Sister Anna Meredith: "How great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth" (June 11, 2018)

Hola amigos!! This has been a great week!

And the award for the most creative contact with your ward mission leader goes to...

We were driving out of Minneapolis on the way to an appointment, to look behind us and see Hno Matus, our ward mission leader, in the car behind us. We started waving like crazy and got his attention to say hi. Then a couple of stoplights down he came up on the side of us in the other lane and rolled down his window and asked us what appointments we had and who we had seen that day. We gave him a brief update, asked for some help for later in the week, and both continued on our merry ways.

Last p-day was hilarious. The zone leaders planned this big trip for us all to go up to Anoka, a city about 45 minutes north out of Minneapolis, to go to this bowling alley that is only $1 for games because they had done it a few months ago. They got permission, we all loaded up in the mission van to go, and once we arrived we discovered that the bowling alley had just gotten new summer hours and was now closed on Mondays. But it still ended up being a great pday! We got to hang out around Anoka, and get ice cream, and go down by the river, so even though things don't always work out the way we played, there is always a something to be happy about.

This week we got to play "If you could hie to kolob" at the funeral of that Hermano in our ward who passed away. It was un dia muy triste. Most his extended family members are not members. Many of his cousins spoke and it was so sad because they were saying things like " I don't know where he is, he could be in heaven, he could have been reincarnated, he might not even exist anymore. I won't ever see him again or get a chance to say what I wish I had said when he was here." And it broke my heart. I wanted to run up on the stand and tell everyone that because of Christ, because of the Atonement, because of the Resurrection, this good-bye is not forever. That we can have hope! I was so grateful the bishop got up and shared a few scriptures in the Book of Mormon to talk about the wonderful truths that we have been given. "Wherefore, how great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth." (2 Nephi 2:8) Moments like that remind me how badly EVERYONE needs this.

I was reminded by an analogy one of my MTC teachers shared with us, which I likened unto myself, and use ice cream, but you can liken it unto whatever your favorite food may be. So imagine that in whatever city you may be in, you find the most delicious ice cream you have ever had in your entire life. It comes in any flavor you could possibly imagine. Then you find out the ice cream is free, and that it will never run out. How could you NOT want to share that with every single person you ever met. Any of my companions will tell you, that when I talk about ice cream I love that much, I am nearly brought to tears. Yesterday, the temple President of the St. Paul Temple spoke in our ward, and he shared a scripture in Ezekiel 47:10. He told about how Ezekiel had a vision of the temple, and the water that flowed out from the temple, which gives life to the dead sea.

"And by the river upon the bank thereof, on this side and on that side, shall grow all tress for meat, whose leaf shall not fade, neither shall the fruit thereof be consumed; it shall bring forth new fruit according to this months, beause their waters they issued out of the sanctuary."

So 2 things, everything the temple touches is brought to life, and it will never run out. The water will never faint, the fruit will never be consumed, it is there for everyone who wants it. And it's a price that Christ already paid. All he asks is that look to him and come alive through he gospel. So I realized yesterday, that that ice cream shop of paradise is what the temple is. It's the most amazing gift in the whole world. And it will never run out. If the temples get too full, then they'll build more temples. We only gain by sharing it with other people, because it has brought us joy and we have the desire to share it. We got to go to the temple this past Saturday, and I am so grateful for the spirit that is there. In church yesterday, we were singing "Las familias pueden ser eternas" and as we all stood for the intermediate hymn and I looked around at the congregation, I was so overwhelmed by the spirit testifying to me that that is true. That is why the temples, and the gospel are so important. Our work is family in temples. That is what missionary work is all about, that is what ministering is about. Families coming together in the house of the Lord and making those covenants to fill our lives with light!

We have seen SO many miracles this week, I can't begin to count, I love being a missionary, and that my only worry in the world right now is to talk to as many people as I can about the gospel.

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Hermana Meredith