March 24, 2014- Assis, São Paulo, Brazil

Hello family and friends!

I had a great week! Full of ups and downs and turn arounds. We had Zone Conference in Marília! It was soooo great! Our assistants gave a GREAT training. I felt so strongly the need to make differences in my personal life to become who the Lord expects and knows I can be. I love meetings and conferences because they really help me to reflect on my progress as a missionary and get recharged and going again. Sometimes we fall into patterns that seem normal but moments like this call us out and show us our potential, reminding us of our ultimate goals. I admire my President so much! He is very spiritually intuned and dedicated to his calling and the Lord. He is a great example to me. He was really sick that day but he still gave the 3 hour training he had prepared. The spirit filled the chapel as he testified. I learned so many new truths. It was great! 

One of the other great things was that I finally received mail!!!!!!!!! YES! Just like christmas! This time.. literally.. haha. 

Thank you- Amber, Thayne, Min, Ethan, and Jayne, for the Christmas package!! 

Thank you- Blake for the Birthday Present! 

Thank you- Lehi YSA 2nd Ward for the letters and Christmas package!! 

Thank you MOM!!!!!!!!! the the incredible stuffed package! AHHHH!!! 

I am still so overwhelmed with the love everyone shows me! I feel that I dont deserve all this but I truly appreciate it, more than words can express! My companion is really excited too! I think I am set on goodies for the rest of the year with all these packages put together haha. THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

I receive the best news today! Remember our sweet convert, Taisha, from Oklahoma? She is strong in the church and is preparing to go on a mission!!!!!!!!! I am sooooooo happy for her!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Here in Assis, Vitor was all set to get baptized yesterday but at the last minute his mom said that he needs to wait more time. He is so patient and loving and understanding. We are fasting a praying for him. He is a great example for his family. His day will come for sure! We are doing all we can to help him and I have no doubt that he will be baptized sooner than we all know it! 

Our house was infested with ants this week. Everyday was a 'fun' game of "how many thousands can you kill?" They sure migrate fast. Today was a deep cleaning of our apartment. I dont think it has ever been cleaner. Brasil has soooo many ants. In Portuguese they are called Formigas. You know the feeling of when your leg falls asleeps? They call it "formagindo" which is like ants are crawling all over ya. haha thats the random fact of the day.

Well, this week is full of promise. We were a little lost this week exploring the newer areas of our now gigantic area! But thanks to our handy dandy old fashion map we found our way around. We met lots of people and are excited for the new projects here. 

Thanks for the love and support! I appreciate all the emails. I pray all is well where ever you are! Have a wonderful inspiring week!! 

Love, Sister Rachel Edwards

March 17, 2014 - Assis, São Paulo, Brasil

Dear Family,

First, Happy St. Patricks day!! (aka my half birthday haha)

WOW. I am feeling very overwhelmed with love from all the many many emails I received today. I LOVE YOU ALLLLL!!!! I wish I had words to express how I am feeling today. 

Today is tranfsers!!! Sister Butler and Sister De Moura our amazing Sister Training Leaders that we lived with are on their way home! They finished their mission. I am going to miss them a lot here in Assis. They were incredible example to me.

This city of Assis was split into two areas with 4 sister missionaries to work the branch. But now they closed the area and Sister Bispo and I are responsible for the WHOLE city! The branch actually includes Assis and other small neighboring cities. It will definitely be an adventure this transfer! We have a ton of goals and are reallllly excited to get going. 

This week was really great. We had a tons of help from members and really saw a difference that it made. Members: Your testimonies are GOLD. When a member (or normal person... in the eyes of an investigator) bears testimony their hearts are touched and they really see the Light that you have. As missionaries we have the sacred and special privilege to be a representative of Jesus Chirst for a designated amount of time and people see the difference in us. But when you combine the light of a faithful missionary with the love and light of a faithful humble member, it is impossible to deny! I feel this especially with todays youth. Thank you for sharing your light, testimonies and love! 

I have been studying recently about the Gospel of Jesus Chirst. I invite you to reread the well known chapters of 2 nephi 31, 32 and 33. I love the words of nephi. He really does speak so clearly. I have a strong testimony that that is the ONLY WAY back to our Father in Heaven. Only the Pure Gospel of Chirst can truly save us. I think it is also interesting that those who dont yet understand these truths cant blame it on being complicated. It is our own responsiblity to search out truths and answers and because the gospe l is clear and pure the spirit will testify in our heart and we will begin to comprend what we are learning, but we must search it out! 

We had some great lessons with our recent convert Roberto. He is so converted. He taught some lessons with us this week and testified with such power and authority of what he knows to be true. It was a very humble and gratifying moment to see him applying all we taught him. He received the preisthood this week! He was so happy and I admired so much his faith and dedication. We are now teaching his son and  daughter in law. Talk about prepared hearts!!! We are very excited for them!

We also are teaching a young man named Vitor. He is getting baptized this next sunday. He has been waiting for a long time for permission from his parents. He is 16. He loves the book of mormon and loves studying the scriptures and learning. He is very open minded and obedient. This is the first time he is recieve the lessons from missionaries. What a privielge to teach someone so ready to hear the truth! 

I love the work of the Lord. If i could I would be a missionary forever... scratcht that.. I will be! I am extremely happy to hear all about Leonardo's baptism. What an incredible day for him and his family:)

Love you all! have an amazing miracle filled week! Dont forget that we are all instruments in the Lords hands and he will use us if we are willing and worthy.

I love this Gospel and I love you!

Love, Sister Edwards

March 10, 2014 Assis, São Paulo

Hello Everyone!

This week was good, not our best, but not the worst. I think it is interesting how we really do need to experience opposition in all things to recognize the goodness and joy that is available.

This Sunday we had 3 new investigators in church. Our Pastor friend didn't make it to church this week although, we were able to teach him the plan of Salvation this week and he had lots of great questions. And, before we invited him to be baptized he began to talk about the changes in his life that would have to happen in order for him to be a part of the church. So he had already been thinking about baptism and is receiving an answer about this, the Restored Gospel! The thing he is struggling with, is the feeling of not being at the 'top' anymore... PRIDE my friends is a sin difficult to let go of...We are trying to help him realize the blessed opportunities he will have as he learns more about the Priesthood. 

One young man, Humberto, that came for the first time yesterday really liked how he felt there (the Spirit!!!). It is a neat story. We met him on Saturday when we went to go visit his Mom, who we had met in the street that week. When we got there he also was there, and we taught them both about the Restoration. He was very interested to learn these new things but was reluctant to visit the church on Sunday. We prayed with them and promised them the blessing of Church attendance. 

The next morning, we stopped by his house to see if he would go to church with us. His mom answered and said he was in the shower. She said that Humberto woke up early. He wanted to go back to sleep but he saw the Book of Mormon and pamphlet we left and picked it up and started to read. He decided he needed to go and got up to get ready. She said this was different for him to do something like that, "reading the Bible in the morning, in bed." He went to church on his own and really enjoyed it! We are excited to continue to teach him.

All the youth went to FSI, the new EFY ('Especially For Youth') this week. It was sooo incredible to hear all of their testimonies when they got back. All were eager to help us:) One young man, Jarede, helped teach with us yesterday. His bore the most sincere testimonies in each lesson. I am so impressed with the faith of the youth today. They are truly living what they believe and serving with all their hearts as Christ did. They radiate His love.

I am so happy many youth from my former area, in Maringa, were able to attend EFY. I am so excited for Leonardo's baptism this week! I am so happy for him and wish I could be there in person. Parabéns nosso eleito!!!! :)

Thank you for all the love and support! I love you all and I know this is where the Lord needs me in my life right now. He has a plan for all of us and loves us each individually. I love being a missionary and would not trade this time for ANYTHING!!!!!!!!

Love, Sister Rachel Edwards

Still utilizing skills learned in Africa...

Cute lil puppy...

Ward Mission Leader's Birthday BBQ 

Happy Missionary

March 3, 2014- Assis, São Paulo, Brazil

Rachel loves this fruit. And it is abundant in Assis.

Sister Lima. (Irmã Osana!)

Baptism of Diná.

Thuany and Sister Edwards

District 

Love that fruit!

Train runs though the city...

Pan on head to block the hot, hot, sun!

Ola Minha Família!!!!! 

Guess what? On February 29, 2014, I hit my 9 month mark!!! In other words, I will never hit my 9 month mark because 29th of Feb didn't happen this year. haha :) Ironic huh? But! For 2 days (Feb 28 and Mar 1) I celebrated my half way mark of the mission. I can't believe that I am now on the downhill side of the time line. The time passes sooooo fast. Its sad.. really. I love being a missionary and I never want to be released!! Good thing Every member a missionary right?? Ok, time to not be trunky haha.

This week is Carnaval. If you dont know what that is DONT LOOK IT UP! Pretty much it is a holiday that happens after people celebrate the Passover. The word Carnaval has a root word which is Carne which mean meat/flesh aka "the natural man." (Flesh and bones). So this is a holiday where people celebrate by... breaking the law of Chasity freely. It is quite distrurbing and I have not met a member who "likes" Carnaval. 

This Sunday in Relief Society the Sisters were talking about ways they can portect their children from the evils in the world today. Sadly the world makes this holiday seem exciting with all of the colors and parades and dancing but sadly it is a face for something that is not pleasing. The Church understands this and has an excellent answer for the youth. During Carnaval they hold EFY!!!!!!!! All the youth allll over the country are gathering this week to be spiritually uplifted in goodness, safe from the crazy sinful world. This week we be a little hard as there will be lots of people traveling to the big cities or to ranches (people in the US visit their cabins, here they visit their ranches and farms) to party. BUT I know that the Lord people ready to be taught that are here in the city still.

During the same Relief Society Meeting one Sister made a comment and comparison that I liked a lot and would like to share with you all. She said, (Talking about impure thoughts) "You can't ask a bird to land in a tree, but if he lands you can shew him away." Our minds are these trees, and as Latter-Day Saints we should be consistently trying to keep our minds and actions clean and pure. I like this comparision because sometimes little birds do land on the branches of our mind, but it is our choice to shew them away or let them stay and build a nest and live there. We really do have the choice. It's interesting too. 

One time back in Oregon a bird built a nest in our Barbeque. When we cleaned it out it came back several times to rebuild it's nest. Stubborn little bird. It was always less work to clean out the bits of grass and sticks than to build a nest. It is the same with our thoughts. It is much easier to repent of sin before we let it grow and worsen. But it is even wiser to not let it stay in the beginning. That is why DAILY repentance is essential. That is why it is important to decide BEFORE the bird lands, but when we see it come to shout,  "You are not welcome here!" and make it leave. Sad.. haha I like birds, but I also like the analogy haha. 

This week I have also been studying a lot about Covenants and the importance of covenant making and keeping. I learned so much about the first covenant of Baptism. It is so important that we understand that we are making a promise with our Father in Heaven. And really it is simple to keep our convents, we just need to continue to live the Gospel. I love how everything connects and leads back to the importance of our Savior and Redeemer Jesus Chirst. It is only though Him any of this is possible. 

I invite you to read the talks from the General Relief Society Broadcast this past Fall. They are wonderful! I finshed studying all the talks from this past conference today. I know that they were inspired by God. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a Prophet and that the 12 Apostles are men of God with the Power and Authority to guide all men back to our home in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Lastly, and quickly, we are teaching a Pastor- Pastor Reynaldo. He is soooo prepared to hear the gospel! He has been serving people his whole life and always has tried to do what is right. He has had so many misfortunes and difficulties happen to him and as he has only lived in this city for a few months he has felt a great emptiness. He doesn't know what is missing or why he feels this way since he has always tried to serve God. One morning he decided that he cannot serve effectively and really help anyone until he helps himself and finds out what this empty feeling is; what is missing inside of him. That very afternoon we knocked at his door. 

We, along with a member who came to teach with us for the day had the tender and spiritual expereince to answer the very question he had of what was missing. We taught him about the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Chirst by a prophet named Joseph Smith and how we have a prophet who lives today. We taught about the Book of Mormon and testified that this book has all the answers to all of our life's questions and doubts. He humbly accepted and prayed for us as we left. It was such a neat experience and I am very excited to return and visit him more. 

Well, I love you all so very much! I have a million other things I could write and want to but time is short! I pray all is well with you and I would like to thank you for the love support and prayers. I truly feel the strength of your faith everyday as I am able to continue walking and teaching. Thank you!!! 

Love You all! Have a great week!!!

Love, Sister Rachel Edwards

Feb. 24, 2014-Assis, São Paulo, Brazil

Querido Família e amigos!!!

I am overwhelmed with the feeling of love and happiness as I received
a letter from my investigator in Maringá that will be getting
baptized here soon in the next few weeks. He has waited what seems
like a life time. Because of his faith and determination he finally
has the opportunity to follow the example of Jesus Chirst and be
baptized by the Holy Power of the Preisthood. What an incredible
journey it has been to enter the gate to the ever enduring pathway to
our Father in Heaven. I am so proud and so happy for you Leonardo!

This week my companion and I had the privilege and honor, to meet,
teach, and baptize an elect son of God. His name is Roberto
(Pronounced Hoberto in Portuguese). He works as a barber in a Salon.
His work is not in our area of the city. The other Sisters we live
with passed by there and as they talk to everone (All all missionaries
do) they invited him to church and got his address. That next Sunday
passed and he didn't go. They passed by another day and once again he
happened to be there and they invited him again. Recongizing their
sincerity in the invite, he decided to go. He is an man who has been

searching for a truth his whole life. He saw this as an opportunity to
look a little more. So the next sunday he showed up at the chapel all
by himself. We found that he lived in our area. So the next night we
went to his house and taught him about The Restoration and Joseph
Smith, the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the Word of Wisdom. He had felt
the spirit very strong in church and had a great desire to change his
life and follow the example of Christ. We invited him to be baptized.
He accepted. We invited him for the following Sunday, he was hesitant 
thinking it was too early. We left it in the hand of the Lord. 

We all kneeled and he prayed and sincerely asked God if this was the His will
for him to be baptized and asked for a confirmation that our message
was true. The spirit touched and filled each of our hearts that night
and tears streamed downs each of of cheeks. He whispered to us that he
was ready to do what ever he needed to prepare. We taught about the
word of wisdom. That very moment he got up and gave us all his
cigarette and coffee. We taught about the power of the Book of Mormon.
He received a blessing from some brethren from the branch this week.
The desires and addictions which had controlled him for so long were
gone. He no longer had a desire to smoke. For the first 3 days every
time he had the desire he ate an orange and read the Book of Mormon.
After three days the nicotine was out of his blood and he no longer
disired. He is a true example of living what he learned. He applied
all that we taught. We visited and taught him every night. Members
befriended and welcomed him. He was invited to Family Home Evenings
and saw how the gospel blesses families. He passed the interview on
Friday. Elder was very impressed with his determination and faith. 

On Sunday, he was baptized. It was a beautiful moment. He invited his
daughter who has no idea we had been teaching her father. She could not
believe the difference that she saw. The only word she had to use was
"miracle." The gentle, yet powerful, spirit of truth touched her heart
and she couldn't hold back the tears as he entered the water. I never
saw Roberto smile so much! When he bore his testimony he could hardly
talk and he expressed his newly found love for the True Gospel of
Jesus Chirst. My testimony was strengthened as I witnessed the miracle
of the gospel working in the life of someone so prepared for the
truth. Now he is anxiously waiting to be confirmed next Sunday and
then to receive the Preisthood. He is already desiring to go to the
temple and be baptized for those who have already passed on in his
family. He is also very excited for the Sisters the teach his daughter
and her family. I love being a missionary! It is the most gratiying
work... because it is the Lord's Work.

One other thing I would like to share is something that
the Branch did yesterday that I thought was a GREAT idea! These
members are incredible and so dedicated to their testimonies. They had
an activity Sunday afternoon called a Multirão. This word means to
'gather together'. They understand the importance of Gathering. So all
the members gathered to the chapel. Then they all got their home
teaching or visiting teaching partner and everyone together left with
a list of new members, less and inactive families. Everyone visited
Everyone! It was so neat to see the youth involved in the reactiving
and faith building activity. Some members visited until late a night.
All shared a message of hope and love. These members truly understand
the importance of helping reaching out in love and rescuing. This is
also a GREAT help to the work of Salvation, Missionary Work. I invite
you all to get with your home teaching or visiting teaching partner
and visit your families. This system is so inspired and blessing our
own lives along with those we visit.

Thank you for the Love and support. I love you all and pray you have a
wonderful week. Don't forget to study the scriptures, they are not on
gold plates any more but the value will always be more than all gold
plates put together! Love you!

Love Sister Rachel Edwards

Feb. 17, 2014 - Assis, São Paulo, Brazil

Dear Family,

What a GREAT week! I love Assis! I love my companion! I love our investigators! I love being a missionary and I love you all! And... Happy Valentines Day! haha That was not planned... I really do love all these things. 

This week we worked SUPER hard. It felt so good and satisfying. We met several new investigators with a lot of potential. We finally met all of the members of the branch. We are not completely lost in the city now. Things are going really well. My companion is incredible. We laugh, we cry, we teach, and we drop dead tired every night. She is the definition of dedication and I am so grateful for her example. 

It has been so neat this week as we have been trying to do different things to get different outcomes. Change is so important. If you are not getting the results you want, you have to change something to receive something different. 

Last Sunday we had planned a Family Home Evening with a less active. We made a cake and she wrote an invitation and we went knocking on a random neighbors door to invite them to FHE. They accepted graciously and excited to meet their neighbor. The next day sadly, the neighbors weren't home when we went to have the FHE. 

Sister Bispo... without losing hope, saw a young man walking down the street. She shouted "Hey you!!!" It was like a movie. He looked behind him to see who she was shouting out. "No, You!!!" He pointed at himself curiously and confusingly. "Yeah, you! come here!" Sister Bispo was smiling so big, it was so funny. I was so surprised at what she was doing. He came over and we introduced ourselves and invited him the the family home evening. He happened to live on the same street. He said that he has visitors at his house. We invited them too! We went and got everyone and they came and met this family and we had a great family home evening. It was good because it was casual and fun and an easy introduction to the church. 

I know that Family Home Evening is to strengthen our families. It is also a great opportunity to invite the missionaries and investigators. Who doesn't like a great night of food games singing and an awesome lesson from the missionaries? haha seriously though, its is a great thing to do and I invite you all to invite the missionaries and your friends and neighbors. This is the gospel, sharing the gospel through simple ways. 

This week we had a ton of rain, which was a great break from the hot hot hot sun. It didn't just rain...it stormed. We found ourselves soaked to the bone on serveral occasions. Luckily people here are really nice and give us towels to dry off when we enter. Last night a huge storm came out of nowhere. We didn't know where we were so we were looking at our map. Within two seconds it was pouring and windy. There was a ton of dirt in the wind and were were so wet and dirty. It was hard to see because it was getting dark. I saw a house and I ran to it and yelled "podemos entrar??!!!" This random house was full of family for a birthday party of a one year old. I didn't know that, of course. The let us in and we ended up teaching the whole family! It was such a neat experience! 

This week I also had a suprise visit from the Beaudoin family!!! I was soooo great to see them and so cool I got to serve in the same mission as Hunter. They brought me beef jerkey and I was sooo happy and excited! Good luck in the real world Elder! :) 

I hope you all have a great week! Dont be afraid to try something different! Different results will occur, probably better that you expected! :)

Love you!

Love Sister Edwards

Lots of rain!

Kind Family who rescued Sisters from the rain storm!

St. Bernard PUPPY

Awe!

Talented artist, he is from Japan, lived in Italy, now in Brazil, and is proud to look like Santa.

RC. Beautiful !

Sisters Bispo/Edwards- traveling very early in the morning on way to missionary mtg.

Sisters Butler/Edwards

Good way to cool off in the hot, hot weather!

Kimberly Beaudoin with Rachel

Elder Beaudoin, John and Kimberly Beaudoin, Sis. Rachel Edwards

Beaudoins with Rachel. Thank you for the visit !

ASSIS!!! Feb.10, 2014

Dear Family! Wow I have soooooo much that I want to write but only a little bit of time left. Our interent here keeps doing down. So Hopefully you get this! I love and miss the wonderful people in Maringa, and they will always be in my heart.

I am now in Assis São Paulo! I love my new area and I love my new companion! It is wayyyy HOT here! We sleep with bowls of water by our beds to keep our clothes wet during the night to stay cool haha. We live in a tiny house above an office complex of a member in our ward. Its actually really nice because we live in the downtown center close to everything! Church, store, bank, post office, lan house-(computer place), everything! Its great. 

There are no trees here! Maringá had tons and tons I realized. The sun is very hot. The Branch here is incredible! The members are so faithful. We had Stake Conference this weekend and the whole branch got together early in the morning to catch a bus to travel to another city for the meeting. The members are so eager to help us. They love to teach with us and want to help us with everything. It is so wonderful! 

We have 4 sisters in this whole city. It is split into two areas. Our area has a really cool forest park thing. There are lots of fruit trees there and we are always eating goiaba and other fruits:) São Paulo has more Açaí than Paraná! I am really excited about this!!!! My companion too. 

My companions name is Sister Bispo (Bishop is Portuguese) She is the most hard working humble, out going person I have ever met! I love her so much! She is always making me laugh and seeing things in a new and more profound light. She has gone though a lot her in the mission but you would know a thing because of how happy she is. She teaches with the spirit and I can see miracles happen in peoples eyes when she testifies and promises blessings. I am so excited for this transfer with her and hope to learn all I can from her! 

We will being traveling a lot in this area. For our disctict meeting we have to take a bus at 5:40 in the morning for 2 hour to another city. Our district leader is really great! This is his last transfer along with the other 2 sisters we live with. Elder Beaudoins parents are here in our mission this week picking up Elder Beaudoin! He is going home! It is so crazy how fast time goes by. 

Well I want to tell all my stories but it looks like a gotta go! I love you all and hope you have a great week! You are in my prayers! Have fun playing in all that snow!!!!

Love, Sister Edwards

*Londrina Brazil Mission Home:

Sister Rachel Jean Edwards

Missão Brasil Londrina

Ave Higienópolis, 1100, Sala 61 - Centro

86020-911 Londrina-PR

Brasil (Brazil)

Current address:

Sister Rachel Edwards

R. Barão do Rio Branco, #306

Centro- Assis, São Paulo

19814-202

Brazil