#PIURALIFE ... AND THREE HOURS WITH ELDER BEDNAR

Shum Familia,

This week was so incredible. To start … WE HAVE A BAPTISM HIS WEEK!! Leandro is going to do it! He has turned his life completely around to take this next step. Yesterday he had his baptismal interview with our District Leader and when they came out he was just beaming … and later my District Leader told me he is definitely ready for this. Honestly, it is hard for me to express to all of you how much this baptism means. We have witnessed the whole process from start to finish … and seeing that he has reached his goal has just been the most incredible thing! I am just so thankful for the chance I have to be a part of it.

Leandro has been living with his less-active wife Andrea for the last few years. They have a little girl named Aixa who is 4 years old. About 1-1/2 years ago his wife asked if would try listening to the missionaries. He tried it out and after a few lessons they ended up leaving him as an investigator because he wasn’t progressing and had no desire to change. Fast forward to that one P-day we were walking down the street and a moto pulled up, with Leandro crying and asking for help. And now he will be baptized the 5 of September, will marry in October, and has plans to get married in the temple one year later. He is a miracle investigator. We are thrilled to bring his family together and I just can’t wait to see what the future holds for him. This is what makes this work so worth it. You see people change and find their own testimony of their Savior. And when it is a family coming together after so many challenges, it makes it even more worth it! I’ll send you pics next week!!!

This last week we had our meeting with Elder Bednar. His wife came with him and all of the missionaries in our mission joined together. The meeting was so powerful and inspired and I honestly tried to record every bit of it in my journal that night. But it was a different type of meeting. He taught us by asking us questions about what we learned from the talks he sent us and then giving us the time to ask him any questions! He told us NOT TO take notes because he told us that if he wanted us to take notes he would have sent us an email with the talk and not have traveled all the way to Peru to speak to us. He said it is more important, in any meeting, to remember what the spirit testifies to you, and we might miss out on that if we focus more on taking notes than listening. And it was so true! I felt like I learned more than I have ever learned before. The spirit was so strong in the meeting. I don’t have time to write everything he shared but here are a few highlights:

1. BE HAPPY AND SMILE! He told us that the gospel is called the Plan of Happiness and we should show that we believe it by how we act! We have the most incredible message and something that is so special and others should see that in us! So SMILE and be HAPPY!!!

2. Question Time - Someone asked the wife of Elder Bednar what it was like being married to an apostle. Her response is what hit me the most in the meeting. She said that it isn’t easy, and that maybe (she teared up at this point) she even doubted if she could do it when they received the call. BUT, she said, it has helped me understand how important the atonement is in my life, and that my Savior is so real. She related it to us as missionaries, and just anyone in this world, that we may pass through hard times, or feel like we just can’t do it. But with the Atonement, anything is possible. I can’t explain all the details but just her words and the spirit was so powerful.

3. We should not get in the way of the Spirit. That is the true teacher and we need to let it teach and guide us in every moment.

Elder Bednar and his wife just glowed. His wife had the most beautiful smile and was so humble and sweet. I just felt happy when I saw her smile! It was just such a special meeting!

This week we found two families, and we still don’t know if they have a lot of interest, but we are praying a lot to help them feel the spirit and the truthfulness in this message!

My time is just about out, so just know that I love you all!! Smile and BE HAPPY! We are a part of the Plan of Happiness … THERE IS HOPE AND JOY in this message that we bring to the world!!!

I know that the Prophet and Apostles are true servants of the Lord. I truly witnessed that this week.

Do what is right in every single moment!

XOXO, Hermana Shumway

Just taking a pic on a random building