tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-76210596333769456322024-03-05T04:41:58.198-08:00Sister Anna MeredithHi! I'm Sister Meredith and this is a blog my family is running about my adventures serving an LDS Mission in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Hope you enjoy!!Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13782404882262836049noreply@blogger.comBlogger80125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621059633376945632.post-51168518982692077132018-08-10T18:22:00.003-07:002018-08-10T18:23:37.889-07:00Home (August 8, 2018)<br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #1d2129; font-family: , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px;">What a wonderful ending to the best 18 months. Minnesota will forever hold a special place in my heart.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5_NoRLYBONGbpeOed5_gx4mNmCoPXJNAqM-HXmjAYs7wLHKaxfjmJqotO8DqaAfKHKBcaYK9ya6zZsWKPsagpcRw8ljlpKrmsWR76QyWWyfOYn6NEafYtXIzhUPV_oP-Qzhc875GVbsp/s1600/38822028_2079560612255931_7900710555671855104_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY5_NoRLYBONGbpeOed5_gx4mNmCoPXJNAqM-HXmjAYs7wLHKaxfjmJqotO8DqaAfKHKBcaYK9ya6zZsWKPsagpcRw8ljlpKrmsWR76QyWWyfOYn6NEafYtXIzhUPV_oP-Qzhc875GVbsp/s320/38822028_2079560612255931_7900710555671855104_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSe_5UpU9n-ZIP0W5eAvAGU9osMlxwaU6xba0vwpd5wfgNgIaZuiU0nhrpbAYoJE4QPAm5OPqVOLmN9nR_P8z-odntf5avAU1vgF3dE5bvReTTUtdc4rTkump3nNVqM7YEQrACjT05nBFi/s1600/38840314_2079560518922607_2951580102237880320_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSe_5UpU9n-ZIP0W5eAvAGU9osMlxwaU6xba0vwpd5wfgNgIaZuiU0nhrpbAYoJE4QPAm5OPqVOLmN9nR_P8z-odntf5avAU1vgF3dE5bvReTTUtdc4rTkump3nNVqM7YEQrACjT05nBFi/s320/38840314_2079560518922607_2951580102237880320_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY5oeszNXqdu7GyD0MccuZN-Xel7TNn4tgGPdRpDeMJoHk5I9zrphQSByduTq5QiqBZL7tk6Z7z_br5aMl9RD60NliYn53c7hUwGHCWkbI7t9lHjGxROzDYl_TVgmXGK-MH8PGRGy0K7u1/s1600/38921054_2079560552255937_8241546653337649152_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1080" data-original-width="1080" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY5oeszNXqdu7GyD0MccuZN-Xel7TNn4tgGPdRpDeMJoHk5I9zrphQSByduTq5QiqBZL7tk6Z7z_br5aMl9RD60NliYn53c7hUwGHCWkbI7t9lHjGxROzDYl_TVgmXGK-MH8PGRGy0K7u1/s320/38921054_2079560552255937_8241546653337649152_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghOo60FdME06v4uxnUU_FMlCrZ_VFH92d7YzzVLxMDQZMwGTEE36JRALs99_BrGHY_GDXy5DfVjzGrynEjXYUmNFUnJvw67N29JbsTGfHtnf3PigXIgRBdd0bwPWSOk0tKVe03HvPISMYa/s1600/38624513_10215653534798732_4868738406638682112_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghOo60FdME06v4uxnUU_FMlCrZ_VFH92d7YzzVLxMDQZMwGTEE36JRALs99_BrGHY_GDXy5DfVjzGrynEjXYUmNFUnJvw67N29JbsTGfHtnf3PigXIgRBdd0bwPWSOk0tKVe03HvPISMYa/s320/38624513_10215653534798732_4868738406638682112_n.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<span class="_5mfr _47e3" style="color: #1d2129; font-family: , , "blinkmacsystemfont" , ".sfnstext-regular" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 0; margin: 0px 1px; vertical-align: middle;"><br /></span>Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13782404882262836049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621059633376945632.post-35671022087737812372018-08-10T18:16:00.003-07:002018-08-10T18:17:16.408-07:00"For me, it's all about love" (August 6, 2018)<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjObPqFF8lXWooW-Ckh1UO7jpE_50E4msfkjTtqx8qT5HEWhocqvUpw1OFNzy7Pra9W8DhCJLJKp0PinOGfRYdOQyLVkKPyOowJGH7b4UIUVNX_V69r6-dfmAUqdg_uApB4ZTRohPLYhI9P/s1600/20180805_180311.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjObPqFF8lXWooW-Ckh1UO7jpE_50E4msfkjTtqx8qT5HEWhocqvUpw1OFNzy7Pra9W8DhCJLJKp0PinOGfRYdOQyLVkKPyOowJGH7b4UIUVNX_V69r6-dfmAUqdg_uApB4ZTRohPLYhI9P/s320/20180805_180311.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvYJU48tFsE0xg3AM2cDY5iSNuCyAE8Cj3Ip74fG7MJvFjlPi1D77kL5vmzt7-lSIGvVLvfv4XSHesDqlFGC0xRZ2mzVQ8JeobHKlvnJF9u3_ZneAv2k7ROUSC5xvT-P0jjQt6uSRgZDrf/s1600/20180804_140016.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvYJU48tFsE0xg3AM2cDY5iSNuCyAE8Cj3Ip74fG7MJvFjlPi1D77kL5vmzt7-lSIGvVLvfv4XSHesDqlFGC0xRZ2mzVQ8JeobHKlvnJF9u3_ZneAv2k7ROUSC5xvT-P0jjQt6uSRgZDrf/s320/20180804_140016.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTzPSY0Tg4wQoNBS_KXRaQ9C-u0_ODeWOWt4cClBWO5Dh6bix-27zWekh5CBhK32GKxTaros530QOe63nS4DAm5YBQSQ_OMZwjQhs8cZsHHMPeLaNSsF9CmkW01HpAfRkRmQSC6MFWaDSh/s1600/20180801_130333.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTzPSY0Tg4wQoNBS_KXRaQ9C-u0_ODeWOWt4cClBWO5Dh6bix-27zWekh5CBhK32GKxTaros530QOe63nS4DAm5YBQSQ_OMZwjQhs8cZsHHMPeLaNSsF9CmkW01HpAfRkRmQSC6MFWaDSh/s320/20180801_130333.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglw_MLvpDJ7mwlMeFY9Zl6vJZ2KeAqfzU3Osfsq_v9Khy38OtHa_w8-IaMRs6nmGrBEHHCTNGdZ6G2AJopaItquxK724uij6qovA-DdHWw4F7YdY8gs0LNmGlrpSuNDI9D4yAatbg6S135/s1600/20180802_172657.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglw_MLvpDJ7mwlMeFY9Zl6vJZ2KeAqfzU3Osfsq_v9Khy38OtHa_w8-IaMRs6nmGrBEHHCTNGdZ6G2AJopaItquxK724uij6qovA-DdHWw4F7YdY8gs0LNmGlrpSuNDI9D4yAatbg6S135/s320/20180802_172657.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiFShc9I4xf_lGnZniC8Gs6i-4hr_XopXceEQjNSmOZLn5tim0uGA1BwKXHw_W1C5POYL4V3jHuAW_dxDhECz6p8dAsYVgUJYAyydcHfzVzloT7BIZ7v_kx_22-HqmHhwiTDqLwM-67jLB/s1600/20180801_171056.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiFShc9I4xf_lGnZniC8Gs6i-4hr_XopXceEQjNSmOZLn5tim0uGA1BwKXHw_W1C5POYL4V3jHuAW_dxDhECz6p8dAsYVgUJYAyydcHfzVzloT7BIZ7v_kx_22-HqmHhwiTDqLwM-67jLB/s320/20180801_171056.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I really don't know what to say. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I must honestly say my heart is here. The pain I felt to say goodbye to my family for these 18 months, is nothing compared to the heartbreak I feel to have to leave this beautiful land and these beloved people and this sacred calling. They have truly changed my life. My heart has been scattered amongst St. Paul, Lakeville, Minneapolis, Rochester, and Richfield. A part of my heart that I never want to have back, because what I have learned in return has changed me. The people and the God I have learned to love here have changed me forever. Every goodbye at every transfer has brought heartache as a I leave a part of who I was and who I am with the people I have served. However, every change has always been positive, and as hard as endings are, I know it’s part of a wonderful new adventure. I have full faith that this change will be no different, that as painful as it is to say goodbye, it is the beginning of a wonderful new life I have with the privilege to live serving Jesus Christ.</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This week we have seen so many miracles, and been so blessed to be guided by the spirit, oh the stories I will be telling for the rest of eternity of the miracles I have seen here. We have kept going until the last minute, and seen God bring us to people who are still in need and it has been incredible. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In Conference last April, Elder De Feo gave a talk about how love is the true sign of every true disciple of Jesus Christ. He said </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">“Brothers and sisters, the gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of love. The greatest commandment is about love. For me, it’s all about love…</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">I love my Heavenly Father. I love my Savior. I love the gospel. I love this Church. I love my family. I love this wonderful life. </span><span style="font-style: italic; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">For me, it’s all about love</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">"</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I echo his words and testify that it's all about love. The more I study, the more I learn, the more people I meet, the more challenges I face, and the more miracles I see, I have learned that, yes, it's all about love. Love is what changes weak and imperfect children of God into the divine beings he knows we can be. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Since the beginning of my mission I've been making a list of the life lessons I've learned, so I thought it would be appropriate to sign off with a selected few from that list. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thank you all for the wonderful support you have given. I look forward to seeing you in a few days! Thank you for sharing some of these wonderful memories with me. I know that to live will be an awfully big adventure. </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hermana Anna Meredith </span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;">Minnesota Minneapolis Mission</span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="m_-2315455877509458675gmail-kix-line-break" /></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br /></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><i>101 things I’ve learned</i></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><br class="m_-2315455877509458675gmail-kix-line-break" /></span></span></div>
<ol style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The Book of Mormon is the word of God.</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Joseph Smith was a prophet called by God who restored the true church of Jesus Christ on the earth. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Never judge who may or may not need the gospel. Everyone does. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>God's timing is perfect</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>You literally can't do it by yourself.</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Agency is one of the greatest gifts God has given us, and you have to respect everyone's else's </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Sarcasm always drives away the Spirit.</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>There is a big difference between missionaries who come to change themselves and missionaries who come to help others change. And the latter are the ones who always change the most</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Finding joy in your life begins when you choose it. "My dear brothers and sisters, the joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives." (President Nelson, October 2016). So choose Christ now.</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Obedience is the only intelligent choice.</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Your will is the only thing you can give to Christ that he didn't give you.</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Work hard, give it your all, no matter what everyone else is doing. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Don't sacrifice quality for popularity</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Miracles don't serve as testimony builders unless you already have a belief in their divine origin.</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The most dangerous words in the world are "It's always been done this way"</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Be who you are, and love what you love, and don't waste time worrying about what other people think.</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>People are more important than things. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Exercise makes you feel better.</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The only way to be irreplaceable is to be yourself, the world has enough people trying to be someone else. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Missionaries have so many rules because we need to learn and experience the power of repentance and the cleansing power of the atonement in our lives.</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>God does not expect us to be perfect on our own, he expects us to repent and be perfected through Christ.</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Life is not about perfection, it's about progression. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>We are not expected, nor should we try to do it all by ourselves. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>How beautiful the knowledge we have that God is our LOVING Heavenly Father.</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Everyone has a conversion story. Everyone has a point in their lives where they had to decide, and they knew that this was the truth. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Teach and have your children speak your native language.</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Pray to Heavenly Father as your friend and Father, because he is. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Don't take yourself too darn seriously. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Its not about you, God doesn't need you to do this work, he lets you be a part of it. It is a privilege to be a servant of the Lord. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>I have a hero, and his name is Christ.</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Don't pray for a lighter burden, pray for a stronger back. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>You can't convert someone past your own conversion.</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>None of this is about you. If you try to stand in Gods way, he will wait, he will work around you if you try to stand in the way, because we are nothing without him. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The blessings I have seen come to my family because of my missionary service, even if I never saw any fruit of my labors in the field, would make every moment of every day of every week of every month worth it</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Salvation does not come by comparison. The call is to become like Christ, not to be more righteous than your neighbor. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>We are to convert people to Christ, not to the church,</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Mormons are the happiest people.</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Your happiness has nothing to do with your wordly circumstances. The happiest people I met over the last 18 months are the ones who had nothing worldly, but had everything through Christ.</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Neither members nor missionaries are infallible.</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Stick with it, don't give up on God, even if the only thing getting you from day to day is "no more than a desire to believe" </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>It truly is astounding, the love parents have for their children. People who are willing to give up anything for them, which gives us just a glimpse at the love Heavenly Father has for us. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The hardest thing to do sometimes is realize you just need to plant the seeds, and walk away, and leave the rest to God. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Be prepared, or you'll look like a fool </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Never, ever, ever, ever be too busy for the church, too busy for the gospel, too busy for scriptures, too busy for prayers, too busy for Christ. It's the little things that make the biggest difference in the end.</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Prayer is the answer to every question.</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>One of the hardest things is finding motivation to keep working hard when no one else around you is. Always work hard, even when no one else is. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Its ok if you dont know whats going on. No one does. As long as you have the spirit, you will be amazing. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>I had a lot more pride then i was ever willing to admit, and I still do, but I'm learning.</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>When you are a Mormon, you must always live as an example of that name. You never know what that example may mean to someone. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The gospel makes life better. “The most satisfying experience I have is to see what this gospel does for people. It gives them a new outlook on life. It gives them a perspective that they have never felt before. It raises their sights to things noble and divine. Something happens to them that is miraculous to behold. They look to Christ and come alive.” - President Hinckley</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Never doubt that a small group of dedicated people can change the world.</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Missionaries are made of what you do at 8:00 pm when it's 10 degrees, and none of your plans have worked </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>"You are capable of much more than looking hot"</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Being right is not more important than being kind</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Be a good example to your kids </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Never, ever give up on anyone </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Families our only hope in this crazy world. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The first step, the first and foremost thing we should always do in any situation, good or bad, is pray. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">When you're sick, it's ok to take a break and sleep it off. </span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><br class="m_-2315455877509458675gmail-kix-line-break" /></span><span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;">Hispanics say "I love you" two ways: "te quiero" and "Come más!"</span></i></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>How to love. How to truly love as Christ did. To meet someone, and within 30 seconds of talking to them, you would do anything to help them because you feel Christ's love for them.</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Handwarmers are the greatest invention since the printing press </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Spend as much time with your grandparents as you can. You have a lot to learn from them, even if they tell you the same stories every time. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Revelation comes on the move. Get up and get going even if you don't know where, and the Lord will tell you. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Don't let a first impression become a definition of someone.</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>How to talk on the phone, and not feel severe anxiety every time I do. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Don't become dependant on substances</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>God uses imperfect people to bring about his perfect purposes, so never postpone a prompting or don't not help someone because you think you're not good enough He makes up the differences, and can send you to help his children in need. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>If you can make your life's work about service, you'll never work a day in your life</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The organization of the church is perfect because it is done out of love. Church leaders are motivated solely by love, not power. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>There are so many naturally good people in the world, we can't give up. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>This is gospel is for everyone, even those who seem so far gone, the Atonement is for them too. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Even though we don't know everyone's needs, God does, and he will help us serve to them even when we don't know why</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Being kind and patient will get you much further then being rude and short. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Gods purpose is different from our purpose. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Everything I've learned about the gospel my whole life is true, coming on a mission just helped me put it all together and now it makes sense. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>People are much more effective, perform better, and are happier when they are doing something they are passionate about.</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>A complaining voice/tone is 3 things: unattractive, unattractive, and unattractive. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Be a disciple of Christ who astonishes, be so bold they don't know how to react. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>There really are 10,000 lakes in Minnesota</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Parents don't know what they're doing either, and that's ok. We're all making it up and relying on our savior and hoping for the best. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>EVERYONE should go on a mission. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The importance of having an open mind. If you expect something to go wrong, it will. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>You are made of the little decisions you make every day.</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Never be too busy for the Lord, for your family, or the church. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>I have gained a vision of how imperfect I am, but how completely perfect the Savior is.</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Salvation is not a competition. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Learning to happily embrace the Lord's will and timing is a key to finding joy. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Biking in the rain, in a skirt, in a Minnesota summer is happiness</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Los hispanos son increíbles, no tienen nada, pero ellos dan todo al señor y sus misioneros.</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>“The greatest decision I ever made in my life was to give up something I dearly loved to the God I loved even more. He has never forgotten me for it.”</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Be Scrooge! Lose yourself in your service to others. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>You have the power to make your dreams come true. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>This isn't a religion, this is real-life. And how great the urgency to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The importance of having an open mind and being willing to listen to the opinions of others.</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>See others for what they can become, because people change, they change every day.</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>The only way we can ever find ourselves is to completely give it all over to the Lord. When we give our hearts to the people we serve, they become a part of our heart forever. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Consecration is the way we become the most like ourselves, because we are living closer to our divine identity then we ever have before. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>If ye are prepared ye shall not fear.</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>None of it is about you. It doesn't matter if anyone remembers you, they probably won't. You didn't come here to change the world. You came to serve the Lord. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>It's easier to keep the commandments 100% of the time than 98% of the time.</i></span></span></div>
</li>
<li dir="ltr" style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; list-style-type: decimal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Never leave this church. </i></span></span></div>
</li>
</ol>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Never leave the Lord. </i></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Never stand against His servants. </i></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Never turn from His truths. </i></span></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.38; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-left: 36pt; margin-top: 0pt;">
<span style="font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-position: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><i>Never look back, ever!</i></span></span></div>
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13782404882262836049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621059633376945632.post-16184919114461089772018-08-10T18:08:00.002-07:002018-08-10T18:17:32.516-07:00"We are here to have Joy!" (July 30, 2018)<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9zJUhEj5mZEGi3sUgLc01-Nu72ufDteAv7Je3An2NJ2wSGQ0iZZj8zsA2QDgexkHOXLBt7Wj4BBal-RwpaQFG15eXDmelc54oSI-3qVUrGoFt0kqmxhEj-wSqb9vr2fEBYh2Ke0THXkDy/s1600/20180728_172429.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9zJUhEj5mZEGi3sUgLc01-Nu72ufDteAv7Je3An2NJ2wSGQ0iZZj8zsA2QDgexkHOXLBt7Wj4BBal-RwpaQFG15eXDmelc54oSI-3qVUrGoFt0kqmxhEj-wSqb9vr2fEBYh2Ke0THXkDy/s320/20180728_172429.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheW-l-NAzqpSoMHUWFEtio7M1Cp3XMkr8u49qmqM-GJY9AGBfMuhZ22CEt9Tvkobs-vNIyvZdyf7bs_Fxu6vIya4o2eVVnqN60C5xJt2WJlLhdasF8e4VdGPZ3CxkkAFVNZNN2LXuTpGrl/s1600/received_1775989255851456.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><br /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This has been an amazing week!<br /><br />This week we got to be part of our first bike gang, haha. Almost though! The youth in our ward had an activity where they all brought their bikes and met at the church, then biked all together to and around a nearby lake. One of the advisers asked us to come to help support and as part of our continuing efforts to help strengthen the youth of the ward, and it was a blast! We proved to the whole ward that yes, you really can bike in a skirt, and a bunch of kids came who usually don't, and we got to know a lot of them and help them get pumped about missionary work. And it did feel pretty cool to be biking around the streets of Minneapolis in our own little posse of bicycles, shouting the directions at each other in Spanish.</span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheW-l-NAzqpSoMHUWFEtio7M1Cp3XMkr8u49qmqM-GJY9AGBfMuhZ22CEt9Tvkobs-vNIyvZdyf7bs_Fxu6vIya4o2eVVnqN60C5xJt2WJlLhdasF8e4VdGPZ3CxkkAFVNZNN2LXuTpGrl/s1600/received_1775989255851456.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheW-l-NAzqpSoMHUWFEtio7M1Cp3XMkr8u49qmqM-GJY9AGBfMuhZ22CEt9Tvkobs-vNIyvZdyf7bs_Fxu6vIya4o2eVVnqN60C5xJt2WJlLhdasF8e4VdGPZ3CxkkAFVNZNN2LXuTpGrl/s320/received_1775989255851456.jpeg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><b>LEO WENT TO THE TEMPLE!!!!!</b> You might not remember him, but he is a member we taught in Lakeville and he was hesitant about going to the temple for so long, and we prayed and worked long and hard that he would have a change of heart and a desire to enter the house of the Lord. I am so proud of him because he conquered his fears, and decided to act in faith, and went for the first time to do baptisms!! It was a perfect day. The temple is in St. Paul in my first area, and I got to see Leo and many other beloved members from the Lakeville branch for the first time since I left almost 9 months ago. And the bishop and his family from the Rochester ward also happened to be there and it was wonderful to see them again. It felt like coming home, and it was a perfect conclusion to see so many of the people from so many of the places I have grown to love so dearly, not to mention the many other past companions and other Hermanas who were there and we all got to share in that special day with Leo. Words cannot describe how perfect that day was, and I am so grateful I got to be there for it.<br /><br />We have met a lot of cool people this week, and I am so determined to keep working hard and keep seeing miracles up until the very last minute. I still learn so much each and every day. One day it was pouring rain, buckets of rain, and a member had invited us to her daughter's birthday party to come for dinner. So we were running down the street to get there, and turned the corner past the fence, and saw half of the families in our ward huddled on the porch or inside the little apartment waiting for the rain to pass. But they hadn't let that stop their celebration! With the little room and space they had they made do, and continued to be happy even though it seemed all of their plans had been ruined. And I felt like that is a perfect metaphor for life. Sometimes we will have everything all planned, and an unpredicted rainstorm will come and seem to ruin all the plans we have. And then there are people who give up and get frustrated and cancel the whole thing. Then there are the people who don't let it stop them from having the party and being happy. It isn't ideal, but life never is, and we should never let a wrench in our plans stop us from living our lives with our true purpose in mind, to find joy! A few of my fondest mission memories involve pouring rain, whether they be storm clouds above us or the trials that God sends our way or to the lives of people I have taught, but I know that despite all of that, we can choose to smile and be happy, even dance, because Christ is our savior and we know that despite whatever happens it will be ok.<br /><br />It reminded me of one of my favorite talks from the October 2016 General Conference called "Joy and Spiritual Survival" by President Russell M Nelson,<br /><br />"Life is filled with detours and dead ends, trials and challenges of every kind. Each of us has likely had times when distress, anguish, and despair almost consumed us. Yet we are here to have joy?<br />Yes! The answer is a resounding yes!...Saints can be happy under every circumstance. We can feel joy even while having a bad day, a bad week, or even a bad year!<br />My dear brothers and sisters, the joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives.<br />When the focus of our lives is on God’s plan of salvation, and Jesus Christ and His gospel, we can feel joy regardless of what is happening—or not happening—in our lives. Joy comes from and because of Him. He is the source of all joy. We feel it at Christmastime when we sing, “Joy to the world, the Lord is come.” And we can feel it all year round. For Latter-day Saints, Jesus Christ is joy!"</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /><br />I can testify that absolutely nothing about these last 18 months has gone the way I have planned it, but I am so grateful for every unexpected journey, every little detour, every tempest, because each has brought me closer to my Savior and helped me see how I can find joy through Him.<br /><br />There is so much more I could share, but time is running short. And next week will be the last time you hear from me and there is a lot of stuff to do today to get things ready. But I know this is the work of the Lord, and that this is his church, and that through Him, no matter what is or isn't happening in our lives, we can find joy! I love you all!</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hermana Meredith</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Baseball games, temple, and bike trip to Lake Harriet</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-wG2UZW3VZEAqWgYg7tMj-oqW3Ncd_2MUATLWnevhipp367juMmcqhSy_Id_-AjWGieis44HN32A8zxwBwVF0i67Jri4CHktYRDSwQsVuleGezQUhJymDw9HxrYYajYFhy5XsG0Ldvhi-/s1600/20180723_154956.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-wG2UZW3VZEAqWgYg7tMj-oqW3Ncd_2MUATLWnevhipp367juMmcqhSy_Id_-AjWGieis44HN32A8zxwBwVF0i67Jri4CHktYRDSwQsVuleGezQUhJymDw9HxrYYajYFhy5XsG0Ldvhi-/s320/20180723_154956.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilJtr_-LvSuVxy7GhlbuENJylV21hI9lqKOom1Pq3YR6esePbpy1uFVTb0wcV9vkkmjXOZgfAZA-Th3apKZnwuvQJk_O56ZOfMo9tPCyi2BpvNgOtGy3D_rB1ohGCLiIu4Iw-rpk3TT0jN/s1600/20180725_080847.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1018" data-original-width="1600" height="203" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilJtr_-LvSuVxy7GhlbuENJylV21hI9lqKOom1Pq3YR6esePbpy1uFVTb0wcV9vkkmjXOZgfAZA-Th3apKZnwuvQJk_O56ZOfMo9tPCyi2BpvNgOtGy3D_rB1ohGCLiIu4Iw-rpk3TT0jN/s320/20180725_080847.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoIq0q8MOUXTiQZ91S2_NbGbwb9dUR3yrOPLRhJeTuR6MZupH04lgfVrDjX2OJCUSKBNpCJx8BEgouhqvU4vGKbqNugp1A7bNVuPG_0P3N2vZb-HGzt-5ZkhKrKlG5Z-Uft6t1dcaNs8HR/s1600/20180726_200308.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjoIq0q8MOUXTiQZ91S2_NbGbwb9dUR3yrOPLRhJeTuR6MZupH04lgfVrDjX2OJCUSKBNpCJx8BEgouhqvU4vGKbqNugp1A7bNVuPG_0P3N2vZb-HGzt-5ZkhKrKlG5Z-Uft6t1dcaNs8HR/s320/20180726_200308.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCqD3lbZ_D-JWWqQKSSvws2TUBgf0iUF2Se-YPzB25KLHphkv19KRHAWgrhmme4w82hyphenhyphen1U07TfYDBLP2mcREsGtYRLjbkpPPVm_KiJbo5Z5mFcnYNZ50vP1H1-GwoYGnJMpKwgBV8TOtqY/s1600/IMG_6974.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCqD3lbZ_D-JWWqQKSSvws2TUBgf0iUF2Se-YPzB25KLHphkv19KRHAWgrhmme4w82hyphenhyphen1U07TfYDBLP2mcREsGtYRLjbkpPPVm_KiJbo5Z5mFcnYNZ50vP1H1-GwoYGnJMpKwgBV8TOtqY/s320/IMG_6974.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13782404882262836049noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621059633376945632.post-64678580845757772212018-07-28T18:45:00.002-07:002018-07-28T18:45:47.488-07:00"Wrongs to make right, Truths to share, and Good to do" (July 23, 2018)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWazoHM2reW_XQRF1zWYKaANQPW_yvCmn9p9dr4dIMpEowK1FdKkTehFKg5g3Muju7HrknuLSLl7HxONJCMcfW5Gk9k_k3nUfiLhT0smR2pL6j_5F31crcoAUKjuKDC7yf_3X0zpgc8IGG/s1600/20180717_183540.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWazoHM2reW_XQRF1zWYKaANQPW_yvCmn9p9dr4dIMpEowK1FdKkTehFKg5g3Muju7HrknuLSLl7HxONJCMcfW5Gk9k_k3nUfiLhT0smR2pL6j_5F31crcoAUKjuKDC7yf_3X0zpgc8IGG/s320/20180717_183540.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Buenos dias!! What a week! Everything is happening so fast and I can hardly keep my head straight, and the transfer is almost over. I feel like this roller coaster has just kept getting faster and faster and when it suddenly end it's gonna be a big surprise. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So this week, I know many have long since stopped reading my emails, but that's ok! I still love you! I love writing my adventures for anyone who may want to hear, but mostly for my family, haha. So fun stuff, this week I learned how to make the perfect quesadilla. I thought I already had some pretty good skills, but a hispanic member taught us the real way and now I am ready to take on the world. Also this last week was the 49 year anniversary since we went to the moon! Don't forget to celebrate it!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Ok, now on to the real stuff. Like I said, this week has been insane! I have learned so much. We are teaching someone, Luz, who is so awesome. The Hermanas before were teaching her, then we hadn't had contact with her in the last few weeks. But this week we went over, and she gladly welcomed us in and told us her story, and what she thought about the church. She is really sick and can't work, and struggling to raise her kids. She told us how much she loves the missionaries coming and teaching her though, because it lifts her spirits. We talked about the Book of Mormon, and she told us how much she loves it, but said she always forgets to read it when we only come once a week, then asked "Hermanas, could you just come over here for a little bit every day to read with me so I don't forget?" She lives right by our apartment, so we happily said "Yes!" And have been able to visit Luz every day this week. Her progress has been insane!! She loves the Book of Mormon and told us on Saturday she knows it's true, because of how good she feels every time she reads it. It's been inspiring to see how much it has changed her and helped bring peace and harmony to her family. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There is a less-active hermana we have been praying for help to get in with, and we have gone and knocked on their door when we know they're home because we can hear them inside, but they don't come to the door, and we were just praying that the Lord would provide a way because we felt we were doing all we could. Then this Thursday, there was a relief society activity at the church, and we were waiting to meet with a few members, sitting on the couches outside. There was an Hermano there, and we started talking with him, and lo and behold he is the husband and dad of the family we were trying to get in with! We had absolutely no idea who their family was or who we were even looking for, and he was right there waiting at the church for his son to get out of young mens. We got to know him and talk to him and set up a time to come visit their family. It was so cool how Heavenly Father lead us right to the people we needed to talk to. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Missionary work is amazing!! I love every single minute, even the hard ones, especially the hard ones. The Lord does not cease to amaze me with miracles every day. I have loved being able to take some time to reflect on all the miracles I have seen, on all the people I have loved, on all the prayers I have said, and how all these things have brought me closer to God than I have ever been before in a way I never would have expected. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Jeffrey R. Holland said,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Ours is not a feeble message. It is not a fleeting task. It is not hapless; it is not hopeless; it is not consigned to the ash heap of history. It is the work of Almighty God, and it is to change the world...We have wrongs to make right, truths to share, and good to do. In short we have a life of devoted discipleship to give in demonstrating our love of the Lord. We can't quit, and we can't go back. After an encounter with the living Son of the living God, nothing is ever again to be as it was before."</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If that doesn't't get you fired up about sharing the gospel, I don't know what will. People we meet every day try to tell me that I'm wasting my time, and that people will never listen, and people will never change, and it would be best to give up and go get a good education or do something else that would be more useful for me. But it's not true! I know I still have wrongs to make right, truths to share, and good to do. No one could ever convince me otherwise, and I intend to spend all the time I have doing just that.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Have a blessed week!! </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div data-smartmail="gmail_signature">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hermana Meredith</span></div>
<div data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">pics: Solutions to not have any music stands in our apartments, bike day! St. Paul pday trip to ice cream and to a butterfly garden! </span></div>
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXp07j8SCBEV_b3vq_3QtWK1UV2vm2BQf3C9X7AxN9yFIrzNdj7YoYOfuibqT1GDOZHIpKKra_RpR6BYQ4QAry8vWvxaZ2e-paQyVh1EII69GM_uUQSyUzHyLzLN5qOuxFXMJvs-jl0XaG/s1600/20180715_122752.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXp07j8SCBEV_b3vq_3QtWK1UV2vm2BQf3C9X7AxN9yFIrzNdj7YoYOfuibqT1GDOZHIpKKra_RpR6BYQ4QAry8vWvxaZ2e-paQyVh1EII69GM_uUQSyUzHyLzLN5qOuxFXMJvs-jl0XaG/s320/20180715_122752.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF_nBEQGA46fuLzwlfzXGhHpx4UQSeix9-ERxuLrcVBJJlPMY8Vgl0eYmnMGqV1PQPb39NZXXMeotRAyEZSR0_l9DhGLvAdVoeNmXjYhxplZdiCNd32BnHEQNt-JcReuIgHIC7zqlrFMQl/s1600/20180716_161202%25280%2529.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgF_nBEQGA46fuLzwlfzXGhHpx4UQSeix9-ERxuLrcVBJJlPMY8Vgl0eYmnMGqV1PQPb39NZXXMeotRAyEZSR0_l9DhGLvAdVoeNmXjYhxplZdiCNd32BnHEQNt-JcReuIgHIC7zqlrFMQl/s320/20180716_161202%25280%2529.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXooav08qN-S_xDAbUkP264iSqO75CNAoWSn3w1PjkfBvJh0wo8thMUKVNSpGs7NZ68nck1Fket_FZvyWvfspYQJuaxiU-c3HTnQ_th5BOXwmnLYxU7eWaeP_aIImp7tT9tZNgGItbSLbI/s1600/20180716_122611.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXooav08qN-S_xDAbUkP264iSqO75CNAoWSn3w1PjkfBvJh0wo8thMUKVNSpGs7NZ68nck1Fket_FZvyWvfspYQJuaxiU-c3HTnQ_th5BOXwmnLYxU7eWaeP_aIImp7tT9tZNgGItbSLbI/s320/20180716_122611.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB3PsDBToQWPZnHkG0B7JmveipWt8uVzzfLaCjIdkXGrHeJNDL42txISSTHeukplOPGTNS_ToQTJpvhejwMXNN6YE1pw9SaFrfJCpF5I2GjDlgqyHzzG7DJRLHq4gP6yNgNRCrxaL37WMa/s1600/20180716_122733.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiB3PsDBToQWPZnHkG0B7JmveipWt8uVzzfLaCjIdkXGrHeJNDL42txISSTHeukplOPGTNS_ToQTJpvhejwMXNN6YE1pw9SaFrfJCpF5I2GjDlgqyHzzG7DJRLHq4gP6yNgNRCrxaL37WMa/s320/20180716_122733.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13782404882262836049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621059633376945632.post-40613470764078317812018-07-28T18:42:00.001-07:002018-07-28T18:42:34.837-07:00'The challenge to become" (July 16, 2018)<div dir="auto">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOjX_gAxK2DXJBRn-prlKe83AtuzhsmU7zBHrg0uheZtNrrDSmSC2H9PW9ZVO_gEmZRiKjTp7kkqAan0opYGFkpUH5M06G7wxoTtnx6yW1U9Ib80IAt2N6rUJUz6_2FE8Ws1TWzLMaHuY_/s1600/20180715_164724.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOjX_gAxK2DXJBRn-prlKe83AtuzhsmU7zBHrg0uheZtNrrDSmSC2H9PW9ZVO_gEmZRiKjTp7kkqAan0opYGFkpUH5M06G7wxoTtnx6yW1U9Ib80IAt2N6rUJUz6_2FE8Ws1TWzLMaHuY_/s320/20180715_164724.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It has been a reaaaaaaaaally crazy week! We have seen so many miracles!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I need to start with why Hna Powell is the bravest new missionary ever. We were going to an appointment with a less active family, and had knocked on the door a few times with no answer. A car pulled into the driveway and two Hispanic ladies got out. Hermana Powell immediately starts waving and goes to start talking to them. I immediately knew they were missionaries from a different church, but hey no harm in talking to them. They told us who they were and started to ask us questions about the Book of Mormon and Joseph smith and were kind enough to give us a website from their church we could go to to see a list of all the reasons why the Book of Mormon isn't true. We talked for little and agreed we wouldn't agree haha. Then as they were going, Hna Powell said "wait I want to give you something!" And gave them a copy of the Book of Mormon. They tried to say no but hermana Powell said "No it's a gift from me" and you just can't say no to that. So that was our most epic book of Mormon placement this week. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">In zone conference President Barney asked us to try to teach more lessons every week to members to give us more practice teaching and to help strengthen the members. So we've been calling and visiting every less-active family and saying "Hey, our mission president asked us to do this, and we want practice speaking Spanish, can we come over once a week and teach your family the four missionary lessons to give us some practice?" And they are all more than happy to help and say "yes of course come over for lunch/dinner and then we can all sit down and have the lesson!" And it's awesome, and a huge miracle that we are getting in with all these families who didn't want to have us before. We are so grateful for our inspired mission president!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Things are going great here! We are meeting lots of new awesome people every day, there was one guy we talked to for like 45 minutes, and he had all the exact right questions, like about what we believe about what happens after we die, and why there were prophets in the bible but there aren't now, and beliefs about faith and agency, and as we talked to him he realized that Mormons weren't everything we thought we were and he actually agreed with everything we believe. Sadly, he wasn't interested in having us back or taking a pamphlet or anything, but it was incredible, he was so prepared, and even though we met him when we were outside contacting, it turns out he lives in the same apartment complex as us so hopefully we continue to see him around and he can keep thinking about what we shared with him. Missionary work is amazing and it is so wonderful to see people accept the message and realize it is the truth they have been looking for, but it is equally heartbreaking at times when people are so close, and preconceived notions they have about what the church is or any number of different obstacles lead them to walk away. So we just pray really, really hard that someday they will maybe because of that small contact we had, or had with anyone along the way will allow the spirit to open their hearts. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This week I got to give a training on Christlike attributes and it helped me ponder a lot on the idea of becoming and the people that we choose to become over time. There is a quote by Elder Oaks I love:</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something.… It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become." </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We had an awesome discussion about how what we are is more important than what we do, because our hearts are what will eventually lead us to the actions that we take. The challenge is to become as He is. Also, for all my friends on missions or leaving on a mission, or even thinking about a mission, there is an amazing talk by Elder Bednar from October 2005 called "Becoming a Missionary" which is incredible and talks more in detail about this. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thank you all for the love and support!! I hope you have a wonderful week</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hermana Meredith </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Russian Art Museum!!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Giant rainstorm this weekend</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Minneapolis and</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A member made me homemade black bean burgers as a reward for eating a habanero last week 😂🌶🔥</span></div>
</div>
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmBDU-kXbAA7tJNjuzRVwRCA5VocBcDaBByyWuPLY7DVpQQOltn2V0OWoQXsIPWhT74M263R9m8Qrc7JbSBf5e2fiXgmBbOeuZvKnH_4rn2tBHGdfXTPaKTu9IOCB-MWGqDY_D36mLWSm7/s1600/20180709_142454.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhmBDU-kXbAA7tJNjuzRVwRCA5VocBcDaBByyWuPLY7DVpQQOltn2V0OWoQXsIPWhT74M263R9m8Qrc7JbSBf5e2fiXgmBbOeuZvKnH_4rn2tBHGdfXTPaKTu9IOCB-MWGqDY_D36mLWSm7/s320/20180709_142454.jpg" width="240" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-q3T6hxl3GTRnvVj2AXgSWOdYPTt2dq0UHGHsgF1xWs2YMisq6CYutl7tvXBxfrveHAgl2yM2_ATaRK3gdt-TJ4AZFS-i99lgZwP2QaRJHwIu2sgVNZdnKvJ5vvzJkH4ll62r0YaG83i/s1600/20180713_184904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib-q3T6hxl3GTRnvVj2AXgSWOdYPTt2dq0UHGHsgF1xWs2YMisq6CYutl7tvXBxfrveHAgl2yM2_ATaRK3gdt-TJ4AZFS-i99lgZwP2QaRJHwIu2sgVNZdnKvJ5vvzJkH4ll62r0YaG83i/s320/20180713_184904.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBCYPUCVP2NAeNoh_f5_KtjNyGuRfhUfp7-YSjFi3aX4UjHYUR-s4s3X4pVWEUHUkKv09A0OjcrPgcdWXFnsovbLQm7mZEHycdpbHHjM3rWLluW0A99OVouv5qG3WNgXw2s_3bvWzgsNcq/s1600/20180712_174617.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBCYPUCVP2NAeNoh_f5_KtjNyGuRfhUfp7-YSjFi3aX4UjHYUR-s4s3X4pVWEUHUkKv09A0OjcrPgcdWXFnsovbLQm7mZEHycdpbHHjM3rWLluW0A99OVouv5qG3WNgXw2s_3bvWzgsNcq/s320/20180712_174617.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13782404882262836049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621059633376945632.post-71514841093782047812018-07-28T18:36:00.002-07:002018-07-28T18:36:36.089-07:00"I feel like shouting Hallelujah all the time!" (July 9, 2018)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLBYfDbM7LP99HIR3ybQboemvpTatYSXNN5izGMCZ9toJLpdyNNr_mn6TJD9RPINkfdvbtRi1PBktA_F4xUQP91x9PvBJHH2qJMGljqh4WCRQyeuPVgjaSgcAOFXyJVjelxtHr28fome9B/s1600/20180706_171239.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLBYfDbM7LP99HIR3ybQboemvpTatYSXNN5izGMCZ9toJLpdyNNr_mn6TJD9RPINkfdvbtRi1PBktA_F4xUQP91x9PvBJHH2qJMGljqh4WCRQyeuPVgjaSgcAOFXyJVjelxtHr28fome9B/s320/20180706_171239.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It has been another great week in the merry old land of Richfield!<br /><br />Highlights:<br />Zone Conference!! We had some great trainings on how to do some fundamentals of missionary work, which really helped Hermana Powell and I get a better handle on everything.<br />I also got to share my departing testimony *tears* but I was a little proud. Because I remember my first zone conference ages ago when all the missionaries who were about to go home shared their testimonies, and I wasn't sure if I would ever get to that point, but it was spiritual to be able to take a moment and look back at these past 17 months and the things I have learned and the person Christ has shown me I can be.<br /><br />At a pass off lesson with this awesome lady from Cuba the English elders found, and as we were teaching her the restoration, the elders were showing the kids church pictures on their tablets to try to help them stay quiet, and upon seeing the Salt Lake Temple, one of them asked, "Is that the Disneyland Castle?"<br /><br />Some of the people we are teaching are facing some difficulties in progressing, but that's ok! We are praying and working with them still and have high hopes that everything will work out. We are doing all we can to be unashamed of the gospel of Christ, and feel like we are stalkers sometimes, but we cannot be restrained because we have the truth and we want to share it! One night we were driving, and saw a hispanic family walking on the side of the road. So we casually pulled over on the next road, and walked back so we would run into them on the way back. One of them turned out to be a very passionate member of a different church, and spent about 45 minutes telling us all about how wrong we are, but listened with love, and in the end he took a Book of Mormon and told us he might read it someday, haha.<br /><br />President Brigham Young said “I feel like shouting Hallelujah, all the time, when I think that I ever knew Joseph Smith, the Prophet whom the Lord raised up and ordained, and to whom He gave keys and power to build up the kingdom of God on earth.” I LOVE that, because I really feel like shouting Hallelujah all the time, because God is so great, and is so merciful, and gives us so many chances and so many opportunities to learn. He loves us so much, and I am so grateful for everything he has taught me. And I am so grateful for the restored gospel and this wonderful message we get to share. There is always something to shout Hallelujah about!<br /><br />Love you all and thank you for your support!!<br /><br />Hermana Meredith</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Zone Conference, Richfield, Habaneros, and Fourth of July! </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGikhCwhbxdYk6KnLkHKc881eMd9Ym4T5kMBLVkRsT3COWYQmfBczzIsaqacVTL5NjJk_hbxDmxLSATj9z04FGn_m5wMcT38nbQqrFn-eqYVM257kSoPbEG0sdLvR8WiQ2rCTHBp1kuMLO/s1600/received_1789740994453122.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGikhCwhbxdYk6KnLkHKc881eMd9Ym4T5kMBLVkRsT3COWYQmfBczzIsaqacVTL5NjJk_hbxDmxLSATj9z04FGn_m5wMcT38nbQqrFn-eqYVM257kSoPbEG0sdLvR8WiQ2rCTHBp1kuMLO/s320/received_1789740994453122.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx1DfTcHyTKE5R33J0lZDOUTGNCYFHEsmhvsa3vnoTqFEj0V_6OEzW77NGJHnMdqb8GoggE6xfKBpvAa4cJtaTN1kEy7tbB3G3JWQ-rB4E7JPEl956HhlVyWeImr-o1HYGtXqYHymZbzdL/s1600/FB_IMG_1531093193027.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgx1DfTcHyTKE5R33J0lZDOUTGNCYFHEsmhvsa3vnoTqFEj0V_6OEzW77NGJHnMdqb8GoggE6xfKBpvAa4cJtaTN1kEy7tbB3G3JWQ-rB4E7JPEl956HhlVyWeImr-o1HYGtXqYHymZbzdL/s320/FB_IMG_1531093193027.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdY0n_p87qRUMAtBgffXcL4B68bZkhhK7LGhimzuOj5nmTiZXxu283eBcr3aoq4PvXcjSWlnJCm82VCb7BjR7_kX_T6urG6HrMEAZHlfd4R0Ds7S_GpCg1tnKf34s9lbWB5RSqNaGjQoUV/s1600/20180704_081943.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdY0n_p87qRUMAtBgffXcL4B68bZkhhK7LGhimzuOj5nmTiZXxu283eBcr3aoq4PvXcjSWlnJCm82VCb7BjR7_kX_T6urG6HrMEAZHlfd4R0Ds7S_GpCg1tnKf34s9lbWB5RSqNaGjQoUV/s320/20180704_081943.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13782404882262836049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621059633376945632.post-41574803202414537632018-07-04T13:54:00.005-07:002018-07-04T13:54:57.393-07:00"And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do." (July 4, 2018)<div dir="auto">
<div dir="ltr">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhIA3jZrohvg0AXO0IDJv4xiv9plPWCIkzUBjOdk3e0TLIxzgYYWmBn-6uvHk7fnhLIttAWqbjJiLZIJsvXy05umlEzQPO4j-tvmu_cOHZytDx7HrrrXmeSQq7vcuCb2Wv799MT2wFIXFh/s1600/received_2042201392658520.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1193" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhIA3jZrohvg0AXO0IDJv4xiv9plPWCIkzUBjOdk3e0TLIxzgYYWmBn-6uvHk7fnhLIttAWqbjJiLZIJsvXy05umlEzQPO4j-tvmu_cOHZytDx7HrrrXmeSQq7vcuCb2Wv799MT2wFIXFh/s320/received_2042201392658520.jpeg" width="238" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Happy 4th of July!! This has been a crazy week. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sorry this is gonna a long one. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Basically my whole missionary world got turned upside down this week. I arrived on Thursday in my new area, Richfield, with my new companion, Hermana Powell! She is great. She is from St. George Utah, and she also plays the violin! She is doing an incredible job and basically came pretrained so I am feeling really blessed. We are already getting along so well, and having a blast having absolutely no idea what is going on together as we rely on the spirit. I was a little overwhelmed with training in a new area, but it felt manageable. Then the church updated the app we use to keep all our records on, and all the organization from the previous hermanas went out the window, and we can't tell who they were teaching anymore. Then the church released a new version of Preach my Gospel that changed a lot of stuff. THEN I got to the trainers meeting on Thursday morning, and we all realized that in the new preach my gospel, they changed the program that we use to train new missionaries during their first 12 weeks. The very last thing I thought I knew I was doing got thrown out the window. So basically my motto of "I have no idea what I'm doing, but that's ok" really got put to the test. I am learning so much. I think the Lord knew he still had a lot to teach me in my last six weeks, and wanted to give me every single moment he could so I could learn to rely on him to the very end. Because if I were comfortable in my area or with training, I would definitely try to do it on my own, but we are turning to the Lord for everything. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I forgot how absolutely amazing and absolutely exhausting training is, haha. I am so tired, because we have been going 100 miles an hour this last week. In church on Sunday I was translating sacrament meeting, and I actually fell asleep while I was talking into the microphone, so it's good to know I can still understand and speak Spanish when I'm in the first REM cycle. But it's been so worth the exhaustion! It's been really cool to see how the Lord has been preparing this time though, and we have seen so many little miracles. 6 weeks ago, when Hermana Davis went home, for those few days before the next transfer I was in a trio with the previous hermanas in Richfield. So I had already met a lot of their investigators, and had a little bit of a general idea of their area. And I am so grateful that even though it was just a little information the Lord had helped me be a little more prepared to come here. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We have an awesome person we're teaching here, Pedro! The hermanas before us had challenged him to baptism and he had accepted, but they weren't sure how legit it was. So we went to our first lesson with him and his wife who is a member on Saturday, and he sat down with us and said "So sisters, did you know I'm getting baptized this month?" And we were like "Oh wow, that's awesome! We would love to help you prepare for baptism" and he goes "Yes! Tell me all the things I need to do to get ready for my baptism, let's set a day and make a plan" So we set a date and made a plan, and he is so excited to be baptized on July 22, and they already have a goal to go to the temple together after he gets baptized. He came to church on Sunday and shared an experience in Sunday school about how the Holy Ghost has guided him in his life, then the other Hermanos and Elders told us that in priesthood he told everyone that we should all try to go to the temple more because there is one so close to us, and told everyone that he is getting baptized on July 22nd and invited them all, and told them how he used to take the lessons from the missionaries in Mexico years ago, but he didn't feel like it was his time, but now he knows it's his time! Wow, he is a miracle, and we are so excited to get to work with him, and his desire to be baptized and make changes in his life to come closer to Christ. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Also we have met SO many awesome people this week who are so excited about the gospel!! We got a referral from the English elders for a family, and we called them, and they set up an appointment with us for Monday night, and it was INCREDIBLE!! They are so ready, we got to teach him and his wife. They have three teenage kids, so we talked a lot about how families are important, and how living prophets help guide our families. And taught them the restoration and the Book of Mormon and they want to come to church, and want their kids to be involved in the activities, and want us to come back this week. The Spirit was so strong as we were testifying of the Book of Mormon and promised them they would come to know it was true as we read it. Hna Powell and I were jumping up and down after the lesson and she said "Wow! I feel like I'm back in the MTC teaching the fake investigators again!" </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Another husband and wife we knocked into yesterday who invited us in and agreed to read in the Book of Mormon and were intrigued about living prophets, and are excited for us to come back to teach them about what we believe about what happens after this life. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We have also miraculously got in touch with a lot of less-actives just with the help of the spirit. One family we're going to go over there once a week now to have a lesson and tutor their daughter in math, </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hermana Powell is teaching me a lot about how to be brave, even though we don't always know what we're going to say, but just doing what we can to share the gospel and trusting that God will have our backs. She has no fear in walking up to everyone she sees to start talking in Spanish, and it's so cool to see that even though it's not perfect, they can see that her heart is in it, and they can understand. I am learning so much about how the Spirit works watching someone learn a language from this end of my time. God really will make it ok, just open your mouth and speak!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We were at the store the night we got here buying milk and eggs because we had no food in our fridge right before we went home for the night. And I saw this girl, about our age, and she looked SOOO familiar, but for the life of my I could not remember who it was. But I really felt like I needed to go talk to her, and trusted that God would help me figure it out. So we said hi, and she recognized me, and I remember she is the daughter of a less-active family we stopped by the last time I was here in the trio in Richfield who we have been trying to get in contact with. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And there are so many other miracles I would love to tell you all about, but have to wait for another day. Basically my motto this week has been "And I was led by the Spirit, not knowing beforehand the things which I should do." 1 Nephi 4:6. I, and Hermana Powell, will testify to you that we have absolutely no idea what we're doing, but we are trusting in the Spirit to lead us and learning how to have great faith. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I love being a missionary!! I don't know if you could tell from how excited I sound and how much I blabber on about the little miracles we see, but this is truly the best work! Every day is such a joy and full of so many miracles, I cannot believe how blessed I have been to be a part of it, that even though I'm imperfect, I get to go outside and spend all day, every day, talking to the people from the culture I have grown to love about how amazing the gospel and how it will change their lives. Because it will! It has changed mine, I have seen many lives changes, and I just want it so badly for those I meet and everyone I see to know and feel it in their hearts too. It breaks my heart to think that it will ever come to an end, so I avoid thinking about it completely. But thanks to all those who have stuck with me this long, we are looking forward to these last weeks, because I know the best is yet to come. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Have a great week!!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hermana Meredith </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0_ZkFDCA7sI4BRxOpZ6awuM0zwGpsY1I5ruGq58WCjZnagbA4vL1-hMv63SAMq_mQf6J3ZgJym2tG9TrXnHUcXPyoyISMCRmABt-3F_FBRezyxrz_BYrp0UPc7cNFmN7raFM5fqe-jinv/s1600/received_653085835029824.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1179" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0_ZkFDCA7sI4BRxOpZ6awuM0zwGpsY1I5ruGq58WCjZnagbA4vL1-hMv63SAMq_mQf6J3ZgJym2tG9TrXnHUcXPyoyISMCRmABt-3F_FBRezyxrz_BYrp0UPc7cNFmN7raFM5fqe-jinv/s320/received_653085835029824.jpeg" width="235" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKWoYEtFbaughn6PhkTFQP5LXr89pkxKuUVehM2SKDh5GfT9uUTXLB2z8rmCNA-OQDHRN93E8GmjBmYDbuG73lDMvQ3fB3jgJACpBFj3nRm72m7LSWyasbyE9XvljLj5tZrqhY59h7ycu9/s1600/IMG_0847.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKWoYEtFbaughn6PhkTFQP5LXr89pkxKuUVehM2SKDh5GfT9uUTXLB2z8rmCNA-OQDHRN93E8GmjBmYDbuG73lDMvQ3fB3jgJACpBFj3nRm72m7LSWyasbyE9XvljLj5tZrqhY59h7ycu9/s320/IMG_0847.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6XyWuXcYswJGy0UKDr038nOyqYM5gwpaI-jFsUqkDxakmw0OZ-EZfPvDyD0zuAv1zGxvY70sv-TzZSH7R3vafrinuP0oLFIuhqy-9kkjyMHdNSt9oNOL-SJ-UujlUWm-533-1tIVsu6a/s1600/received_1734720933289691.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn6XyWuXcYswJGy0UKDr038nOyqYM5gwpaI-jFsUqkDxakmw0OZ-EZfPvDyD0zuAv1zGxvY70sv-TzZSH7R3vafrinuP0oLFIuhqy-9kkjyMHdNSt9oNOL-SJ-UujlUWm-533-1tIVsu6a/s320/received_1734720933289691.jpeg" width="180" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13782404882262836049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621059633376945632.post-82755843707764065712018-07-03T19:27:00.001-07:002018-07-03T19:27:51.584-07:00"If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear" (June 25, 2018)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKAX94VOf2dKRX5ZGTW-LjTLJBDGzo2GTUHh_Jydu7Dup8f0GycdNGqK3x6YELLu18NHDnqIGoUhws9vq_QCch-b1zj8opyE4JCSvGb17uu8JUBzd5xqYuBtNX7XY20CRE_FDegFYjCwgh/s1600/IMG_0833.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKAX94VOf2dKRX5ZGTW-LjTLJBDGzo2GTUHh_Jydu7Dup8f0GycdNGqK3x6YELLu18NHDnqIGoUhws9vq_QCch-b1zj8opyE4JCSvGb17uu8JUBzd5xqYuBtNX7XY20CRE_FDegFYjCwgh/s320/IMG_0833.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hey there amigos! It's been a crazy week!</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Sophie got baptized yesterday after church and it was amazing!! Ahhh, the ward helped us so much and offered so much support it was incredible. Her whole family was there, even her grandma who is visiting from Mexico who isn't a member. After the baptism I asked her Grandma how she liked it and she smiled and said "I'm going to be the next one who gets baptized!" ahh, what?? It was awesome. Sophie was a little nervous, but she did a great job. I love their family and I am so grateful for the miracles that have led us to work with them this transfer. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Things have been going so well with Aide! She isn't a member but her esposo is. There are a lot of complicated situations that are keeping her from being baptized right now, but we working really hard to continue to strengthen their family in the gospel. Last Monday night we were over there having the first lesson we've had in a while. We talked with Aide about prayer and receiving revelation. Her husband got home, then we were all having a discussion about prayer, and invited them to work really hard to say a family prayer every night this week. Hno was like "Oh, it's too hard, we're too busy and we never have time to do it all together" then Aide said "No, that's what Satan tries to tell us, praying is so easy, he tries so hard to tell us we can't do it." Then Aide asked if we could stop by every night right before we go home to say a prayer with them because they live really close to us. So we have gone over there every night this week for a few minutes to pray with them, and it has been AMAZING!! We are so excited for them. It has been so cool how the spirit has become suddenly so present in their home. And it has been an incredible week for their family. On Thursday night we were over there and Aide's non-member mom was there and she said "Mom, these are the missionaries, they're coming over every night to pray with us because we know that family prayer is really important and will bring blessings to and strengthen our family" Aide is so strong and I love her so much!!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We just got transfer calls and I am going to be going to be moving to Richfield to whitewash and train for my last transfer! I'm really nervous, but also excited for this adventure. These next 6 weeks are going to be awesome. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We have had an amazing miracle filled week and I am so excited about all the great things that are happening here, This week in a talk by President Monson I ran across a scripture that has brought me a lot of comfort this week. "I tell you these things because of your prayers; wherefore, treasure up wisdom in your bosoms, lest the wickedness of men reveal these things unto you by their wickedness, in a manner which shall speak in your ears with a voice louder than that which shall shake the earth; but if ye are prepared ye shall not fear." I LOVE that, as hard and crazy as life gets, if we are prepared, we don't need to worry! That has been one of the biggest lessons I have learned on my mission, we don't really need to stress, somehow, someway, everything is going to work out. "Fear not though the enemy deride, courage for the Lord is on thy side."</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I love missionary work!!! thanks for all the love and support! Stay cool out there. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hermana Meredith</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMLj_BmsFU46PG-kt88PvexyVHZkgzL_GGywAQ3sSppOtCZWPC9APhanlkFJBbfCao9IkQR32NvEnfTLXQKHhBlmhmj_Tksph8IH7zJPxL6GQ_ofKHOzYcRjS7b4ewHzhErvklRdHB_tsj/s1600/IMG_0835.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMLj_BmsFU46PG-kt88PvexyVHZkgzL_GGywAQ3sSppOtCZWPC9APhanlkFJBbfCao9IkQR32NvEnfTLXQKHhBlmhmj_Tksph8IH7zJPxL6GQ_ofKHOzYcRjS7b4ewHzhErvklRdHB_tsj/s320/IMG_0835.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfLkScmPMCgDvi_QHtk5Y36d-QT9cHzg9O8IpXeY4uxyZRv2BOhNhzFCbQP9rmdOXHP0V0L4y5xV6tDrVtc2B-vrslvm5AJwenMxkMxoUFYhUoLfHYqjRfC87sUEl7xIQGuI-2vnPupA6d/s1600/20180624_220616.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfLkScmPMCgDvi_QHtk5Y36d-QT9cHzg9O8IpXeY4uxyZRv2BOhNhzFCbQP9rmdOXHP0V0L4y5xV6tDrVtc2B-vrslvm5AJwenMxkMxoUFYhUoLfHYqjRfC87sUEl7xIQGuI-2vnPupA6d/s320/20180624_220616.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt2NqvHa4GinzJP_qva-mUpuO-D5-GyMQNgpam0OdybkQA8LYK3REutAo9XergO9LI0nt_0cp6AF9PGpGihbtIUY56CXffV442DYvjjAPEA6wZ_LDXn4eRRbvD7JB96zCtqgHUUmAKejn1/s1600/image000001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1288" data-original-width="966" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjt2NqvHa4GinzJP_qva-mUpuO-D5-GyMQNgpam0OdybkQA8LYK3REutAo9XergO9LI0nt_0cp6AF9PGpGihbtIUY56CXffV442DYvjjAPEA6wZ_LDXn4eRRbvD7JB96zCtqgHUUmAKejn1/s320/image000001.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAylCBzSY6A9Ao3GNT4BCu4h2CFfPVpAY3_TaRUNx7XOKGl5Uv_0RqRzj0Ms8CZeNC9aj9zFXAvdHiJtxDDJ6GbgxTVpHXaZViWgkhA5DMA-4zY-KifmY2u971R6fwrhbHRHh5SXD83Gfs/s1600/download_20180625_100737.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiAylCBzSY6A9Ao3GNT4BCu4h2CFfPVpAY3_TaRUNx7XOKGl5Uv_0RqRzj0Ms8CZeNC9aj9zFXAvdHiJtxDDJ6GbgxTVpHXaZViWgkhA5DMA-4zY-KifmY2u971R6fwrhbHRHh5SXD83Gfs/s320/download_20180625_100737.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPxThEhH5TbGjXPf2ex6FrgfpqY7VYjP-Mv9T1BYRWG_21riiyF6pP_KAK1BTOL3Svt9XbWhD2qtGZT6vZw0NXlpKFOhinh6aE6om0cqeLb-5W_VOwxUOmwwlWjbve5bHC3YIcIAwM3B0g/s1600/20180616_175854.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjPxThEhH5TbGjXPf2ex6FrgfpqY7VYjP-Mv9T1BYRWG_21riiyF6pP_KAK1BTOL3Svt9XbWhD2qtGZT6vZw0NXlpKFOhinh6aE6om0cqeLb-5W_VOwxUOmwwlWjbve5bHC3YIcIAwM3B0g/s320/20180616_175854.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1. (before article) & 2. Sophie's Baptism!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3. Approved Sleepover with the Richfield Hermanas</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4. Generations</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">5. District Breakfast with Brother and Sister Beach this morning</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">6. Breakfast with the Sister we live with before Sister Anderson goes home in a few days!! </span></div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13782404882262836049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621059633376945632.post-4937676682888744042018-07-03T19:22:00.000-07:002018-07-03T19:22:02.809-07:00"A good book that will last through time and into eternity for the angels to look upon." (June 18, 2018)<div dir="ltr">
<div dir="auto">
</div>
<div dir="auto">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVQ31l5cCe9I64JL-jeujrFNlI7DzzbT_SIGdZvZl-pVtYNPOAhW-aGTTRZqgzgpU3XG8ADtekbg0RWkLUuKxn4Q_I8UZxGNJrnCPGpCaFfS0IAcDdoCDrcZYMhPmTaM4lPMNgv3BAkPiX/s1600/FB_IMG_1529072492065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVQ31l5cCe9I64JL-jeujrFNlI7DzzbT_SIGdZvZl-pVtYNPOAhW-aGTTRZqgzgpU3XG8ADtekbg0RWkLUuKxn4Q_I8UZxGNJrnCPGpCaFfS0IAcDdoCDrcZYMhPmTaM4lPMNgv3BAkPiX/s320/FB_IMG_1529072492065.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What a week!! It has been absolutely insane, but I have loved every single moment of it. Where to begin. </span></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Last week I got to go on exchanges with my nieta, Hna Sully! She is the best, we had so much fun and saw so many miracles. On Monday night I was feeling a little stressed and a little sick from some food we had eaten that earlier that day. We went to this dinner and this Hno gave us both these huge plates of salad with chicken, and I did my best and ate the whole thing and felt like I was about to die and could not take another bite. Then turns out, I had misjudged and the salad was only the first course, and he brought out another big plate of chicken with sauce and tortillas and beans for us to make tacos, and I was just looking at it like "nope, no way on heaven or earth can I take another bite without dying" He went back over to the kitchen to do something, and Hna Sully had already sensed my plight, and told me to just put some of it on a tortilla, so I did then she took it and ate it, and we proceeded like that for my entire plate, and so she is the best ever for eating all of my dinner for me. #truecompunity</span></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We also met this amazing lady on exchanges!! Her name is Yolanda, she's from El Salvador, and she was a referral from the English Elders who tracted into her. She was the last stop of the night, and we hadn't seen a lot of success and had been facing a lot of rejection, but that was just the Lord preparing us for a miracle. She recognized us as missionaries and kindly said they were active in another church. But we asked her about her beliefs in Jesus Christ, then we had this amazing discussion on her doorstep about who Christ is to us, and the spirit was opening her heart. She even accepted a copy of the Book of Mormon. We asked if we could say a prayer, then she invited us in. We prayed, then I was thinking "I wish we could show her how the Book of Mormon can answer her questions about God" And right at that moment, out of nowhere, she said, "What does your religion believe about heaven and hell?" My jaw dropped right to the floor, and we opened up the Book of Mormon we had just given her to Alma 40 and read with her, and started teaching the Plan of Salvation, and it was amazing. The Book of Mormon answers questions to the soul! By the end of our visit she committed to reading in the Book of Mormon and accepted a return appointment. And her little daughters were so cute. They gave us each 3 candles from their moms work before we left, and asked when we were coming back and if we could live with them. It was an incredible and so amazing to see the spirit open her heart and see the power of prayer and the Book of Mormon in action. </span></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">One day this week I woke up in a cold sweat that I was back at college and in my math class on the first day and we were taking a test on the unit circle and I couldn't remember it and I was so upset, and I woke up and practiced writing the unit circle, so as if I wasn't already worried enough about my mission coming to an end, now my stress levels increased by like 200%. </span></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">On Saturday evening we were in an apartment building waiting for the english elders to have a pass-off lesson with one of their investigators. We were in that little waiting area, and when we got there another woman was standing there too. We said hello, and she looked at our tags and said "what church are you from?" We said "The church of Jesus Christ of Latter-days Saints" And she goes "Do you have a Book of Mormon?" And we were like "Yeah of course!" and she said "Can I have it? I've been looking for a Book of Mormon" Those aren't the usual questions we get, so we were really excited. It turns out she was baptized when she was 9 in Wisconsin, and her family was really active all growing up. But when she moved here she stopped going because she didn't know where the church was. And recently she has really felt like she needs to go back to church, and has been wanting to read in the Book of Mormon and didn't have her copy anymore. The elders then arrived and told her all the details about church and she said she wanted to go the next day! </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This week we had an awesome member dinner with this new couple that just moved in. They are both returned missionaries, and are so excited to talk about missionary work. Our member message has been sharing the ward mission goals with the families we visit, then having a discussion about what members expect from missionaries, what they want us to do differently, what missionaries have done in the past they have liked or disliked, and it has been insanely successful. Our new motto is 'try EVERYTHING' If they suggest it we try it the next day or over the next week then let them know. And it has been so cool to see the members grow to trust us more and give us referrals because they see that we are working hard and working for their ward. Anyways, these members talked to us about their testimonies of being open in extending the invitation to be baptized to everyone, and shared some miracles they saw. We left feeling so excited about missionary work, determined to try it and report back to them on Sunday. We had a lesson with a part-member family we have been trying to visit forever, but they would cancel the lessons at the last minute or not be home. But we went, and they were home. They recently had a family situation change, so they have been coming to church every week. Their daughter Sophie is going to be turning 10 soon, and is so sweet. So we decided to just ask her about baptism because their family is trying to involve the church more in their lives. She excitedly told us she has wanted to be baptized for a really long time, and that she is so grateful that they are going to church every week now. And she set her own date right there! It was awesome! And she is preparing to be baptized next Sunday!!!! We had an amazing lesson with their whole family, the dad, and the four kids yesterday evening about the Plan of Salvation. As we explained the resurrection and kingdoms of glory, the 13 year old son said "Wait a second, if everyone is just going to be resurrected and be able to live with their families, why is everyone so afraid of dying?" It was so cool to see it click for him, we were like "Exactly! That's why the gospel is so amazing, and that's why we're missionaries to help people understand that." It was so cool to sit with this great family and their precious kids and talk about the sacred and simple truths of the gospel and see how excited they were to apply it. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We are so crazy busy right now, but I am loving every single moment of it with all my heart. This week we got to help teach activity day girls about the importance of journal writing. They asked us to come and bring our journals and read a few entries and share about why journal writing is a blessing. I have tried to be really good about keeping journals on my mission and written about every single day, but I have never really taken time to go back and read any of it yet. So as we were preparing for this, I went back and read the very first thing I wrote right after I got set-apart, and the blessing I received full of promises and counsel from my stake president. I hadn't read it in probably over a year, but I was amazed to see how I have already directly seen everything in that blessing come to pass. Most of it was in ways I never would have expected, but looking back I have seen all those promises of the Lord been fulfilled. It was a very tender moment to realize how much the Lord has been guiding me these past however many months to be exactly in the places he needs me to be. I am so grateful for the guidance from the Lord and his prophets to keep a personal journal. It is something everyone should do. President Kimball taught.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00784314); color: #333333;"><br /></span></i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.00784314); color: #333333;">We hope you will begin as of this date. If you have not already commenced this important duty in your lives, get a good notebook, a good book that will last through time and into eternity for the angels to look upon. Begin today and write in it your goings and your comings, your deeper thoughts, your achievements, and your failures, your associations and your triumphs, your impressions and your testimonies. We hope you will do this, our brothers and sisters, for this is what the Lord has commanded, and those who keep a personal journal are more likely to keep the Lord in remembrance in their daily lives.</span> </i></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><i><br /></i></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I would add my invitation to that of the prophet, please start today! I promise it will bless your life. Everyone in the world can be benefited from writing in a journal, member of the church or no. I am so grateful for my ancestors and those who came before me who took time to write in their journals and the things I've learned from them, and I'm grateful for the journals I have kept and the way they have helped me learn how to live and how to think and how to believe. I know it will help you wherever you are and wherever you may be. Today is the day to begin!!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I love you all, and I love being a missionary! I don't think I can ever say that enough, because every day is such a blessing. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Have a wonderful week!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hermana Meredith </span></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1. Making journals with the girls in our ward (before post).</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5FO0Tsbj_swxbasPIbMwygBPfn4_dd-x6hY0Hrl7vD_juiYLfv4M6eOrxgCaFm-WQ8LtFml5KbcXUpCHfEDMHz94e8jhj_m7h32CgqY8Ba32kZsWlGRrkgrWiHBH9N1cfIFivtg0fbU6-/s1600/20180611_215127.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5FO0Tsbj_swxbasPIbMwygBPfn4_dd-x6hY0Hrl7vD_juiYLfv4M6eOrxgCaFm-WQ8LtFml5KbcXUpCHfEDMHz94e8jhj_m7h32CgqY8Ba32kZsWlGRrkgrWiHBH9N1cfIFivtg0fbU6-/s320/20180611_215127.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPMBmBrnPaKqGTSTBAmWDViIoAzr4njIXcSj29uJaCwMPX2Lo8ge865ldR818l8-09ndGziq_cMGraPvgD5awGGys_MDKKOMxrU1diNQNBGMsFH2L8q5I66yNtc6koJS4WjnWoiDt-5Vtm/s1600/received_2026924100852916.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1280" data-original-width="720" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPMBmBrnPaKqGTSTBAmWDViIoAzr4njIXcSj29uJaCwMPX2Lo8ge865ldR818l8-09ndGziq_cMGraPvgD5awGGys_MDKKOMxrU1diNQNBGMsFH2L8q5I66yNtc6koJS4WjnWoiDt-5Vtm/s320/received_2026924100852916.png" width="180" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgOa4bXKCrQ1Pg_JMMeaAtHoPhgi557RIijHA9ZNleoZlx1zI7Miofmsk3lcKLfOGs8WeYda4GLF2F92ZlU9GAJnH6v5m4n0ilwlSkXqIcdAt-PrwCx0Pn8uPwOZyT0k1mYcpjvCLHha34/s1600/IMG_0811.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgOa4bXKCrQ1Pg_JMMeaAtHoPhgi557RIijHA9ZNleoZlx1zI7Miofmsk3lcKLfOGs8WeYda4GLF2F92ZlU9GAJnH6v5m4n0ilwlSkXqIcdAt-PrwCx0Pn8uPwOZyT0k1mYcpjvCLHha34/s320/IMG_0811.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheb0ezshsb447GHstqTcXsZvRi7MTn_nNt5ivy7vuFXjMeVmVfJEAaFgN5qYsT52VZLUvVcTKlNnF2IJOsAdscLj_G3m8Zq20Nwcs56nGBcl3P9e1RCaMYi2ZSbWT0iPlbEo8WHNZgt4Yi/s1600/IMG_0790.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEheb0ezshsb447GHstqTcXsZvRi7MTn_nNt5ivy7vuFXjMeVmVfJEAaFgN5qYsT52VZLUvVcTKlNnF2IJOsAdscLj_G3m8Zq20Nwcs56nGBcl3P9e1RCaMYi2ZSbWT0iPlbEo8WHNZgt4Yi/s320/IMG_0790.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2. Exchanges with Hna Sully featuring Yolanda's Candles</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3. Only in Minnesota do you have flash floods, tornados, and heat warnings all in one day</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4. Luna!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">5. North Minneapolis </span></div>
</div>
<br />Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13782404882262836049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621059633376945632.post-77964697576140522212018-07-03T19:17:00.003-07:002018-07-03T19:17:41.330-07:00"How great the importance to make these things known unto the inhabitants of the earth" (June 11, 2018)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9hAKZBCs2ZY8OFEI2msew7BDB34pxq4HZkHUkPhptJ0fTmODPjCi0M1XfvhglMmHfJYSw1hkC6wPZjFBNQgQXgz9uKoX6LtXSguh4Xz1t8nd-O4ahkbcOepojiAODhPnQlxWfxbbU-MnQ/s1600/IMG_0779.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9hAKZBCs2ZY8OFEI2msew7BDB34pxq4HZkHUkPhptJ0fTmODPjCi0M1XfvhglMmHfJYSw1hkC6wPZjFBNQgQXgz9uKoX6LtXSguh4Xz1t8nd-O4ahkbcOepojiAODhPnQlxWfxbbU-MnQ/s320/IMG_0779.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hola amigos!! This has been a great week!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And the award for the most creative contact with your ward mission leader goes to... </span></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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. </span></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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. </span></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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. </span></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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. </span></div>
<div dir="auto">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"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."</span></i></div>
<div dir="auto">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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!</span></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I hope you all have a wonderful week! </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hermana Meredith</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkBIqratKhXYJtmMha6DHt8_ZoP7FB9rcB4_VqpqFGC4pH1u_zuSjWasurmAiM1dtU-ZVaZUoR0Vp7ABNgVBZlEi-8M1TYs6EnL5_WDgeZFx0Lz0r29JcUIL70kr7rTAqnyjmpiS4IEOhP/s1600/imagejpeg_3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkBIqratKhXYJtmMha6DHt8_ZoP7FB9rcB4_VqpqFGC4pH1u_zuSjWasurmAiM1dtU-ZVaZUoR0Vp7ABNgVBZlEi-8M1TYs6EnL5_WDgeZFx0Lz0r29JcUIL70kr7rTAqnyjmpiS4IEOhP/s320/imagejpeg_3.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo5udO7GKnCYiSMch6VqG1SibEI8dw9aMu9vBTP0cQWFFicnCDmDRFL0li5PIdGDSt-mJZ9PHlOiFDHJbl9eXoNwLstB6EQcoRDS5IdnEKMpeLNSfx6WI83HgzTl7TqEvfoUisubikVjud/s1600/IMG_0795.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo5udO7GKnCYiSMch6VqG1SibEI8dw9aMu9vBTP0cQWFFicnCDmDRFL0li5PIdGDSt-mJZ9PHlOiFDHJbl9eXoNwLstB6EQcoRDS5IdnEKMpeLNSfx6WI83HgzTl7TqEvfoUisubikVjud/s320/IMG_0795.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2gzl_Cb5pXxtumaA5B6cvuOjBbsmKtWQ621qGIwIOdHOiQudFy0evFhRH9FatRgo-dzvLszW_1OkZYVcmJDGBoWYyfKzbOledDY0C1X_5TOvsECK-DOn9HEAdugNpoAOSSYb37n1u_FHx/s1600/IMG_0900.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2gzl_Cb5pXxtumaA5B6cvuOjBbsmKtWQ621qGIwIOdHOiQudFy0evFhRH9FatRgo-dzvLszW_1OkZYVcmJDGBoWYyfKzbOledDY0C1X_5TOvsECK-DOn9HEAdugNpoAOSSYb37n1u_FHx/s320/IMG_0900.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEh8ES3vu-g8r-Jx_vqU8QRxmlkjQx0j3HxQoY0HyWr7OpCmBbNsjQLWlNtQwbqi-xiMHF5YroeWoRI4bCKHaVwvz-2kcUojMFuvD8lmvrftvyW_vMs0yYY44kigm6wbf-EUaD-KYc1rFk/s1600/received_636925023312572.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1550" data-original-width="1600" height="310" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEh8ES3vu-g8r-Jx_vqU8QRxmlkjQx0j3HxQoY0HyWr7OpCmBbNsjQLWlNtQwbqi-xiMHF5YroeWoRI4bCKHaVwvz-2kcUojMFuvD8lmvrftvyW_vMs0yYY44kigm6wbf-EUaD-KYc1rFk/s320/received_636925023312572.jpeg" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr_V_Cc-AXf0kzfSvXbo_tSQumT3EHtcvTUW4ScqWsa0fH4DRVX4j6jlThzt_TRse23Mx0o1zChWoyhIk1Hju1xIA_Jzmnhja9bFehbpy0YHzi8T6U5Ag77Wpf7X4DIeDz1D5F7t05Pv3f/s1600/P1020053.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhr_V_Cc-AXf0kzfSvXbo_tSQumT3EHtcvTUW4ScqWsa0fH4DRVX4j6jlThzt_TRse23Mx0o1zChWoyhIk1Hju1xIA_Jzmnhja9bFehbpy0YHzi8T6U5Ag77Wpf7X4DIeDz1D5F7t05Pv3f/s320/P1020053.JPG" width="320" /></span></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1. Picnic on the riverside with the Zempoaltecatl family</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2. Yogurtlab has the best ice cream selections of all of Minneapolis</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3. Dinner with the Vegas and Arguetas</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4. Adventures in Anoka part 1</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">5. Minneapolis</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12.8px;">
<br /></div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13782404882262836049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621059633376945632.post-2883118453067404482018-07-03T19:13:00.002-07:002018-07-03T19:13:34.951-07:00"Today could be a special day!" (June 4, 2018)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn85gXZCgR4UiiCFS36Mw_Dl5oWHfTR51PO_RsodAZmAJ3J3Xvf6IKRtK_uF28Wcy0J845slcTvZ2vKY_90m44BFgiRB3yQa70OMFLtXYsAbPZEuE59T4dxfRkPmv6mq7eu-Pgqn5ayH6S/s1600/FB_IMG_1528124335954.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhn85gXZCgR4UiiCFS36Mw_Dl5oWHfTR51PO_RsodAZmAJ3J3Xvf6IKRtK_uF28Wcy0J845slcTvZ2vKY_90m44BFgiRB3yQa70OMFLtXYsAbPZEuE59T4dxfRkPmv6mq7eu-Pgqn5ayH6S/s320/FB_IMG_1528124335954.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hola mis amigos!!!! It's been a great week!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We had an amazing lesson with Pablo, who we just started teaching again, with two members there. We talked about the Book of Mormon and repentance and he told us he knows he needs to make changes, and we talked about how we help people make changes in their lives to come closer to Christ, one of those being baptism, and he accepted that challenge. We've been able to call him every day since then to read a little bit in the Book of Mormon with him, and he is understanding hat we are reading, and talks about how he can use it in his life. He calls us his angels, "mis angelitos," and it's so cool to see how ready he is to accept the message of the gospel and let it change his life.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Another miracle, it was the end of the month and we were WAY over on using our monthly mileage allotment, my fellow missionaries will understand the struggle. On Wednesday we couldn't use our car at all, and did the whole day on bikes. But Heavenly Father sent us the perfect weather. Every other day this week was sunny in the 90s with high humidity, but on Wednesday it was cloudy and rainy and in the 70s and we had such a blast biking 16 miles all over Minneapolis in some perfect weather.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We had mission conference this week with Elder Timothy J. Dyches of the Seventy. It was a crazy day and we learned a lot. I got a lot of good ideas about things I am going to apply and try harder than ever to involve members in missionary work. As well as continue to apply the Book of Mormon as a primary tool in conversion in inviting others to come to know the Savior. A promise I have been given by multiple general authorities throughout my mission is that if you in the Book of Mormon every day, you cannot fall away from the church. If you want to stay faithful, or if you want to gain a testimony for the first time, make the commitment right now that you will read in the Book of Mormon every day for the rest of your life. Let today be the day that changes the rest of your life.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This week we received from really sad news. We have been teaching one of our investigators for a little while. He is 12, his mom is a less-active member, but he comes to church every week with another member family in our ward. We've always been teaching him when his mom and older brother were home and they were in the lessons with us. On Wednesday night we got a call that his older brother had passed away in some sort of unexpected accident. He was only 24, and it is so sad, for the family, for the ward. We are trying harder than ever to be there to support that family, so they have that testimony to rely on, so that they know that they can trust in Christ without a doubt that they can see him again.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There is a talk by President Monson from October 2013 called "In Search of Treasure" that is absolutely amazing that I would highly recommend you all read. One part in particular I liked was this,</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"Sometimes we let our thoughts of tomorrow take up too much of today. Daydreaming of the past and longing for the future may provide comfort but will not take the place of living in the present. This is the day of our opportunity, and we must grasp it.</span></i></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Professor Harold Hill, in Meredith Willson’s The Music Man, cautioned: “You pile up enough tomorrows, and you’ll find you’ve collected a lot of empty yesterdays.”</span></i></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There is no tomorrow to remember if we don’t do something today, and to live most fully today, we must do that which is of greatest importance. Let us not procrastinate those things which matter most. I recently read the account of a man who, just after the passing of his wife, opened her dresser drawer and found there an item of clothing she had purchased when they visited the eastern part of the United States nine years earlier. She had not worn it but was saving it for a special occasion. Now, of course, that occasion would never come. In relating the experience to a friend, the husband said, “Don’t save something only for a special occasion. Every day in your life is a special occasion.”</span></i></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<i><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That friend later said those words changed her life. They helped her to cease putting off the things most important to her. Said she: “Now I spend more time with my family. I use crystal glasses every day. I’ll wear new clothes to go to the supermarket if I feel like it. The words ‘someday’ and ‘one day’ are fading from my vocabulary. Now I take the time to call my relatives and closest friends. I’ve called old friends to make peace over past quarrels. I tell my family members how much I love them. I try not to delay or postpone anything that could bring laughter and joy into our lives. And each morning, I say to myself that this could be a special day. Each day, each hour, each minute, is special.”</span></i></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For the past week I have been trying, and I hope to for the rest of my life wake up to say "Today could be a special day!" Every moment we have is so precious, something we can never fully appreciate until we come to the end of a chapter. So I hope you all can join me this week in remembering that today is a special today, that tomorrow is a special day, that today is the day we will be better than we were yesterday, and it is never too late to start.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Love you all!! Have a wonderful week!</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Quote of the week "I'm agreeing with you and you're yelling at me! You're going to have the hardest marriage ever"</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hermana Meredith</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1. Mission Conference feat. the Minneapolis Zone</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6bHkHiboB-7J-Ox42EQipm4497j_cWJF7pY4YVmE7et_K-NWC7Ks-ipbq4t_hklPGc9_7-TsFZFcbGDlNoa2g4_3Kk-rZQBVNkQetqnOMnRCFcAu0MnlLg6xgfU80KBVAbthLAxFQV7Sd/s1600/IMG_0849.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1280" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj6bHkHiboB-7J-Ox42EQipm4497j_cWJF7pY4YVmE7et_K-NWC7Ks-ipbq4t_hklPGc9_7-TsFZFcbGDlNoa2g4_3Kk-rZQBVNkQetqnOMnRCFcAu0MnlLg6xgfU80KBVAbthLAxFQV7Sd/s320/IMG_0849.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMVQfB_VY-MbJWaI1VM4pBdGlzMcxPOYy0CaU9SlYguaOZsMnyBG_qBBXjJ3ujA5pTedbi9ZOAKDmWjTFYMis5monqRvG_YbKeybIUZrWx3pUg17aKfuhYtGMRxby2vxt6Qi00RFNYBiAH/s1600/20180528_161030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMVQfB_VY-MbJWaI1VM4pBdGlzMcxPOYy0CaU9SlYguaOZsMnyBG_qBBXjJ3ujA5pTedbi9ZOAKDmWjTFYMis5monqRvG_YbKeybIUZrWx3pUg17aKfuhYtGMRxby2vxt6Qi00RFNYBiAH/s320/20180528_161030.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLuZvcab4KcCs08dFMrLcA342kECpfAIfZTXDS3DqUY5F6PKA6b8J85ciuosb0jdLKpRtNFjjfi-czr2_q8hp8t7mTzAFiwQ9SKpIrDpvwjGkR8i0qEmr66dap2bhlYylCDqihmkEZ09DI/s1600/image000000_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLuZvcab4KcCs08dFMrLcA342kECpfAIfZTXDS3DqUY5F6PKA6b8J85ciuosb0jdLKpRtNFjjfi-czr2_q8hp8t7mTzAFiwQ9SKpIrDpvwjGkR8i0qEmr66dap2bhlYylCDqihmkEZ09DI/s320/image000000_01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWvmUDqlvctKjnzqpmytDsgBFNmxK2JCasVCVmD9kSONSsXX8jmVztazTJW2Oa2Gjzqw2cWcwGxdqlLscAO2zukdRM1YlVDVZGB1Fsa__AJZ8Bk3YsiSSQc6k_KyaBQSm6ckspmpYrTihW/s1600/image000003.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWvmUDqlvctKjnzqpmytDsgBFNmxK2JCasVCVmD9kSONSsXX8jmVztazTJW2Oa2Gjzqw2cWcwGxdqlLscAO2zukdRM1YlVDVZGB1Fsa__AJZ8Bk3YsiSSQc6k_KyaBQSm6ckspmpYrTihW/s320/image000003.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2. Karen's birthday party </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3. It is ancient hot outside!</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4,5.This is how we do baby showers in Minneapolis, never complete without a jello baby cake. </span></div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13782404882262836049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621059633376945632.post-50445510559083047122018-07-02T20:26:00.000-07:002018-07-03T19:06:25.640-07:00"This is my joy!" (May 28, 2018)<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHe9ywTspwmMwTZdUBnzkvhLjc3MI3S91QfOFncc2AmzHW1f6PJK0AKMABAw70D9EFgX_ZavRvLpACFAOeq0pPTR_Uy9JwYhY7lVUdoYlhTsfLaw1Wdfkxs_Fgv5IT5bV5WhYGsCIx02Nu/s1600/20180522_130139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHe9ywTspwmMwTZdUBnzkvhLjc3MI3S91QfOFncc2AmzHW1f6PJK0AKMABAw70D9EFgX_ZavRvLpACFAOeq0pPTR_Uy9JwYhY7lVUdoYlhTsfLaw1Wdfkxs_Fgv5IT5bV5WhYGsCIx02Nu/s320/20180522_130139.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Buenos dias!!</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hold onto to your hats amigos because this has been one cRaZy miracle-filled week!!</span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We discovered that there is this amazing little nature preserve literally in the backyard of our apartment so our morning runs are 500 times better now through a little bit of nature. </span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">One of the Hermanas in our district is from Haiti, so she is fluent in French, so last week she helped me brush up on some of my lost high school french skills, with a few expressions including "I'm a missionary". Then on Tuesday morning at service, we help teach English classes, and turned out the woman I was helping was from a country in Africa where they speak French. So I happily told her "I'm a missionary!" and some of my relearned phrases and she was so excited to hear someone speak her native language. </span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There was this amazing less-active family we were teaching last time I was here. They started coming to church basically all by themselves and we started having weekly family home evenings with them. But a little while after I left, they whitewashed this area, which means they put in two new sisters into an area instead of one leaving and one staying. And after that they never got in to meet with them again and they haven't come to church since. They had tried texting and stopping by and never had any luck. So we stopped by on Tuesday and the mom remembered me and told us we could come back the next day, so we had an awesome family night with them on Wednesday, and they know they should come. We think they are experiencing a little bit of pressure from extended family to not be involved in the church. But their little girls are so passionate about learning and want to come, so we are so excited to begin working with them again. </span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Then holy cow there is this amazing part-member family we were working with, and their 14 year old son was getting ready to get baptized last time I was here. Then after I left at the beginning of January, the family told the missionaries they were too busy with school and stuff for the lessons. Then, again with the whitewash, the new sisters, they never really knew about them or that he was interested. So, we decided to stop by on Wednesday afternoon. The son and his mom were home and were super excited to see us. Turns out that his last day of school was that day and they had just gotten home so we had gone at the exact right time. And he told us he still wants to get baptized and wants us to start coming over every week to teach him again!!</span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This other investigator who had dropped us right before I left last time because he felt he didn't have enough time and some other personal problems he was dealing with at the time, we called him and he told us we could come over next week. AND he came to church yesterday!! </span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We got a referral from a part-member family in the English ward in the area when we cover, they just told us they had some Hispanic neighbors. So we stopped by one time, and met one woman, who told us we could come back a different night. So we stopped by again, and a different family member let us in, and we sat down and got to have a lesson with their whole family. The grandma, the parents, and their 4 kids. Turns out the husband is a less-active member, he got baptized in Mexico when he was little, and has only come to church a couple of times here. And we had never heard of him or their family so we are super excited that we found them! And the rest of the family is open to have us come over every week to share more of our message as well. </span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Then remember how last week I got to give a talk in sacrament meeting and at the last minute changed it to be about missionary work. Well we went to dinner with a member this week and while we were helping her in the kitchen, she told me"Hermana, I've been thinking a lot about the talk you gave and the ways that we can do missionary work. I really want to be able to share the gospel with some of my friends but I don't know how to start." So it opened up to an amazing discussion about member missionary work, and it was really cool to see that someone was listening and that it has touched at least one person. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Oh and we had two baptisms in the ward yesterday!! Our investigator, Yeimy, got baptized, and another investigator from the other area and it was amazing! It's cool to see the whole ward come together to support our newest members. </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This has been such a fun, rewarding week of missionary work. It's getting pretty hot, but we are having a blast biking all around Minneapolis and Brooklyn Center. We have found nine new people to teach this and they are all so ready to receive the message of the restored gospel. It has been so much fun to be outside in the sun, and talking to everyone, and sharing the gospel and seeing miracles. I feel so much joy to be on the errand of angels, on the side of Christ. "This is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy." Alma 29:9</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Quotes of the week </span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"The spider bit me so I ate it. I'm at the top of the food chain" Elders Dyerly</span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">"Do you want to see my book from God?" A little girl whose family we are teaching and she proceeded to go to her room and get a copy of the Book of Mormon. </span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br class="m_8610774900786813580gmail-Apple-interchange-newline" />Hermana Meredith</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlC6T65Uto6XywIbOBVaGrCTJ3UggDraQraLBvbTDnn2oGajAs-LfC8t0SoDrJ-ju8uKKpKVJoagTvhXW4Kb6m3YuV4HO1zCII2SYF8H9fJJtvws-SWl59wK5uelDqU2Q-yMYXVAIBd1OB/s1600/IMG_0763.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlC6T65Uto6XywIbOBVaGrCTJ3UggDraQraLBvbTDnn2oGajAs-LfC8t0SoDrJ-ju8uKKpKVJoagTvhXW4Kb6m3YuV4HO1zCII2SYF8H9fJJtvws-SWl59wK5uelDqU2Q-yMYXVAIBd1OB/s320/IMG_0763.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-fCwnF58l6PVtynuKgkS5pDbPRoCI5fSJFY8vizOeFMS8Z7t0zRdnQuzDOEFvZRrT-6JwYWUU0quopvH6TlyhgkdZBGWRUoGV0NNy1FUaNXviicHVnMiMdJI6Zbilx-aCH_k6LNpOXXZ/s1600/IMG_0767.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEju-fCwnF58l6PVtynuKgkS5pDbPRoCI5fSJFY8vizOeFMS8Z7t0zRdnQuzDOEFvZRrT-6JwYWUU0quopvH6TlyhgkdZBGWRUoGV0NNy1FUaNXviicHVnMiMdJI6Zbilx-aCH_k6LNpOXXZ/s320/IMG_0767.JPG" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiudFJcWhfIySA56X44qyLOMGP-iQsxFpugGcTAIBZ87N37hF9-NO3CVIDFGmdM-cNt5J0Fv41FrCffCqFEDFx6nZSQtipMBq5dhaoK-zw0IHGZlOiXHbiOwFfGO1KFtz5qRWKjSYHe8i7I/s1600/received_1993193807419957.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="750" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiudFJcWhfIySA56X44qyLOMGP-iQsxFpugGcTAIBZ87N37hF9-NO3CVIDFGmdM-cNt5J0Fv41FrCffCqFEDFx6nZSQtipMBq5dhaoK-zw0IHGZlOiXHbiOwFfGO1KFtz5qRWKjSYHe8i7I/s320/received_1993193807419957.jpeg" width="179" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1. El Bautismo de Yeimy</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2. Paposas with the Matus family!! Best day ever</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3. We saw Hno Leo from Lakeville at Mission President's Fireside</span></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13782404882262836049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621059633376945632.post-22763228361399072942018-07-02T20:21:00.004-07:002018-07-02T20:21:47.726-07:00"And they straightway left their nets, and followed him" (May 21, 2018)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNMeHZbEHZaBYAJutL1cmKVXdoXmJEGL37ExxR8_aSRpH9fGuWVcpJKItUFCTF0FCczGj4yFGWn_-2DyJ_KdjSqScJGRSLtrNC7sb374sOnk3t8r7eb376OThQ10JR_bK-HTWb0bWhRT_l/s1600/20180519_164922.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNMeHZbEHZaBYAJutL1cmKVXdoXmJEGL37ExxR8_aSRpH9fGuWVcpJKItUFCTF0FCczGj4yFGWn_-2DyJ_KdjSqScJGRSLtrNC7sb374sOnk3t8r7eb376OThQ10JR_bK-HTWb0bWhRT_l/s320/20180519_164922.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Dear Friends and Family, </span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Greetings from Minneapolis!! It has been a crazy week, but full of some really great adventures. Last Monday was crazy, I already knew I was leaving, so I was mostly packed, then Hna Davis and I left for the mission home on Monday night. It was pretty bittersweet leaving Rochester and saying goodbye to Hna Davis and everyone at church. Because we had been there for 4 months together, and it's weird to see it all end so quickly. Then transfers weren't until Thursday, so I got to be in a trio with the Richfield Hermanas, Hna Hanson and Hudman for a couple of days, and we had a blast . </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Then finally on Thursday I got to my new area, North Minneapolis with my new companion, Hna Nissinen. She is amazing! She just got out of training, and is so excited about missionary work. She is from Portland, Oregon, and she was studying Piano Performance in college , so we've already got a lot of fun duets planned, and it is so fun to be back in a Spanish ward. Yesterday, an hour before church started, we got a call from the first councilor in the bishopric that someone had cancelled and they needed me to speak in Sacrament Meeting. So I got a baptism by fire welcome back into the ward, but it went really well. I had a talk prewritten about the Plan of Salvation that I was planning on just using. We had coordination right before church with our ward mission leader, Hno Matus. And he is always so excited about missionary work, and he went off on a tangent about how the ward needs to ask us to give talks in sacrament meeting about how to do missionary work. So quickly rewrote the last half of my talk to be an inspirational message about doing missionary work, so it was a pretty crazy Sunday!!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Yesterday one of our investigators, Yeimy, had her baptismal interview and she passed, so she will be getting baptized next Sunday! She is 9, and is very excited. And it has been fun to be back in the area, and have people I didn't talk to that much remember me and be excited that I'm back. There are also quite a few people who the hermanas have fallen out of contact that we've been able to see agian, so we are getting ready for a transfer full of miracles. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">And MILAGROS! I found out last night, that one of our investigators who we were teaching in Rochester, Maria, who we found through the miracle of the broken windshield wipers. accepted the invitation to be baptized last week! </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This week I started my last 12 weeks of my mission, so I set a few goals, one being I decided to start reading the Book of Mormon in Spanish and finish before I go home, and I have been studying it for ways that the prophets receive and act on promptings of the spirit. I have truly gained a testimony the last few months that of what President Nelson taught in conference "nothing opens the heavens quite like the combination of increased purity, exat obedience, earnest seeking, daily feasting on teh words of Christ in the Book of Mormon, and regular time committed to the temple and family history work" When we can live with purity, and be open to the promptings of the Spirit, that is when we can become instruments in the hands of God to work miracles. Last night we got to attend an event where recent converts share their conversion stories, and it has got me more motivated than ever to give it all I have. In Matthew 4:19-20 we read "And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him" Now we're not all fishermen, but likening the scriptures, our nets are those things that are holding us back our wants, our desires, our distractions, our fears, and leave it all behind. When the Savior calls, immediately dropping our nets, and following him with the faith that he will make up the difference. I hope all of you can think of something you can give up this week, one of the nets you can drop that will allow you to more fully follow the example of the Savior. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Have a wonderful week!! </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hermana Meredith </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1. Wheeler family! It was Alexis' birthday on Tuesday and her wish was that we came over for dinner before we got transferred. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2. Farewell to the Rochester Trio</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3. Hna Lopez</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4. Sister Fletcher!!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">5. North Minneapolis once again</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjpE5BjGzlKDSWQOb_lWkRB-klF-0DHL_NTuEbvtTfOPaxPXaea2g0aQKuqfDKyVI-XftmSb6K4G_Ct4rc7nb-xn3o__wmn4QtMqQUi6negXFXDmfMon5t7IuO7MXF_azpV-CWaBOEsxqK/s1600/image000002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="640" data-original-width="480" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjpE5BjGzlKDSWQOb_lWkRB-klF-0DHL_NTuEbvtTfOPaxPXaea2g0aQKuqfDKyVI-XftmSb6K4G_Ct4rc7nb-xn3o__wmn4QtMqQUi6negXFXDmfMon5t7IuO7MXF_azpV-CWaBOEsxqK/s320/image000002.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKetRabszzMnRcG4OIwD2sToaBnWjspEurqHcyvqkiPMEvxXRHC6C0t9sy8-GodTiN6OhUTPrEEG24ZFo5VRHEx3PXAHEnm1RzFABkfMgVkMjaCOqZ1YdCef-xyrRBWuISSQy_93HwXTtl/s1600/received_1756669084391356.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="352" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKetRabszzMnRcG4OIwD2sToaBnWjspEurqHcyvqkiPMEvxXRHC6C0t9sy8-GodTiN6OhUTPrEEG24ZFo5VRHEx3PXAHEnm1RzFABkfMgVkMjaCOqZ1YdCef-xyrRBWuISSQy_93HwXTtl/s320/received_1756669084391356.jpeg" width="234" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuE2Z4SfyD1hGMlozq8jLrf5micTeXHnxj-56Syj3bUN5hP2If06mStqaEhlA2dbxnNADkxD5anK9lH8M9ELg8kcJNsrSk2zLBv-VFJbDHdqrNezM1TGjGzh5uxt507YuMNNGxhCW6xDc8/s1600/IMG_0402.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuE2Z4SfyD1hGMlozq8jLrf5micTeXHnxj-56Syj3bUN5hP2If06mStqaEhlA2dbxnNADkxD5anK9lH8M9ELg8kcJNsrSk2zLBv-VFJbDHdqrNezM1TGjGzh5uxt507YuMNNGxhCW6xDc8/s320/IMG_0402.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-9idKWYrLdtYahCXUH6o3XwzixZQsj4XC9Qs2dk4EJ9MbnUn1kdub3cOcLxNOMd2nYK-Tlz5VwhbrxgAgI_wOQPGIL2jqr572iKLVkzzcWQdAhEUaO8F1D2RSS3tbtXvrFqAZMyXiYPN/s1600/imagejpeg_2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3-9idKWYrLdtYahCXUH6o3XwzixZQsj4XC9Qs2dk4EJ9MbnUn1kdub3cOcLxNOMd2nYK-Tlz5VwhbrxgAgI_wOQPGIL2jqr572iKLVkzzcWQdAhEUaO8F1D2RSS3tbtXvrFqAZMyXiYPN/s320/imagejpeg_2.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13782404882262836049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621059633376945632.post-39663214564840799632018-07-02T20:17:00.000-07:002018-07-03T19:06:53.018-07:00"Behold Thy Mother" (May 14, 2018)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJH4-O9r56s-jxVej54wT8TWn1qujEyGevfMbJMhyP2Aau5uKWhG-Y9vXNSr-7DwdDQ0wl5cM7FyqBUbRN_Z17lxGmDKH253oL7OoFGUYhn3JgUrnVmmnXXuakZFqkvIG7xRSUQoz2WKts/s1600/received_2135431373152718.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJH4-O9r56s-jxVej54wT8TWn1qujEyGevfMbJMhyP2Aau5uKWhG-Y9vXNSr-7DwdDQ0wl5cM7FyqBUbRN_Z17lxGmDKH253oL7OoFGUYhn3JgUrnVmmnXXuakZFqkvIG7xRSUQoz2WKts/s320/received_2135431373152718.jpeg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Feliz dia de las madres!! Happy mothers day everyone! It was such a joy to get to talk to my family yesterday, and I hope you all got to get give your mothers a great big hug. </span></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We got to go to the temple on Thursday! It was such a treat, our whole zone got rides and were able to do a session together. It was peaceful and unifying, and it really helped all of us to be refreshed by the spirit we felt there. </span></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">It has been a week of endings. Friday and Saturday we were trying to visit everyone we could so that Hermana Hopkins could meet them before we both leave, as well as giving her a crash course of the Area Book and taking notes on all the random knowledge we have in our heads about our time in this area. </span></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hna Davis is getting ready to go home in the next couple of days, and I'm getting transferred back to North Minneapolis! I'm excited, I spent 6 weeks there around Christmas time and I'm excited to go back and get to know the people there better and give it all I've got. It has been sad to say goodbye, I have really come to love the people here and have learned a lot, but I am looking forward to new adventures for the last 3 months. </span></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We've been doing this awesome dinner message with families with little kids the past couple of weeks. We talk about Alma and Amulek and how missionaries work together. Then we give them our area book map and tell have them pick one of our potential investigators they think we should go give a Book of Mormon to that week. They remember the name they picked then at church they get to follow up with us and see what happened. It has been INCREDIBLE! Almost everyone we have visited to do that has become a new investigator, and it has been the exact right time we needed to stop by, right when they got home from work or are able to talk to us, and the kids are always so excited to hear about it, and it has really been helping the primary get motivated about helping us do missionary work. </span></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I LOVE being a missionary. It is truly the greatest work I have ever been a part of, and I learn so many things each and every single day. Thank you for all the love and support! Sorry this one has been kind of short, but I'll get some more good ones for next week. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbxMzVP0qas7uVIGGI8yvHW6AWJK3W14BInZBRyx-Mxhg6KtgNZxMrROqefg-GlgtR-DFuw5sL-y86IA-_6TAxFKCMZi5j0LK7LNfhsYeQRqbA3uj0VJbQwUbA0KRmCwCofsQJvO9xUeeB/s1600/imagejpeg_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbxMzVP0qas7uVIGGI8yvHW6AWJK3W14BInZBRyx-Mxhg6KtgNZxMrROqefg-GlgtR-DFuw5sL-y86IA-_6TAxFKCMZi5j0LK7LNfhsYeQRqbA3uj0VJbQwUbA0KRmCwCofsQJvO9xUeeB/s320/imagejpeg_0.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2KlU5Ix5TXKWrtI-LxoboKCBzw8xoOAHG056NDFVqPw5Bx0AT_FfhmdzdwvhsEIedrIB14mbvySMM2RZ4prudqiSLRjSpmJySSSpLHmYBM0gBRZ_5CF5dReETavzO0mVkhk8ff0M5g_99/s1600/imagejpeg_0_09.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2KlU5Ix5TXKWrtI-LxoboKCBzw8xoOAHG056NDFVqPw5Bx0AT_FfhmdzdwvhsEIedrIB14mbvySMM2RZ4prudqiSLRjSpmJySSSpLHmYBM0gBRZ_5CF5dReETavzO0mVkhk8ff0M5g_99/s320/imagejpeg_0_09.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimbAr7_i5WQLPeF6CV0_Ny6jNmX0FOyQluq76CW9BrAxMZ_ZFUjv71GwSSb_AZ1UrcuD7KhNhd0JmWnTSISiZBVI7nCC7vpszLOOn2MleU8fQLMbLfNE4-7nwI3JSKC4bvHsZ9PPyEyxSv/s1600/20180512_132114.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="780" data-original-width="1040" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimbAr7_i5WQLPeF6CV0_Ny6jNmX0FOyQluq76CW9BrAxMZ_ZFUjv71GwSSb_AZ1UrcuD7KhNhd0JmWnTSISiZBVI7nCC7vpszLOOn2MleU8fQLMbLfNE4-7nwI3JSKC4bvHsZ9PPyEyxSv/s320/20180512_132114.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOV7s53BYDWhWngzjGiIul9gkLX1PofQa26pGMrU9l9az0NkHsYkZCBBRKgXHGZ2IHna-V5qwwLeU1Iv58hFOuyZbFSkVEf9KolmscmVVFbsw9ABDWV3wUPYphI5m2Dj6dRwqI5guxtq-j/s1600/20180512_201020.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjOV7s53BYDWhWngzjGiIul9gkLX1PofQa26pGMrU9l9az0NkHsYkZCBBRKgXHGZ2IHna-V5qwwLeU1Iv58hFOuyZbFSkVEf9KolmscmVVFbsw9ABDWV3wUPYphI5m2Dj6dRwqI5guxtq-j/s320/20180512_201020.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_B6L3pacAodKRhDIlv3dsAKmM678jEECxiNfzw7bW9v9E199AaQ2EHnHtkPppN5ReuxletSIbfVze1QquXVewIuK29OvZxW4tLsIN7FWC4JNt8l4o7AC-sgkGYkO4phXcPUGey_5wRlDT/s1600/20180509_200954.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_B6L3pacAodKRhDIlv3dsAKmM678jEECxiNfzw7bW9v9E199AaQ2EHnHtkPppN5ReuxletSIbfVze1QquXVewIuK29OvZxW4tLsIN7FWC4JNt8l4o7AC-sgkGYkO4phXcPUGey_5wRlDT/s320/20180509_200954.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">1. Mothers day dinner with the Widman family and their cute dog, Bingley</span></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">2. Temple trip! (Above)</span></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">3. Mothers day</span></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">4. Our friend, Hno Armando, from Lakeville was in town and we got to visit him!!!</span></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">5. Lunch with President and Sister Ferrara from the mission presidency</span></div>
<div dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">6. feat. the young women of the Rochester 3rd Ward, love them with all my heart</span></div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13782404882262836049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621059633376945632.post-90895673403067110412018-07-02T20:11:00.003-07:002018-07-02T20:11:39.922-07:00"For such a time as this" (May 10, 2018)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP8q5-fej6KkoyrsU46tEjV9t0RJKaPZW9eKTvaXBWV4JF0MpqgXhOyKXOJdp7PDgMRpOu3Gnxtll83EWAYA0QK3LM5rcWZebeptrLkQYOH30NJIZhxEXCahsw09FNuAF-fmCtrX5Ng8Dv/s1600/received_1780450705350214.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP8q5-fej6KkoyrsU46tEjV9t0RJKaPZW9eKTvaXBWV4JF0MpqgXhOyKXOJdp7PDgMRpOu3Gnxtll83EWAYA0QK3LM5rcWZebeptrLkQYOH30NJIZhxEXCahsw09FNuAF-fmCtrX5Ng8Dv/s320/received_1780450705350214.jpeg" width="320" /></a><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hola amigos!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This week has been "so good!" We get to go to the temple today so that's why I'm writing a little late, lo siento. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">First update, we're in a trio now with my old comp, Hermana Hopkins! Last week we had Mission leadership Council up in Bloomington. There's been a lot of switches recently in the mission, and Hna Hopkins' companion went home, so we are training her into the Rochester life and it's been a party, we are seeing a lot of miracles in the trio life. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">For the meeting, we all sat in the gym in a big semi-circle and discussed the needs of the mission and the culture and the things we could do to improve. We all knelt in prayer and felt inspired to set a new mission focus on virtue, especially through exact obedience and increased purity. And we have seen a renewed sense of dedication among ourselves and the other missionaries as we are seeking to make more sacrifices to change ourselves and be more dedicated to the Savior. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Then this past week was cinco de mayo so we had a PACHANGA! We had stake Conference, so we couldn't do on Saturday night, so we actually did it on Monday, el siete de mayo, as a Hispanic family home evening. It was a huge hit! We had a bunch of Hispanic members and English members come, and delicious Hispanic food, and games, and music. We were a little panicked because it started at 6:30 and at 6:35 we were still the only people there, but everyone showed up and brought amazing food. It was a great opportunity for increased fellowship, and everyone had a great time and we are excited for the ward to keep growing and improving. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We had an incredible Stake Conference this past weekend. Our stake president decided to have everyone gather at the stake center instead of broadcasting. And I learned so much, the whole weekend was about ministering and how we can reach out and love others. On Saturday afternoon we went to the leadership training session and we had a break off session and we got to meet with all the ward mission leaders in the stake and talk about how ministering impacts missionary work. We were talking with the branch mission leader from a little town on the border of Minnesota and Wisconsin that's in our stake. The missionaries were recently pulled out because of various obedience problems, and have not been replaced, and the mission office is getting ready to close and sell the missionary apartment there. The branch mission leader was talking about how his unit didn't have full time missionaries, then asked us if we had any idea if they would be replaced soon. We told him we had no idea, but that the mission is closing the apartment. He was vsibily disappointed then told us "We've all been fasting and praying for missionaries to come, so I guess we'll just have to keep on doing that" And it really struck my heart. There are many members in the world, who are praying for missionaries, who want good missionaries who will do the work in their ward and teach their friends and bring others unto Christ. And it made me ponder if I'm one of those missionaries, if I'm doing what's needed, if I'm giving it my all, if I'm living worthy of the fasting and prayers of the members who are pleading for full-time missionaries to come. Am I living worthy of the faith and sacrifice of the members with whom I serve? I have seen so many sacrifices from the many members with whom I am served. People who have nothing but are willing to give everything because they want people to hear the gospel. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">At the end of another session one of the members of the stake presidency shared a story that ended with the line "Why did we come here?" And not letting ourselves get distracted by obstacles but remembering why we came here. Remembering why we came here, why we chose this plan. And for me, remembering why I gave these 18 months to serve the Lord. It reminded me of the scripture in Ester 4:14 "and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this?" This week I have spent a lot of time asking my self "why did you come here?" And it has helped me find joy in the journey, for such a time as this, to participate in the work of salvation and help invite souls to come unto Christ. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Love you all and have a great week! </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hermana Meredith</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis3lrq-Av1G7RyPFnPkSuThrdncyLo2LbXU2qmcA92NNr9RrXXfibeK-YYsTKNw0qpONH6v32CAMSf4A68n-Ofq-hMa3qgZ3FFjEFPL-lhC-NGl5yzdBLPEcrT33p-rXYJifG030iSGSjh/s1600/20180501_081756.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEis3lrq-Av1G7RyPFnPkSuThrdncyLo2LbXU2qmcA92NNr9RrXXfibeK-YYsTKNw0qpONH6v32CAMSf4A68n-Ofq-hMa3qgZ3FFjEFPL-lhC-NGl5yzdBLPEcrT33p-rXYJifG030iSGSjh/s320/20180501_081756.jpg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2. #Eternalcomps</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhuhhadNzYhqJ2B_o0GGgi3U5vwFDSy3KjaUUleNi9pA_n9jHyucVRVCxkaag-guwj-qTdJ3xW6ebGYCm0EfzXaVA-a_CvtF1Xkf4tbT62Ty1OgD1olBy8NXGDoFgAFXNFs1Ar1GiWp1AS/s1600/received_10212141487634309.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhuhhadNzYhqJ2B_o0GGgi3U5vwFDSy3KjaUUleNi9pA_n9jHyucVRVCxkaag-guwj-qTdJ3xW6ebGYCm0EfzXaVA-a_CvtF1Xkf4tbT62Ty1OgD1olBy8NXGDoFgAFXNFs1Ar1GiWp1AS/s320/received_10212141487634309.jpeg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3. Ice cream with the Mission President Barney after Stake Conference.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh96W6mohzA2R_NZ5D-wcdOXyVLnIyBY5AJ6Jm4chlmE-v4Dhv-Qge-if8Bz8P5IospDFccq7d6m47qSfoY-Zc0aM2BPrHuOco6e9crUd8KWice1lngUpvAmNgsaaFFddj34_qRK2slRZ-E/s1600/received_1780450532016898.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg350sWj3Pkf5PsCc8yIj47y_88zyPhKjV6xvsfYs0fqhHxSK6_WX015k3P0iA_I8_8-MIiQg5CXFZNBFMzLOhvk7XeE_8exd4uISaeEiRTuRygy7pF_YmjyOYe3yhRrnoJHA0TrFUshSRo/s1600/received_1780450158683602.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="600" data-original-width="800" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg350sWj3Pkf5PsCc8yIj47y_88zyPhKjV6xvsfYs0fqhHxSK6_WX015k3P0iA_I8_8-MIiQg5CXFZNBFMzLOhvk7XeE_8exd4uISaeEiRTuRygy7pF_YmjyOYe3yhRrnoJHA0TrFUshSRo/s320/received_1780450158683602.jpeg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">4. Los Hermosillo ❤❤</span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh96W6mohzA2R_NZ5D-wcdOXyVLnIyBY5AJ6Jm4chlmE-v4Dhv-Qge-if8Bz8P5IospDFccq7d6m47qSfoY-Zc0aM2BPrHuOco6e9crUd8KWice1lngUpvAmNgsaaFFddj34_qRK2slRZ-E/s1600/received_1780450532016898.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="360" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh96W6mohzA2R_NZ5D-wcdOXyVLnIyBY5AJ6Jm4chlmE-v4Dhv-Qge-if8Bz8P5IospDFccq7d6m47qSfoY-Zc0aM2BPrHuOco6e9crUd8KWice1lngUpvAmNgsaaFFddj34_qRK2slRZ-E/s320/received_1780450532016898.jpeg" width="240" /></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">5. Breakfast with Hna Lopez!</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicaY-6sMcjjcSrNN52jZNOm3BKVbnT41tIAZOCNkI7WRZn3LAuWD2qBeK30vjdl6pu-rpqgxH8vuipiFk0-muByrAZCaAKNI1IoUt3lpsSa9z8_53oVpsVwSbS9NcNmZR-hcZRYbdDFHvV/s1600/received_1780450245350260.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="360" data-original-width="480" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicaY-6sMcjjcSrNN52jZNOm3BKVbnT41tIAZOCNkI7WRZn3LAuWD2qBeK30vjdl6pu-rpqgxH8vuipiFk0-muByrAZCaAKNI1IoUt3lpsSa9z8_53oVpsVwSbS9NcNmZR-hcZRYbdDFHvV/s320/received_1780450245350260.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">6. Mona, this really sweet old woman we visit. We brought her ice cream and she was so excited. </span></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13782404882262836049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621059633376945632.post-55694808374762994982018-07-02T20:03:00.004-07:002018-07-02T20:03:31.236-07:00"That I should be a minister of Jesus Christ" (April 30, 2018)<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1. I call this "Girl holding a chicken looking directly into the sun"</span></div>
<div data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2. Exchanges!</span></div>
<div data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">3,4. Bike day!</span></div>
<div data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">5. Minnesota country <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtVTp0dpYfh2ZK54VpyOpDco3-wjY2r_FI8BRxIctwc2GEmUcsaH2J7oBy84SfCVHbXW3IWZgSYV-tH0YWZOlO1EZ5kwY-tnJdaJDyMUjVW2QxhSRE_PsH3QJ-s3VCqIECm7VL7gsB9aFS/s1600/20180423_182905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtVTp0dpYfh2ZK54VpyOpDco3-wjY2r_FI8BRxIctwc2GEmUcsaH2J7oBy84SfCVHbXW3IWZgSYV-tH0YWZOlO1EZ5kwY-tnJdaJDyMUjVW2QxhSRE_PsH3QJ-s3VCqIECm7VL7gsB9aFS/s320/20180423_182905.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiq6cYJneCDBA2wWqpMq3ZtRrq3aVPi1nBILfPGKWkagXl5MR3yIVk_RgceByAfpXUM2ij3axlfJcLSBjlh0NyQc10G_jBNAOQtyjFcHvDe-4Scgs2cnIyLxk-C0UXnhJQDWJQ1yzc7F8O/s1600/20180426_204501.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiq6cYJneCDBA2wWqpMq3ZtRrq3aVPi1nBILfPGKWkagXl5MR3yIVk_RgceByAfpXUM2ij3axlfJcLSBjlh0NyQc10G_jBNAOQtyjFcHvDe-4Scgs2cnIyLxk-C0UXnhJQDWJQ1yzc7F8O/s320/20180426_204501.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXUNawgJPZoV3hXLYP2fXJ5epuMwUHRTx7ZJZCO5eD2_MLir345-RKsnHeapapl8tcdA4iI6A0_AQhD7saKlnTwT3IS0tSXFOnVc-HcqdQcMyqnX9nZNM77_42i0Rp5aMLeJbH4Wp5YM7h/s1600/20180425_143751.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXUNawgJPZoV3hXLYP2fXJ5epuMwUHRTx7ZJZCO5eD2_MLir345-RKsnHeapapl8tcdA4iI6A0_AQhD7saKlnTwT3IS0tSXFOnVc-HcqdQcMyqnX9nZNM77_42i0Rp5aMLeJbH4Wp5YM7h/s320/20180425_143751.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibcm-jvhbnbRFaKYzEaGzq9Zkk_b10T5e5JkSDx6t2AOadPmoyAkdlDMO3TIT1e5oB8SVswaG3yhyAqHwPpcC54lVoz2xUqzP5-oBtXEFseENsdgulTODXCm7xLpwm7jczQN35TxrXTnSy/s1600/image000000.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibcm-jvhbnbRFaKYzEaGzq9Zkk_b10T5e5JkSDx6t2AOadPmoyAkdlDMO3TIT1e5oB8SVswaG3yhyAqHwPpcC54lVoz2xUqzP5-oBtXEFseENsdgulTODXCm7xLpwm7jczQN35TxrXTnSy/s320/image000000.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghQ6j67WWhG9b87m3Oc9cbUgMX4EwJ47hAegqRiJr-SvUB5icXzs5PjjSLnq3R-_TBGqk6A3OxgCKEt56yNccC5tMhEvygbs9_d1frOVRX0MTa_88gljbvg4DF7y3ZJ7EHPbEn9ml2l0gv/s1600/20180427_194139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghQ6j67WWhG9b87m3Oc9cbUgMX4EwJ47hAegqRiJr-SvUB5icXzs5PjjSLnq3R-_TBGqk6A3OxgCKEt56yNccC5tMhEvygbs9_d1frOVRX0MTa_88gljbvg4DF7y3ZJ7EHPbEn9ml2l0gv/s320/20180427_194139.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hey there friends! It's been a great week!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">To start off, crazy animals encounters!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We were doing a blitz in Kasson, just outside of Rochester, and we were trying to stop by to see a part member family, and they live way out in the middle of nowhere and had two horses we got to pet.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Another member we had dinner with just got 15 pet chickens, one of them is named 'salad' so they can say, "this is my chicken, salad"</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There is this awesome lady we met a few weeks back, but the problem is we can never get back to her door to knock because there is a giant German shepherd always guarding and growling and barking and we're afraid he'll eat us if we get too close to the fence. On Saturday when we went though, the dog was sleeping on the porch. So we knew we could knock on the door at least one time before the dog woke up, so Hermana Davis creeped up and knocked, and the dog jumped up and reached for her hand but she was able to get away fast enough, then the dog started barking like usual. Sadly she didn't come to the door, but we survived. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We were trying to visit this member in the middle of nowhere and went down a long dirt road then a long windy driveway and were afraid we would get kidnapped. Haha, we were ok and the lady was super nice, but told us to be careful on the way because there are tons of deer in the woods around the house and they jump out in front of the cars then try to outrun them. And that's how we met the suicidal deer. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Oh also there was a giant centipede on our wall when we woke up and it nearly scared us half to death. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This week I got to give a training in district meeting on daily planning and it was a really good refresher that has helped me be organized and on top of our schedule which had made our daily planning sessions more meaningful and helped us work more effectively. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">With the beautiful weather we also got to bike! On Wednesday we biked 10 miles and found a new investigator and went to a bunch of appointments so it was a great day. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We also got to do exchanges and I went with Sister White! She just got to the mission 3 weeks ago, but she is already a professional and it was so fun to be her companion for the day and see many miracles in our area. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This week I have LOVED getting to study about ministry. One of my favorite scriptures about it so far is in Romans 15:16 "That I should be the minister of Jesus Christ to the Gentiles, ministering the gospel of God, that the offering up of the Gentiles might be acceptable, being sanctified by the Holy Ghost." And when you click on minister it defines it as "servant at one's own expense" and that's really what ministering and missionary work is all about. It's never convenient. If we wait for it to work with our schedule we will never have time, but as we put the Lord first there will be enough time for everything. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Have a fantastic week! </span></div>
<div data-smartmail="gmail_signature">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div data-smartmail="gmail_signature">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hermana Meredith</span></div>
<div data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="auto">
<br /></div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13782404882262836049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621059633376945632.post-19945091396272505882018-07-02T19:57:00.002-07:002018-07-02T19:57:22.180-07:00"The Lord will give us all the courage we need" (April 23, 2018)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2nrvc4O2Y7ZyLOFsEWdshDhbK9ebeK6JGSPTUl4DYoLZngsgDjMaYtYDHH3hNL7Ry6QdZASxO9K-6vJovSoggkJyypews2D6sRACa4qWvqm6kKLu-pEqoEYH0SuuL5SLZkT5-e6R6sQpi/s1600/20180416_133444.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2nrvc4O2Y7ZyLOFsEWdshDhbK9ebeK6JGSPTUl4DYoLZngsgDjMaYtYDHH3hNL7Ry6QdZASxO9K-6vJovSoggkJyypews2D6sRACa4qWvqm6kKLu-pEqoEYH0SuuL5SLZkT5-e6R6sQpi/s320/20180416_133444.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Buenos días amigos!</span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So this week officially marks the end of Minnesota winter! We got our last snowstorm on Wednesday, and it's all basically melted, and spring has sprung!</span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">That day we had an amazing lesson with our investigator, we'll call her Maria, the one who we miraculously found because our windshield wipers broke. She lives on the other side of our area and we didn't feel comfortable trying to get there so we had a video lesson with her instead. She is AMAZING and progressing so well! She is reading in the Book of Mormon, and read the pamphlet we left her, and watched a video about the restoration we sent her and she is so excited to be learning and keeping commitments. She had been kind of struggling to understand the content and the old fashioned wording in the Book of Mormon. So we read with her in the lesson and stopped and explained what was happening after every few verses and it really helped her understand and open it and she started loving it. We are so excited for her! </span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We had zone conference this week, President Barney trained on using the Book of Mormon and we got to give a training on the importance of being 'astonishing' when we teach the restoration, and how it's a bold doctrine we share, and we need to astonish as we share it with love and boldness. </span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We also got to take a fun road trip to Lacrosse, Wisconsin this week to go on exchanges with the sisters there. The sister I was with just finished her training, but she is wise beyond her years and taught me a lot about setting goals and relying on the Lord as we humbly seek to grow. </span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This has not been the easiest week, but I have been truly inspired as I've studied the words of living prophets and apostles from recent general conferences. A couple of highlights:</span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"You may feel that there are others who are more capable or more experienced who could fulfill your callings and assignments better than you can, but the Lord gave you your responsibilities for a reason. There may be people and hearts only you can reach out and touch. Perhaps no one else could do it in quite the same way." - Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf </span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">" It is not surprising that we feel from time to time nearly overwhelmed. The fact is that you can't do it by yourself...When those feeling of inadequacy strike us, it is the time to remember the Savior. He assures us that we don't do this work alone...I bear you my witness that when we give our all in [our] service, the Lord will give us all the courage we need and the assurance that He goes with us and that angels will bear us up" - President Henry B. Eyring</span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I feel like the Lord is teaching me a lot right now, because there are a lot of struggles. I think it's because there is a lot I still have to learn and with my time for full-time missionary service running shorter by the day, He must just need to give me a crash course. But how wonderful that we never run out of room to learn and grow. And it's been amazing to see how despite hardships Lord is guiding us to those who are ready to learn, and as we walk forward in faith, and open our mouths even when it is scary, the Lord will bear us up and give us the capacity to see miracles. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I hope you all have an amazing week! Enjoy the sunshine, and never forget to say your prayers!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hermana Meredith</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmDfX-kQJ_KY_X4D_A605qubHnlZfzbaeAg2nEFg13TytH5BhF8Ka3Edx40UqRVB5GbZh5ha1eTpwu8s2l-_KT76YQcEdN7ny-Elh6p0Gd8gDt1gRWELUMEyntNgoeEBMVs-YxLycpGTNI/s1600/FB_IMG_1524016893629.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmDfX-kQJ_KY_X4D_A605qubHnlZfzbaeAg2nEFg13TytH5BhF8Ka3Edx40UqRVB5GbZh5ha1eTpwu8s2l-_KT76YQcEdN7ny-Elh6p0Gd8gDt1gRWELUMEyntNgoeEBMVs-YxLycpGTNI/s320/FB_IMG_1524016893629.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyePQ8QHxESlESZtuKdwA9fHJStwsncvajnNY7VtwGSurJULmszcLNhlVxDitt-jBLQ8oZ2uUKt5xPu6C5gOZoRnI9D1rwVDHzskafwbn2Tc5-xHn51X-OVS7-nYqMrIt7g57d0VivvJws/s1600/20180420_165813.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyePQ8QHxESlESZtuKdwA9fHJStwsncvajnNY7VtwGSurJULmszcLNhlVxDitt-jBLQ8oZ2uUKt5xPu6C5gOZoRnI9D1rwVDHzskafwbn2Tc5-xHn51X-OVS7-nYqMrIt7g57d0VivvJws/s320/20180420_165813.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYY3Su4NOym7PSeWoYeAtRxjMWAl7BdSgLm9oXgiRc73vRCl1hEmI5zeYzFAFMToyubtyFHm3oXlB3AxBLI76UY_F2MuFizq0usjeac7QQ-wLChavcM2lOkUVyY806Heb_faIRn9IL9izg/s1600/20180418_140138.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYY3Su4NOym7PSeWoYeAtRxjMWAl7BdSgLm9oXgiRc73vRCl1hEmI5zeYzFAFMToyubtyFHm3oXlB3AxBLI76UY_F2MuFizq0usjeac7QQ-wLChavcM2lOkUVyY806Heb_faIRn9IL9izg/s320/20180418_140138.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13782404882262836049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621059633376945632.post-52775550895453010702018-07-02T18:53:00.002-07:002018-07-02T18:53:51.707-07:00"Scatter Sunshine!" (April 16, 2018)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxEETFGynySH264Z1CKLEItTt7jxvBA-Nc7nJUfZPdcoELoq5s3WyNMXP1c5YfwkooZqtwLlPf-ZRdnpr63rvvDYJn-WORb8wUuAD0NGf3J00GWwuS6ui1Nkv3kJEpFKYw7Pz66mevOHkQ/s1600/20180411_144602.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxEETFGynySH264Z1CKLEItTt7jxvBA-Nc7nJUfZPdcoELoq5s3WyNMXP1c5YfwkooZqtwLlPf-ZRdnpr63rvvDYJn-WORb8wUuAD0NGf3J00GWwuS6ui1Nkv3kJEpFKYw7Pz66mevOHkQ/s320/20180411_144602.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Well this has been quite the week!</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Last week we moved our p-day to Wednesday because the mission got to go to a Twins Game in Minneapolis! It was so fun and so great to see everyone! And the Twins won with a home run in the bottom of the ninth, so the day of miracles has not ceased!!</span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">On Thursday and Friday I had a really bad cold, so I spent a lot of time sleeping, but we went to the few appointments that we had set up. On Saturday, I woke up ready to go, only to discover that Christmas had come early/late and Rochester had been greeted by a huge blizzard. Our cars were grounded all day Saturday and most of Sunday. So we spent a lot of time writing reports and making calls and cleaning our apartment and visiting people who lived within walking distance. They even cancelled church yesterday because it was so snowy and icy. Needless to say, we are very grateful to be getting out and about today. And now Hna Davis is sick too, and basically the rest of the zone, so wish us luck this week haha. </span></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I'm usually not a person who loves the sunshine, and I have been loving the overcast weather the past few weeks. But this week my heart was touched by one of the members and one of the investigator we visit. They had both had really tough weeks, things not going well in jobs and with health problems, and all they wanted for the sun to come out. Just a little bit a of light would make everything just a little bit easier. So for the first time I have been praying that the sun will come out. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">That reminded me a lot of how Christ is the light of our lives. Having him there doesn't mean our problems go away, but it makes it a little easier for us to get by. So let's all remember to scatter sunshine wherever we may be, even if the sun is hiding behind the clouds for a few days, we can share the light of the gospel with others. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I hope you all have a wonderful week! Appreciate the sun wherever you may be!!</span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hermana Meredith</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Twins game and snowstorm!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMO865VNUp31KmjQH9G3jw3agfePizUkH8d78yke1-SPxdrIqzvZfBonCq-ns79q9FyFMRBS_QbpmseiVltGnkhRhn8Jx8VDFbIteL4q_hHKhZXQTM6I_uQeLX4OwYN12treF1zNbpZ6tx/s1600/20180411_113935.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMO865VNUp31KmjQH9G3jw3agfePizUkH8d78yke1-SPxdrIqzvZfBonCq-ns79q9FyFMRBS_QbpmseiVltGnkhRhn8Jx8VDFbIteL4q_hHKhZXQTM6I_uQeLX4OwYN12treF1zNbpZ6tx/s320/20180411_113935.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfs60ZdAMzUJ506_1bBVWBoHqzS7dSWR8CwCbFO_GCTV5qVld-9Qx2dmo7RG2Fs23LZ-ReeK6G8QXIkHxbTwnBC3YUv7SZWdakc1ZnIwl_4y3GbnV4Uy2wj58Md5s7apmBrNjHvF82n1YB/s1600/20180414_162040.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfs60ZdAMzUJ506_1bBVWBoHqzS7dSWR8CwCbFO_GCTV5qVld-9Qx2dmo7RG2Fs23LZ-ReeK6G8QXIkHxbTwnBC3YUv7SZWdakc1ZnIwl_4y3GbnV4Uy2wj58Md5s7apmBrNjHvF82n1YB/s320/20180414_162040.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVDv7rwDcW0u1Z0uHpyqYIAICjYuQkwWuiXON50TWk37LREyJjItldBrMvaLe0_o5QbSTn5aBHz3I2JOdIqYEVIGDvcT6vVghUmSxYHHUMimdQ6vTJiMRf6PLsnzKdF1i92wzZlpCQuPoz/s1600/20180414_162148.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVDv7rwDcW0u1Z0uHpyqYIAICjYuQkwWuiXON50TWk37LREyJjItldBrMvaLe0_o5QbSTn5aBHz3I2JOdIqYEVIGDvcT6vVghUmSxYHHUMimdQ6vTJiMRf6PLsnzKdF1i92wzZlpCQuPoz/s320/20180414_162148.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUTK2gG7G3FcKCytSoVwZNXktbyQ4TB0qDYLIpt6PMjwcaBEaoBtURnohFjhuyn5xRpD0rFqhyphenhyphenBmEfU44XjtDdhhsJTf5131J6zISJOvDUbNML6GLSD16zXM31330WESRToIMbgONpz_9L/s1600/20180414_182012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjUTK2gG7G3FcKCytSoVwZNXktbyQ4TB0qDYLIpt6PMjwcaBEaoBtURnohFjhuyn5xRpD0rFqhyphenhyphenBmEfU44XjtDdhhsJTf5131J6zISJOvDUbNML6GLSD16zXM31330WESRToIMbgONpz_9L/s320/20180414_182012.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib_T8cr3jVqvS4vjeoI8VqE7bxqQqwATOWW5SQcFPagpwX_RIF0uRBw8yIcAB8Gu6dJxI1s6TdC1J9JLyXrKUbAM_SdJdAqxHv5lHM9zVOVaow1xqX8GNIw08ftlGP8UUnCTFvB4dqBdPn/s1600/FB_IMG_1523843203300.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="960" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib_T8cr3jVqvS4vjeoI8VqE7bxqQqwATOWW5SQcFPagpwX_RIF0uRBw8yIcAB8Gu6dJxI1s6TdC1J9JLyXrKUbAM_SdJdAqxHv5lHM9zVOVaow1xqX8GNIw08ftlGP8UUnCTFvB4dqBdPn/s320/FB_IMG_1523843203300.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
</div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13782404882262836049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621059633376945632.post-33396457532281126152018-07-02T18:47:00.006-07:002018-07-02T18:47:56.371-07:00"The privilege to serve the Master" (April 11, 2018)<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">What a week friends.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Snowstorms, road trips, car calamities, sleepovers, and miracles</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It turns out in Minnesota, when you refer to "April showers" that means "snow showers" because we've had out fair share of those this week. It feels like Christmas time again!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">On Tuesday, it snowed all day long. We were driving to go stop by someone, when we suddenly realized we were going the wrong way, so I suddenly applied the brakes a but too hard, and all the snow on our roof slid on to the front windshield. We were now goinng 40 mph, the wrong direction, and couldn't see anything. Our windshield wipers did their best, and we were able to safely pull over in a parking lot, only to discover that amidst all the commotion one of our windshield wipers had broken off. We were able to go to the nearest auto shop up the road and replace it, then head on our merry way. We were a half hour late getting to the place we had planned to go, but right as we pulled up, the woman who lived there also pulled up getting home from work. She recognized the missionaries from when we contacted her a few months ago, and invited us right in. We had an amazing lesson about prayer, and the Holy ghost, and she really opened up to is about how she has seen God's hand in her life and in raising her kids, and we are so excited to start teaching her. If we had gotten there any earlier, she wouldnt have beem home uet and we would have moved on to a different house. So we are very grateful for snow storms and God's perfect timing. When we went back for our appointment this week, she told is that she has been reading, read the introductory pages and the first chapter of the Book of Mormon and she loved it and is excited to learn more. We are so excited to teach her! </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This week the mission had transfers! Hna Davis and I are staying together, this will be our third transfer together, and her last one before going home 😓 but we are excited to keep working and growing here together in Rochester. The day after transfers we had MLC in Bloomington, and since Rochester is an hour and half away, we stayed up in the cities the night before. We got to have dinner with President and Sister Barney, and we got to sleep over with the other hermanas covering that area, so I got to spend some time with mi hija Hna Hanson! Que bendicion!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">There is this really sweet old woman, Mona, whom we visit every week. She enjoys our visits, but she is really lonely and sad and doesn't always open up, and we would just love to help her smile. On the way up this week we noticed a piano down the hall by her room, so when we were talking to her we offered "hey, if you want, Sister Meredith can play the piano for you." She said "Are you good at the piano? Beause the last time someone played if wasn't good." So we told her we could try and she could tell me if it wasn't good. So I played a couple of hymns, and then tried some classical music, and she immediately said "Is that Clair de lune?" "Yes, Mona do you like that song?" And she just nodded and smiled and sat back in her chair, and I played Clair de Lune and she was so happy, haha she wanted me to play it again and she when so sad when we had to leave, and made us promise that I would play the piano again next week. I had never seen her smile that much, and it was so cool to see her heart opened by music. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This week I have been seeking a lot of guidance and answers and was feeling frustrated by the lack of answers I felt I was receiving. I see my time on the mission slowly clicking down, and I feel like there are a lot of blessings I have been promised that I have yet to see come to pass, and it left me feeling pretty hopeless.This past fast Sunday I prayerfully approached it seeking understanding and hope. When the member of the bishopric conducting sacrament meeting bore his testimony, he shared how he had been talking to one of his children about blessings, and how he felt there were blessings he had been promised he had not yet received, then proceeded to share how in his life he has seen that the blessings are always realized, but that are realized on the Lord's timeline, not ours, and we have to faithful, and patiently carry on, knowing that the Lord will bring that thing to pass in his own time. I could hardly believe it, I felt as though he was speaking right to me and it was an incredibly direct and specific answer right to my prayers. It reminded me of a quote I found a while back by President Monson </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"You will never know the full influence of your testimony and your [missionary] service, but you will return with gladness for having had the privilege of responding to a sacred call to serve the Master." </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I have been permitted to see countless miracles, but there are many people who have not yet accepted the gospel, people whom I love dearly, for whom I pray every day that they will someday be ready to accept the gospel and make those changes in their lives. And I'm beginning to accept that there is a lot I will never know, a lot of goodness I will never see, but I can be glad that I am dedicating my mission to my Savior and be grateful for the opportunity I have, and trust that as I am serving Him with all my heart, everything will work out for good.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I love being a missionary. It is truly the hardest thing I have ever done, the struggles and trials never cease, but neither do the miracles.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Till next week!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div data-smartmail="gmail_signature">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hermana Meredith</span></div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13782404882262836049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621059633376945632.post-2728996714322681002018-07-02T18:42:00.004-07:002018-07-02T18:42:53.174-07:00"Follow the Prophet, He Knows The Way!" (April 2, 2018)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizgOtoEXhgueuqa6BPINjj9GViVLQl04HU_I5wNnEFMgfTVJSw8fg_XeO1dor1yQ35kkVTHU93rspMP1aEcoNBDPpYWRfMfmCDiegAUYCjMLf1U0Gbz8iQDNWTI8kGBuzNbnf3FG2TEgK4/s1600/IMG_0286.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="768" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizgOtoEXhgueuqa6BPINjj9GViVLQl04HU_I5wNnEFMgfTVJSw8fg_XeO1dor1yQ35kkVTHU93rspMP1aEcoNBDPpYWRfMfmCDiegAUYCjMLf1U0Gbz8iQDNWTI8kGBuzNbnf3FG2TEgK4/s320/IMG_0286.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Dear Friends and Family, </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Happy Easter and general conference! We had an incredible, miracle filled weekend and I hope you all did as well. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">A couple weeks ago, this random Hispanic guy showed up to church. He seemed to know what was going on and knew where to get translation and where the classes were, as we were talking to him though we discovered he is not a member, and has come to church a few times in the past. So we quickly got his contact information to set up a future appointment. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">He called us this week, and we met with him at the church on Tuesday. He loves to talk, and we barely got a word in edgewise, because he likes to be a bit dramatic in his story telling. We did however set up an appointment with him again on Thursday. We met again at the church, and tried to teach the plan of salvation, and he had so many questions about the fall and about the premortal life, we barely got anywhere, and he kept interrupting and going off on tangents. I was just praying for patience and charity to understand him, to understand the Spanish and to understand his questions, because I felt that once he felt like we understood we would be able to have a meaningful discussion. We had already been there an hour and a half and were trying desperately to wrap up the lesson, and he said "wait I just have two more short questions." The first was a question about why someone called him an investigator when he came to church, so we quickly explained. Then he said "and I was wondering, I feel like my time has finally come and I am ready to make changes, what are the requirements for someone to be baptized into your church?" Now, if my jaw didn't literally touch the floor when it dropped open, it was pretty close. We turned to the baptismal requirements laid out in Doctrine and Covenants, and invited him to be baptized, and he said yes! It was so crazy, we never would have thought toextend that invitation in that lesson, and I was immediately so grateful that we had patiently listened to come to understand his desires. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Yesterday between sessions of general conference, we had a potluck for the Hispanic members. We invited this investigator to come, and he came, as well as brought one of our members who needed a ride. It's a pretty big day when you have investigators giving members rides to church haha. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Another miracle was no one had signed up nor offered to feed us Easter dinner, and we were pretty sad, and praying all week that someone would have us over. We got one invitation on Saturday that fell through a half hour later, but then on Saturday night we stopped by a members house to borrow some sugar to make something to take to the potluck, and we were talking to them about conference and stuff and they said "and where are you having Easter dinner tomorrow?" And we kind of sheepishly looked at eachother and said "well, just at the apartment" and they said "What?! No one is having you over? Well you're coming here, we have plenty of food, and we would love to have you." So we had someplace to go for Easter dinner, which was a pretty significant miracle for us. And it was delicious Alma 31:38 says "And the Lord provided for them that they should hunger not, neither should they thirst."</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Conference was seriously so incredible, and I received so much personal help and guidance for questions I have, and I am so excited about the many changes occuring right now. I am grateful for modern day revelation and a living prophet to guide us to help us continue to grow and be better at loving one another. What an exciting time to be alive!! I would encourage all of you to 1. Watch conference, especially the Sunday Morning session 2. Once you do that, or if you've already watched conference, set one goal, prayerfully choose just one thing you are going to change, one way you are going to be different because of the things you learned this weekend. We all have a long way to go, we all have a lot of Christlike attributes yet to develop, but I know we can take those steps one at a time, and we will receive heavenly help along the way. Let us "settle it in [our] hearts, that [we] will do the things which [he] shall teach and command [us]" And always remember to follow the prophet, he knows the way!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I love you all! Happy Easter!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hermana Meredith</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZOUEQJkmPAYwv3OhvfQpuVeVJ7Qlw0Ks1UAZN6uHg3GW8DkIIDyBImEndTL4OpZ3nxcebYI-kgIveuW-4z6TZYFY74oTjW6QPjUuP0AuUsHUV_U6hyphenhyphenGVSvroFQhJv16CqCBySu9qdxkK/s1600/20180328_122608.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjZOUEQJkmPAYwv3OhvfQpuVeVJ7Qlw0Ks1UAZN6uHg3GW8DkIIDyBImEndTL4OpZ3nxcebYI-kgIveuW-4z6TZYFY74oTjW6QPjUuP0AuUsHUV_U6hyphenhyphenGVSvroFQhJv16CqCBySu9qdxkK/s320/20180328_122608.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">1. Bob, our friend from Salvation army, is leaving to go start his own restaurant, but he promised to make us barbecue cake someday</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjymNBP7g_oH9TujFXJdtyMb-uHF6iBSz3likJvWFfdF1L6UtgiNgVsBzEbTm5COHQrXEKKIonHCOiRl547qMZBOhGjaHons3B3-NXEL9UCsZE91UhJr0fNBZgHpolmdcRdeVmlxTg0dEYF/s1600/20180401_141342.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjymNBP7g_oH9TujFXJdtyMb-uHF6iBSz3likJvWFfdF1L6UtgiNgVsBzEbTm5COHQrXEKKIonHCOiRl547qMZBOhGjaHons3B3-NXEL9UCsZE91UhJr0fNBZgHpolmdcRdeVmlxTg0dEYF/s320/20180401_141342.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh4qxELOYpKgIDm2_LmafPT8rymeU4OmWQOC9os5EbEliI-Wohf9UOsZAXTZNTI_ljSH3g8VvIt0cxL_uSiJsB5DfdMTw9wUURN2FXJrUmOJYNrujZVqafi56OFggm0456d_P-4fo61pA5/s1600/20180401_140916.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh4qxELOYpKgIDm2_LmafPT8rymeU4OmWQOC9os5EbEliI-Wohf9UOsZAXTZNTI_ljSH3g8VvIt0cxL_uSiJsB5DfdMTw9wUURN2FXJrUmOJYNrujZVqafi56OFggm0456d_P-4fo61pA5/s320/20180401_140916.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlKj-UgJqw9Ua9K07PX44m1FwtZgs2L0RezPwzS3iaXOgwFaBA6ZiHQiocVDiq0ziEJjyPt-qLjHWD2h2V5lP9_syPpMsI5R6iGiID0BqOGus2PSptToYCd4Y4dtz8Nd3TILbeY6wXT5nv/s1600/20180401_145006.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlKj-UgJqw9Ua9K07PX44m1FwtZgs2L0RezPwzS3iaXOgwFaBA6ZiHQiocVDiq0ziEJjyPt-qLjHWD2h2V5lP9_syPpMsI5R6iGiID0BqOGus2PSptToYCd4Y4dtz8Nd3TILbeY6wXT5nv/s320/20180401_145006.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">2.3.4. General conference potluck, and a cute family who came yesterday, they just got here a few months ago from Ecuador</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN53yaENVoBcf-k1vlZ1aJWK-I3bUitowigsSmMmdTo5MBqeP3XiO8wfGIxKuBAVWGjLNvuejm6yVdTTkFRlqXhO9JrKrALJgZmzomGDZJUQWf_AcXvPZ_g-snbxUd8CgoDMwtidc1oImg/s1600/received_1739462692782349.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="768" data-original-width="1024" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN53yaENVoBcf-k1vlZ1aJWK-I3bUitowigsSmMmdTo5MBqeP3XiO8wfGIxKuBAVWGjLNvuejm6yVdTTkFRlqXhO9JrKrALJgZmzomGDZJUQWf_AcXvPZ_g-snbxUd8CgoDMwtidc1oImg/s320/received_1739462692782349.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">5. Joint teaching with Rachel, who just got back from her mission in Africa</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> (Lead Picture)</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">6. Easter Dinner, with our favorite dog, Bingley!! (Bonus points if you can tell me what literary reference his name is)</span></div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13782404882262836049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621059633376945632.post-21450470438775925462018-07-02T17:50:00.002-07:002018-07-02T17:55:21.720-07:00"We Thank Thee, O God, for a Prophet" (March 26, 2018)<div dir="ltr">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWQRzc5-m2-z7OHWMonGX4Op1ykgLK98fyZnunCCsYa6AB3q1WFjvHAzIL6OJwYQJ8BnrGwG-wdgapkp0ywIlwlGFHh0ek6XgXvus1l9wSVkUh_y7uFOkjHoTVRagyKuG6y12IBiD1b1ll/s1600/received_1519404114853148.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1193" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWQRzc5-m2-z7OHWMonGX4Op1ykgLK98fyZnunCCsYa6AB3q1WFjvHAzIL6OJwYQJ8BnrGwG-wdgapkp0ywIlwlGFHh0ek6XgXvus1l9wSVkUh_y7uFOkjHoTVRagyKuG6y12IBiD1b1ll/s320/received_1519404114853148.jpeg" width="238" /></a><span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Dear Friends and Family, </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This week has been great and we have seen a lot of miracles!!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Last week we were STRUGGLING to find any new people, but the Lord recognized our hard efforts, and on Tuesday we found 3 new people, then Wednesday 5 new people, so last week really was the trial of our faith. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We went on exchanges this week with the Rochester 5 sisters. One of the sisters is from Taiwan, so they teach a lot of Chinese speakers, and I learned that Chinese people think my laugh is super hysterical. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We had a cool Easter devotional last night, there were a lot of cool musical numbers, and we did ours again. We had been inviting people all week, and none of our solid investigators committed to coming. Then right as the program was starting I look over to see this woman we barely started teaching standing at the door looking for us. We had invited her the day before and she said she would think about it, but it was a really cool miracle that she came!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There was also the Relief Society birthday party this week for our ward. The sisters did a great job putting it on, and we had an investigator come to that as well. Our ward is really pushing trying to get past judgement and discrimination and focus on having Christlike love for all the sisters. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I am so excited for this upcoming conference weekend. I can't believe my third conference in the mission field is already here, the time seems to fly faster every moment. We will have an incredible opportunity this weekend to sustain our new prophet, and to hear from the living prophet and his apostles, as they give us guidance for these latter-days. This week we have been sharing the story of King Benjamin, starting Mosiah 2, about how everyone gathered together to hear the prophet speak, listened intently, and then acted upon his words. I hope all of you can take some time this weekend, individually or as families, to listen or watch at least one session of general conference. I know if you prayerfully prepare, then your questions will be answered. We are truly so blessed to have a living prophet. God still speaks! What a wonderful message we get to take to the world. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">I love you all! </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Have a great week. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hermana Meredith </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We had a super fun p-day last week, and went on a hike to Quarry Hill. (Yeah, in Minnesota you can only hike hills because there are no mountains, haha) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccWxRW3YggwcKcvwRzJwWLUQw3uPrYN8N3eCafyF2do6vCC7mL6CeF2RvCTqxPbnylcDJPrdrjrgWQMowpFJ94w93GvoNE5Ydtf4doDaUO4BAYIjamIadicrUSirz_pcGMmLt6y82SSxq/s1600/received_1702533396478774.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1196" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjccWxRW3YggwcKcvwRzJwWLUQw3uPrYN8N3eCafyF2do6vCC7mL6CeF2RvCTqxPbnylcDJPrdrjrgWQMowpFJ94w93GvoNE5Ydtf4doDaUO4BAYIjamIadicrUSirz_pcGMmLt6y82SSxq/s320/received_1702533396478774.jpeg" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL04A2ZWB2lbkXhVtg9_0qOKr16gQyneG_p-qOr0jHUdd6jcI8XgzmYWaJrgkbflqs9cFWUAUvWABFp5Rv5nzwXtUo85633uRqPnd_zAydAojBRzi9YJLhJwTU2VWfQfaNkc5_cW8uE51b/s1600/received_1702533426478771.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL04A2ZWB2lbkXhVtg9_0qOKr16gQyneG_p-qOr0jHUdd6jcI8XgzmYWaJrgkbflqs9cFWUAUvWABFp5Rv5nzwXtUo85633uRqPnd_zAydAojBRzi9YJLhJwTU2VWfQfaNkc5_cW8uE51b/s320/received_1702533426478771.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZtw7zUM1BxrrNeupj7lfbOfZgDULaHFT6UHNsCqRcONLN_FGL11Vyh4vtZCa78u06UYS20cvSBrna5xCG8oHn_BoLPCstc5RT_2ANyQs-gmK7w9wiZq5imM1wj4C9HyjtpUaW0svxqz-/s1600/received_1899748506763516.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1196" data-original-width="1600" height="239" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjGZtw7zUM1BxrrNeupj7lfbOfZgDULaHFT6UHNsCqRcONLN_FGL11Vyh4vtZCa78u06UYS20cvSBrna5xCG8oHn_BoLPCstc5RT_2ANyQs-gmK7w9wiZq5imM1wj4C9HyjtpUaW0svxqz-/s320/received_1899748506763516.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3fMsFWt7S6jz_80mKTFtpHEJ_pdN2CKnmVRZdRsxsai_rWI9duNE5HL1l7J2Uuj5exbSUTyRs8_x7V5CG0JlUdCQ8P0cCc8NYEtB7jzzB9MOWEziMJrdGfZR4nYwPqHfpJ6k5oUli9XHX/s1600/received_1899748883430145.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="900" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3fMsFWt7S6jz_80mKTFtpHEJ_pdN2CKnmVRZdRsxsai_rWI9duNE5HL1l7J2Uuj5exbSUTyRs8_x7V5CG0JlUdCQ8P0cCc8NYEtB7jzzB9MOWEziMJrdGfZR4nYwPqHfpJ6k5oUli9XHX/s320/received_1899748883430145.jpeg" width="180" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13782404882262836049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621059633376945632.post-61442987565351146692018-07-02T17:48:00.001-07:002018-07-02T17:48:12.230-07:00"Let us cheerfully do all things that lie in our power" (March 19, 2018)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSI__q3c5iBlK7lxm21LeS74omzjQOpBOH3nSV4E3XI_hfqTIyFC5kZzDf0A_yIbvuKiehZzl2-rOXmPLi-sWdvQlMNInSY4c_J6zjH9wnNYy2p8qLwUEmfF-biF-qhIxj98M3JBaQgOdk/s1600/20180314_184313.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSI__q3c5iBlK7lxm21LeS74omzjQOpBOH3nSV4E3XI_hfqTIyFC5kZzDf0A_yIbvuKiehZzl2-rOXmPLi-sWdvQlMNInSY4c_J6zjH9wnNYy2p8qLwUEmfF-biF-qhIxj98M3JBaQgOdk/s320/20180314_184313.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The good news, spring is coming to Minnesota!!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">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. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Love you all!! Have a great week!</span></div>
<div data-smartmail="gmail_signature">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div data-smartmail="gmail_signature">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Hermana Meredith</span></div>
<div data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZQRXxzIEABjPuoN3pK0e8ftoEGcOE5HUJ8wJq1Q2bTRMCJwAONMLfEilWAIQedrrYy63k0we69CLUrmLo2mFbjKun1Ov5V38B1QRi2gOtKy8E8ddkYSg8L2hAPOBPcOAf9ly6rlxvZtX/s1600/20180314_184238.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEikZQRXxzIEABjPuoN3pK0e8ftoEGcOE5HUJ8wJq1Q2bTRMCJwAONMLfEilWAIQedrrYy63k0we69CLUrmLo2mFbjKun1Ov5V38B1QRi2gOtKy8E8ddkYSg8L2hAPOBPcOAf9ly6rlxvZtX/s320/20180314_184238.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMp8LMKk204wlsRtFGuC_w7I_sRuKyJ8ZQ8cwLGaG0npZzEo04z7A7YWVSeGUcAfB0RNckTPs03PpMGYr7kUt4NDQDlalK4et-pwlFG7DsJ7seSlNwWvGqKJBiGcWRZA3NBrptVi7jEsBX/s1600/20180314_184704.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMp8LMKk204wlsRtFGuC_w7I_sRuKyJ8ZQ8cwLGaG0npZzEo04z7A7YWVSeGUcAfB0RNckTPs03PpMGYr7kUt4NDQDlalK4et-pwlFG7DsJ7seSlNwWvGqKJBiGcWRZA3NBrptVi7jEsBX/s320/20180314_184704.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; text-align: start;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Exchanges in Lacrosse, Wisconsin</span></span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Exchanges in Lacrosse, Wisconsin</span></div>
<div data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div data-smartmail="gmail_signature" dir="auto">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13782404882262836049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621059633376945632.post-11820182250488359682018-07-02T17:43:00.000-07:002018-07-02T17:43:02.209-07:00"Be of good cheer!" (March 12, 2018)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIII12mGf-wxYBUIJhzhmS6oOPwuDRbHTWZPhq7salofXYBKh9Nu1A3Ulo_GuhhtMV28bnCTSX-q-_KgHX26IA1SLns1czNasWn8QehJpquVKaRDZQ5ajrvdGZdwE2r90yo0FFYDMwl51l/s1600/20180219_104030.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIII12mGf-wxYBUIJhzhmS6oOPwuDRbHTWZPhq7salofXYBKh9Nu1A3Ulo_GuhhtMV28bnCTSX-q-_KgHX26IA1SLns1czNasWn8QehJpquVKaRDZQ5ajrvdGZdwE2r90yo0FFYDMwl51l/s320/20180219_104030.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">So this is gonna be short, but some highlights of the week:</span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Going to primary to present the ward mission plan, because primary kids are the cutest and it's the best way to spend church </span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">None of our investigators were free to come to church yesterday because if work and vacation, and we were kind of disappointed, but when we got there, a less-active member we have been trying to meet with for forever with no success, showed up with her boyfriend and her two little girls and it was a miracle! </span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">We had Missionary Leadership Council this past week, when all the mission leaders go up to Bloomington for a conference. We had a bunch of really good trainings about what makes a good leader, and we got to stop at the one Costa Vida in Minnesota for dinner on the way back!</span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Honestly, this week has been a little slow. We couldn't set up appointments with any of our solid investigators, and there have been a lot of problems with the other missionaries in the zone we've been trying to help with, which has all left us pretty overwhelmed. But this week I have found a lot of comfort in John 16:33,</span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."</span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">It's not "if" we have tribulation, but we "shall" have tribulation in the world. That was part of the plan we fully agreed to when we came here. There always shall be tribulation, but Christ has overcome it, and through him, we can overcome it as well. Because of Christ, we may always be of good cheer. </span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I am so grateful for the knowledge that Jesus Christ is my savior, and because of him nothing can ever go eternally wrong. And I know he always knows exactly what we are going through. And all that happens in our lives is for our benefit and will give us experience, in preparation for things to come and in preparation to serve others in need. </span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">I love you all and have an amazing week!!</span></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxd7VsnDxnWU0BXvY706fYx3A-IOwo6wN4oGVVSwU68GpAX3ad4LYwoO_72HJmyl6Lsi5KEzgHGoxfMHcrRTLFj_OUNIEYBoQbk_hOUSeSJBRvJv-OLTxYW3tGYjMB2y4pQ7Iv8yYlkYZ5/s1600/20180311_170026.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxd7VsnDxnWU0BXvY706fYx3A-IOwo6wN4oGVVSwU68GpAX3ad4LYwoO_72HJmyl6Lsi5KEzgHGoxfMHcrRTLFj_OUNIEYBoQbk_hOUSeSJBRvJv-OLTxYW3tGYjMB2y4pQ7Iv8yYlkYZ5/s320/20180311_170026.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZY2IB3zFuZMGepHvyBVA3teInhx9nHH0vC7UdtPlM27-aMpQmeSWnOIi20zMuj508qFUun0OumHXMAtEtv-j7DOpruGP7zlbQHEFaWy344KeoOFj98SlcVOCBpiQaz3dS97mUuey-WzQ-/s1600/IMG_31391.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZY2IB3zFuZMGepHvyBVA3teInhx9nHH0vC7UdtPlM27-aMpQmeSWnOIi20zMuj508qFUun0OumHXMAtEtv-j7DOpruGP7zlbQHEFaWy344KeoOFj98SlcVOCBpiQaz3dS97mUuey-WzQ-/s320/IMG_31391.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglKyHKWVyqT-Ixewmo75iXGuIFQwtgsel62LbPF5CSRfuKbfN_cimNI5gAI2HnBQzaxJZJ64ix5VnoqYY3hWY9OEHVormklCCF1HBG3x2FfFK3XD6j_GleEIYNnDfnZ0Csx3ss8N8KqQ2Z/s1600/20180308_151228.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglKyHKWVyqT-Ixewmo75iXGuIFQwtgsel62LbPF5CSRfuKbfN_cimNI5gAI2HnBQzaxJZJ64ix5VnoqYY3hWY9OEHVormklCCF1HBG3x2FfFK3XD6j_GleEIYNnDfnZ0Csx3ss8N8KqQ2Z/s320/20180308_151228.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGEv7TC-_Xun_r9NQLEUgqZ2tz1_hWm2qD2qylNTSrYTXPvTPJ1eD_iV0z6MsJ1E4eA7HKj46ITEH2bScj_Z5Mo7WUu4Crl-t-bpaLV9DWlWegGgbdguibPDX2VFX8MHvay5N7_8X4QeM/s1600/20180227_183119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNGEv7TC-_Xun_r9NQLEUgqZ2tz1_hWm2qD2qylNTSrYTXPvTPJ1eD_iV0z6MsJ1E4eA7HKj46ITEH2bScj_Z5Mo7WUu4Crl-t-bpaLV9DWlWegGgbdguibPDX2VFX8MHvay5N7_8X4QeM/s320/20180227_183119.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQVbGpsDa_9330mLYmypXm0tb6eLDbSpeKTgap6nVZB3CpOmMDvQzRJ_uetbXfmirBIWn8r9IVpY6sznyDgiVDtGQ1gxHCDXvoEICf7PevKed3-qOT_jzhNeLaOG_Ul5wg5iVqAziWBz4L/s1600/Screenshot_20180309-215414.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1013" data-original-width="1536" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQVbGpsDa_9330mLYmypXm0tb6eLDbSpeKTgap6nVZB3CpOmMDvQzRJ_uetbXfmirBIWn8r9IVpY6sznyDgiVDtGQ1gxHCDXvoEICf7PevKed3-qOT_jzhNeLaOG_Ul5wg5iVqAziWBz4L/s320/Screenshot_20180309-215414.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-variant-ligatures: normal;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13782404882262836049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621059633376945632.post-67707527479612151622018-07-01T16:17:00.002-07:002018-07-01T16:18:21.943-07:00"Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself" (March 5, 2018)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib8idzwFm5nVA_v6FOfY7DfCJ_rmmhioex3ce_FrGLlMt3nxYxNPWJHZOBYZRfXQyhmdjPcHP_f4pbFbOslNxPQi39bpi-r0B30G2VqYFP0wNoIQzkBf_uTrLtyq6W0OyOHQCXrRiaPP_P/s1600/received_1975986285946698.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEib8idzwFm5nVA_v6FOfY7DfCJ_rmmhioex3ce_FrGLlMt3nxYxNPWJHZOBYZRfXQyhmdjPcHP_f4pbFbOslNxPQi39bpi-r0B30G2VqYFP0wNoIQzkBf_uTrLtyq6W0OyOHQCXrRiaPP_P/s320/received_1975986285946698.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Dear Friends and Family, </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">What a marvelous week! We have seen SO many miracles and have seen the hand of God working in our lives as he guides us to help his children in need there's not enough time to share them all but I'll give you the highlights. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">On Wednesday we had some extra time, and felt prompted to leave a few scriptures and uplifting messages on a members door. We saw her the next day and she was overjoyed, saying that we were the answer to her prayers, as she had been preparing to go to the temple and felt unsure because she wasn't receiving a lot of support, but when she saw our notes with the scrpitures, it was a huge comfort and she immediately knew she was making the right decision. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">A couple weeks ago we got a note from a Hispanic member, saying he was told about a member family who recently moved to Kasson and needed some help. So we called them last week, turns out they didn't need help with the move, but that they aren't actually members and were interested in having us come over to share a message with them. We got to go on Tuesday night, and they are incredible! The mom's sister was baptized a few years ago, and she was there, and the mom and her kids just got here from Mexico, and they were all sitting on the couch listening intently. Her son is only 8 but he was so excited about the Book of Mormon, when we gave them a copy he started reading it before we even left. We are so excited to start teaching them!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There is a referral we got a couple months ago before I even got to this area, and it turns out it's from one of the Elders in my zone at the MTC, who is from Rochester for one of his friends and their family. We have been trying so hard to get in contact with this family for months, and have had no success, meeting someone at the door a couple of times but they were never available. So on Wednesday we had decided we were going to try one more time then stop trying for a while if there was no one home. And the mother was home and excited to see us! She let us in, and apologized that we had had to stop by so many times because they were so busy. She knew we had been trying to stop by, and the friend who is on a mission has been emailing her. Her husband passed away a couple of years ago, and it has been a big trial for their family, and her children have a lot of questions. They are active in their own religion, but she feels good about having us come over to talk and talk about the questions they have. She told us "I feel like Jesus has been knocking on my door, you two stopping by so much, and I need to let him in." It was so cool to see that God has been preparing them, and there was a reason we had to stop by so many times with what we thought was without success, but that it really is all part of God's bigger plan. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Then miracles with Janet! She came to the fireside last week, but up until Thursday we hadn't had contact with her, and we were starting to get a little worried. We decided to stop by really quick on Thursday night and try to say hi and set up another appointment. Her kids opened the door and they were so excited to see us! Janet told us we could come in, so we sat down for a little bit and talked about the fireside and asked if she had any questions. As we were getting ready to go, Hna Davis asked if she could share a scripture. I had the thought come to my mind, "if only we had known we would have gotten in we could have done the lesson we had planned" and I thought back to weekly planning, and remembered that we had decided we were going to invite her to be baptized again if she came to the fireside. And the Spirit immediately confirmed that was what we needed to do. I tried to think of every justification in my mind why we should wait, but the Holy Ghost is very persistent, and insisted that now was the perfect moment to extend that invitation. So I prayed for all the heavenly help I could, and identified the spirit in the room, and at the fireside, and Hna Davis caught on so we testifed of the power of the Holy Ghost to lead us to truth, and how many of the converts who shared their testimonies came to know the truthfulness of the gospel by the power of the Holy Ghost. Then, "We will be holding a baptismal service on April 14th, as you come to know the truth of these things by the power of the Holy Ghost will you prepare to be baptized on that day?" And without missing a beat she said yes!! And she was excited. She asked a couple of questions about baptism and how it works, and we explained and invited her to pray about the date, and she was still confident in her response. It was incredible and I am so grateful for the promptings of the spirit. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">And that's not all! She told us she would have work off this Sunday, so yesterday they came to church!! It was so exciting, our members did an amazing job making her feel welcome, I think we sent everyone in sacrament meeting over to say hi to her. It was all new and very different to her, but we think she enjoyed it. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">But wait, there's more! There is a really awesome young family in our ward set a goal a few months ago that by March 1, they were going to find someone for the missionaries to teach. They are one of the families we invited to come fellowship Janet at the fireside last week, and they were a huge help in helping her and her kids feel welcome. On March 1 they texted us and told us they were going out as a family that night to give it one more shot, and asked us to pray for them. And that night was the night we got in with Janet, and she accepted a baptisml date and told us she would be able to come to church. The next morning we texted that family and told them we weren't sure how their night had gone, but had seen incredible miracles especially with Janet, and thanked them for all their help, knowing we couldn't have done it without them. We didn't hear back from them for the rest of the, but yesterday in Sacrament meeting the wife got up and bore her testimony about how they hadn't seen what they thought to be success that night, but when they received our text the next morning it lifted their spirits, because even if they hadn't seen success in the way they thought, there had been miracles thanks to their help, and she was crying, and we were crying, and it was incredible to see how all of God's timing let up to that perfect moment. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This week the same topic has been coming up, in talking with missionaries and members about missionary work, and the importance of knowing what our purpose is and how we're supposed to measure success. In Moses 1:39 we learn that God's purpose is "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" And a lot of times we get discouraged as missionaries and as members, because we think that is our purpose. When someone doesn't listen, when someone doesn't choose to get baptized, we feel like we have failed. When our friends or family fall away from the church or make bad decisions, we feel like we have failed. Because we measuring ourself against that purpose, to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of others. God does not expect that from us, and when we measure ourself against that standard we will always, always fall short. But we don't have to. In Matthew 22:37-39 we learn our role is "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself." Heavenly Father would never ask us to take others salvation upon our shoulders. Someone much greater and much better than us, even the Lord Jesus Christ, already did that. All that he has asked us to do is love him, and love others. We, as children of God, will always have our agency, and as heartbreaking it may be at times, we can't control others actions when they choose to walk away. But how wonderful that we're all just supposed to love them, not judge, just love, and God will take care of the rest. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thanks for all the love and support! Have a wonderful week!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div data-smartmail="gmail_signature">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hermana Meredith</span></div>
Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13782404882262836049noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7621059633376945632.post-34910935529710738512018-07-01T16:15:00.000-07:002018-07-01T16:18:32.929-07:00"Men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause" (February 26, 2018)<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHolZGNS7rbp9BIn19XlGzPFMJ3zVoB9k38_664XSX0b3_ShvCOcQp_hxS_EnjfvmA5Hyw6rC8rDxmBbppy8cvMAk31odFp0ngqcifR8ev9lf297QhnZ64QIZ9La0HvBXx39xrDpFK1bp/s1600/received_10156087711613373.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1196" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisHolZGNS7rbp9BIn19XlGzPFMJ3zVoB9k38_664XSX0b3_ShvCOcQp_hxS_EnjfvmA5Hyw6rC8rDxmBbppy8cvMAk31odFp0ngqcifR8ev9lf297QhnZ64QIZ9La0HvBXx39xrDpFK1bp/s320/received_10156087711613373.jpeg" width="239" /></a></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">This has been a miracle filled week!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So many things are happening in this area, and our members are amazing, and we are just so excited to be missionaries!!</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We got to teach relief society yesterday about the ward mission plan. We've done Elders Quorum, High Priests, so Relief society was naturally next. And we had an incredible discussion about member missionary work! A key point we hit was how we measure success. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">That's something I've learned as a missionary. If you measure your success by how many people get baptized, you're gonna think you were pretty bad missionary, because you're basing your success off of others people agency. Our goal is not to baptize, it's to invite! And when we are doing all we can to invite people to learn more, to invite them to make changes, to invite them to church, whether or not they come is their decision, once we've done all we can. So please don't let member missionary work discourage you! You have more influence </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">on your friends then you know. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">We had a fireside last week for the Rochester Stake. A few members were asked to share their conversion stories of how they came to know the church was true. We worked really hard all week to invite all our investigators, and two of them came! Janet came with her three little kids, and Jill came. We set up young women to babysit at the church, and we texted a bunch of the young families in the ward and invited them specifically to come to the fireside and to meet our investigators, and three of them came! Janet must have felt like a celebrity because everyone was so excited to see her and get to know her and her three cute kids. It was a stressful day, organizing rides, and inviting members, and preparing a musical number, but we put it all in the Lord's hands, and it was a great night! We are so grateful for this incredible ward an all the help we are receiving. Janet is not able to come to church in the morning right now because of work, but she was really excited to come to the fireside, and the warm welcome she received is one step closer to helping her come to church someday soon. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Our main investigators right now are Jackie, Jill, Janet, Jose, and Brad. So if anyone has any friends whose name starts with a 'J' send them our way. They are all progressing really well, and we have had a lot of really great lessons with members this week as well. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">So this week we had a training on smartphones for zone conference, and the next day in my studies I was reading in 2 Samuel 11 and it was really applicable to smartphones and technology. It's the beginning of the fall of King David from righteousness and it was interesting because it all starts in verse 1 "But David tarried at Jerusalem" As a leader, as the king, he should have been out with his armies, but he "tarried." He wasn't in the wrong place, just wasn't in the best place. Had he been truly focused on his purpose and serving his people, he would have been out with his armies. Then verse 2 "He arose from his bed and walked upon the roof of the Kings house" Again, this isn't bad, but now this is wandering. He is just distracted, and bored, he doesn't have a reason to be out there. It's not an evil or even a bad thing yet, but he doesn't have a specific purpose. Then later in that verse "he saw a woman, washing herself..." And he hasn't sinned yet. I loved a thought Elder Bednar expressed in a training video we watched . "If you don't invite it in, if you don't linger, and you turn it off, get it out, then it's not a sin. You can move on. It's a sin when you let it linger, when you choose to look a it" So David, hasn't sinned yet. He has stumbled upon something, but "he saw a woman, washing herself, and she was beautiful to look upon" So he looked, it was an accident, but he chose to let it linger. Then the story quickly follows with David's adultery, and attempts to hide his crime, culminating in the murder of Uriah. So I would propose that the tragedy of the fall of King David occured because he wasn't focused on his purpose. Being distracted, and being purposeless is not evil, but it is so much easier to be tempted by evil things and for them to take root in your heart when you are aimlessly wandering around roofs in Jerusalem or aimlessly scrolling through your device`. I have been studying the Old Testament recently, and this was just the chapter that was next, but it was really interesting to see how directly this applied to technology and why setting goals and being cautious about technology are so important for us as missionaries, as members, and for the world in general.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">D&C 58:27 "Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness;</span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">There is a reason the Lord asks us to be anxiously engaged in a good cause, because the power to act for ourselves is one of the greatest gifts God has given us, and it gives us the power to overcome and avoid temptation. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Words cannot adequately express how grateful I am to be a missionary and to serve the Lord. I love it with all my heart. </span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Thank you for all the love and support!</span></div>
<div data-smartmail="gmail_signature">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div data-smartmail="gmail_signature">
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Hermana Meredith</span></div>
<br class="Apple-interchange-newline" />
<br />
<span style="font-family: "georgia" , "times new roman" , serif;">Food features of the week, flapdoodles ice cream and Greek food!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2PBLuv7AZ6hrO1CEbO31HABTg2BGI_gzaPZ44PqLN2l_vTzia6BaVHwKFhcwWuQyxl_FJa5VgnlK6eOeKvyND1h8Pl_ONxXAXNn_Zc-lOkAwL2j3-hboRn38ql3AkBoysyzuo3is3UZHp/s1600/received_10156087711478373.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1196" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi2PBLuv7AZ6hrO1CEbO31HABTg2BGI_gzaPZ44PqLN2l_vTzia6BaVHwKFhcwWuQyxl_FJa5VgnlK6eOeKvyND1h8Pl_ONxXAXNn_Zc-lOkAwL2j3-hboRn38ql3AkBoysyzuo3is3UZHp/s320/received_10156087711478373.jpeg" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXPh_Q9aopy86nYCXYR_i47OR_UzsWsrsOnZw6Ve-Uw6z4Ppu4VmvawqDdajn23CPtPgak2108tC2xbPAJWcqzkLun2tGC5-m_l2lNE2wCClYJKHEWK10mI0Verw6BzqUxiilgMfRYaOfj/s1600/20180224_122845.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXPh_Q9aopy86nYCXYR_i47OR_UzsWsrsOnZw6Ve-Uw6z4Ppu4VmvawqDdajn23CPtPgak2108tC2xbPAJWcqzkLun2tGC5-m_l2lNE2wCClYJKHEWK10mI0Verw6BzqUxiilgMfRYaOfj/s320/20180224_122845.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Juliehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13782404882262836049noreply@blogger.com0