Monday December 2,
2013
Dear loved ones,
I hope you all had a
wonderful Thanksgiving! We were invited
over to the home of an American member who lives close by. Originally
she told us we would be having chicken . . . but we showed up to a delicious
turkey! Her feast was delicious and impressive. She also invited some American friends from her classes,
and it was fun to celebrate all together. Although I decided, for probably the 100th
time, that it's a good thing I'm not serving in the states . . . and I give
props to every missionary who is!! It's so much harder with Americans and with
English speakers to talk about the gospel! Heavenly Father knew I wouldn't be
able to, so he sent me to Taiwan to talk with my sisters here. I seriously love
Taiwan so much. And I love Taiwanese people!! I was meant to come here. I hope all of
your Thanksgivings were as good as mine.
Yesterday was our
first preliminary choir performance, but starting this week our real
performances will start. We’ll be traveling around the mission. I'm really excited!
I love Christmas and I'm glad I have this chance to participate in the Christmas
season in Taiwan.
 |
| Since Christmas is the topic why not a Christmas Tree? |
Yesterday we got Christmas cards from our investigator Wu JM.
They were so cute! Written in her best English. The card also
included little wooden mirrors and combs that had our names engraved on them. It
was neat! She is so cute!
We also had a big dinner
with some of the ward members on Saturday night that was fun.
It was originally supposed to be a visiting teaching thing, but I don't think it
went according to the original plan. It sure was fun and delicious! Our ward is
amazing and I love the members.
Members that were at the Saturday dinner
We also have a ward member who is going to feed us lunch on Christmas Eve. That will be great.
Last Monday was productive and fun. We had a member take us out for lunch on P-day. She ended up contacting
both the lady working at the front desk of the restaurant, and the store she
took us to for some Christmas shopping. We ended up with their phone numbers! Talk
about member missionary work!
Perhaps my favorite
part of the week was our miracle with Li JM. Last time we met with
her she told us that she believes the Book of Mormon is true. Then she disappeared! We hadn't been able to get hold
of her for weeks! We were about to drop her. We couldn't do this because we couldn't let
go of someone who said they knew the Book of Mormon was true. As a last resort,
under the suggestion of our bishop, we called a member she had had lessons
with, and gave her Li JM's number. The next day WE get a call from Li
JM! Turns out she hasn't been answering our calls because she's at work and
then gets off too late to call us back. I image forgetting we had called her
has a part in that too. We met with her
last week, and she is still interested! We had to adjust her baptismal date to
Christmas, but her desires are all in the right places for the right reasons. It was cool to hear the reasons
Li JM had for wanting to get baptized. She wants to make that commitment, to
really commit to this gospel.
Julia was
somebody we contacted on the street last week, and this week we met with her
for the first time. I was so unprepared to hear such
honest and straightforward questions that it kind of took me by surprise. She
was willing to make the experiment, and then to take action, be baptized, if
she got her answer.
We met Amy for
the first time after contacting her on the street. She came to church, all
three hours and met with us after! She was super good and seems to have-real-intent.
I'm so glad we had a good peike for that lesson! It made a big difference.
Huang JM made sure Amy knew what baptism meant before agreeing to it. Amy did set
a goal to be baptized if she knew what we taught was true. I really believe in inviting people to be baptized quickly. It makes
such a big difference! When people really understand what you’re asking, they
almost always agree, because they understand that this is an action taken only
AFTER they have received their answer. It helps them to understand our purpose
too. The people who don't hear a baptismal invitation soon have a lot harder
time.
Another highlight is our never-ending miracle of Wu JM (Angel). She has
been to church every week, all three hours, for the past four weeks
She also went to the new member/investigator hike Saturday morning in Neihu, and a fireside Sunday night.
These three pictures are taken from the hike.
She is keeping all the commandments we have taught her, which is almost all of them. The only worry
with her is differentiating between interest in the missionaries and interest
in the gospel. She still has never felt the spirit in a way that she
recognizes. But she is reading the Book of Mormon and is in
II Nephi. If she starts sincerely asking and
seeking, she'll find her answer. She is
doing everything she needs to do, but I'm not sure if she really has a desire
to find an answer or just a desire to hang out with us. But she is still
amazing!
After going to the
trainer/trainee meeting I feel even luckier than ever to be with Sister George.
I have such an awesome companion who helps me so much. The meeting made me
really grateful for the open relationship we have. We really communicate, and
that makes a big difference. Also we have the same basic outlook. Most of the time
we see things from the same perspective and that makes missionary work easy.
And she works hard and is happy--such blessings!
One morning this week I was feeling doubtful and miserable. I decided to just start from the basics of
my testimony. I began telling my companion all the things I KNOW. I had barely started bearing my testimony, when I was overcome with the Spirit telling me
the truth of what I was saying. I know God lives. I know Jesus Christ is my
Savior. I know that the gospel of Jesus Christ as taught in the Book of Mormon
is the truth, and the way of greatest happiness on earth and in the eternities.
Simple truths, but I suddenly KNEW them SO clearly. It was an experience I
never want to forget.
Sister Edwards/Du
Jiemei"
I love you!!!
Sister Rachel Caroline
Edwards
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