Letter #5, July 2, 2013

Week 5, now week 6, last week in the MTC!!!!!

Oi!!! Como Vai!?

 

Holy Cow!!! I possibly only have 4-6 days left in the MTC!!! That is crazy. I can't believe how fast it went by. I'm super excited to go into the field, but I also don't feel ready! I feel like there is so much to still learn and prepare. I told Irmao Buttars this (my teacher) and he said, "Sister Edwards, anytime you begin to feel comfortable on your mission, expect some change to come to be uncomfortable again. The Lord wants to make you stronger and wants to you grow. So, become comfortable being uncomfortable." woooo! He is very right.

I finally feel like I get this MTC thing. I finally figured out the schedule and things are rolling. Now it is time to go again! I can say though that I am waaaaay anxious and excited to receive my reassignment! I will find out this Friday. We have been told that that reassignments are calls made just like the first mission call we received. The quorum of the 12 make the assignments. It is still the inspired processes. That gives me a lot of comfort to know.

I know that if the Lord needed me in Brazil right now I would be there. But there is something else he wants me to experience first somewhere else and I can't wait to go to work where ever I am needed. It is about the work and the people, no me. I am called to be a missionary. That is my responsiblity and I feel privelaged to be a missionary at this time, "The Monson Era" as Jake Kirkpatricks Mission President says.

I love missionary work. I love the Spirit of the Lord and the people I am serving with. This is God's Army. I wouldn't want be anywhere else than here right now. I encourage anyone who is considering to serve a mission to do it! It is the best thing ever! You will love it. I love it! I want to be a missionary forever!!!! (And we all can be! As talked about it the Broadcast, we need the members to be apart of this work just as much as full time missionaries).

The work is hastening! Heavenly Father loves his children so much. I know with all of my heart that He does. It is up to us to let everyone know of that message. Being confident and bold in our testimonies is so important. We need to talk to everyone!

 

I have been studying a lot recently about the Abrahamic Covenant and the 12 tribes of Israel. For the first time in my life it has hit me how important it is to know our roles. I would love to hear what you understand about these covenants and promises and responsiblities. I have pages of notes and would love to add to them! :)

 

This week I received a package from my mission president and his wife in Brazil. They sent me a huge envelope of Brazilian chocolate!!!!! It was awesome, my district, teachers and I gobbled them up! YUM! I have the best Mission President is the world! :) I love them so much already and am so grateful for the opportunity to have already met them. I am so excited to go to Brazil.

 

Last Sunday we have the neatest devotional! We were able to hear from Janice Kapp Perry and her husband. I don't think I have laughed harder or cried more in any devotional. She was  the one who wrote several primary songs and also "As sisters in Zion." In the Marriott Center, with all of the missionaries we sang the new version of the EFY Medley she recently put out in May. It is specifically for missionaries. The new song is called The Army of Helaman and The Sisters of Zion.  When we sang it, the spirit touched each of us in such a powerful way.

We also sang a medley of all the primary songs she wrote. I grew up singing all those songs! I didn't realize what I testimony I had and how many truths I knew from simply singing primary songs. I love music and I love the spirit it can bring so quickly. I LOVE singing in the choir here too! My companion and I tried something new in our lessons we teach our investigators. We decided to learn primary songs in Portuguese. We were teaching about faith and sang "Faith" in portuguese at the beginning of our lesson. It invited the spirit faster than any other lesson. It was very neat!

Fernando committed to Baptism and it was a wonderful experience to be apart of. Many of you are thinking well they are not real investigators... and yeah they are actors. But they are portraying people from their lives and asking questions they would ask and answering how they would. It is so neat because I truly feel a special love for the people they are portraying. Teaching is so special and I am grateful for everything I am learning. Listening to the spirits promptings is essential in truly helping them to come unto Chirst. 

I have tons of pics to add! I'll put some lil story captions with them! Love you all! Have a GREAT, SAFE and HAPPY 4th of July Week!!!!! 

Love Sister Rachel Edwards