NEW COMP, LEADING MY AREA, AND PACKAGES FROM HOME

(EMAIL SENT JANUARY 12, 2015)

FAM!!!

GEE WHIZ FACTS of the Week:

1. In a lesson this past week with Cesar I offered to say the opening prayer to the lesson. I said the prayer, and after Cesar looked to my comp and said, "I could understand it this time." WOOT WOOT! But the only thing is, he couldn´t understand the hundreds of prayers I have said before?... Oh no.

2. We visited a family this past week, who were investigators in the past. We wanted to check up to see how they were doing, and as we were sitting down in their house talking to the daughter and wife, the dad walks in. And he was drunk. We didn´t know this at first, but we found it out as the following phrases were said: My comp looks like some animal from the amazon, he told us we are not just kind but the most beautiful people he has ever seen, and every fact possible about mangos. Yup, we won´t be passing by their house anymore...

3. There is a man who pushes his carts of fresh fruits around our area every morning yelling out the names of the fruits. To this day I have no idea what fruits he is selling, but I thought that was pretty cool.

4. I once again saw chicken feet. But they were being sold in the market today...

Alrighty so we had cambios this week!!! AND... I am staying in this area! My incredible comp Hna. Fernandez is leaving to go serve in Sullana and my new comp is called Hna. Salamanca! She is hilarious, and is just so great! She is also from Chile. I will send you a photo next week of her and I!

But the even BIGGER news, is I now have a bigger (that is an understatement) AREA! What happened is they closed the area down of the Elders, I don´t know why, and the Elders were transferred to different areas. The area of the Elders is HUGE, and I am now in charge of their area, and also the area I had before. This is going to be a little bit of a challenge. To start, I have to help my comp learn about our area, while learning how to navigate in this new area, and balance the investigators and families we have now with the investigators and families of this other area. Oh baby, this is going to be a workout, but I have always liked to take on hard things, so BRING IT ON!! I can do this!! But if you have a chance, please say a little prayer for me here and there, I´m going to need it :)

Also this week we have two investigators with a baptismal date!!! The first is Miguel Vegas, who is the friend of a less active we are teaching. He is so incredible and has progressed so much! The other is Sergio Chirito. I don´t know if I have written about him in the past but he has a little girl, and is also a friend of another less active, Cesar Mio. They were both references and are now preparing to be baptized. I hope and pray that they will continue to progress and prepare for such an incredible day! They are both so wonderful and I know that the church we be such an blessing in their lives. For now they are happy and excited to learn more, and it literally is a miracle we found them!

We aren´t teaching Licet and her Mom anymore. They asked if we could give them a break for a little bit, because too many things are happening in their life. The same thing happened with Family Montinegro. This was really hard for my comp and me, but we are going to keep in touch, and I hope that someday they will accept this gospel!

Overall, we had a week full of things. A Zone Conference, new comps, new investigators, and I am now leading my area!

These next few weeks are going to a challenge, but my new comp and I know that if we are obedient, diligent, and trust in the Lord, we can do it!!

I love you all and keep being incredible and choosing the right!! Everyday is an opportunity to learn and be better then the day before! I know this gospel is true and I will forever be grateful for the support you all give me! LOVE YOU!!

XOXO - Hna. Shumway

P.S. Oh and I GOT YOUR PACKAGE!!! Thank you thank you thank you!!! Oh my heavens, I love you ASHTON FAM, and I cannot even tell you how much I miss you!!! Thank you for the chocolates, they were just what I needed! Mom, I LOVE THE PJS and the See´s Candy, oh my heavens, THANK YOU!!! Oh and tell the Sjoquists I got their letter too and thank you so much!!!

Picture of my district ... they are all so great!