FAMILY, INSPIRED COUNSEL AND MY COUSIN CALLED TO PERU

FAMILY!!! Holy toledo I love you guys! I know I say that every email and you probably are sick of it but when I only get one time a week to hear how you guys are doing I have realized how lucky I am to have such an incredible family!!! LIFE IS SWELL here in sweet Peru!! It was another typical week here in the CCM. Eat ... study ... and sleep! All GREAT things!

To start, GENERAL CONFERENCE WAS INCREDIBLE!!!! So many inspired talks! Here are a couple of my favorite quotes:

Lynn G. Robbins

Seek not for the praise of men, but seek for praise from God.

Dieter F. Uchtdorf

The church is not for perfect people, it is for people to be perfected through Christ.

Dallin H. Oaks

Kindness is powerful.

Jorg Klebingat

Something like that! LOVED HIS TALK!! Acknowledge and face your weaknesses, but do not be immobilized by them.

Jeffrey R. Holland

If you don’t help those around you, but pray for forgiveness and help for yourself all the time, then your prayer is in vain. And another favorite, I may not be my brothers keeper, but I am my brothers brother.

Robert D. Hales

If we found ourselves upon Christ, we will not fall, we will not fail.

I LOVED CONFERENCE!!! Also, in Women’s Conference President Uchtdorf said a phrase I absolutely loved. He said ´Return to your heavenly home with honor´ -- what an incredible phrase. As missionaries we always talk about returning to our home with honor, but I never thought about returning to my HEAVENLY home with honor. That is something I hope we would all strive to work for. I just love that! Conference was definitely the highlight of my week and we are so blessed to have that chance to listen to our wonderful prophet and so many other incredible speakers!

Things at the CCM are going so great! My Spanish is coming slowly, but surely! I am one of those people that just wants everything to come quickly and be ready to teach, but I know that I need to be patient and rely on the Lord’s timing.

This morning for P-Day we went to the temple again and I have a story that really hit me hard. As my companion and I were waiting at the temple to go in, there was a huge group of women that were waiting as well. We started talking to each other, and we commented on how wonderful it was that such a large group was coming to the temple and how happy they were! One of the sisters then said that it was a group of 60 people, coming from Arequipa. They mentioned that they got on the bus yesterday and traveled 16 hours to the temple and felt so blessed and overjoyed to be there. Not once did they complain and the WHOLE TIME they were all beaming with smiles! This group of people set such an example for me! 16 hours, all through the night, just to get to the temple! My companion and I could not help but get teary eyed when we heard their story! I couldn’t help but think that we are so blessed to have temples so close to us, and I think we definitely take that for granted! I just love the desire this group had to go the temple and desire to do what’s right! I am sure they had to give up so much just to get there and I felt so blessed to share that experience with them!

Sounds like the family is doing incredible though! Parker, I love you and sounds like everything is going so wonderful with Cassidy! KEEP ME POSTED! Everyone else sounds so great too! Chariton, CONGRATS!!! No surprise there that you got a touchdown! You have always been such an incredible athlete! McKay -  LOVE YOU! Justin and Emily - love you!!!!!

ERIN ASHTON HAD HER BABY!!!! Ahhh, and he is beautiful!!! Give him a few snuggles from me and tell them I say congrats!! I miss those adorable crazy boys!

And sweet Jane!!! I miss that little angel! Parker, make sure she is cozy and has enough popcorn okay?? I just love hearing about you guys!!  

Also, so sad about BYU! Poor Taysom. That is devastating! Hopefully he has a fast recovery and the rest of the team can get back on their feet!

MY COUSIN CHRISTA IS COMING TO PERU!!!!!!!!! WHAT????? She is going to love it!!! And I know some elders going to that mission and they are incredible! PERU IS THE BEST!! Tell her to read her Preach My Gospel every day and learn the missionary objective in Spanish!! She is going to be such an incredible missionary! Tell her to write me when she can!!!

ALSO, TELL GRANDPA J I LOVE HIM!!!! I miss him SO MUCH!! Make sure he does not get too buff while I am gone okay! Sounds like he is a crazy workout machine now! :)

I LOVE YOU ALL!! Keep doing what is right, never doubt yourself, and trust in the Lord ALWAYS! We are so blessed to have the knowledge of this gospel! I have realized that more and more these last few weeks! Also, take advantage of bearing your testimony! We do that a lot in our district and I feel like my testimony has grown so much just from sharing it with others! Take advantage of that if you have the chance!!!

Less than two weeks in the CCM for this Hermana … sooooo crazy!!! I LOVE YOU!!! Keep being incredible!

Your little latina – Hermana Shumway!!!