Hello to all who are following this blog. My apologies for not updating sooner. A question was asked on how to contact Rachel. Here is the address for letters. The cost of a letter is $0.98.
Sister Rachel Lethco
Taiwan Taichung Mission
498-11 Wu Chung Rd.
Taichung, 404-46 Taiwan
R.O.C.

Please feel free to write.

Time does not stop

I have been in country for a while. I got my NEW bike. It look so NEW, I did not want it to be a temptation to anyone, but I still wanted it to be cool and mine. So as you can see I put a IN & OUT sticker on the trunk, then made it my own.

I'm sure I will have no trouble finding my bike in a crowd.

Hey Everybody!

I have been in Taiwan for about a month now and things are really starting to look up! I feel good, I'm learning a lot, I'm coming closer to Christ and helping others to do the same. It has been so great! I passed-off my First Lesson Language Assessment on Saturday! It was really exciting. I'll explain what that means. . .

When you come on Island, they give you a book called Phase One. They basically took on the lessons from Preach My Gospel and put three columns next to each other; English, Pin Yin, Chinese. And they give you teaching phrases with vocabulary and scriptures and other things. Then you have to teach a 20 min lesson to your District leader and then he evaluates you on all that other stuff too. It's pretty cool! It helps you learn a lot. And even better, I passed! There are 3 phases total. I have 4 more lessons to learn in this one before I can go on to phase 2.

So I'm send you some pictures. Some are from the last week thingy. We went to another Pop Art place today and we also saw some Dragon Boat Races. It was pretty cool!

Love you so much!

Sister Rachel Lethco

The Fast Pace of Life

So, a lot has changed, obviously my dad has not kept my blog current but he is working hard to correct that. The last few weeks in the MTC were very stressful, but taught me a lot about dealing with people and myself. Some health issues were identified which help to explain a lot. I was diagnosed as Hypoglycemic in the last week or so in the MTC. This puts the need to eat health in a whole new light.
I am now in Taiwan and am loving it. That is once I get over this jet lag. Taiwan is 15 hours ahead of California. This means that when it is 3pm Monday in California, it is 6am Tuesday in Taiwan. The picture is the group I traveled with to Taiwan. This is us at the airport. It was a long flight from Provo, UT., to Detroit, MI., to Tokyo Japan, than on to Taiwan. It took forever. I flew on a 777, It was huge. Anyway, My dad will post more real soon.
Thanks for following along.

This whole MTC thing, it's really awesome! I'm learning so much and it has changed my life. They told me that this is probably one of the only times in my life that I will be fully living the Law of consecration (unless I go on another mission). That is so awesome to me. You should go on a mission. It will change your life. I've grown so much in the past month it is really crazy. I know the Lord is helping me work through my faults so that I can be the best tool for him. I'm starting to understand what it means to be selfless. I was thinking in the Temple today about Jesus Christ and all he did for us. You know how everyone has an example? Or someone that has gone through a similar experience and you can share about it and be understood? We have Jesus Christ, but he doesn't really have anyone. I mean he has Heavenly Father and Mother but he doesn't really have anyone else to share his burden with. He's all by himself and he did it because he loves us that much. Isn't that amazing? He went through the crucifixion because he loved us. He was completly selfless. The epitome of selflessness. My love for Him has grown so much and my trust in Him is stronger than it has ever been. He's helped me so much with everything here; Dealing with stress, learning a language, working on improving myself, working with my companion, teaching investigators, and helping me to fell the spirit. This life is only possible with his help.

My Name Tag is in, My Name tag is in. It's so awesome!!!

We have had so many inspiring speakers. Elder
Patrick Kearon, of the First Quorum of the Seventy shared his conversion. "As he talked ... I realized just how sacred & important my calling is, to invite others to come unto Christ & know of His love for us, and our purpose on this earth. He really helped me to learn how simple our teaching needs to be. ... He let me know how important I am, and what influence I can have in the areas that I teach. It was a really good talk."

Sis Lethco
02/23/11

1st email from Mission Training Center (MTC)

I love being a missionary! This is such a great experience. I love my companion, Sister Lee. We are like twinsies! Her and I get along so well and we have very similar personalities. It's so awesome! I love being in the Mandarin Branch here at the MTC because we get to spend a whole lot of time getting to know each other since we are here for 12 weeks. I think my favorite part about the MTC is how much the spirit is here and how everyone treats each other. Every one is so nice and helpful. It's fun practice Chinese during gym time and stuff. I love my branch!

Our District is a pilot language learning program that the MTC is testing. They basically have been speaking Chinese to us since we arrived. We taught our first investigator on friday and saturday and it's been crazy. My companion and I have had our ups and downs with the language. We've been taught how to pray and how to bear our testimonies. We just need more practice. The biggest thing our teacher stressed to us after our first investigator lesson was that we need to focus on teaching with the spirit and and studying and the language will come later. Study the Gospel and all other things will come into place. I'm a firm believer in that. On our second lesson we taught our investigator like that and I believe that it was way more successful.

We had the coolest firedside last night. Brother Nally and his wife (member of the MTC presidency) gave a musical fireside. They talked about the importance of uplifting music and how it can bring us and others we teach closer to Christ. They allowed us to requst some of our favorite hymns which we sang as a congregation. Then we ended by singing Called To Serve. IT WAS AWESOME! 2,000 missionaries singing all at once. It was so cool to see. I then realised that we are special individuals for choosing at such a young age to do such an important task. And that is to serve our God and preach his word.

Somethings I'm growing to understand are: getting to know your investigator and teaching to them not at them, teaching by the spirit, praying for the spirit, studying Preach My Gospel and the scriptures, and lastly the importance of exact obedience. These things have been taught to us here at the MTC starting within the first 30 min or hour of being here. I understand the purpose of these teachings and I'm trying to be better about following them. I know that in the little time I have been here and been trying, I have been greatly blessed for it. I'm realizing more and more that I'm supposed to be at the MTC at this point in time with these people. Sister Lee is supposed to be my companion and anyway. I just know that this is all for a reason and it's so perfect that it's amazing. I love being a missionary. This is such a happy place! This is the experience I have been waiting for since I graduated high school.

I know that Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father know who I am and that they love me very much. I know that the prophet has been called of God to guide us, His people. I know that I have been saved for this time to help bring others unto Christ that they may live a happy life.

<3>

Hello!

So, it's coming down to the last week-and-a-half before I leave for Utah. It's pretty crazy. I'm excited for the adventure that this mission will be for me and for being able to learn and grow. I've been slowly packing all of my things and despite that, it still hasn't quite hit me that I'm leaving yet. I know that the hardest part about leaving will be leaving my boyfriend, Brent. He means everything to me he's been such a tremendous influence on my life. It's so hard to think that I won't see him for a few years. He's putting in his mission papers too and won't be leaving until after I do. Sometimes I wish I was leaving first but that's not what God has intended for us. I know that we are both intended for great things all in the Lord's time :-)

I do have some fears of what is to come on my mission. Things that every missionary fears: not being able to learn the language; getting sick; losing their luggage; etc. I'm nervous but I also know that the Lord has prepared me for this very instant in my life and any challenge will be but a moment. I'm so grateful for the challenges and trials that have helped me be ready, because this Gospel is something that is worth it all.

I'd like to take some time and thank my parents and my brother, Garrett, and his wife, Lisa, for all that they have done for me. I'm so glad that they are in my life and for the examples they have been to me. They have taught me so much about faith, patience, and love that has helped to make me a stronger person. I love them so very much.

This is all going to be so crazy. I'll be sure to keep you posted :-)

<3 Sister Lethco

My first entry

♥ Rachel