Monday August 8, 2014

Monday September 8, 2014

Dear Family,

Happy Mid-Autumn Festival!! Perhaps my favorite holiday in Taiwan, because it involves two of my favorite foods: Moon cakes and You4zi (Someone told me it’s Pomello in English?).  Today we had a member who came and taught us how to make moon cakes!! As well as Taiwanese pineapple cake (very different from American). It was so fun and they were GOOD. I took a lot of pictures, but the place we're emailing at today won't read my flash drive. Next week. And speaking of cameras, we were cleaning things out today, and I decided that since I'm just going to throw my old broken camera away anyway, I might as well try using some really hard force and see if I can't force the lens to close. And what do you know. My camera works!! I was really excited because it's way better than the new one I bought, but now I'm not entirely sure what to do with the new one . . .

This week was a blast. We were TIRED. But that is when missionary work is the most fun. This week we had an incredible miracle. Zheng4 (Allen) got baptized!!!!! Sister Steed and I met with him for FOREVER and he had SO much potential, but after coming back to the same questions over and over, and not being willing to take action, we stopped meeting with him. And he started progressing. When we were teaching him, he would never come to church. After we dropped him, he started coming almost every week. These past few weeks the Elders felt that they needed to start meeting with him. They met with him once or twice, Allen realized that he was ready for baptism, and Saturday night he was baptized. It was SO neat. And it was reassuring to see how Heavenly Father worked with him. He's been an Eternal investigator for a long time now (way before me), and a lot of different people have helped him along his path. It was exciting to see how happy he was, dressed up for the first time in a suit. He brought his sister and mom to the baptism as well. His sister gave us her information so she can meet with missionaries in Taipei.  After his confirmation on Sunday, Allen bore his testimony in Sacrament meeting. It was such a sweet moment to see how the Lord works in His way and in His time. Allen's prayers were answered, but not in the way or time that perhaps he, or Sister Steed or I wanted.

Lately we've been having a hard time with finding. We have been praying so hard to find the PREPARED. Not those who are willing to chat for a second, but those who are PREPARED. So one day this past week we were out looking, and no one was accepting. We were rejected time and time again.  We contacted one man as he was getting on his scooter. He continued to pull out after having accepted our tract, we gave a last-ditch invite: "I know you're busy right now, but do you think we could meet with you at another time and share more?" And he said yes. I was a little taken aback to be honest. We met with him the next day, and it turns out he almost got baptized a while ago, and has great desires to be baptized. He is prepared. Heavenly Father answers our prayers when our prayers our truly in the name of Christ, which means they are according to the will of the Father and the Son.

My study of the Old Testament continues! This morning I read one of my favorite descriptions of the Holy Spirit.  Elijah 19:11-12 "And he said, Go forth, and stand upon the mount before the LORD. 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." And it was in the still small voice that Elijah found the Lord. This is usually how I feel the voice of the Lord in my life. It is small, it is quite, and it speaks peace to the soul. Galatians 5:22-23 "But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance"

I love you! 

Sister Rachel Caroline Edwards