RUNNING, MILANESA, AND LAST WEEK IN CHULUCANAS

Shumway Crew,

HAPPY BIRTHDAY PARKS AND CASS!!! Love you to the universe and back and hope it is the most incredible day!!! Sounds like the fam is just doing superb! Lovey ... send me a pic of the new classy haircut and have fun with Syd at the dance! Good luck in finals! That time of year is always a little stressful but I know you are all going to kill it!

Here we go with the Gee Whiz Facts for the week:

1. Cooking in the Piura Mission

- Toasters do not exist ... which means if you want a delicious toasty bread you need to butter it in a pan and cook it on both sides until it looks crispy or burnt.

- No time to make scrambled eggs people, so what do you do … crack it open and cook it for minute and a half in the microwave. Not too bad.

- We eat Yogurt and Cereal together. The milk doesn’t quite have the Costco milk taste.

- We wanted Betty Crocker muffins so we put the batter with water in a cup and put it in the microwave ... it’s ready in 26 seconds!

- Dishwashers don’t exist here.

2. Ran up a mountain today and realized I am out of shape! But took some cool pics of Chulu!

3. If you want to read an inspiring missionary chapter ... ALMA 26. So powerful!!!

4. One more week in Chulu … so sad!

5. Paper Christmas trees are the best idea - THANKS MOM! A sweet, humble family (recent converts) that we love didn’t have a Christmas tree so we made them a paper Christmas tree this last week. Their reaction when it was all done was unforgettable. They love it!

Well my darling family it was a busy week. We had ups and downs like any missionary … but we are working hard and always learn something new each week.

To start with our investigators:

Rosa is nowhere to be found. Our darling mom that we found and her kid Byron are never home now. We have passed by many times, even Sunday on our way to church, and our stellar investigator has disappeared. Cross your fingers that we will find her this week.

Fernando and Merliy are also impossible to find. They are always selling ice cream or making it, and it has been hard to find them. But we did stop by for the parents of Fernando and they are very ready to be baptized. It is incredible because I taught them 6 months ago when I got into this area and they liked our lessons, but never wanted to be baptized and never seemed truly interested. He had many health problems and we left them after time because they were always in the clinic. Fast forward 6 months later, once again we have found them and started teaching them, and they LOVE it and honestly end up teaching us the lesson with how much they know. We hadn´t even gotten to inviting them to church the last lesson and she told us, “I am going to church and I am bringing my kids with me.” It took us by surprise. They are doing great, and are progressing rapidly. They have become our pals and it’s cute because they give us an ice cream after every lesson.

Found two teenagers that want to learn more about the church. They both danced in our Noche Misional about 2 weeks ago and we happened to find them in the house of one of our investigators. We walked in to teach our new investigator Karina a lesson, and her daughter had been one of the dancers from the show. Her name is Lucia and she is 15 years old! Her friend then showed up and they both wanted to learn more about the Mormons! They are great! The other kids name is Michael.

Roxana is reading and loving the Book of Mormon. She is praying and waiting for an answer. Tomas also! We gave him his Book of Mormon, came back 2 days later, and he had read 8 chapters. His only challenge is he has not prayed to know if it is true. But we explained the importance of that question and he said he will do it!

Also, a miracle this last week is we found a new family! It was in one of our newer areas that we are recently getting to know. We were walking around a little lost in the area, and her kids ran up to us asking if we could talk in English. They were so darling and we asked them where there mom is. They brought us to their house, and there we met Ramona. She is a single mom, and her ex-husband was a member of the church. She is going through a very hard time with her family and it was the perfect time for us to pass by! We saw they didn’t have a Christmas tree, and it’s not Christmas without a Christmas tree, so we are making a paper tree with them this next week!

Also, this last week an area authority, Elder Goddoy, came and visited our mission. It was one of the most powerful meetings I have been in, in my entire mission. He shared his conversion story, and by the end I was in tears. He shared with us about the importance of this work, and taught that the most important part of our mission is to find ourselves and be our first convert. Never thought about that. Of all the people I should convert, it should be myself. He was so sincere in sharing his testimony, and was so in tune with the spirit. He asked if the Latins and Americans could sing “I hope they call me on a mission” in their native language. We sang together and the spirit just swarmed the room. It was such an incredible experience! I just want you to all know this church is so true. I just wish I could help everyone in the world understand how much of a blessing it is. I love this gospel, and I just know it is true. Their aren´t doubts. This last week I truly felt that.

So overall, we are great! I have got one more week in Chulu. It’s been wonderful and I don’t know what I am going to do without my new family members. You just grow to love these people so much!!!

Missionary work is incredible ... hard, but incredible. It is incredible the things you learn about yourself in such a short time. Definitely am my first convert.

Love you all!!! Trust in your Heavenly Father … he loves you all so much!

Stay true and be good!!!

Xoxo, Hermana Shumway

Our run in the morning to the top of the mountain in Chulucanas