Texas...Here I come!

            Texas is way different from Oklahoma. We went to eat at a member's

house and they are the biggest fans of THEMSELVES. Anything that is

Texas they love. They all love guns, big trucks, big hats and cowboy boots. 

 I didn't think it would be much of a difference just crossing the Red River but I was wrong.

           There is a lot of work to do here in Wichita Falls. LOTS! There is

one ward in the whole city, and this ward has six missionaries in it.

            I live in a house with my comp and two other missionaries. There are

two districts here. The other companionship in our house has the other

district leader in it. I also have a seinor couple in my district who I

haven't met yet.

        At transfers President Taylor gave me an assignment. He told

me that this area had the highest baptizing numbers in the mission

just a couple years ago. They led the mission in baptisms by far. That has changed and the ward needs to build faith in the missionaries and mission work so he is trying to send some good missionaries here. So I have some big shoes to fill.

           In the past there have been some kind of disobiedent missionaries here. 

(It would be very easy to be disobiedent here because of all the

missionaries, and it almost feels like a different mission because it

is in a different state and it is such a long way from the rest

of the mission. 

          I came to TX with two other missionaries who are

shotgunning an area here. Shotgunning is a term used when both

missionaries in an area are replaced by two other missionaries.  None

of us knew how to get here. Me, Elder Clontz and Elder Small were in a

Dodge minivan with bikes on the back. It was a funny scene

because both of them are massive! They are both 6'4" and one

weighs about 250 and the other  270. they are the funniest guys

ever. Elder Small is from Fiji and is super hilarious.

  

      I love Texas. It is awesome.  Elder Zerkle, my companion, is a funny guy. 

He is from Vegas and likes to race dirtbikes in the desert. He was

companions with Elder Lott in the MTC. We have already had lots of fun together.  

      Just the other day a man answered the door when he was completely naked!  We had no idea what to do so

we just gave him a card and left.  Yesterday a big storm snuck up on us

when we were walking around. We ended up running through the rain to

our house where we could stand under our awesome porch. Rain was pouring

down and we were soaked. Lightning was hitting the ground everywhere.

It was an amazing storm.   It is so, SO, SOOO, SOOOOOO hot in Texas. I can't believe that the difference from Norman to Wichita Falls would be so much. It is way more humid here and WAY hotter. I'm so glad I have that camelback you sent! 

I would die without it.

   The address to my sweet house is    

1704 McGregor Ave
       Wichita Falls TX 76301

Goin' to Texas!

 Last night we received transfer calls! They are always exciting.  We found out that Elder Lott will be Senior companion with his new companion in Norman. I will be leaving this district and my new area will be 
Wichita Falls, Texas. 
Isn't that cool?!
I've always wanted to go to Texas. 

My new companion will be Elder Zerkill. He was Elder Lott's MTC companion. I will be the district leader of the only district down there, and I will be living in a four man apartment there....

(that makes me wonder how focused the Elders are down there.) 

I am excited but I will miss the district here so much, and the ward and just Norman overall. I love Norman!   

Mother's Day Call

We enjoyed a sweet call from a VERY HAPPY Elder Shumway.

He mentioned repeatedly, "I love my mission!"


He is working hard, striving to be a good district leader, being obedient (he reminded us he had to get off the phone at one hour.)...and LOVES being a missionary!

He commented that the days FLY by because he is so focused on missionary work, studying and preparing to teach weekly district meetings.

A recent baptism for a woman they have been working with was also a highlight of his week.
Missionary work is very satisfying when you can watch people's lives change!

Tornado Season Opens!

WARNING: The passages you are about to read may be graphic.
Not for little children or weak minded persons......Just kidding.

   On Friday, after district meeting, Elder Lott and I got right to our missionary work. We had an appointment with a potential investigator. The lesson went well and he became a new investigator. We walked about 3/4 of a mile back to our apartment where we noticed the sky starting to get cloudy. We hadn't had lunch yet so we started to "eat us some food" in our apartment. We knew that a storm was rolling in so I decided to eat outside to watch the famous Oklahoman storm pass over.
   We had heard that the storm had a chance of tornadoes but Norman has been famous for NEVER being hit by one. EVER.

 Being in Oklahoma as a missionary we always hear about what to do and what you see when there is a tornado. While I was looking at the dark, nasty storm roll in I noticed the sky begin to turn green. It was so cool! The temperature was still about 80 degrees when the storm was over us. Then all at once rain started pouring down. POURING! It was raining sideways with big gusts of wind. Of course Elder Lott and I are still outside trying to watch the storm. Then the rain died down a little, just enough for us to see a large funnel cloud start to form in the sky. It looked like it was right above the building next to us. It formed high in the sky but quickly grew towards the ground.

 It freaked me out so bad because at the time I noticed it was a tornado, we heard the warning sirens go off and our phone started ringing. A member called us an was yelling "There is a tornado on the ground! Get inside NOW!" I was half tempted to say "Yah, I know.  I'm looking at it right now." But I didn't. Elder Lott and I quickly put on our bike helmets and huddled up in a tiny closet underneath the staircase in our apartment.

   We kinda felt stupid after the sirens went off and we were fine. But then the sirens went back on a couple minuets later! We had no clue where the tornado was so we went back in our little closet. Finally the tornado was gone and we went outside. There was no damage as far as I could see from the parking lot in front of the apartment, which was now a pond.

   Then our phone started ringing off the hook! I had to make sure all of my district members were ok and report to the ZL's. There was supposed to be another Tornado threatening storm roll through in about an hour so we got dressed into jeans and went with a couple other missionaries in the area to clean up by the north side where the tornado decided to sit on a few neighborhoods. The other storm never came around so we ended up doing service and looking at some cool damage for the rest of the night.

Notice the traffic lights are all facing the same direction.

   There was supposed to be a third storm the next day that was going to be "bigger and badder" than the first one so the whole mission was on alert. We did service all day on Saturday, cutting trees off of people's houses and off of cars and everywhere. There was some amazing damage.  The tornado was only an F2. The biggest tornado you can get is an F5.  Because most of the damage was knocked down trees, people think that it never quite touched the ground.  From the looks of the damage across town, it looks like the tornado  kinda skipped up and down at an angle right through the middle of town and the middle of my proselyting area.

    This experience was SO SO scary at first, but super cool and awesome too. I even was on the news while cleaning up on Saturday. There have been some cool sights. Some of our investigator's homes don't have roofs anymore. That's a big bummer because they will be staying at their relative's homes and in hotels until everything gets fixed.
  Being a DL during storm season is going to be stressful. Especially when a companionship in the district is way out in Purcell; out on their own. The last couple of nights I've been staying up way late calling and texting the district members, then following up with the ZL's and getting updated weather texts from Prez Taylor. I'm sore and tired, but this is an awesome experience. I'm so happy to be here in Norman. 

                   

   -Elder Shumway

NEAR MISS!

A tornado passed through Norman OK Friday, April 13, 2012.
Below is a map with the tornado's path marked in RED.
The yellow arrow is where Elder Shumway lives.

General Conference

General Conference was super good. I love watching conference as a missionary. There was a lot about families and parents. 

This week has been a pretty good week. Elder Lott and I tried to stay completely busy all week. We have been working very hard with our investigators. The spirit works sooooo well! My testimony was strengthened by the way the spirit can direct a lesson to perfectly meet the needs of the investigators.  I had an experience where we discovered the concern of a certain investigator who we have been working with for a while. Because we studied and prepared for her needs, we were able to answer her questions and show her verses in the Book Of Mormon that applied perfect to her and her family.

I'm exhausted! Sunday nights are so hectic.  That's when we have to call everyone and report numbers and talk about details, and then I have to call the zone leaders and talk about all of the missionaries in my district and how they are doing. Last night was crazy busy,  but I love the mission. It is a blast!! 

Yesterday someone left a cake on our door. When we went to cut into it, we realized it was a phonebook that someone had frosted to look like a cake! It was a good April fools joke. We are still trying to find out which member or missionary did this to us.

    All is well. Can't wait to get the package!

                                   -Elder Shumway

 

Flooding & Training

Today there were some famous Oklahoma thunder storms! For some reason I decided to take a run this morning in the heaviest rain and lightning storm I have ever seen. I probably won't do that again! The rain is still going on right now! It is cool. We have been driving around with Sister W____ (an awesome member who takes us places on p-days) and looking at the flooded streets. It is so flat in OK that when it pours cats and dogs, it just floods all of the low areas like little creek beds and roads and the bottom of  hills. It is awesome!There was a tornado in my old area, Elk City. I REALLY want to see a tornado!

   Training is the coolest job ever! It has been so fun showing a new missionary how to do work. My son is such a good missionary and is really starting to get the hang of things. I've had tons of fun with him. Training has not been as hard as I thought is was going to be. Elder Lott came pre-trained. He is a hard worker and strives to be 100% obiedent. I just have to awnser his questions about different situations. Training is a blast. He is a leadership missionary---I can already tell.

I have also learned a lot since I've become District Leader. I have to study alot more and work alot harder to find what the district needs help with, then I try to figure out how I can influence them and uplift them to strengthen their weaknesses. It is fun and satisfying as I learn more about leadership and missionary work.

 There are seven missionaries, including three sisters in my district.  It is hard to minister to sisters because they take things a little different than most boys. That's why it is so important to let the spirit help you minister to others. Somtimes it is very hard for me because I've realized ithe I go into a football coach mode when missionaries aren't doing what they're supposed to. But I hold myself back.

 I have gone to a couple meetings for trainers and new missionarys and I love listening to President Taylor! He is the smartest person and is very inspired. Being a mission president would be such a hard and stressfull job.   Being trainer and DL has helped me learn a LOT! It feels like I'm being trained again. It is fun going on exchanges with the Zone Leaders and learning tons from them. They are so cool, but they always give me homework. haha!
   We did have one baptism three weeks ago. I don't know if I told you or not. I've had one baptism in each area I've served in so far.
                             
  All is well and I'm having a great time.

         --Elder Shumway