Sister Anna Meredith: "Let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power" (March 19, 2018)

The good news, spring is coming to Minnesota!!

So, we had a really great week set up. We met this less-active, part member family a few weeks ago. They just moved here, and they were really excited to see us. And we had a dinner with them this week. We got to know them, and he shared a lot about his mission, and they were super awesome. Then as we were leaving they were like "We know what you do as missionaries, and that you're here to teach people, and we just wanted to tell you that we're not ready right now, and it would be a waste of your time right now" They were really nice about it, and they have a long history with the church and things that we completely understand why now is not their time, but it was kind of sad that they had us over just to tell us not to come back.

Then this other amazing family we have been teaching, a mom, grandma, and their three kids, who have been reading in the Book of Mormon. Their 8 year old son loves the Book of Mormon, and when we went last time he was full of questions about Nephi and the stories in the Book of Mormon. And she texted us that she doesn't want to learn anymore and doesn't want her kids to be confused about religion, and to please, not come back.

This other guy we found, who we talked to for an hour in his driveway about family history and the plan of salvation, we were really excited about. We stopped by, and he told us actually isn't interested in learning more about the church, and doesn't want to waste our time.

And another cool mom and daughter whom we found a couple weeks ago texted us out of the blue and told us they're not interested and not to come back.

We worked so hard all week to talk to everyone, and to go finding every day, and set appointments, but try as we might, we could not find any new investigators. Everyone we met would either kindly or rudly tell us not to come back. And most of our other investigators we tried to see ended up dropping us.

So overall, I have really struggled to not be disappointed. Because we were working so hard, and trying to talk to everyone we could, and everything kept coming crashing down around us, and it seemed the harder we tried to share the gospel, the more opposition we felt. On Saturday, basically our whole day was spent finding. And not really seeing any success. The few people we did get to talk to and start to share a message with told us they weren't intersted. There was one door we talked, and the guy came to the door, obviously very annoyed and said "Can I help you?" Then before we got the chance to even say hello, he looked at our nametags and rolled his eyes then said "I'm not interested, please don't come back" then slammed the door. And that kind of thing happens all the time, but it was one time too many for me that day and we went back to the car and I just cried, because we were doing everything we were supposed to be doing, and nothing seemed to be going right. And I was just so frustrated that the entire week had been going that way.

Then I remembered a scripture, in Doctrine and Covenants 123:7, that says "Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed." And I realized that I was forgetting the big picture. There is a lot of what we do as missionaries that lies out of power, and we go crazy if we try to control everything. Because, as I have learned this week, it's impossible. As we work in faith, and cheerfully do those things which do lie in our power, then we wait and trust that God will make it right. That doesn't mean that it's easy, but we just continue with good cheer, doing that which we can do.

And there have also been a lot of things that made this week great! We got to go to Lacrosse, Wisconsin to do exchanges with the sisters there and it was so fun, also to get to roadtrip and spot a bunch of bald eagles on the way while listening to classical music.

It was pi day on Wednesday! We got pie on Tuesday, twice on Wednesday, and Thursday in celebration of one of the best holidays ever made.

Another fun fact, every time we see a deer on the side of the road, even fake deer statues, I panic and have flashbacks to our unfortunate collision a few months ago and now I'm probably scarred for life.

And I had a great dream this week that the missionary board changed the missionary schedule and it became mandatory that all missionaries were to take a nap for 30 minutes every day and it was the happiest dream ever.

Then to top it all off, we never stopped trying to find, and on the last 30 minutes of Sunday night, we were in an apartment building, and kept literally running into Hispanics who were interested and who we got to share a message with and by divine providence, we met our new investigator goal for the week even when everything else seemed to be conspiring against us.

All in all friends, missionary work is really hard, especially with weeks like this one, but it's also so wonderful!! Every trial and every miracle has taught me so much about how real the hand of the Lord is in our lives. In moments of despair he provides tender mercies, and he has promised deliverance, we just have to wait on his timing.

Love you all!! Have a great week!

Hermana Meredith