Taiwan post April 21, 2014

This week was amazing. We when on exchanges with the sister training leaders. I went to Sanming with Sister Xie, and Sister Gram came to Nanzi with Sister Chen. It was amazing and so beautiful. The church has land right next to the church where a future temple is going to be built. So amazing!!!

This week we had many miracles and so many blessings. On our P-day we went to an island near Xiziwan and went climbing on the mountain. We raced up the trail with Sister Ah Quin. We got to see a lighthouse from the gate and then walked around on the fort. Talked to people while we were there then headed back to our area. It was beautiful.

We were knocking on doors near our house and we found several people that have interest in learning more about Christ. And that have never met missionaries before even though we are so close. It was an amazing experience to have a chance to meet them and to have the opportunity to teach them about Christ.

This Saturday was Sister Cai and Brother Sung's wedding reception. Even though they have been married for a month now. It was really fun. They had little kids sing some songs, and then the young single adults also sang some songs...it was really funny. They are so cute and had a lot of fun with it. We got to talk with our members and meet their friends that came. It was a really good experience that brought the whole ward together.

I am so grateful for my mission. It has brought so many blessings to be humbled and to learn a new language. To start from the very bottom and do everything I can and trusting that God will make up the difference when I have done all that I can. To learn that God is in control, and if we trust him our lives with go so much smoother, not that we won’t have trials but he will be there to comfort us and lead us when we can’t see the way. When we try to do it ourselves we usually mess it up and it just become harder. But if God is guiding us everything will work out that we will receive the greatest peace and happiness in this life. Everyone is a child of God and He loves you all!!!

Love Sister Basko

Wedding picture, Rachel on right in orange

At the fort on P-day

Rachel found a gecko

Racing up the hill

at an ice cream shop - she looks tired!

 

 Bride and Groom at reception

What a cute couple!

Taiwan post April 14, 2014

We had general conference this weekend. Which is a week late because of the need for Chinese translations. It was so amazing. So much hope and greater understanding of the Saviors love. To know that the expression of gratitude is so important and crucial to our ability to finding the blessings we need in our lives. God’s love is manifested in the lives of His children; the light of Christ is emulated in their happiness and greater purpose and family unity.

We are standing on the shoulders of Giants whether it is our parents or friends. We each are here to support each other and raise each other up. There is no place for judging others. We are not perfect but the Lord is there to help us to become our best. As we each strive to developed Christ-like attributes we will emulate the Savior in our lives.

I know that the Savior lives and loves us. He came to earth to atone for our sins and our mistakes. And that everyone can change and that he is our loving older brother. I know that this church is true. Though we are not perfect we are able to do our best to become who Heavenly Father knows we can become. As we reread and ponder on the things we learn let us strive to bring others to know Christ.

Love Sister Basko

A lizard Rachel was chasing, it got tired of running from her and it turned and did this at her

Ultimate frisbee on p-day

English party,  relay race. our student was blindfolded and raced to the end with a pingpong ball blanaced on the end of chopsticks. is funny

Elder Pihl moved this move call, he was in Nanzi for 7 monthes and his recent convert Kent

 

Wanted to share a few pictures from Rachel's emails this week - mom

Taiwan post April 7, 2014

This Saturday was grave sweeping in Taiwan. Families from all over Taiwan go to there ancestors, their parents and grandparents graves and clean up the area. As a zone we were able to go to a near by area and clean up broken graves. we clean the graves that the name of the person is no longer visible. It is an opportunity to serve the people of Taiwan and also to help the grave sites look more presentable. It was a great opportunity to do hard work and also to know that we are still serving the Lord. It helps me remember how important it is for us to do our own family history work. There are family members waiting for us in heaven for us to do their work so they can be a part of this work.

Easter is right around the corner and it is a time to remember Christ and his sacrifice for us. To remember that He is resurrected and that because He broke the bands of death we are able to live again. In Christ we can find life we need to drink of the Living Waters. Christ came to this earth so that He can know how to succor his people. To show us and help us to learn through our trials. We all have friends that do not know of the blessings that come from this gospel. We need to emulate his love and share the gospel through our example. As Easter draws closed let us remember what Christ atoning for our sins means to us.

I know that Christ is my Savior and Redeemer. He sacrificed His life so that I can repent, and change so that I can return to live with Heavenly Father again. I know that He lives. Death is not the end. We will all live again. Let us strive to live our lives so that we can live with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ again.

Love Sister Basko

after cleaning gravesite

four of us working together in the Cemetary

Sisters Hicken, ?, Chen, Basko

Before cleaning

cutting her birthday cake

Happy 20th Rachel

 

 

all posting are maintianed and posted by mom

Taiwan post March 31, 2014

This week we had zone conference down at the stake center. It was great to see the whole mission and to see old friends. our stake president came and talked to us about hastening the work and what things we can do. He has invited us to visit as many member as we can to invite them to share the gospel with their friends, also to help us have the opportunity to meet and get to know our mebers. other times it is hard to start a conversation with church but often times we have the opportunity to invite friends to activities at church.

We are really excited this week we are going to have movie night at our ward building and we are inviting our members and giving them invites to give to their friends. we are hoping that we will have a fair amount of people come. but we are not sure since it is grave sweeping day. where everyone goes to their family graves and cleans them up, many start ahead of time since the actual day it is very busy. So we are hoping we will have members and friends attending. But we will see.

Sister Chen and I are loving Nanzi and Daxia. They are both amazing areas and there are so many people who are willing to listen they jsut have not met missionaries yet. we see so many miracles as the Lord leads us to the areas that we need to go, to share the gospel to and meet many new people on the road.

Love you all,

Heavenly Father loves you very much and know everyone of you.
Love Sister basko

Taiwan post March 24, 2014

Missionaries are amazing new and difficult experiences. They allow us to grow to beyond the point we ever imagined. To have an hour everyday we can have our own personal study to learn more about Christ gospel and read the Book of Mormon and to continue to learn. As we dedicate every second on our mission to the Lord we will see so many miracle and the Lord's hand in all things.

We went and visited our LA out in Daxia(about 30 minute bike ride) and then tracted near her house. we knocked on this on door and a lady opened it, looked at us like how are these standing at my door. said we had a message that will help her obtain greater happiness in her life. a look of disbelief crossed her face, and we said that this gospel will bless her family. she said that we could come in. she was still a little hesitant but willing to listen. asked how we obtain his happiness, so we started to share how when we know that God really exists and can feel His love we had greater hope for our lives. she still didn't quite understand, but as we got to know her more we found out her mom had recently died, and that she didn't feel any comfort from praying to budda. my companion testified of the plan of salvation. we were able to share a little bit and to give her some answers and taught her about prayer. and how it will help her to come to understand God more and to be able to talk with Him. It was a really amazing lesson, to feel the Holy Ghost strongly. This gospel bring so much peace to know that we are able to see our loved ones after this life. Death is not the end, and this life on earth is so short and God will help us so much, we just need to have faith.

I know that this church is true. That Heavenly Father is always watching over and guiding us. we can truly feel His love. we need to do our part and exercise faith that He will give an answer when we truly seek for an answer. This gospel bring greater answers and peace and happiness than we can possibly imagine. if you have faith there is a way!!!!

Love Sister basko

Rachel selfie March 2014

Christ image in background with image of the tree of life in the foreground

Taiwan post March 17, 2014

This week has been so amazing. The Lord has truly been guiding us. He is allowing us to plant the seeds of the Gospel and then to follow-up on those that we have already found. We have been trying to find some of the less actives but if we find that they are not home we go tracting near their house. At each place we have found 1 person who has interest I learning more about the gospel. We know that everyone is not going to accept but we have faith that we will find those that are willing to listen. And as we continue looking for those people, we are guided by Heavenly Father and find them. This week every time we went knocking on doors, we found 1 person who is willing to learn more.

Cool people that we have found. A guy named Music with perfect English that learned it from HBO (or so he says). He is interested in English so hopefully he will be able to come, and his children will be willing to join our children’s class. Then we knocked on the door of some Christian ladies. Who has only been Christian for 1 year. They had a friend that invited them to church and they were interested after that, and were baptized. They are still new to Christianity, but are willing to listen. It really shows the power of member missionaries. As we share the gospel with our friends, or invite them to activities or church we will be able to give them greater happiness and blessings in their lives. We never know if someone has interest until we ask them. Most people will not change until they are invited to do something. We went back to a lady and met her baby and dog, she has the cutest family. She is not married but wanted a family so she adopted a little girl. She is so cute. We can see how important family is to her so we shared more about how this gospel blesses families and how we can have an eternal family. As we learn more about the plan of salvation, God's plan for us we are better able to understand our role on this earth. Our time on this earth is to learn and grow, to gain experiences and knowledge that will allow us to return to God's presence and to live eternally with our families and loved ones.

 Missionary work is hard, but nothing in this life is easy. It is hard so that we can learn more about God's blessings and gain our own knowledge and to learn to overcome trials through the help of the Lord. To learn to trust Him and learn of His mercy and love.

I love you all!!!. The Lord is on our right hand, and on our left. And His angels are bearing us up. God will always be there even when we feel alone.

Love sister basko

 

posted as always by her mom......

Taiwan post March 10, 2014

Today is the official 8th month since I started my mission. It is crazy how fast time flies and how many things have changed. I see how much time has gone and yet each day is amazing. To remember all the miracles that have happened, and that will happen. Finding all those that are looking for truth and sharing it will everyone. Testifying of the truth in all that we do. As we contact on the streets we will find those that are looking for help. We had a wonderful opportunity when we contacted a lady on the street and shared a short message with her. She pulled over to the side and told us her whole life she wanted help and to help her family. She asked us to go and visit her family and share the gospel with them. This gospel blesses families and brings greater blessings and happiness.

This week was a little different from other weeks. We have no investigators right now. So we have done a lot of finding activities. From calling former investigators to former English students. We invite them to once again come to English class or to learn more about our church. We also knocked on a lot of doors and talked to lots of people while traveling from one place to another. 

The thing I learned the most from this week is that we will find those who are ready in the Lord’s terms. Not when we want to. We teach His gospel to those that are looking for Him in their lives. If we just teach to teach it does not help the investigators, so we search to find those that are looking for the truth. God knows each of us and what we need and he will guide us to where we need to go.

Love you all.

Sister Basko