"This is the day which the Lord hath made, rejoice and be glad in it" (August 14, 2017)

Happy Six Months!!!

What a week.

We have some pretty incredible members in our branch. We had a lesson with Patty at 8 in the morning this week, and we asked a member to come with us, knowing it was a long shot that early in the morning on the weekend, but she was more than willing, so we had an amazing member present lesson with Patty this week, and she accepted the invitation to be baptized! We are so excited to introduce her to someone from the branch. They do have crazy schedules, and many of them work multiple jobs, but it is cool to see that they will do any thing for the missionaries they can to help teach and find because they know exactly how it feels to begin to learn about the restored gospel and the church. We've been focusing a lot on asking members for referrals, and just not being afraid to straight up ask, and we have also seen so many miracles from that. We are going to start teaching the discussions to a members boyfriend this week, who has been to church many, many times, and has decided he wants to get baptized. And it's been so cool hearing about people's conversion stories when we're in their homes, and then using that spirit to invite them to share the same love and joy they have found with others in their lives. We really can't do this work without the members.

Twilight Zone moment from the week. We went to an appointment Orlando, who just got baptized, in the trailer park where they live. So we knocked on the door, and a Hispanic guy who we have never met before answered. We told him we were looking for this family, and he had never heard of them. He told us he had just moved in the night before, and he didn't know where the other owners moved to. We asked him what his name was and it's Orlando. What are the chances of that? But we started talking to him, and it turns out he was meeting with the missionaries a year ago where he used to live, but he's been moving a lot for work. So we were able to give him a copy of the Book of Mormon and set a return appointment, and it was the coolest, craziest finding miracle. And we eventually figured out that Orlando's family did move, and we just hadn't been kept in the loop. 

That miracle was even more precious, because the night before we had gotten back from an all day new missionary training at the mission home, and all of our appointments fell through, so we prayed and felt like we should go to this certain area in Lakeville. We were knocking door, and it was like all the bad contact attempts I've had so far in my mission in one night times twenty. We found a pastor from Mexico who gave us a lecture about using the Book of Mormon because the Bible is complete, then asked us to say a prayer with him, and he prayed that we would one day find the truth and have the confusion lifted from our minds. And another drunk Hispanic man was yelling at us about the twelve tribes and aliens, still not really sure actually. And nothing was working out. And a new family we were really excited about from last week dropped us because they said they can't believe in anything but the Bible. And we were really disappointed because we felt like we had followed the Spirit and gone to where the Lord needed us to go, and that whole night didn't find anyone we were looking for. I'm still not really sure why we needed to be there, but I certainly learned a lot, and days like that happen sometimes, and you have to keep going, and keep having faith that you're doing what the Lord needs you to be doing even when we can't see all the reasons. 

We also had interviews with President Barney this week. Interviews are such a blessing and always seem to take a weight off my shoulders. It is amazing how much love he has for the missionaries even after these short 6 weeks they have been here. And I really have learned a lot this week about the importance of leading and teaching out of love, because it is the ONLY way you will ever make a difference. 

I read a really good talk this morning by President Uchtdorf from October 2012. 

He shared "We shouldn’t wait to be happy until we reach some future point, only to discover that happiness was already available—all the time! Life is not meant to be appreciated only in retrospect. “This is the day which the Lord hath made … ,” the Psalmist wrote. “Rejoice and be glad in it.”" We taught relief society yesterday about the importance of continuing education and to dedicate time to learning and gaining intelligence. It really is truly incredible how much happiness the gospel promises us. We can be happy now, no matter what. Every moment we have is a precious gift. Being a missionary is so hard, and so wonderful, and I'm still so grateful for this opportunity I had to serve. Thanks for all the love and support!!

Hermana Meredith

"Joy comes from and because of Him" (August 7, 2017)

Winter actually started on August 3 and it was 57 degrees all day long. Welcome to Minnesota.

What an incredible week and blessing to be a missionary. First off, I was recently reminded of a promise I made before I left, that in my weekly reports I would be honest about missionary work, and be open about addressing the good and the bad. I think sometimes we try to be hopelessly optimistic, but that's not always how it works. It is easier, I will admit, to only share the good things. Because missionary work is meant to be hard. You work with and live with complete strangers, you are speaking a new language, and you go out and talk to people, most of whom do not want to listen to the message you bring, and will not open the door next time you come round. There is a lot of pressure to find, teach, and baptize, and everyone is always asking for numbers. People cancel, people change their minds. We are expected to be obedient to a set a rules and a lifestyle completely unlike real life and completely unlike anything we are used to. But each hard thing, happens for a reason. And there are things you HAVE to learn from the hard things, and can ONLY learn from the hard things. Companions I have struggled the most with, are the ones who have also taught me the most and the ones I am closest to. Knocking on doors and being rejected is not fun, and is very discouraging, but sometimes that what you need to do to find the one person on the whole street or in the whole city who needs your message at that time. There is so much pressure to be obedient and to be the best, most effective missionaries we can be, and so we use the Atonement, and come closer to Jesus Christ, and it becomes the only way we can begin to understand repentance and how to help those we teach understand repentance. There are so many joyful experiences as a missionary, but they inevitably mean we must get through the despair as well. There have been many, many times I have wanted to give up. There still are those times, and I'm sure there will be those times in the future. I have had days here that are 100 times better than the best days I have had, but I have also had days here that are 100 times worse than the worst days I have had. And that's what missionary life is. I love it, not because it's easy or because it's fun, even though at times it can be those things for blissful moments, but because we are spreading the word of Salvation, and I am closer to the Savior than I have ever before been. Teaching someone the plan of salvation who has never before heard it is the most amazing and rewarding experience I have ever had. I do miss real life, and we don't always love the strict lifestyle we live by, but for those many amazing moments of sharing the gospel and seeing someone be touched by the spirit, it is worth those things we sacrifice for only a brief time, and worth all the hard things. Companions are hard. Tracting is hard. Waking up at 6:30 every single day is hard. Not seeing your family for a year and half is really, really hard. Being a missionary is hard. We showed up to a return appointment the other day and this man pulled out his Bible, and started reading us all these verses telling us our doctrine was wrong, and that we are going to hell for reading and preaching from the Book of Mormon.Those types of appointments always tie my stomach into knots, but then we also have the privilege to meet those who are so prepared, and have open hearts, and want to learn everything about the gospel. It truly is amazing. 

One of the greatest lessons I have learned is very well put by a quote from President Russel M. Nelson in the October 2016 Conference "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. 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." I think missions are so joyous even when they are so hard, because we have dedicated this time of our lives to focusing on Christ, and there is no greater calling than this. 

So now let's get on to why this week was absolutely incredible.

We set a baptismal date with George this week! We had two amazing lessons with him, one about the restoration and atonement, and the next about the Plan of Salvation. Introducing him to the power of the Book of Mormon was amazing. He had a lot of questions about the Atonement, and about blessings, and about repentance, and for every question we were able to point him to a specific verse in the Book of Mormon that answered his question and testified of a gospel truth. He was crying as we finished and read in Alma 36 about repentance. Teaching him the plan of Salvation was also a tender experience. He loved the idea that we lived with our Heavenly Father before this life, and after we leave this earth, he just brings us home. He said "He just sends us on a mission, but knows that we'll be back!" Oh, it's more like that then you know. He was so interested in learning more, and was so excited about all the new things he was learning. It is such a blessing to be able to teach him. And it was really cool because the more we talked about the plan of salvation, he started asking about when church is and how he can get there. And it was really cool as he began to understand the plan of salvation and the commandments, he started to have that desire to come to church and make those changes before we started to talking to him about them. 

We have also been doing a lot a lot a lot of finding this week to try to get some new people in our teaching pool, and found 8 new investigators this week. We are really excited things are starting to move along here, but we have also been so privileged to meet so many new people, and people who let us right in to hear a message about Jesus Christ. Yes, there are some we have taught who weren't there for the return appointment, but the more people we talk to, the more likely we are to find those who are ready for this message. And we are not willing to give up on anyone quite yet. 

Darlene came to church!!! And she brought her boyfriend Carlos. Our branch did an amazing job of fellowshipping and making them feel welcome. 

We had a great zone conference this week, and the focus ended up being on obedience and using time wisely. We talked a lot about the doctrine of Obedience, and it go us thinking about how Christ established his gospel. The Mosaic law was all about your actions, but when Christ established the gospel, the intents of your heart were what truly mattered. The point being obedience has a lot to do with your attitude, more than your execution.

This week we were returning plates to a member who had given us dinner, and I accidentally told him we washed the plates with soup instead of with soap. (Soup is sopa in Spanish, while soap is jabon). We had an amazing night where we spent 2 1/2 hours tracting in this trailer park, and set a goal to give out 5 books of Mormon and get 2 new investigators, and we only fell short by one Book of Mormon. It was great!! Apparently winter in Minnesota starts on August 3, just so everyone knows. I love it here so much, and I love all the incredible things I have been learning. 6 months has gone by much too quickly, and the time keeps going faster and faster. Sorry this email is really long but it's just been a great week! 

Love you all! 

They see us rollin'

Knocking doors in trailer parks for days

Meredith y Hanson

Shakespeare! 

Happy Zone Conference!

There are lots of geese wandering around the Lakeville
area, so just another Friday afternoon

"Know how that it is said, and also written, that they were good" (July 31, 2017)

The new Lakeville Spanish dream team, Hanson and Meredith

A week full of training miracles!

My new companion is Hermana Hanson. She is from Sandy, Utah, and she is so excited to be a missionary, I love working with her! She is already such a good missionary, I feel like our first two days were kind of orientation, but other than that she is ready to go and I feel so blessed to be her trainer, I have already learned a lot from her and I hope over the course of our time together I teach her something. 

We have been doing so much finding, and we found 7 new investigators!! It has been so much fun, and we feel so blessed to have met all the amazing people we have. I really have been struck this week by the amazing opportunity we have to be the first people to share a Book of Mormon with someone. Something that has become so precious to me over my life and over my mission, and I feel so blessed to get to share it with so many people every day and testify of it's truthfulness. Being a missionary is amazing. It was interesting, the first few days Hna Hanson was here, I felt really bad and like a really bad missionary, because all of our appointments kept falling through, and on Saturday she still hadn't taught a lesson to an investigator. But we kept going with faith, and did the things we could, and we found so many amazing people to teach. And I've learned that I don't have to worry so much about depending on myself, because I cannot do it alone. But I'm not expected to do it alone, and that's what makes missionary work, and life so amazing. That we learn to do it here with our companions, and now and forever with our Savior Jesus Christ. 

We got to teach Orlando about Family History and Temples this week, and so I told him the story of one of my pioneer ancestors, John Toone. And he LOVED it!! He got so excited to learn more about his family history and go to the temple in 3 years. Being able to teach Orlando is such a blessing, because he is so excited to learn about the gospel and always lifts our spirits to be missionaries. 

This week we helped cut down a tree (well talked to our member while the elders cut down a tree), and I got in the eye by a soccer ball (because I'm still learning all the rules), and at peanut butter and jelly sandwiches made on a grill, and only got lost a few times, and it has been an amazing week. I LOVE being a missionary. 

This week I loved Helaman 5:6 "Behold I have given unto you the names of our first parents who came out of the land of Jerusalem; and this I have done that when you remember your names ye may remember them; and when ye remember them ye may remember their works; and when ye remember their works ye may know how that it is said, and also written, that they were good." As missionaries, we are so blessed to carry two names with us at all times. The name of Christ, and our family names. And they both serve as an important reminder that we should always live and act worthy of having both of those names and the message that we send to the world. 

"And we do justly ascribe it to the miraculous power of God" (July 24, 2017)

La Hermana Bryson <3

Finding miracles!! Last Monday night we were stopping by a potential, who wasn't home. And we got the feeling to try the trailer across the street from her, even though the trailer park we were in had been knocked dozens of times and that address wasn't in the area book. We were met at the door by Gabriella, a woman from Mexico, and her four little kids. She let us right in, and we shared a short message about our loving Heavenly Father with her, and set a return appointment, then we got to go back on Thursday night and teach her the entire restoration and she LOVED it. She thought the message was so beautiful, and she loved the first vision, and loves how we see God as a loving Heavenly Father, and she was so excited that the missionaries had come back to talk to her about God. We invited her to read from the Book of Mormon this week, and she seems really prepared and open for the gospel so we are very excited for her. 

Our little Lakeville Branch has been growing so much. We've had a lot of people move in, and a lot of priesthood holders become active or move in, and we are very excited. In a lot of our dinner appointments this week, we were able to talk to the relief society president about getting visiting teaching started and what we can do to help her, and a lot of priesthood holders are willing to come out to teach with us this week, and it's been fun to see people getting excited about missionary work. Also Orlando and his family were back at church yesterday and he is doing great, and whatever was wrong has resolved itself so thank you for your prayers!!

We had an AMAZING family night this week. We had a family who just moved in, the Lopez family. They are super cute, a mom and dad, and the four best behave little boys I have ever met. Holy cow they are so cute and so polite I love them. And they speak to us in Spanish, when most little kids speak to us only in English so it's really fun too. So we had a family night with them, and the Montecillo mayor family, (because there are two Montecillo families, the older and the younger) and they are so sweet and this really fancy hispanic couple who I love so much. And then Hno Armando and Hno Leo, two of the brothers from our ward who aren't married so they just are kind of adopted into everyone else's families which is really sweet. So we had a FHE with all of them because they invited us over for dinner. And Hno Montecillo gave a really good lesson about choices and it was amazing. Lots of reasons, I understood everything that was going on and I was super grateful that my comprehension has developed so much these past 6 months, and the spirit was there, and there was just so much love and I have so much love for these amazing members, and their love for the gospel, and desire to share the gospel and support the missionaries. I can't really explain it but it was an incredible evening. And it made me really excited to start more member work and helping members invite their friends to have spiritual experiences with them like that. 

Friends, I don't think I can properly explain how much I LOVE being a missionary. I have learned a lot this week, and realized that everything happens for the best of reasons even if we don't understand it. I have also learned a lot about repentance, as I learn to rely less on myself, and rely on the Lord, and it brings me so much joy to be able to know that even when I don't or can't always do my very best, and there are many things that I still lack and things I could always do better, Heavenly Father has called the weak of the world and he wants us to work and through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, become better today than we were yesterday.  

Hermana Meredith

17781 Ikaria Ct
Lakeville, MN 55044

p.s. Also just got transfer news, and I'm staying in Lakeville to train! This is going to be an adventure, and any prayers to help me and my new companion speak Spanish will be very much appreciated. 

Alma 57:26 "And now, their preservation was astonishing to our whole army, yea, that they should be spared while there was a thousand of our brethren who were slain. And we do justly ascribe it to the miraculous power of God, because of their exceeding faith in that which they had been taught to believe - that there was a just God, and whosoever did not doubt, that they should be preserved by his marvelous power." 

Familia Saldana

Hno Leo

Our little pet dog 'Santiago' because cats are mean to us

Caricature from the Mall of America...not sure how we feel about it. 

"Thus they went out of the world rejoicing" (July 17, 2017

"I'm not throwing away my shot"

Happy Moon Launch Day yesterday!! 

I told Hermana Bryson my fun fact that 48 years ago yesterday Apollo 11 launched, and that on the 20 it will have been 48 years since they landed on the moon. (Well I'm like 80% sure about those dates. I can't double check on google so I'm just guessing) and then yesterday when things weren't all going as well as we hoped she said "I shouldn't be that stressed, at least I'm not going to the moon in four days" Missionary work can be hard, but we keep going and we keep pushing through. I also became the designated driver this week, and let me tell you after 5 months of not driving, that was a little scary for a few days there, but I think I'm getting back into the hang of it now. 

So we had a lot of cool miracles this week. We met George, the son of a member here. He just got out of prison a few weeks ago after 20 years. He had never seen a smartphone and there's a lot of new things he is still adjusting too. And it is truly inspiring how excited he is to be alive and how he appreciates everything little thing about the world. Being able to wake up and go to work, and even how green the trees are. We are so blessed to live in the beautiful world in which we live, and sometimes we need a little wake up call to do that. 

I also met an incredible less-active on exchanges this week, Andrew. He is in his early twenties, and his wife is just about to have a baby, and hearing him talk about being a father and the things he's learning and his fears, and all the things he has gone through to get to this point was incredible. His wife isn't a member, but he has a strong testimony of the church, and he has told her he knows that someday that will be sealed in the temple as an eternal family, and he has already began to see her heart soften and seen her feel the spirit as they get closer and closer to becoming parents. 

Orlando wasn't at church yesterday, and so we were a little concerned, and stopped by after church. It turns out he was in the hospital 4 months ago for a week for a health problem, some really bad swelling his cheek that was very painful that they never got to figure out, and it started happening again yesterday. He was in a lot of pain, and just crying. We asked if there was anything we could do for him and he asked "You could pray for me?" And my heart just melted. So please keep Orlando in your prayers and that he will be able to recover and the doctors will be able to figure out what is going on. 

This week in my studies I was impressed by Alma 46:39 "And it came to pass that there were many who died, firmly believing that their souls were redeemed by the Lord Jesus Christ; thus they went out of the world rejoicing." Death is a pretty universal fear, and one of the greatest fears there is. But through Christ, we can overcome that. Through Christ we can overcome all fears. The knowledge of the gospel gives us an eternal understanding, and helps us understand those difficulties and challenges and fears that we face.

Have a lovely week!!

The Baptism of Ahmed last Monday -
Someone Hna Bryson taught in Minneapolis 

Exchanges with Sister Benson

FYI on July 11, if you dress like a cow and go to Chik-fil-a
you get free chicken. And where there is free food there are missionaries

When the other Hermanas are staying over at your house for
zone conference and low-key stalk us through the window

Chalking! The Plan of Salvation

 "Well, if it isn't Aaron Burr, sir"

Baptism Week! (July 10, 2017)

Orlando's baptism! I promise he was actually excited to get baptized, we're not sure why he refused to smile when we took pictures :)

This week was the best because Orlando got baptized yesterday right after church!!!! It was great. So many people were there to welcome him into the ward. He said he "felt really happy" when he was baptized, and it was everything he imagined it would be. And everything went smoothly and it was such a relief that everything got pulled off. I'm very much a person who wants to plan out every little detail and confirm every little detail beforehand, and Hispanic culture is very much the opposite, they get things done, but they just trust that they're going to get done when they need to get done, and don't worry about the details as much. So that was kind of freaking me out because I felt like we had nothing planned, but everything turned out ok. 

Also, President and Sister Barney showed up to our sacrament meeting and the baptism yesterday. Added just a bit of pressure, but it was cool because they're trying to come to as many of the baptisms in the mission as they can, and this was one of their first ones. We got to talk to them just for a little bit, and I'm still very excited to get to work with them. They're still figuring things out, but they are already filled with such love for the people, and the members, and the missionaries, and so they already have the most important part figured out. 

I learned a lot this week about how when we do our best, God makes it enough. I woke up last Tuesday morning not feeling very good, and by Wednesday we were home bound because can't leave when you have a fever. So for two days were out sick, and I'm still not up to par, but when you're not contagious, you get out as soon as you can to keep working. We went to have a lesson with Lucero, one of our investigators. We didn't have time to try to set up a member to come with us, so we went, and we started teaching her about the Book of Mormon. Then about ten minutes in, her husband came home, who is a less-active member, with Hno Armando, one of our really strong members, because they had been at work together that day. They sat down with us, and we continued to talk about the Book of Mormon, and we asked Hno to share his testimony about the Book of Mormon, and he shared the beautiful experience of how he read the whole thing in 3 days after the missionaries shared it with him and he immediately gained a witness that it was true. And we then invited Lucero and her husband to read the Book of Mormon together this week, and it ended up being an incredible lesson. Even though I still didn't feel completely mentally there, we went out, and did the best we could, and God made it enough. 

We had a really, really...interesting experience on Saturday night. That couple from El Salvador we have been meeting with a little bit, invited us to their church to do a musical number, and we figured that might give them a little more incentive to be open to coming to our church, and it is a good service, so we went to a Pentecostal church on Saturday night. I just played a hymn on the violin, then we sang I am a child of God. And that was definitely the calmest part of the whole program. I couldn't help but think of the scripture in 1 Kings 19:11-12 during the meeting

"And, behold, the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice." 

It was really cool, though, to get to see how other people worship, especially in the Hispanic culture.

This week, with more days of being sick, I had a lot of good time for really good personal study. Romans 8:38-39 really stuck out to me "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalites, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." For a couple of reasons. One, because it is almost reminiscent of the end of the poem Annabel Lee and the language is beautiful, but also because it really is true, and anyone, ANYONE who wants to come unto Christ is welcome. His love is outstretched to all. Most of the time, the only thing preventing us from feeling it is our own misconceptions of our unworthiness. None of us have lived lives perfect enough to repay for the completely never ending love that Christ has infinitely extended to us, but he does it anyway and his hand is stretched out still. Just believe Him.

Thank you all for your love and support! Have a great week! 

Feliz cumpleaños América!

Hola amigos! 

Sorry, I don't have a lot of time this week, but a picture is worth a thousand words.

Happy Independence Day! None of the patriotic hymns are in Spanish, so I hope you appreciate getting to sing them all for me. Have a lovely day celebrating this beautiful country in which we live. We talk to a lot of people who have given up everything to be here, and continue to have to give up everything to be here, so appreciate and love every single day. And for all the faults and all the things we need to improve, be grateful every day for the oppurtunities we have here. 

And the biggest news, Orlando passed his baptismal interview! We are so happy for him. He was really, really scared and didn't think he knew everything, but we said a prayer with him, and our District Leader was really sweet and patient with him, and afterwards he was grinning from ear to ear, still so so excited to be baptized :) And if all goes according to plan the baptism will be this Sunday. 

1. Chalking this week!




















2&3.
Last zone conference with the Forbes. 

It was so sad, and it's really hard to see them go. They have been such incredible examples to me, and I have learned so much from them in my short time here already. They made me feel so loved from the moment I arrived, and their love for each and every one of the missionaries is truly astounding. We got to be their very last zone conference on the day before they went home, and everyone was crying during the closing hymn, and it was a very sad day. 
But we are so excited to have the Barney's here now! Since we were the last zone to get a zone conference, we were the first zone to get to meet President and Sister Barney the next day. I don't have a picture of them yet, but we are so happy to have them here. They have a lot of good ideas about the mission, and they have the sweetest, strongest spirits, and I'm looking forward to getting to know them better and learn more from them in the mission.

4. The members we live with have a cat, Oliver, and he is our only friend, and sometimes we just hang out with him on P-day when we can't find anything else to do. He also wakes us up every morning at 6 o'clock by meowing louder than I thought was physically possible asking for food. But he's pretty cute. 



5. Duolingo always trying to be funny

6. Scripture thought for this week! 

I have really been focusing lately on making my studies more meaningful and I have learned so much I wish I could share it all with you. Go look up Acts 24:25, also Acts 20:24. The New Testament, and the Book of Mormon, and all scriptures are just so amazing. And how beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth these good tidings, that published and publisheth peace throughout the world. For truly how beautiful is this message of salvation that we get to share with the world. Christ lives!

Sorry this is kind of random and crazy, but that's how missionary work turns out sometimes. Have a great week! Keep sharing the gospel!

Hermana Meredith