Monday June 16, 2014

Monday June 16, 2014

Dear family,

I hope all of you are having a wonderful father's day!

This week is transfers, so Sister Steed will be going home this weekend, all the way back to California. So that is a little sad. But there will be a new adventure starting as well! So I will have a new companion next week.

Our investigator Nian, Andrea, is doing so well!! She got in a car accident last week that left her really bruised and in pain, but without any serious injuries. When we met with her after church, she shared with us that she was grateful to God that it wasn't more serious, and takes it as a blessing from God.  She still came to church even though she was drugged up with a bunch of painkillers and hurt if anyone touched her. A member brought her :) There is something about Nian JM. I feel like she was the one we were meant to find. I remember feeling a while ago that there was someone in Hualian that we were meant to find, and I believe it's her. The hand of God in her life is so apparent, and His love for her is great. I feel like I am getting a window into something much greater than myself. I think she is part of the reason I am in Taiwan.

Rachel and Andrea

 

This morning as I was reading my scriptures, I was impressed with so many things. One of them was the spark of light that exists in human beings. The light of Christ. Just the spark of goodness that is evident in human behavior. Bad things happen, and people do bad things, but there is a basic yearning in human beings to reach for one another in love. To help one another. We really are a family, a family that consists of everyone on the face of the earth, and God wants us to lift each other up.

Another thing I noticed this morning was the promise of the Lord's presence as missionaries. The Lord states over and over again, that He is in the midst of those that are on His errand. I think one of my favorite ways that it is stated is in 2 Nephi 22:6 "Cry out and shout, thou inhabitant of Zion; for great is the Holy One of Israel in the midst of thee." I believe that the Lord is guiding this work, and is great in the midst of us. I would say most of the time I don't notice perhaps as much as I should, but there are moments when it becomes so clear, just for a short amount of time, and I realize the hand of God.

I love you!

Sister Rachel Caroline Edwards

Monday June 9, 2014

                                                                                          

Monday June 9, 2014 

Dear family,

This week was a bit crazy (as usual), but it was good.  

We met with our investigator Andrea yesterday after church. I mentioned Andrea last week whose father died when she was 8. She told us that Saturday night she was feeling SO tired and lonely. All her roommates were gone, she is really busy with school and work, and feels a lot of pressure. She felt alone and tired to the bone. She prayed, told Heavenly Father, and went to bed. At 4:00 in the morning, she gets a text from her mom who, by the way, does not text. Andrea says it must have taken her at least an hour to write a text that long. Paraphrased the text said, "I had a dream, and in my dream you told me you were SO tired." She then went on to encourage her daughter. Andrea said she cried when she got the text. And she recognized it as an answer from God. She believes in God now. And little did she know she was answering a personal prayer of mine as well.

God is real, and He speaks. Everyone's answers are different, but they are there, if we simply place our faith in Him and ASK. Truth is everywhere. It's just as Alma says, "The scriptures are laid before thee, yea, and all things denote there is a God; yea, even the earth, and all things that are upon the face of it, yea, and its motion, yea, and also all the planets which move in their regular form do witness that there is a Supreme Creator." Alma 30:44.

I've had a greater understanding this week of what it means to not fear. And I've learned in a different way that God exists. It's not finished, but it's exhilarating. Also this morning I read Alma 11 and 12, and I invite everyone to go and study those two chapters and look for something new! They are filled with things I never saw before; perhaps they will be for you too. I love you!

Love,

Sister Rachel Caroline Edwards

Monday June 2, 2014

                                                                                                                   

June 2, 2014

Dear family,

I hope you all got to eat some good Zhongzi to celebrate Dragon Boat festival! Ask Dave and Jeff if you want to know what Zhongzi are:) We actually got to go to the Lake and watch the dragon boat races. Super fun.

Last week we had a contact from weeks ago agree to meet with us when we called. He and his daughter actually came to our baptism, they stayed after for a discussion, and then both set baptismal dates!! Which was a really cool experience for me, because I personally remember contacting, and feeling that they were special and I could not forget to call after the daughter's test was over like they told us we could. The dad originally wasn't super interested, but just thought it was for his daughter. Now they are both making commitments to prepare them for baptism! And, they came to church yesterday!

Also on Sunday, Ling2 came to church. We'd met with her for the first time Saturday night. She'd come to Wen’s baptism the previous Saturday and had come to church the week before that. We met with her again after church. It was one of the most intense lessons I've ever taught. Her father passed away when she was 8, and since then she hasn't believed in God. We shared the Plan of Salvation with her, and she . . . began to cry. She wasn't sure if it was true or not, but you could feel the Spirit working with her. I don't know how to explain it, but you could just FEEL God testifying to her that He exists. It wasn't . . . loud, but it was just there. It was incredible. She NEEDS the gospel, and is reaching for it herself.

I love the tender mercies of the Lord. As I put my faith in him, I feel the companionship of the Spirit, and my heart is at peace. This peace comes mostly through prayer and scripture study.  I love you! Have a wonderful week!

Love,

Rachel

This is the bishop and his wife from Danshui who came to visit on May 5 with our recent convert, Angel.  It was SO FUN. I love them soooo much.

I loved this picture of the ocean.  Wished that I was there.  But..the sun never seems to shine.