The time my apartment flooded... (And I'm only slightly exaggerating)

Mom Note:  I have registered my complaint that she did not even refer to her slightly exaggerated flood.  More may be coming. Here is the story:

Oh! Hahahah yeah, I forgot. We were planning and were actually going to finish for the first time in a month when we heard a drippy sound. We got up and ran to the kitchen and a stream of water was coming out of our light fixture and dripping from the corners and the other light and from parts of the ceiling and there was a stream coming from the vent. It was crazy! We got out neighbor and turns out the man upstairs had left his bathtub on and it overflowed but my apartment was soaking wet. So
we didn't finish planning that day. Hahahah it was hilarious but so terrifying. 

Dear beloved family and friends,

This week has been a week of miracles! Once again, I'm so extremely grateful to be serving the Lord. This work is so amazing and I know that every single person has a role to play in strengthening His gospel!

So my Mission President has identified five standards of excellence for the mission, five of the key indicators. They're 2 w/a baptismal date, 2 at sacrament meeting, 5 member present lessons, 5 RCLAs, and 3 new investigators each week. And he wants us to read 60% or 3/5 each week. So last we we had 3 w/a date and the RCLAs. We wanted to read the 60% so badly but it was Saturday and we knew we couldn't get member presents since we only had one and none set up for the next day. So we were thinking about all the people we contacted and said "hey, we kind of taught them, we can call and get a return appointment and they can be new investigators!" But we decided not to because we knew that that would be just for reaching the numbers. We made that decision.

Next morning: two of our investigators called and said they would come to church if we got them a ride. We frantically started calling every person we could think of. No luck. We knelt and prayed and immediately after we finished praying I said "Call sister Brown." We called and
she picked up the girls for church! Standard of excellence met. MIRACLE!

Later in the day: at church a member asked us if she could come out with us for the day. We of course said yes! We ended up teaching four member present lessons in that one day! Standard of excellence met. MIRACLE!

In one of those member present lessons we were teaching the two girls who came to church. Then all of a sudden five family members showed up and wanted to be taught. And since we're in a trio miracle) and had a member(miracle) we were able to split up and teach two lessons at that time and got four new investigators in that house.

We met ALL FIVE of the Standards of a Excellence. And I KNOW that it's because we put needs before numbers. I KNOW that we were only able to get those girls to church because of the power of prayer. I testify that Heavenly Father hears and answers every single prayer. Sometimes the answers don't come right away or when we want them to, but THEY WILL COME.  I KNOW that those new investigators and member present lessons only came because we identified that we were being too focused on numbers. Heavenly Father will bless us and lead us to those who He has prepared when we're doing what we're supposed to be doing.

Also, Sister Ririe and I have had matching outfits for the last four days without trying, so if that's not Comp Unity I don't know what is. This is what happens when you're together for 3 1/2 months!

I love you all!

Sister Petrick

P.S. Enjoy my face.
-- 

Sister Rachel Petrick
700 Darby Road #201

Havertown, PA 19083

Joseph Prince and the Book Muhammed

Yah tua!

(that's hello in the African dialect I'm learning)

This last week has been a week of MIRACLES. So many incredible things

have happened. For those who don't know, as missionaries we set weekly

goals of things like how many investigators will be at church, how

many investigator lessons we'll teach with members present, how many

without, how many recent converts we'll teach and things like that.

This week my companions and I set our goals for what seemed reasonable

and then put everything one higher than that goal. We were determined

to push ourselves! And because we pushed ourselves and told Heavenly

Father we were determined to meet these goals, we saw miracles!

Our first miracles is Ellen. We met her on Tuesday and taught her

three times last week. We're teaching her VERY slowly, but she's

agreed to be baptized when she knows that this is the true church!!

And she WILL come to know that this church is true! She's hilarious.

She gets confused and always tells us "I want to learn more about

Joseph Prince and Muhammed." We have to correct her a lot, but she'll

get it.

Next miracle: McDonalds. We had interviews this week with President

and ended up going an hour early so we were behind and then missed a

lesson and then people weren't home so we decided to stop by McDonalds

for wifi. This man, Lou, came up to us and asked if we were the

missionaries. And just in case you missed that - HE came up to US. We

talked for a little bit, he had met the elders in our Ward and said he

would come to church and wanted us to apologize to them for him and

tell them that he didn't come because he was high. Hahahahah, it was

too great. He was kind of crazy, but still a child of God and I love

him. But as we were talking to us a woman came up to us - again, SHE

came up to US - and said "ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT JESUS???" And we

talked for a good 20 minutes and taught her the restoration and set up

a return appointment and she told me that I'm sweet as Apple pie!

McDonalds brings miracles everyone! Remember that.

I've also been learning a lot about teaching on Facebook. I've been

able to friend and teach many people living in Africa - it's

definitely an interesting experience, but Facebook is such an

incredible tool for sharing the gospel. It's amazing because

missionaries aren't able to physically be everywhere around the globe,

but with Facebook we can be. As you get in Facebook this week you

should all think about how you can share the gospel with what you post

and share to your wall. :)

Just so you all know, I will not be emailing next Monday! I know, I

know, no need to fret, my PDay has been moved to Tuesday. Since my

mission is one of the leading Facebook missions we're having a mission

wide conference and general authorities are coming to give us more

Facebook training so we can really magnify our purpose online. I'm

excited!

I love you all! Thank you to all the wars members who sent me letters
this week, it really meant to much!

Sister Petrick

Hello (she is really slacking in the fun subject line department)

Note from Mom:  She has mentioned she would love getting actual letters in the mail.  I am guilty of doing emails because they are quick and easy.  Here address is always at the bottom of the post.  She didn't give an explanation for the pictures.

Hello all!!

This week has definitely been a good one, but I don't have as much to report so this will be a bit shorter than normal. As I mentioned last week I was being put into a trio again, this time for the whole transfer. my new companion's name is Sister Reed, she's from Clearfield, Utah. We've already had a Harry Potter nerd moment together and have planned us reenacting Friends, so yeah, we're going to get along just fine. :)

We've seen a couple of really cool miracles this week! We've had a lot of problems with teaching in our area. Our specific area. We teach a ton in the Elders' areas. But we've been praying to find people in our area. So we decided to stop by a woman who is sort of a potential, but we know that she has no interest in taking lessons. She just loves the missionaries so we stay in contact. She prayed for us to be able to find those who are ready to receive our message. That day we found three new super solid people who we're going to try again tomorrow. We gave our two copies of the Book of Mormon and I KNOW that it's because Kathy prayed and asked for that specific blessing for us. Prayer is so powerful. I know that when we ask specific questions we'll receive specific answers.

Another fun quick story - we started talking to a woman on the street and gave her a Book of Mormon and told her a little bit about it. We drove past her a few minutes after and she had sat down and started to read! It was the best!

Also - I have a facebook now. I can be friends with you all, I just decided that I'm not going to use my facebook time to add everyone. But anyone can add me! It's SisterRachel Petrick. :)

I want to share my testimony with the Book of Mormon with you all. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God and I know that it was saved specifically for our day, and that every word is important.  Reading the Book of Mormon adds such a powerful strength to my day. I've seen this book change lives and it has truly changed mine. If it's not already, I encourage everyone to make reading the Book of Mormon a daily necessity. I LOVE the Book of Mormon and I know that by reading it you're learning exactly what Jesus Christ would share with you if He was standing by your side.

I love you all so much!

Sister Petrick

I am assuming it is African

Miss that Smile!

-- 

Sister Rachel Petrick
700 Darby Road #201

Havertown, PA 19083

Hello! (She didn't do a cute subject line this time!)

The most exciting thing that happened this week is that my two
investigators, Emmanuel and Kelvin were confirmed! I'm so happy for
them! It was actually super funny, they were late to church. Another
man was being confirmed and after his confirmation Emmanuel and
Kelvin's mom walked in and we gave the bishopric a thumbs up and
everything but then the boys weren't with her. So sister Ririe and I
started panicking. Alice said they went to primary so we ran out of
sacrament meeting to the primary room. The other wards primary
presidency said they had already sent the boys back. We booked it back
to the chapel and walked in right as Kelvin's blessing was started. It
was probably the most stressful two minutes of my life! But now
they're members of the church! And so so happy!

In other news, transfer calls were last week and transfers are
tomorrow. Sister Ririe and I are both staying here in Havertown! And
the next day we got a call from the APs, we're getting a third Sister!
We're going to be a trio! I'm super excited about it. I'm also super
excited to be done with training. I'm  not a Golden anymore. Or greenie as
everyone else calls them. :)

I've really been enjoying my studies the last couple of weeks. One
morning this week I was studying 2 Nephi 2 and I would just like to
say that this chapter is pure gold. I love it. The scripture mastery,
verse 25, really stood out to me this time. It's the really well known
one that reads "Adam fell that men might be and men are that they
might have joy." Last year, since it was so short, I read it,
memorized it, and then sort of forgot about it, but this verse is
really so incredible! The verse, in a few more words, is saying that
Adam transgressed and was cast out of the garden so that Heavenly
Father's plan could be set in motion and so we could all come to this
earth. And we're here on earth so that we might be able to find joy!
And to add a little bit more to that, the footnote for the word joy
says that that joy is the potential to become like our Heavenly
Father! This chapter also talks about opposition and I use to really
dislike the idea of opposite and that idea of things being
contentious, but it's a good thing! When you think about it a little
differently, it's about being faced with hard things and not being
punished. We wouldn't know happiness if there wasn't any sadness in
this world. We wouldn't be able to use our agency for good and make
good choices to find that joy, or become like our Heavenly Father, if
there weren't also bad options. If there weren't bad options then we
wouldn't be able to make the good choices! And that's what this
Godlike attribute of agency is for - making good choices to bring us
closer to Heavenly Father! Hopefully that all made sense, it made
sense in my head. :) I really am so grateful for opposition. It gives
me the chance to evaluate my priorities. I've come to know of so many
ways that Satan tempts us through this opposition and I know that
choosing Heavenly Father's side and choosing to follow Christ will
ALWAYS make us happier in the end.

I love you all so much!
Sister Rachel Petrick

P.S. Here are some pictures! :)

First is me and Sister Boyoue and her granddaughter. They're my African family.

Then is me with Sister Binda, Sister Padmore, and Sister Boyoue at our English class. We're teaching them hymns now.

And then Emmanuel and Kelvin and then me with the boys and Alice.
 They're hilarious.

And then there I am in Philly. hahaha. :)

--

Sister Rachel Petrick
700 Darby Road #201

Havertown, PA 19083

Granddaughter, Sister Boyoue, Sister Petrick

Sister Binda, Sister Petrick, Sister Padmore, and Sister Boyoue

Emmanuel and Kelvin

Alice, Sister Petrick, Emmanuel, Kelvin

She really is in Philly!