentonville to Rogers, then down to Springdale.  3 zones of interviews- it took President Shumway all day to get them done.  Afterwards, he traveled to Fort Smith AR to begin interviews there tonight and I traveled the 2 hours to home - lots of chasing around with Abby late this afternoon-  signed her up for a local gym so she can continue to work her leg-  ACL repair is doing well!   And Abby had her Tuesday night art class- she is working with ink right now.  She is truly an incredible artist!  The Art Center where she studies is going to do a display of her work!  
Taylor gets home late from school every day now-  he is in the school musical- "Mary Poppins"!  Can't wait to see it!  Like everything else that Jenks High School does-  this is a major production-  looks like Broadway! 

 

Wednesday Jan 28-  Sunday Feb 1, 2015

Wednesday through Friday I went everywhere President Shumway went-  and talked with all the missionaries he interviewed.  What a blessing for me!  I loved every minute of it. 

Saturday I attended two baptisms and ran as fast as I could to be ready to teach the first Temple Preparation class on Sunday for our New Haven ward.   There were about 12 to 15 people in the class.  I asked them why they were in the temple preparation class and immediately the Spirit filled the room.  There were lots of tears.  These dear saints greatly desire to go to the House of the Lord.

Sunday evening we had an extra set of missionaries for our dinner-  we invited the Jenks Elders to come-    Wonderful Elders! 

Monday 2-2-15

Yesterday was the first really cold day in many days.  It’s been in the 70s off and on all January!  I love January in Tulsa, Oklahoma!!

Two missionaries reported back about their birthday wishes!

I gave Elder _____ a birthday wish!  To find a new investigator by giving away a copy of the Book of Mormon.  He found his birthday wish – a friend of a man in their ward.  The man said “Thank you for opening the door to the rest of my life!”

I gave Elder ________ the same wish!  To find a new investigator by giving away a copy of the Book of Mormon.  He found his birthday wish!  They went to talk with a less active member who turned out not to be home, so then tracted around his house and knocked on the door of a wonderful family- father, mother and 3 children, who allowed them to teach a lesson right then and accepted a copy of the Book of Mormon.  Tonight they had another lesson and the father said he has always had a strong belief in the Savior and wondered why.  Now he thinks it was in preparation for the missionaries to come to them.

Missionary work is full of miracles!

TUESDAY 2-3-15

Very interesting day!   I left Tulsa at 7am to travel to Anderson MO to go out with our Sister Missionaries there.  The day was stunning!  The sun came up warm and bright.  I traveled over “Sailboat Bridge” , crossing a huge stretch of  glistening blue Grand Lake, to get to the other side and the town of Gore, OK. 

Traveled over the roller coaster roads- they even tickle my tummy when I’m doing the driving!   The area going into Anderson MO is thickly forested, no leaves on the trees now, but still beautiful! 

We had some companionship study together.  During our study a lady, who has some severe health problems, called to see if the sisters could come and help her.  I met her over a year ago when I was there visiting other sisters!  She is not a member but she loves the sisters.   

We had chores to do!  We fed and watered her rabbits, her pheasants, and then swept every inch of her house-  she has visitors coming.  And while we were there, another very nice lady (also not a member) came to help.  I was absolutely amazed by her!  She roofs houses, fixes cars, fixes plumbing, chops trees, rides a Harley-Davidson for charity rides, and a dozen other things!  She is not afraid to try anything!  We could use her in the church!

She said the sisters were welcome to visit her at her home!

After that visit we went on to 3 different homes, each with sisters from Pohnpei, a Micronesian Island in the Pacific.  Each sister was quiet and humble and very kind to us.  They are all less active members that our sister missionaries are working with.  They have come to Missouri like so many others to work in the chicken industry.  They need the gospel.  It would make such a difference in their lives.

My drive home was just as beautiful as the drive there.  I saw a field of buffalo, lounging in the sun.  And passed by many fields of cattle-  and hundreds of calves!  Is this the season for baby calves?  Who knew!

Went through a small town called “Cow Skin”.  I love the names out here!  And back over the big blue lake!

Abby had art tonight-  she is doing some great things!  And Taylor came home late from his Musical practice.  President is still out on the road conducting interviews.  One more day of that.

Oklahoma Sunrise out my car window!

Let there be light!

Grand Lake and Sailboat Bridge