Monday March 17, 2014
Dear Family,
This week was really
good! As you can see from pictures, we made dumplings for P-day last week! It
was really fun! We also ate real Mexican food when we went to Taipei to do
temple tours. Macho Nacho:). The first
time I have found real Mexican food while in Taiwan.
Making Dumplings
As I was studying the morning
that we were going to do temple tours, I really felt like I should prepare a
tour for a member. Even though we didn't have any member tours scheduled. Actually we didn't have ANY tours scheduled L. I
spent a lot of time thinking about it, and felt pretty good about what I'd
prepared. As we were setting up for tours in Taipei, we ran into Sister Duff in,
the mother of the American family that lives in our ward. We talked for a few
minutes, and then headed off. We bumped into her later and chatted some more,
and then, the third time we saw her, I finally realized that Heavenly Father
was probably trying to tell me something. We invited her to do a tour. This
tour truly felt guided by the Spirit. I don't know all of the reasons why she
needed that tour, but I felt like the Spirit was guiding us that day, which was
neat.
Afterwards we ran into a girl on
the street who did not have much of any religious background. We began to share
with her about Jesus Christ, prayer, and baptism. After talking with her for a
while, we invited her to be baptized if she learned what we were teaching was
true, right there on the street. She accepted this challenge! So cool!
Saturday night
was another experience we had inviting someone to be baptized on the street. As
we were knocking doors around the church, we ran into a Philippine lady who
spoke English. As we shared with her about the restoration, I felt the Spirit bear
testimony to me that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and of the truth of the
restoration. We invited her to be baptized when she knew for herself that it
was true, and she accepted. Two accepted invites to baptism on the street this
week. I feel like when people really understand what we are offering, there is
no way to say no.
A cool moment of
Chinese! In church yesterday I grabbed
the Chinese book that the lesson was out of, in an attempt to follow along. Then,
the teacher, who has helped peike and knows us pretty well, called on me to
read out loud! And I did J, with a lot of mistakes, but it was ok. This
week was also the first week that I read scriptures out loud from characters in
lessons, rather than the pinyin. It's still back and forth, but I’m improving.
Speaking of the ward. Invited to a primary dinner. I want to belong to that primary
Stake Patriarch cutting the cake.
The Zhang
family is doing really well! She has already finished reading the Book of
Mormon, loved it, and is moving on to the Bible. She just has to get rid of
coffee. She normally doesn't drink it unless she is working, but she works
crazy hours a lot of times, and doesn't sleep much, so it's hard. Especially
because she is a nurse, and so if she makes a mistake when she is tired, she is
afraid of hurting other people.
This Wednesday we’ll
have Zone Conference, so that will be really fun. And transfers are on March
28th, just about a week and a half. I'm guessing that I will probably transfer,
but who knows! I think that I am a lot more prepared to leave now than I was
last transfers, although I would love to stay and see the Zhang family and
Sister Zhao get baptized. And Yang JM!! She is an investigator we have right
now whom I have a lot of hope for and I love.
We had interviews with
President last week, and as I was asking him how to be more consecrated to the
Lord, he related with me some of the things that indicate consecration. Everything
he named were things that mom and dad do. I was struck by how very grateful I
am for you guys. President mentioned simple
things like doing home teaching and preparing a primary lesson in advance.
Things that I've seen you do all of my life. I have been set up to succeed. I
only have to follow in the footprints of my parents. And I am so very grateful.
I’m beginning to
understand that an important part of being a missionary is being converted to
the Lord, and loving him with your heart, might, mind, and strength, and GIVING
him your heart, might, mind and strength. Mom and Dad you are consecrated unto
the Lord and the impact that has had on my life is immeasurable. Now I will try
to serve, be obedient, be consecrated and be patient to help my investigators!
And future children.
I love you and I pray
for you!
Sister Rachel Caroline
Edwards/ Du Jiemei
Now for the pictures:
February 28, 2014 and Eagle Baptizes Sister Nelson and Sister Edwards Investigators and friends
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| Making Banana Bread in the crock pot |
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| Am I still wearing this part of the mission uniform? |
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| Eating Goose Meat...yum tasty |
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| Massive Shoe-Rachel's feet aren't too big after all |
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| Rachel's hair before cutting it-although she didn't end up cutting it as short as was originally planned. So it looks pretty much the same still |
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| Sister Nelson and Sister Edwards accidentally matching |
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| Rachel and some awesome statue at ShiDa4-a university close to the temple. |
Rachel trying to kiss her frog prince
