I'M NOW IN ALGOROBBOS!!!

(EMAIL SENT FEBRUARY 23, 2015)

Hola Familia!!

I cannot wait to meet our sweet little puppy Lizzy. She sounds like a doll. And Melissa Rowe!! Tell her I say congrats!! McKay Shumway ... you seriously are the brains of the fam. That is incredible!!! I could not be prouder of my little pal! I LOVE YOU ALL FAM!!!

I HAD MY FIRST CAMBIO DE AREA. I am now in Algorobbos - no idea how to spell that - and here is the description: dirt and sun. I sent a pic of a park in the area. It is super super dry! But I am super excited!! I have decided that I am coming home from this mission tan - but from dirt, not from the sun. Really though. But I have to say I am sure going to sure miss my last comp. I feel like Hna. Salamanca and I have known each other for all of our lives, and we only had 6 weeks together. I am sure going to miss her!!

My new comp is Hna. oh shoot, I forgot her name. That is so embarrassing. But she seems like a sweetheart, and I feel too embarrassed to ask for her name, ha! But have no fear, by next week I should know! :) She is from Lima and this is her last cambio. So crazy! But we are excited to finish her last cambio strong.

So I said goodbye to my area in Piura Central this last week. HARDEST thing ever. I LOVE the people in that area. They saw my whole process of learning Spanish and seriously showed me so much love in those first few months. Family Cordova is one of the families I am sure going to miss a lot! They ended up being some of our bestest friends in that area. We enjoyed my last week eating Pollo a Brasos (hope I spelled that right), Pollo con Srroz, and having an incredible Noche de Hogar (FHE). When I first came into this area with Hna. Fernandez (4.5 months ago) they didn't even want to listen to our lessons. They were less actives and did not want to come to church or anything. My last week with them ended up with them ALL coming to church as a family, praying every night as a family, and their son getting ready to serve a mission. IT IS A MIRACLE that I will cherish for all of my mission. I spend my last night with them and we laughed until we cried, ended with a family prayer, and said our goodbyes. I AM GOING TO MISS THIS FAMILY!

Also, our new investigator family (5 people) came to CHURCH!!! They participated in the classes and everything too! I will not be in this area anymore to teach them, but I seriusly could not be more happy to have seen them coming to church.

I do not know anything about my new area. The only thing people say when I tell them about my new area is "mucho tierra". Oh boy. But I have gotten more and more used to it! Just expect more photos as a red tomato with dirt on my face! But I truly am happy as can be.

Thank you for the great quotes Mom, for the support of EVERYONE, and for all of your prayers!!

Keep on keeping on. Doing something good for someone this week. Let your light shine and trust in your Heavenly Father always. He knows what you are going through.

XOXO - Hna. Shumway

Love this family and their adorable son Andree