Hi to our wonderful family and friends!  A few more journal entries.  We are missing all of you so much!

Wednesday July 3- Friday July 5

Another great transfer week!  26 new missionaries in, 9 returned.  Again- an awesome sight to see those 26 come marching through the airport!  Heads turn! And I wish I could stand up on a box and tell everyone to LISTEN!  These young representatives of the Lord have something to say!

So- it's a lot of work. 3 meals for the incoming and a lot of training.  

2 meals for the returning.  And it was the 4th of July, so we had the Shumway traditional 4th of July baby back ribs! Served on china because that is my mission tradition, to give our returning missionaries the best!  It was kinda weird, but tasty!  

We spend the evening trying to say things we hope will help them as they go home, but our hearts are heavy.  One of them had been our assistant.  They are all- ours!

26 new missionaries!

An afternoon of training for the new missionaries-  in the mission home.

Nine Elders and one dear senior couple went home-

MONDAY JULY 8, 2013

Abby and Taylor have been gone for two weeks to Utah!  They are having so much fun with family and friends, but we are missing them!  Even though the mission home is rarely quiet for long, we just miss our kids.  Abby will leave in the morning to go to Girl’s Camp with our Pleasant Grove Ward-  so much fun for her.

TUESDAY JULY 9, 2013

The end of two days of Mission Leadership Council.  We are growing!  Now that we have Sister Training Leaders, our council has grown from 22 of us to 31 of us!  And it will just keep growing as we continue to add Sister Training Leaders until we have 6 sets of them.  We now have so many leaders we can’t sleep them all here, so the Elders stay in the bunk rooms and the Sisters go a few blocks away to a wonderful couple whose children are grown.  They have four empty bedrooms and offered to house Sisters when we have needs.  I think they have done this 8 or 9 times for us so far- what a blessing!

We’ve also added something very unique – just for our mission- another set of assistants!  In the last 6 months we’ve received about 125 new missionaries- incredible!  The Lord is truly hastening his work and we feel it.  This means that nearly half our missionary force is very new.  President Shumway felt impressed to call another set of assistants with one job.  They travel all week around the mission and go on exchanges with the new missionaries.  The focus is to get all these new Elders up to speed  quickly!  They are two of our finest Elders and they will do an incredible job.  Our other assistants will continue to do what they have always done-  exchanges with Zone Leaders, helping to run the mission, plan training, and doing everything you can think of!

We launched our new mission theme today-  “We are One!”.  This is based on the recent worldwide training on missionary work.  We are gearing up to do some very unique things here in our mission in connection with the members-  I’ll tell you about it later!!

Sunday July 21, 2013

I’ve had a full week!  I spent Tuesday in Muskogee working with two of our Sisters.  Abby went with me this time- her first day doing real missionary work.  We stopped many people to talk with them about the church- we call it OTMing!  Oklahoma, Tulsa Mission- OTM- Open Thy Mouth!   So talking with everyone, opening thy mouth with everyone is OTMing!  The Sisters here are really great at doing this- both fantastic new missionaries.

We had a really great day- I’ll just tell you one story.

We went to the church to have a lesson with a young man.  The Sisters had already taught him one lesson and he had been very positive about it.  But the morning I arrived he had called them and told them he wasn’t interested.  They talked him into meeting one last time.  As the 5 of us walked into the church, I noticed a man in one of the classrooms.  It looked like he was studying something.

We continued into another classroom and began the lesson.  But I started to feel very uncomfortable .  Somehow I got into my mind that we were breaking the rule about who the Sisters can teach (when they need another member present).  I was absolutely wrong because I was there with them so it was alright, but somehow I was just mixed up.  So I stopped the lesson, and told the Sisters we needed another man- a Priesthood holder.  I sent them in to see if that man in the other classroom was a member and if he would join us.  He came back with the Sisters, and it turned out to be the most wonderful thing.  He had served a mission in Brazil.  He was in the church studying to take the Medical exam to become a Dr.  –A wonderful family man- father of six.  He was just what the lesson needed.  He connected with the young man, bore his testimony to him, and had a huge impact on him.  At one point, with emotion, he told about a dream he had just had the night before.  In his dream he was back on his mission going down the street looking for people to teach.  There was no one, and all the trees were knocked down.  Then he said he came to a building, went in and there were many people to teach.   He felt that somehow what we were doing right then was a fulfillment of that dream.  There was such a strong feeling of the Spirit as we each took turns testifying of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and of the gospel.

That wonderful member invited the young man to come to his home for dinner.  He was willing to be at future lessons with the young man.

I wish every member could have seen a video of what happened there.  Members are so critical to the work!

Last Wednesday Abby and I traveled up to Springfield MO to meet President Shumway ( he was already there working with missionaries) and spend the night there so that we could travel 2 more hours the next day to the Lake of the Ozarks-  gorgeous!  President Shumway and I had a speaking assignment there for a Youth Conference.  It was sooo hot!  

On our way back down after the conference, I had a strong feeling that I should stop in Springfield and work with a Sister Training Leader and her companion.  I hadn't planned on doing it just then, but it turned out to be just the right thing, as the new, young companion was really struggling and needed some help.  So I spent the next 24 hours there.  The Lord always seems to have everything worked out ahead of time.  We just have to be willing to go with it.

Tonight we also had our 16th or 17th youth fireside- I've been trying to keep track.  Most of them are here at the mission home.  Some we travel out for.  We'll do another one this next Sunday about 3 hours away.  

We give them a tour of the mission home- which they love- they get to see our big bunk rooms, the transfer board, and feel the incredible Spirit that is here. Then we speak to them and let them have some experience with role play!  Real play!

This group traveled to us from 3 hours away-  what incredible young people.  The purpose of our fireside is to help them prepare for missions and for whatever else the Lord may have in store for them, but they already feel so strong!  I have a testimony that they have been saved for 6,000 years (just as President Benson said) to come forth at this challenging time and to help prepare the world for the 2nd coming of the Savior.

Very special youth group who came for a fireside.  It was so humid outside you can see the moisture in the air!

Wednesday July 24-  Pioneer Day!

We spent this wonderful Pioneer Day with our 20 Senior missionaries.  They came in from all over the mission, some as far as six hours away, to spend a day in training.  Several of our couples arrived last night as the drive would have been too far to be here by nine.  We had several of our senior couple missionaries trained,  our “other” Sister Shumway gave a beautiful talk on “Lift where you stand”,  2 of our Zone Leaders came to give a great presentation on “answering questions of the soul from the Book of Mormon” and President Shumway and I spoke.   I think that as important as the training is, it’s just as important for our Senior Missionaries to have some association with other Senior Missionaries.  They all work so hard, and it’s nice for them to see that others have the same struggles.  I think they share some great ideas too.  We heard some very creative ideas for serving in the communities, teaching less actives, etc…

Each of our senior missionaries has unique talents and abilities that are perfect for sharing the gospel in the area they are in.  It’s a testimony that every missionary is sent to the right place!

After a dinner here in the mission home, they traveled back to their areas.  We love our Senior Missionaries!

Happy Pioneer Day with most of our Senior Missionaries

 

 

That's all our news for now- another post coming soon!

We love all of you- and pray for you.  Go have a missionary experience!

Love,

Sister Shumway

Hi dear family and friends,
Here are just a few snatches from my journal in the past couple months.  Don't know if any of it will be interesting to you.  We've been working hard!

Wednesday May 22- Friday May 24  Transfer Week

Oh my!  24 new missionaries plus 5 visa waiters (they will go to other missions after their visas arrive).   So we prepared to feed, have housing ready, documents ready, cars and bikes ready,  everything ready- for 29 missionaries!  It is something to see that many get off the plane! 

We went through the routine pretty smoothly – the new in, and 15 returning home-  always very emotional for us.  It is so hard to say goodbye.  We love them and they leave a hole in the mission and in our hearts. 

Saturday May 25, 2013

This has been a pretty wild day-  I got a little nudge from the angels one hour before my alarm went off.  They know I have too much to do to stay in bed for 7 hours!  So I should be so grateful for the 6 I got, because the 3 nights before that were 4 hour nights as we worked our way through transfer week.

Some of our senior missionaries moved out of their very smoky, stinky apartment today.  They had only been in there about a month, but they just couldn’t handle it any longer, so they moved and the new one is a real improvement. 

Abby, Taylor and I spent a short time helping with the move and then hurried home to be here when one of our returned missionaries came to visit- he was a Zone Leader just before he left so we knew him well-  and we love him.  He brought his parents and stayed to visit for an hour-  wonderful for us and our assistants too, who were his friends.

We rushed around all day- trying to get ready for our Zone Conferences starting next week.  But tonight we took our kids, our assistants and two other missionaries to dinner.  At dinner we met a nice lady who gave us her contact information so the missionaries could visit her. 

Just before that I was at the store and a man walked up to me because he saw my tag.  Without me saying a word, he began a conversation with me about religion and it all ended in him giving me his contact information for the missionaries.

After dinner I had to go to Walmart, and the checker took a look at my tag and said, “I like that!”  He began telling me that he felt like there should be unity in religion.  He didn’t think there should be so many churches, but that God would want us all to belong to the same church!   Then he asked me if he could come to mine!!  Yes, he can!

He gave me all his contact information and he will come to church with us in a week. 

Every morning I pray that the Lord will allow me to be a missionary-  and every day he just throws people in my path.  I have so much gratitude that He allows any of us to be a part of His work-  His sacred work.  I love to be a missionary!
 

MISSION LEADERSHIP COUNCIL:  Monday and Tuesday June 3-4 2013
We put all our Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders to work on Taylor's Eagle Scout Project!
We worked for a few hours out on the driveway and back yard of the mission home and then had a barbecue and training afterwards.  We finished 2 tied quilts and 8 fleece blankets.  We were so grateful for their help.  It was a combined effort of 75 hours!  And Taylor is only just beginning his project, so he will have several hundred hours of donated service by the time he is finished

 

Monday June 10, 2013

 I sat at my computer for about 4 hours trying to catch up with all the missionary medical concerns-  calling to set up Dr. appointments, calling missionary medical with insurance problems, talking with missionary’s moms, and recording and filing everything so there are complete records of everything that happens with the health of a missionary.  I truly enjoy the daily contact I have with the best missionaries in the world!

President Shumway called to tell me he had interviews from 8:30am to 5:30pm today with no breaks.  Our missionary force is getting so very large-  we have all had to “hasten” our efforts.  He called me just after he finished.  He was driving two hours to the zone in Sprindale AR to start interviews tomorrow.  Nine days of traveling about the mission doing interviews for nearly 250 missionaries.  He loves it!

A Story:

Just sent off my last monthly medical report to Dr.______ and his wonderful wife.  They have just finished their mission and are home in Salt Lake City.  We have grown to love them so much-  very caring people who worked so hard to support our efforts to keep healthy missionaries.

As part of the report they always asked if I had a medical "miracle" to share- and this was the story I shared this month- 

To Dr_______: 

My last missionary miracle to share with you-  I was wakened one morning early at 4:00am with a phone call-  one of our Elders was in severe pain.  He said he had almost called an ambulance but his companion had talked him into calling me first- thank goodness!  He said his pain was mostly in his stomach, but it went clear through him to the back.  I was a little groggy and probably a little confused too- he had called me earlier in the week before with symptoms of stomach flu- nausea, diarrhea and dizziness.  I was trying to remember that and trying to think how it could be related to his current pain.  It wasn’t making sense to me, so I told him to lay down and rest, that I would call you and call him back in a few minutes. 

I didn’t want to call you at 4:00am- I was feeling uncomfortable about the whole thing, so I began doing what I do so much of here- I began to pray.  I told Heavenly Father I knew He knew what was wrong with the Elder and I begged Him to help me know what the problem was, and He did- immediately.  Something popped into my mind.  I knew I should ask the Elder if he had quit his exercise when he was sick with the stomach flu and if he had started again in the last day or two.  This Elder is very strong- he has a serious workout using weights.  He told me that was exactly what had happened.  And then I knew he was having muscle spasms in his back. 

I told him to get in a hot shower and point it at his back- take 800mg of Ibuprofin and rest.  Two hours later he was much better and later that day a member chiropractor in his ward did some kind of adjustment for him and he felt much better! 

It would never have entered my mind to ask the Elder about his exercise.  I was so grateful the Lord would give me that knowledge and give it to me quickly.  I didn’t have to wake you up, but more importantly, both the Elder and I knew that the Lord had just given us a miracle.  To some it may seem like a silly thing, but this Elder was having excruciating pain and he needed relief quickly. The Lord loves his missionaries!

Sunday June 23, 2013
Yesterday we tearfully said goodbye to Spencer, Tara and kids, Abby and Taylor too!  Spencer, Tara and family had been here to visit.  They are returning to Utah with Abby and Taylor who will stay for a few weeks to visit there.

  The house is strangely quiet- it was such a blessing to have Spencer and Tara here- and we loved the little voices.  Our grandkids had changed so much in one year, and we know it will be a very long time until we see them again.  We are also really missing Abby and Taylor-  though they probably haven't thought of us for a second. It makes me realize how important they are to our "family" mission.  And besides that- we love them!

So that's enough for this post-  our work goes on- there is always so much to do!  We love our missionaries so much and love our mission!  This is a beautiful spot on the planet and we are grateful the Lord sent us to this part of his vineyard.  We love the members too!  So many, many wonderful missionary minded people who support the work of salvation.  

We are looking forward to the big missionary meeting tonight-  coming from President Monson.  Elder Nelson said at our training that this would be the biggest missionary meeting of this dispensation!  Wow- we're excited and our missionaries are too.   

Love you all and miss you so much! 

Sister Shumway

Friday, April 26, 2013

 IT'S SPRING IN OKLAHOMA!           APRIL 2013
And it's just as beautiful as spring anywhere else- blossoms on the Red Bud trees (Oklahoma state tree!) all over the city, baby birds and squirrels everywhere, and baby foxes in our neighborhood!  This is such a great place!

This tree is to the side of the mission home- our Red Bud tree!

Beautiful Spring!

A STORY!
I know I've told you about my birthday wishes before, but they just keep working in miraculous ways.  I call the missionaries' on their birthdays and give them a birthday wish- that they will find a new investigator in the next 24 hours.  And they do!  It's all about faith.  This is one birthday miracle story.  I told the Elder to write it up and let me share it, so he wrote me this letter:

"Dear Sister Shumway,
So when you gave me my birthday wish on March 13, 2013 I was kind of scared because I didn't want to let you down and I knew that we were going to be busy teaching all day, so we wouldn't have time to do any finding!  We were so busy teaching that my companion and I had to split up in the evening!  My companion went with a member and I went with ____.  _____ is a senior in high school and he is preparing to serve a mission!  So he really wants to do missionary work.  So we went out and taught a lesson, it was kind of a far drive from the lesson to the church building, so we expected to meet my companion and the other member back at the church at around 9pm.  Well we got back to the church and it was 8:43pm.  We texted my companion and he said that he was about 20 minutes away (they had an even further drive).  I thought to myself, "it is late and nobody likes it when you knock on their door when it is late, but Sister Shumway wished me a new investigator and I can't let her down!"  So I looked at ____ and I told him that we were going to knock a few doors.  He said ok in a nervous voice-haha.  We went out and were driving through a neighborhood, I told ____ to tell me which house to stop at and we would knock that door.  I turned left down a street and when I was about halfway down ____ asked me if I could turn around and go back.  I turned around, we got back to the street that we were initially on and he pointed at a house and said, "That one."

I parked the car in front of the house, we said a prayer asking for the Spirit, and then we went and knocked on the door.  A lady answered with cleaning supplies in her hands.  she told us that she didn't live there and that she was cleaning the house for the bank.  We told her who we were and that our church was just around the corner, in the middle of our explanation she stopped us and said,  "You know, this is funny because I was driving and thinking if God really existed or not."  That was when we told her how we decided to knock on her door.  We testified to her that we were led by the Spirit of God to help her.  I offered her a copy of the Book of Mormon and she almost began to cry, she took it and took our number.  She gave us her number and she told us that she wanted to come to church.  It was a miracle!  I'm so grateful that I put forth that extra effort and that the Lord blessed (her) life, as well as ____ and me."


 
Aren't our missionaries amazing!!

 
ANOTHER STORY
Friday April 19, 2013-  Our anniversary!  And a special day to remember Grandmother!
My afternoon with the Sisters who teach in a little Branch made up of people from another country.

This day has had such an impact on me I can hardly think of it without crying.  I drove 2 hours away  to go out with the Sisters who teach in the Branch.  I didn't have any idea what I was in for.  They had set up appointments for us.  The very first apartment we entered was a very small, dark place.  A little sister- a grandmother- greeted us at the door with two darling dark eyed children hanging about her- grandchildren. There was one item of furniture in the entire apartment.  It was a small wooden chair- the sisters gave it to me and they sat on an old cooler.  The floor was littered with clothing and all kinds of personal items-  no dressers or tables.  The whole place was filthy.  A huge man lay in the corner on blankets- snoring.  We never saw his face, he was covered up, but the sisters explained to me that it was the little woman's son.
She began to visit with us in very broken English.  She was very hard to understand, Sister ____, from Samoa has picked up some of the language.  She is able to speak a little and communicate with these people.
The Little Grandmother is a member but none of the rest of her family.  Their financial situation is bleak- they may be kicked out of the apartment at any time because they don't have enough money to pay the rent.  Her son and his wife both work in the chicken industry.  Many people come  to work with the chickens.  They work all night and sleep in the day.
She kept telling us of her faith in God-  she knows He will take care of her- somehow.  And then she'd cry and cry.  The Sisters asked if we could open with a prayer-  the little grandmother said it- or rather cried it- in her own language.  She sobbed and sobbed as she prayed.  We were all crying.  Later,  Sister _____ told me that the entire prayer had been one of gratitude.  She had been thanking Heavenly Father over and over again.  It was so touching.  She has nothing of material value- but she has her faith- and she is grateful.

This little sweet sister can't come to church because she is hooked up to a big oxygen tank and she can't afford to fill the small portable one-  so many needs.  I asked when she had last taken the sacrament-  8 years ago.  We can do that much for her-  we can take the sacrament in every Sunday and perhaps we can do a lot more.

Then we went to see another family-  a father, mother and two children.  They had a table and some shelves- no other furniture.  We sat on the floor for our lesson.  They have been less active but are now working to go to the temple. 

I was so proud of our two Sisters-  who are working almost feverishly to help these people-  one appointment after another.  Every Monday night they teach 5 family home evening lessons!  They are building the kingdom!

Saturday April 20, 2013
Our preparation day-  but every day is a missionary day and today I found 3 new referrals.  All were young men!  One was a smiling, charming 21 year old at the dry cleaners I use.  I told him how much he would love our Young Single Adult branch and that the missionaries would love to teach him about the gospel of Jesus Christ and he asked, "Will they come today?"   Oh that just makes me so happy!
Two other young men came to work on our lawn.  They were hired by the LDS lawn company and their boss- a great returned missionary was actually with them.  I asked the boss if he had ever invited them to listen to the missionaries.  He hadn't but they had talked about the church, so he had prepared them for my question.  Could I send some missionaries to teach them about the gospel.  Yes!! They both gave me their contact information.


Sunday April 21, 2013
Yesterday President Shumway spent the entire day in Oklahoma City for a huge Priesthood Leadership Meeting that included the Mission Presidents and all the Stake Presidents and Bishops for our mission as well as the Oklahoma Tulsa Mission.  There were several general authorities there and President Shumway felt like he was well fed.

 One of the General Authorities traveled to our mission last night and spoke today at the Tulsa East Stake for a special conference which President Shumway was invited to speak at-  I just bore my testimony.
Immediately after the Stake Conference we had a remarkable meeting.  All of our 211 missionaries were invited to attend, about 2/3rds in person and the rest via satellite at their church buildings. I can't tell you how my heart felt to look out on that many missionaries- our missionaries!  I just wanted to hug them all at once.  We love them so much.  After the meeting, the General Authority shook every one of their hands.  He is a very kind man.
President Shumway hugged every one and I got to shake hands too.  It was such a blessing for all of us to be together.

Tonight Taylor and Abby had a youth fireside- sort of a talent night.  Taylor played both his mandolin and his violin.  The Bishop had invited a special guest- a 12 year old non-member who can play the banjo like crazy!  I took the kids and stayed to hear them.  I was so glad I did, because the banjo players father started a conversation with me about our missionary work and he gave me his phone number so the Elders can go teach them! 


Friday April 26, 2013
Today I went out with two more sister missionaries.  Another day to witness incredible poverty. 

When the Savior was on the earth He went to sinners, to the poor, the sick- lepers even, anyone who needed Him, and he expects us to do the same.  We can't be afraid to go in to these places where people are starving for hope and love.  I am so proud of our Sisters who walk right in, with courage, and take the message of the gospel to people who desperately need it.


That's my week!
Yesterday we moved our new Sister Shumway - President Shumway's sister (and her companion, Sister ____) into their new apartment- with the help of 6 wonderful Elders!  It is one of our greatest blessings to have "Aunt Joey" right here with us- 

I've had missionary medical work to do-  President Shumway has been traveling for the last three days training the "trainers" and the "new missionaries".  He'll come home weary tonight.

We are so proud of Abby, who was inducted into the National Junior Honor Society- because of her excellent grades and her level of scholarship.  She's taking a high school math class and doing very well!

Abby accepting her award!

We're sad for Taylor this week-  he had bone scans last week of his legs.  He has stress fractures in both tibia's - it's a result of the incredibly difficult football workouts they put the players through at his high school.  We are waiting for the Dr. to give us the final word, but he told us to expect that Taylor would not be able to run, jump, or workout his legs at all for the next 3 to 4 months, so that means basically no football.  Taylor is pretty disappointed- He'll miss the BYU football camp he is enrolled in this summer.

The gospel is true!  And my heart is grateful for all I am seeing and learning.  I am grateful for an opportunity to work with 211 incredible young men and women who desire to have an impact in the "hastening" of the Lord's work.  I am grateful for 22 more missionaries- Seniors- who leave comforts and family to do the glorious work of the Lord.  I know they sacrifice, but I see the blessings-  they would tell you it is all worth it.

We love you all- and miss you so much!
Love,
Mom and Dad

Dear Wonderful Friends and Family!

Wednesday 1-30-13
Today seemed like a normal day in the OTM, if there is one.  President Shumway is traveling, talking with missionaries and Stake Presidents, and I have been at home for a couple days, catching up with missionary medical work and trying to prepare for Zone Leader Council next week.
I had to go into a store and buy an item for missionary training.  The man in the store that was helping me asked me what it was for.  I told him that I was a missionary and that we were training missionaries, and started in on my introduction of the Church.  He said, "I know who you are,"  and then told me that as a child in Cleveland he had watched television every Saturday morning, and every time he did there were Mormon Messages, Mormon Ads, or whatever they were called then and he loved them.  I told him that's who we were and asked if I could send the missionaries to give him more information.  He said he would like that very much! 

President Shumway called me late tonight.  He was going to try to make it home, but had left his scriptures in a church and had to wait for someone to bring them to him.  He was waiting at a gas station and the worker there kept it open for him, even though it was closing time, because it was so cold outside.  They had a good visit and the man wants to know more about the gospel.  President Shumway knows it was no accident he left his scriptures.

I had two missionaries call me today.   One Elder told me the birthday wish I gave him this morning had just come true.  My wish for their birthdays is that they will find a new investigator.  They had decided they couldn't ask the Lord for a new investigator if they hadn't paid attention to the potential investigators they already had.  They went to visit one of those- a man.  He had moved.  There was someone else living in the apartment.  As the Elders turned to leave they felt prompted to ask the new man if he was interested in hearing the gospel- and he was- and his girlfriend too!

Another missionary called me-  he knows I love to hear about new investigators.  They were following up with a media referral and found two new people to teach.  As they were leaving that house, a lady pulled up in a car beside them and told them she had been looking for the missionaries and would they please teach her!

Incredible stories!  We just have to be in the right place when the Lord wants us there- follow the promptings and the Lord delivers people who are prepared.  I love being a missionary!!!

Thursday 1-31-13 
This was such a great missionary day for me.  I spent most of the day in Skiatook, OK with our Sister Missionaries there.  This area has previously been Elders and the Sisters have only been there about 1 week.  They are doing great!  I participated in their companion study,  went out into the community to talk to people about possible service they could render- we went to the Municipal Building and found a thrift store (they donate their proceeds to the homeless) that needed volunteers.  We ate lunch together and spent part of the afternoon tracting- one Sister's first experience with that!  We didn't have much luck with that, but a few hours later after I'd returned home, they called me to tell me they had gone out tracting again and had 3 new people to teach!
I truly enjoy my time spent with the Sisters-  they are remarkable young women with such strength- a blessing to the mission.

Sunday 2-3-13
We learned that a Sister missionary was hit and killed while riding her bike in the Oklahoma, Oklahoma City Mission.  Everyone in our mission has been so saddened by this news and disturbed by it as well.  This Sister and her companion were keeping all the rules- riding single file, they had reflectors on and helmets on.  Oklahoma is a hard place to ride a bike.  There are no shoulders on most of the roads and sidewalks don't exist here.  So when you are on a bike, the traffic is within inches.  We are praying for her family and for all the missionaries in her mission and also for her Mission President and his wife.   We worry so much about our missionaries in the OTM, something like this would just break our hearts.  We know they must be struggling.  We're grateful the Lord is in charge, and we trust His plan and that has to be a comfort to all of us.

Monday and Tuesday 2-4-13 to 2-5-13  ZONE LEADER COUNCIL
I look forward so much to this.  We decided to do something a little different this time.  President Shumway needed to have an interview with each set of Zone Leaders, so he asked them to come about 2 hours earlier than they normally would have.  President Shumway did about 2 hours of interviews and the rest of us made baby blankets for the Tulsa Emergency Infant Services. I think we all enjoyed it.
Then a nice dinner together.  A Stake President came to dinner and then talked to the Elders afterwards about member-missionary relationships.  President Shumway and I also spoke to them.
Tuesday was four hours of counseling and training, lunch and then they all went back to their areas.

Friday 2-8-13
Had a wonderful day!  Attended the Tulsa Zone Training Meeting in Bartlesville conducted by their Zone Leaders.  President Shumway was out in another part of the mission, and I have decided to attend as District and Zone training meetings whenever I can.  It helps me get to know the missionaries better, and I can really see if our training is getting "to the end of the row".  I love watching the missionaries train each other.  They are really incredible- very knowledgeable and in tune.  I was so inspired this day to watch two of the Zone leaders train.  They are leaders and the missionaries love, trust and respect them.

Saturday 2-9-13
President Shumway felt early on in our mission that part of our missionary work would be to help build the kingdom here by helping to prepare the youth here to serve missions.  To that end, we put together a fireside that includes Abby's testimony, Taylor on the violin, a virtual tour of the mission home on a powerpoint, counseling from President Shumway and me, some short DVD clips, and some actual missionary role play.  We have love doing this all over the mission-  Arkansas, Missouri and Oklahoma- so far about  10 times.  We are really getting to know the fine youth and many adults in our mission.  When we travel out far to do this, we always take Abby and Taylor, and that has been an enjoyable family time together.  Taylor said recently that a 3 or 4 hour drive means nothing anymore!  We just go!

On this Saturday we didn't drive out to do a fireside.  The youth from Grove, OK came to us!  We love that so much better.  There is a special feeling in the Mission Home and we love to share it.  We let them tour the home, and tell special stories about things that have happened here,  then we proceed with the rest of the fireside.

April 2013!!!
Wow - what happened?!  I just keep going along and all of a sudden two months have passed.  Time almost has no meaning to me out here-  it's kind of crazy.

 Wednesday 4-3-13
Monday and Tuesday of this week was Zone Leader Council.  We had a very special experience.  The Zone Leaders come in about 3 pm so they can each have a turn, as a companionship, talking with President Shumway about their zone.  This time we also videotaped each of them talking about how they are working with the members in their areas, and how they have been able to increase their "member-present" lessons.  It will be used in a training we will participate in.  

We also had a service project for ZLC-  I chose several people in our own neighborhood-  two were widows who were needing some outside work done, a car battery jumped, flowers planted, etc...
They were so impressed with "the great young men".  I got thank you notes today- very sweet.
It was pretty cool to see 8 to 10 Elders in their "Helping Hands" shirts out there working in our neighborhood.

Tonight we had another "Missionary Youth Fireside" here.  This group traveled 2 plus hours to get here.  We could have taken the fireside to them, but their Bishop wanted them to have the experience of being in a mission home.  Great bunch of youth and very receptive! 

Thursday 4-4-13
I had the wonderful opportunity to go out with the Sister missionaries in Claremore OK today.  They are both beautiful young women who have outstanding testimonies, work hard and are teaching 20 lessons a week!    We taught a man- an investigator who is struggling with smoking, lives with a woman, and has multiple issues, but also a real desire to learn the gospel and make changes in his life.  The Sisters said they could hardly recognize him today, he had shaved off his beard and cut his hair,  he read from the scriptures with us, and he prayed at the end of the lesson-  progress!  We also had several "finding" opportunities, and gave out half a dozen pass-a-long cards.  Great day!

Wednesday 4-17-13
I'm just going to throw all these posts at you-  You may never even take time to read them all-  I'm trying so hard to get better organized.
We are getting missionaries by the planeload!  20 in Jan. and five weeks later 28!  That plane was so loaded that they were overweight and couldn't send all of our missionaries' luggage, so some of it came later that night.  We are not even able to house that many in the mission home, so we send the sisters to a wonderful couple around the block to sleep for the night- they actually live in another ward, but are willing to help us.

We had the biggest Zone Conferences ever in early March and worked hard on the basics.  We did four workshops in the morning with each one including some role playing which is critical for our missionaries.  We have half of our missionaries training right now!  The Lord truly is hastening is work and we're trying hard to keep up!

One of the best things that happened in the last couple weeks is that Sister Shumway finally arrived!  President Shumway's sister will be serving in our mission office for 18 months.  We are so thrilled, and Abby and Taylor are so grateful to have family here- their beloved aunt!  She is actually staying with us in the mission home until next week when she can move into her apartment.  We love it!!

This last week was pretty amazing-
We welcomed 18 new missionaries on March 10.  Four of them are "visa waiters".  They are actually assigned to a mission in Australia, but have to wait until their visas come through, so they will spend some weeks here.  They are great young missionaries so we're glad to have them and we'll train them just like our own.

Our new missionaries - plus our assistants- Elder Bott and Elder VanRoosendaal

Seven elders returned home.  One of our dear Senior missionaries (remember I can't use names) is leaving us too- we have become so attached to all of them it made me cry.  It was especially hard because we had to have them come a little early to the mission home.  We had a special lunch instead of a dinner, and then our "farewell" talk with them in the afternoon instead of the evening.  All the office staff came for the lunch.

We are going to miss them so much!

After our talk we very quickly packed, hugged them all goodbye and got on a plane to Phoenix Arizona for our semi-annual Mission Presidents Training.   We had an office couple come and be "Mom and Dad" for the evening until the returning missionaries left the next morning.  We were at the conference Fri, Sat and Sunday morning and returned home by Sunday evening.

The training was incredible.  I have a book full of notes-  I couldn't write fast enough.  Those who train us are the Lord's chosen servants- I have a testimony of that.  We learn so much!
Mission President's conference is also great because of the incredible ideas we hear from other mission presidents who share.  We are already using some of them!
 
I guess you heard the announcement at General Conference that there will be special Sister missionaries called to be "Sister Trainer Leaders".  It's amazing that President Shumway and I were already thinking along this line.  We already had a "Sister's specialized training meeting"  lined up for May 2nd and we were already going to try to work out an exchange schedule for the sisters, so this came just at the right time!

This week we are working hard and fast to get ready for a general authority who is coming on Sunday- he will not be staying with us.  He is going to have a meeting with all our missionaries!  We can't bring them all in, so we are just going to bring part in and broadcast to the rest.  Can't believe we can actually do that-  the world is wonderful!

I think that is more than enough!  Sorry I didn't send it in parts to you earlier.  Don't read it all if it's too daunting.  We are working so hard-  and loving our work.  The gospel is true and it's worth all our efforts to share it.   Every day the Lord puts someone in my path that shares their contact information with me and allows the missionaries to come.  The Lord is doing his part- we just have to do ours.
Hope you know how much we love all of you.

Love from the OTM
President and Sister Shumway

Happy New Year From the Oklahoma Shumways!

January, 2013

Hope all your holidays were joyful!  Here is how we spent ours!

Thanksgiving 2012 

Nathan and Jisoo and our precious grand-baby Jenevi, drove down from Des Moines, Iowa to spend Thanksgiving with us.  Nathan has been working like crazy at medical school there, so it was a great break for them and for us too, though Nate still spent a number of hours studying.  They also spent many hours helping us prepare for our Zone Conference which started on the Monday after Thanksgiving. 

Dinner at a Korean restaurant in honor of Jisoo.

We had 10 missionaries, and an investigator family join us for Thanksgiving dinner.  A very special day- we had so much to be grateful for.

President Shumway carving the turkey-  one of two!  Lots of food for such a large group- everyone helped!

Nate and Jisoo went with us to one of Taylor's football games the day after Thanksgiving.  This was the playoff (Jenks vs. Union- 2 huge teams) to see who would play in the State Final- we won!

 

It was hard to tell Nate, Jisoo, and our darling Jenevi goodbye.

                                     ZONE CONFERENCES  11-27-12 Through 11-29-12
     Nate, Jisoo and Jenevi left on Saturday Nov. 24th.  They had spent two days helping us get ready for Zone Conferences- hours of work and we were so grateful for their help.  On Sunday President Shumway and I and Abby and Taylor traveled to Centerton AR to put on another "Missionary Preparation Fireside" for their youth.  We've already done many of these and have many more scheduled throughout the mission.  On Monday night we left for Springfield, MO to begin our Zone Conferences the next morning.  I was grateful once again for the amazing senior missionaries that volunteered to stay with Abby and Taylor for the 3 days we were gone.  We had to miss Taylor's birthday on the 27th, but were able to make it up to him later.

JENKS HIGH SCHOOL STAKE CHAMPIONS!

The next big event in November was Taylor's State Championship game.  I know we keep telling you that Oklahoma football is incredible-  we mean it!  The entire community is into the preparation for the big game.  Taylor received a packet with about 20 letters in it- from grade school children telling him to "play his guts out"  to business men- bankers!  They were all letters of encouragement and support.  Every football player received them.  Then-  all the mothers of players went to the locker room, while the players were involved in a meeting, and we decorated the locker room.  They told me to bring a poster for Taylor and I did-  just a plain old white thing- I had written on it with markers and put his picture on it.  When I got to the locker room, I could see the looks of disapproval (in a very sweet way).  Several wonderful mothers began to hand me things-  after an hour, with a lot of help,  I had produced a worthy poster (below) and then had the opportunity to help make some others for mothers who were just as clueless as I was!  This was a big deal!

Taylor Shumway- Trojan Football!

                   
                          Below are pictures of the game-  they won of course!  Anybody who spends as much time as they do practicing, and has as much support and team spirit, deserves to win!

                
                  The team buses were escorted out of town by police with the sirens blaring, and escorted back into town the same way!  They didn't get back to the High School until midnight and then they had a huge party-  Below is Taylor's good friend and fellow football player holding the State Trophy- the gold ball!  

  So they won and you'd think football was over for the year, but they are still practicing 2-3 hours every day-  it's amazing and I think Taylor loves it!

ZONE LEADER COUNCIL-  DEC 3-4
     We did something so fun and wonderful!  We took the 18 Zone Leaders and our 2 assistants and went out Christmas caroling in our neighborhood.  We had purchased a box of Tabernacle Choir Christmas CDs to give out those we caroled to.   We had such wonderful responses.  Several of the families in our neighborhood have become our friends and they were so touched by our amazing missionaries.  One man said over and over, "They are angels!", and he's right - they are!

Practicing for our Christmas Caroling

My missionary helpers in the kitchen!

December Zone Leader Council-  warm 72 degrees and sunny!

     
   President Shumway and I do a lot of traveling around the mission to speak in Sacrament Meetings, Stake Conferences and other events.  December was no different.  One Sunday we spoke in McAlester, Ok, in the morning and Gore OK in the evening for a youth fireside.  It is so much fun to get to know the people in our mission- we love them all!

We had the privilege of having two sister missionaries stay at the mission home for a few days as one was recovering from surgery.  The healthy sister was a worker bee and cooked, cleaned and even wrapped Christmas presents. 

Taylor's Christmas Orchestra concert at Jenks High School

DECEMBER 12-15  Transfer Week
     Eight new missionaries came in plus one returning to the missionfield after surgery.  I woke up in the middle of the night two nights before they came and felt panicked that those new missionaries were going to be cold sleeping in the Mission Home.  The next morning I ran upstairs to our bunk rooms and realized that we just had the thin bedspreads on the beds and not enough extra blankets (we'd just had a cold snap in the weather).  So I went running to JC Penney and bought 15 nice warm blankets- all they had!  I felt like the Spirit and nudged me to get that done.

Our new, ready to go Elders!

We had 14 Elders and Sisters come in to return home- but it was kind of a crazy schedule.  Because some were returning to other countries, they didn't all leave on the same day, so President Shumway and I got up at 4:30am for 3 mornings in a row to go to the airport.  We took the last missionary- an outstanding, sweet Marhallese sister- to the airport on Dec. 17th.  The first leg of her flight took her to Denver where she was delayed- which meant that she missed her connecting flight in LA.  She called us at 1:30am our time and was hysterical!  It took 3 hours and the help of a very nice man- a stranger who had also missed his flight- and the after hours Missionary Travel Dept.- to get her connected with the Mission President in LA, so she had a place to stay for the next few days while waiting for the next flight to the Marshall Islands.  The mission president who picked her up told us that she just bubbled into the car and announced she had just given away her 10th Book of Mormon since leaving the mission!  When she had come to the mission home, I lifted her very heavy carry-on piece of  luggage and asked what in the world she had in it!  She didn't say anything then- now I know!  10 copies of the Book of Mormon!  And she gave them all away!  She spent 3 days working in the Visitor's Center of the Los Angeles Temple and wasn't able to return home until Christmas Day.  What an incredible Sister she was, and is.  We miss her!

Sister from the Marshall Islands.  Her mother made a dress for Abby!

December 2012-  Returning Missionaries

 CHRISTMAS 2012

Matt,  Jana, Cabe and their four boys arrived safely.  We were so excited to see them!  We still had so much Christmas preparation, as I really had done very little until the few days before Christmas, but we also found some time to have some fun together.  We were also busy preparing for the Mission Christmas Conference that would begin the day after Christmas!

One great activity that our family got involved in, and Matt,  Jana, Cabe and boys also participated in, was our neighborhood Christmas Nativity.  Jana, Scott, Preston and I were shepherds- with speaking parts!  Matt, Scott, Taylor and Preston sang "Mary, Did you Know"- it was beautiful.  The whole thing was performed outside, with a live Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus.  There was a real angel- standing on the roof in glorious light!  The wonderful people who produced the whole thing are neighbors a few doors down who have been doing this for years.  They said it was a way for them to share their belief in the Savior and give others an opportunity to do the same.   There are such good people in Oklahoma!

December 22nd is Abby's birthday and she had a very special day-  some fun new presents and then she and Jana had a girl's day out!  Two sisters- Jana is a wonderful big sister and her little sister adores her.

Christmas Eve we were joined by some of our Senior Missionaries and our Assistants.   It was so much fun.  We tried to keep some of our traditions-  clam chowder and bread sticks-  the special reading of the Christmas Story-  a meaningful Christmas Eve present from President Shumway and me to our children- and then new pajamas.  It was even more special because we had some of our children to share it with.

President and Sister Shumway and Assistants

Everyone in their new Christmas Pajamas

A wonderful Christmas together

On Christmas Day we were able to Facetime our other children, some Senior missionaries came for a very casual dinner and we enjoyed as relaxed a day as we could- given the fact that we had to be all ready by the next morning to take off for the Mission Christmas Conferences.

MISSION CHRISTMAS CONFERENCES
I honestly don't know how we got ready for this on time- we had a lot of help!  Jana, Cabe and boys were amazing.  They just pitched right in.  They had come prepared to completely do one of the activities that we were going to have for the missionaries- rockets!  For 3 days- 9 different zones- 3 different cities around the mission- we had games and activites in the morning- lunch provided by us!  And then some training in the afternoons.  It was hard work but a very enjoyable time.  I know we just wore Jana and Cabe and the boys right out!  We felt sad for Matt to leave us on the first day of the conferences, but he was unable to stay the whole week.

Making and firing the rockets!

Lined up for fun!

"Minute to Win It" Games

The wild present game!

This one took real skill!

Human Foosball!

 

Fear Factor Goodies-  One was Arkansas Frog Legs!!  Yuck!!!

Ah Oh!!!

The Marshallese Sisters danced for us-

President Shumway, Taylor and Preston sharing their talents-

After 3 intense days- we ended up in Springfield, MO and took an evening to have dinner at Lamberts "Home of the Throwed Rolls" and then saw the Hughes Brother's Christmas Show in Branson.  We all loved that.

So- Christmas was over and we parted from Jana and Cabe and boys in Springfield, MO.   We all shed many tears at having to leave each other again-  but it was such a blessing to be together.  We'll never forget it.

ZONE LEADER COUNCIL-  January 7th and 8th-  2013
Our first meeting of the year.  There is such an intensity in the mission right now.  We are gearing up for huge changes, and I must tell you that President Shumway and I both feel we are receiving divine help.   We will receive almost 50 new missionaries in the next 2 months.  We have to open new areas, find cars and apartments and trainers.  And we are so excited.  There is so much expected of our Assistants and Zone Leaders and they are absolutely capable of all of it.  They are incredible missionaries and it was a pleasure to meet with them again.  They lead other incredible missionaries.  We feel so grateful to be a part of THE BEST MISSION IN THE WORLD!  with THE BEST MISSIONARIES IN THE WORLD!  We love them all!

I'll share one short experience with you.  At Zone Leader Council we talked about the faith that is required to find new investigators.  We have to believe that by virtue of our calls, we are prepared to do the Lord's work- "immediately" (as it says in our handbook).  That means that the minute a missionary steps off the plane- he or she is qualified to begin to preach the gospel of Jesus Christ.
As we prepared to talk about this, we had an idea that we would send our 18 Zone leaders and 2 Assistants out the door- right then- to go out and find for about 40 minutes and then report back.  And we did-  it was remarkable.  Everyone came back with an experience to tell, most missionaries had at least one referral- some had 2 or 3- and one companionship had 5!  President Shumway and I also had a good experience with a man in a nearby store that is a potential.  We had a list of referrals to give to the set of missionaries who work the area around the building we were meeting in.  You should have seen their faces when I handed them that list of referrals!  Pure joy!  They will be very busy for a while.  The Lord truly has "much people in this area", the OTM, and is opening "effectual doors" (D&C 100) so that we might share the truth with them.  It was a wonderful experience for all of us.

My last words for this post-  Taylor brought home a packet from football- he was pleased and surprised.  He had missed the big year end football banquet because they had it on Sunday, but they gave him his awards at school-  he earned a letter!  He's thrilled!  And Taylor starts violin lessons tomorrow with a teacher at the University here.  Back to work.

Abby has started another art class-  colored pencils!  Who knew you could make such beautiful things with colored pencils.  All of the other students are adults and they are very sweet to Abby.  Her teacher says she's a prodigy-  we knew that!  I took a picture of one of her creations from her last class-  mixed media- isn't she great!  Abby also started piano lessons today - her mother is no longer teaching her- I think she'll enjoy her music more that way-

Abby's first piece in the "mixed media" class

Abby's incredible art work!

President Shumway and I are so grateful to have Abby and Taylor with us.   This is the most intense experience of our lives- and we love it!  It's good to remember why we are doing this-  so that others might know how important families are to the Lord, that families can be "together forever" and that each one of us have a beautiful, happy plan to return to our Father in Heaven. 

Thank you to all of you who sent Christmas cards and emails.  We love to hear from you and we love you all dearly!

President and Sister Shumway