"The Prince of Peace"

It has been another great week to be a missionary! I hope that everyone watched conference and loved it!! We didn't have as much success committing our investigators to watch as we had hoped, but there are a lot of messages we are eager to share with them this week. 

God really does answer all of our prayers in the best ways sometimes. The ward here is incredible, and I've already gotten to meet a lot of people, but I've been having trouble feeling like I'm able to connect with the members, because of the language barrier and "oh it's the new missionary from Utah." But we were at a member dinner this week talking about a Twins game this upcoming week, and the members were talking a lot about baseball and how much they love major league baseball and thanks to my little brother John's obsession with baseball I actually knew what they were talking about and was able to participate in the conversation, and they were really impressed I knew who David Ortiz was and the difference between the two leagues, and it's a really little thing, but a huge blessing because it was a way I was able to talk to them about something that they're interested in, and I have just seen so many blessings like that this week, little things that seem irrelevant but ways I know I have been prepared to talk to so many of these people. Every member and almost every investigator I've met has also commented "oh ella es muy alta" so apparently 5'7" is pretty tall for here in Minnesota. 

The language barrier is still difficult, but getting a little easier to manage every day. Because there are so many people here with all different kinds of accents, we have some investigators I'm at 90% comprehension with, and then some I just pray that Hermana Hughes has got that lesson because I have absolutely no idea what's happening and I try to just bear a little testimony at the end about what I think the lesson might have been about. The key is trying not to look bewildered when someone is speaking faster than the speed of light. A lot of our investigators aren't making a lot of progress right now, and it's been difficult the past few days to get people to answer our phone calls or respond, and we've had trouble setting up appointments and getting to meet with some of our investigators that have really been doing well recently. Our tracting strategy the past few days has included a lot of inconspicuosly listening at doors in apartment buildings to see if people are speaking Spanish inside. It's all very methodical, no worries. 

The best thing this week has been being able to share the new Easter Video. We are trying to share it to everyone we talk to, English and Spanish speakers, just anyone who will stop to listen for even two minutes. It really is such a powerful testimony of the Savior. This Easter Campaign is so powerful, and we have already seen that this is exactly what so many people need in the world right now. We've been inviting everyone we talk to to share it with someone who needs it right now, so I want to invite all of you to do the same, either on social media or with a specific person, but invite someone else to either watch the video or share a message of the peace the Savior brings with someone you feel need's it right now, especially if that person is you. I loved President Uchtdorf's talk in relation to this message in conference yesterday. We shouldn't dwell on fear or evil or the unknown, but we should dwell on the peace that God brings us. We live in such a great time and in days of such great oppurtunity with the fulness of the restored gospel. It brings to mind the line "Look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now." 

Have a great week! Thank you so much for all your love and support. Continue to do great things and share the gospel!

Hermana Meredith

Isaiah 9:6 "For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."

1- our ward building is in the parking lot of the St. Paul temple

2- The Torres fa tamily, he is our ward mission leader, and she always make us the best Mexican food after church, and fish tacos are now my fav

3- Conference!!