Last letter from the mission field

Hello dear friends and family!

This week will be my last week as a set apart full time missionary and I wanted to thank you all for the love and support that I've received over the last 18 months. I can't tell you how grateful I am for you
all. :)

In honor of 18 months of service I wanted to share 18 of the great lessons I've learned while on my mission. I can't even count all of the things This experience has taught me, but I decided I could manage putting 18 of those great things into words.

1. My purpose as a missionary, and my purpose as a child of God, is to do all I can to bring others closer to the Savior.
2. Charity, the pure love of Christ, must be the motive for all that we do. There is no way for us to bring others closer to Jesus Christ without first seeing them as He sees them. And it's through charity
that we are able to see our brothers and sisters through Christ's eyes.
3. The more you share your testimony, the stronger it becomes.
4. Jesus Christ's atonement is very real. His atonement can be and must be applied in every single aspect of our lives. His bleeding from every pore for the sins, pains, sicknesses etc. of ALL God's children in the Garden of Gethsemane, his sacrifice and crucifixion on the cross, and his Resurrection on the third day, is for EVERYONE!!! It is for all of us, and I have learned that I need it every single day.
Through His suffering Christ has come to know us all p e r f e c t l y and He wants to run to our aide.
5. The way to access the atonement is by living the gospel of JesusvChrist, which we all know from the fourth article of faith. We must have faith, repent, be baptized, receive the gift of the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end. Living the gospel is simple. We convince ourselves that it's hard. The gospel is for everyone. It is the roadmap to help though life's trials.
6. This life is a period is testing, a period of probation. I have been given my agency. I will be tested and tried and it will be up to me to choose to turn to the Lord for guidance.
7. All Heavenly Father wants is for all of his children to return to live with Him again. This life is given to us for those tests and to take part in the saving ordinances that prepare and qualify us to live with Him again.
8. Those ordinances must be done by the priesthood power. The priesthood is the power of God given to man to act in His name for thevsalvation of his children. It was lost, but was restored through
Joseph smith! The priesthood indicates God being in control.
9. The Book of Mormon is the word of God. It was translated by Joseph
Smith. I know and have experienced how the Book of Mormon answers
EVERY question. As you read you will feel the love of Christ and the power of the atonement. The Book of Mormon has taught me what Christ's sacrifice means for me.
10. God answers prayers. If we ask with just a hint of faith and desire and real intent he will answer.
11. The temple is the House of The Lord. It is His home and we must be worthy to enter.
12. I have learned how the spirit speaks to me and the process I need to go through in order to receive personal revelation. I know that this lesson alone will bless me for the rest of my life.
13. I have learned the principle of accountability. What I say and do
is my choice but at the end of the day when I get on my knees I'm accountable to the lord for those choices.
14. The Sabbath is a Delight and Satan knows that. He will give us every reason not to go. We need the sacrament. We need that cleanse. We need the recharge.
15. There is so much importance in expressing our love for others. We
don't know how long we will have them or what they're going through and our love might be exactly what they need.
16. Thomas S. Monson is God's prophet on the earth today.
17. Repentance is just a big fancy word that means change. When we repent we change anything it might be to become more like the Savior. We all need to repent each and every day.
18. Heavenly Father ALWAYS knows best. His gospel will not change. Truth is truth. We have to humble ourselves and have the goal to be submissive to His will.

I can't express just how much my mission means to mean. I've learned countless lessons, met some of the best people on this planet, and I have come to know my Savior more than I ever thought possible. I know that this is God's work. I know that His hand was in every seam of my mission as well as in every seam of our lives. I know that this is His church and His gospel. And although I will be taking off my badge, I will always be a missionary.

Friends and family, thank you again for these 18 months. I will see all of you Utah folks next week. :)

So so much love,
Sister Rachel Petrick

April 25, 2016

Hello everyone!

Thank you to everyone who sent me a letter this week! It really meant so much that so many people kept me in their thoughts and prayers! So thank you!

This week was seriously just a blur. We did have a funny miracle while contacting a media referral. We had called and no one answered but since we were in the area we decided that we would still stop by and see if anyone was home. We walked up to the address and it wasn't a house or apartment, but a corner convenience store. It was a little weird, but we decided to try anyway. We went in and I asked if the man who requested the bible was there. The lady there said no. I introduced us and told her why we were there and how we got the address and she said "Oh! Well you can give the bible to me!" It turns out that just earlier that day she was wishing she had a bible! She also accepted a Book of Mormon, a return appointment and she said she would be coming to church next week! We got back into our car and tried calling the man who actually requested the bible again, this time he answered and gave us the correct address. It was amazing to see how Heavenly Fathers hand truly was there. If we would have gotten ahold of him to confirm his information before going to see him we never would have met Kia! I know that the Lord truly does palace us where he needs us!

This week we also found two new families to teach! One is a total miracle story. They're less actives that just moved here from Washington state. Out of the blue we got a call from them Monday night that basically went like this "Hi, are you the missionaries? ... Okay, I just moved here. Will you come visit me?" And that's literally all we knew. We go and she tells us all about how they were less active back home for a while but wanted to get back to church because their two youngest daughters haven't been baptized and how she knows she needs to be there so she can change her life. It was amazing and I just felt so much love for this woman. Like, I left feeling like we were best friends. We saw them a couple of times this week and they were all at church yesterday! And the plan is to have the baptism for one on my last Sunday here and then the other has her birthday the day after I leave so we're planning a birthday/deathday party. :) This family is already basically like a second family. They're just wonderful. 

I know this gospel is true. I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and our exemplar and that He's there to give us strength each and every day. I know that we are doing His work and that He has such great things in store for us. I know that His love and our Father's love is so real and so encompassing. I know that They are there to help as we call upon them. This week I was really able to experience how Heavenly Father sends the Holy Ghost to be our comforter and how the Holy Ghost truly can and will guide our thoughts and words. I know that this is Christ's restored church and that there is no where else that we can find these blessings and promises. I LOVE being a missionary!! I am so grateful that Heavenly Father has given me this chance to serve his children in this way.

I love you all!!
---------------------------------
Sister Rachel Petrick

Back to Delaware

Hi everybody!

I have a really sad story for you all. I typed up a really good, pretty long email, went to click send and then it just disappeared. It's not in sent, not in the outbox, not in drafts, nowhere. So I'm going to attempt to recreate it but I promise that it won't be as good. Sorry!

Anyway, I have been sent to the Wilmington 1st Ward!! I cannot express how grateful  I am to be back in Delaware! I have been hoping to be sent back since I left Camden and Heavenly Father has given me this tender mercy for my last six weeks in the field!

Already I have learned that miracles come when you and your companion are willing to work hard. My companion and I doubled in to the area, which means neither of us had been here before and neither of us know the area or the people. The first day we literally had nothing. No area book, no lds tools, no names, nothing. So once we found our apartment we decided to call the bishop and the WML and we met with them both that night! And then we started setting up meetings with the other auxiliaries. Day two in the area we met with the primary president who gave us the name of a part member family, the Walkers. We went by the next day after district meeting, met the non member mom and kids, and set up an appointment for two days later. We quickly followed up with the primary president and let her know about the appointment and asked for fellowshipping advice and she gave us the name of one of the members who we were able to call. On Saturday we met with them, they didn't have a lot of time, and the kids were jumping around and wanted to see our tablets so we showed them #Hallalujah and testified of the restoration and the Book of Mormon
and we invited the mom and the 9 year old son to be baptized! They now have a date for May 14! I know that working with the ward brings the best results. There's no way we would have been able to find this family so smoothly without the inspiration and guidance of our primary president. Please keep this family in your prayers! I know that the gospel can and will change this family but there are a few miracles that need to take place if they are going to reach their date. I know with your prayers those miracles can happen! :)

I also had an amazing experience and learned a great lesson when I met a less active couple. The missionaries before had been visiting this couple on a weekly basis and had been doing a scripture study with them. This couple isn't able to come to church due to being home bound by illness, but they're a great example of living the gospel in whatever way possible. As we were meeting with them there was a knock on the door and it was their home teachers who came so that this couple could partake of the sacrament! As these men were blessing the sacrament I gained such a great appreciation for the sacredness of this ordinance. As the prayers over the bread and water were being said I placed all my thoughts on how because of the ordinance that was being performed this home that we were in was hallowed. Just like our chapels it was a extension of the sacredness of all that happened during Christ's suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane. I was able to watch as this sweet old couple knowingly took part in this sacred  ordinance and took the bread and water with their frail and shaking hands. Their joy and gratitude was so great the spirit that was there
has stuck with me since that moment. I thought about this experience as I prepared myself to take the sacrament on Sunday. And for a little background, this ward has A LOT of kids. There are 110 kids in the primary. That's a lot! So there was a lot of noise throughout the entire meeting, but as I thought about the meaning behind the sacrament and the individual nature of Christ's suffering I really came to realize how reverence begins with me. Despite all that was
going on around me I was able to have a spiritual experience as I reflected on all that the Savior has done for me. And I testify that that can be the same for all of us. As we approach the sacrament with a humble mindset, being ready to make changes in our lives to draw nearer to the Savior the spirit will be there. He will guide us.

Every single day I become more and more aware of how special my calling as a missionary is. My mission means everything to me and I'm so grateful for all the lessons I learn each and every day.

Here's my new address for anyone who was waiting for it:

2209 Prior Rd. Apt D
Wilmington, DE. 19809

I love you all! :)

Bye Morrisville!

Hello!!

This is going to be a really quick email but hopefully it will be a
good one too! On Saturday I got the news that I'm getting transferred
tomorrow! Seven weeks in Morrisville definitely doesn't feel like
enough time and this change came as a huge shock to my my companion
and I, but as I've prayed and have talk with some of the mission
leaders I can honestly say that I know Heavenly Father needs me
somewhere else at this time. I am so grateful for the many wonderful
lessons that Morrisville has taught me. I've grown more in this
transfer than I ever would have expected was possible in seven weeks!
I had no doubts before but after all that has happened this transfer I
can say with full certainty that I KNOW that Christ's atonement is
meant to be used in every aspect of our lives. Our Heavenly Father
WANTS us to turn to him in prayer. The Savior is waiting on the edge
of his seat waiting for us to allow him into our lives, but it's up to
us to let him in. He tells us "I stand at the door, and knock: if any
man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him, and will
sup with him, and he with me."

I also want to bear my witness that I know that Thomas S Monson is
called as the prophet of God. As He spoke, even for those few minutes,
I felt the spirit testifying of that truth to me like never before. I
know that as we follow his counsel we will find peace and joy.

I love you all! Please enjoy the included pictures and if you have
anything to send to me, hold onto it until next week!

I love you all!
Sister Rachel Petrick

---------------------------------
Sister Rachel Petrick

The Morrisville gang for the last time.

death is conquered; man is free. Christ has won the victory.

Hello everyone and Happy Easter!

I hope everyone was able to have a beautiful Easter! Mine was so wonderful! My whole week has been great! We started our week with a specialized training from my mission president. He and his wife and the assistants came to our zone and we talked about so many things that have really helped me with my missionary work and with my testimony. Something that was perfect for this Easter week, President Anderson had us all focus on the Plan of a Salvation and teaching it simply but powerfully. Simply put the plan of salvation is that "through the atonement of Christ all mankind may be saved by obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel." It's the plan that a God created for us all to be able to become like him and find joy. As I studied about the resurrection this week I came to know with even more clarity that the plan of salvation, and specifically the miraculous resurrection of the Savior, enables us "to become perfect...even as our a Father in Heaven is perfect." 3Nephi12:48

Our prayers and our efforts paid off this week because we were able to meet a new family of six to teach! We met the mom, Andie, because she was the nurse for a man in the ward. He spoke to her about the gospel and gave us her name and number and this week we met her and her family! As we met in their home and from the moment that they opened the door I felt so much love for them! We shared with them the Easter initiative #Hallelujah and told them briefly about church and about the restoration and they were excited to invite us back! We just know that this family has so much potential, please keep them in your prayers!

It was also a bit of a hard week for the Morrisville ward. A dear member, Sister Agnes Lee, unexpectedly passed away and the memorial services were held on Saturday. The spirit at the service was so strong. One of the most powerful moments was when the choir sang one of Sister Aggie's favorite songs, I Am a Child of God. The words of this song really stuck with me, especially the last verse that says:

I am a child of God

His promises are sure

Celestial glory shall be mine

If I can but endure

I was able to spend some very sweet moments with Sister Aggie and I was always so touched by her example of endurance. No matter what challenges come her way, no matter what temptations she faced, she endured. And as he favorite song teaches, promises of celestial glory and sure for those who endure. I can't say how grateful I am to have known her. I know without a doubt that she is happy. One of her top priorities was to be at the dedication of the Philadelphia temple. I know that Heavenly Father is providing her with that wish in a way far greater than she ever imagined. 

I'm so grateful for all of you and for the prayers I know are being offered in my behalf! I love you all

Sister Rachel Petrick

March 21, 2016

Hello everybody!

It's been a good week, but not a very eventful one. At the moment my
companion and I are trying very hard to find new people to teach,
which is much easier said than done but we know that as we continue to
work hard we will be able to find those that are prepared to accept
the gospel at this time. :)

Jen and Geraldo, the couple I mentioned who we were baptized last
week, were able to be confirmed and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost
yesterday! Their whole family is doing so well and it's amazing to see
how they've completely embraced the gospel. They even brought their
kids to a Book of Mormon study that we do on Sunday nights! I've loved
this study group! I always learn so much about the Book of Mormon and
about how I can apply to my life today. I know the Book of Mormon is
true and helps us with our challenges today!

I can't remember if I mentioned it last week, but I'm including the
picture that was taken of my zone at our last zone conference. I just
love being a part of the Philadelphia North Zone! This group is full
of hard working missionaries and they have all been teaching me so
much!

I love you all and hope your week has gone well. :)

Sister Rachel Petrick

"... To him who is baptized in my name, him will the father give the Holy Ghost..."

Hello everyone!!

This has been a great week here in Morrisville. For the majority of the week Sister Madrid and I were in different mission and ward and stake meetings, so I had A LOT of learning experiences and it was definitely a week of enlightenment. If I were to sum up all of the tings I learned in a few seconds it would simply be that I know that Heavenly Father is so aware of all of our situations and all of the situations we're placed in is to help us grow. That goes for me here serving in Morrisville and it also goes for little Ellie with the challenges that she's having in the 4th grade. Heavenly Father knows it all. And he's gives us the help and the guidance that we need to be successful as long as we put Him and His work first. 

This was also probably the most exciting and eventful weekend of my entire mission! The Elders have been teaching a couple named Jennifer and Geraldo for a few months now, it's been so long that the sisters got involved with helping them too and this weekend Jen and Geraldo got married and the next day they got baptized!! One of my goals at the beginning of my mission was to be a part of a wedding and I was so grateful for the chance that I had to help Jen through her big day. This couple has taught me so many great lessons. They are the perfect example of repentance as they've stopped everything else to put the gospel and living the commandments first in their lives. 

Their wedding was just a blast. The bishop performed the wedding and he stood up at the pulpit and started by saying "On a special occasion such as this I feel that it is appropriate to begin by talking about chocolate chip cookies..." He then proceeded to make an analogy about different delicious ingredients not being able to reach their full potential until they're put together. Our bishop also had them promise right then and there that in a year they would go to the temple to be sealed. It was such a powerful moment as they expressed their desire to make in to the temple one day. I know that the priesthood power of the temple sealing is very real. Our families are meant to be forever and that is only made possible through temple covenants and in a year Jen and Geraldo will be able to be some of the first to make these covenants in the Philadelphia Temple. And their baptism was just as special. They asked me to speak and as I stood in front of them bearing my testimony of the Gift of the Holy Ghost they were both grinning from ear to ear. Again, they are the perfect example of how the gospel brings peace and joy. I am so happy for them. 

I love you all!

Sister Petrick

May 7, 2016

Hello everybody!!

Sorry for not emailing last week. Pdays  seem to get filled very easily, so as requested I have a longer email today! :) Morrisville is very different from Vineland but I am learning so so much every single day and I love it here!

This week we were able to go on some exchanges. For the first I was able to be with Sister Van Arsdale. And if you don't remember, Sister Van Arsdale was my companion when I was back in Delaware and it was so much fun going into her area with her. One of the best parts is that she serves in part of Philadelphia so it was a huge flashback to the beginning on my mission. One experience I wanted to share was a lesson that we had with a woman named Linda. Linda is preparing to be baptized at the end of the month and she is just such a sweetheart.
She lives in a Russian retirement home so even from just walking through the front door it was a neat experience. We went in and taught her very simply about repentance. We focused on how repentance is when we turn away from what's wrong and focus ourselves on  and do what's right. And it went really well! And then we felt prompted to share a scripture with her from Mosiah 26, which teaches a lot of great truths about repentance. At the end of the lesson Sister Van Arsdale asked her what she had learned that day about repentance. Her answer
surprised me. When we were teaching we repeated the same simple points multiple times to try to get it to stick in her mind, but when she answered the question she repeated the words that she learned from the scriptures she read. This experience taught me so much. I realized that my calling as a missionary is not to go out and teach people everything I've come to know, my job is share the Book of Mormon with everyone that I can and SHOW them how their lives can be changed by applying the words they read. The Book of Mormon teaches far more
powerfully and far simpler than I ever could. I know with full certainty that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I know that every single verse is meant to teach us and that reading it will teach us more than anything else can. We need to use the Book of Mormon because that's when the spirit is able to teach.

In this area we don't have many people to teach so we've been doing a lot of finding this week. While knocking on doors we met one of the cutest women I've ever seen! Her name is Irma. She let us in her home immediately and let us share our message with her and then proceeded to tell us about growing up during WWII. As we sat talking with her I was just overwhelmed by how much I knew that Heavenly Father loves this woman. She made me think of Alma 26:37 where it says "God is mindful of every people" because her life and her upbringing has been
completely different than mine but it doesn't mean that we're loved any differently. Our Heavenly Father has given us the lives and experiences that we specifically need to become the person who He sees in us. He has great potential for us all and every single trial and lesson is to help us reach that potential.

We also, because we've been doing so much finding, have met TONS of interesting people this week. It's been a week full of adventures and awkward situations. One experience that taught me a lot was when we met an older couple named Sharon and Rich. We were contacting some one else but saw them loading cages into their car so we ran to ask if we could help! It turns out they catch stray cats and nurse them to health and help them get adopted! Pretty cool! You're probably expecting a story that ends with these two wanting to meet with us and
get baptized, but unfortunately this story ends exactly the opposite way. These people were wonderful and so fun to talk to but they wouldn't even give our message a chance. The man even as part of our conversation told us that he became Christian because he insisted on reading everything so that he could find what's true, but still said
no when we offered him a Book of Mormon. Now you might wonder why I share that story, but it's because as we walked away from these people I felt that my testimony was stronger. I knew that their rejection didn't make the gospel any less true, their rejection didn't make the Book of Mormon any less true. I've been rejected plenty of times on my mission, but this particular situation taught me how important it is to know for myself that this message is true. Our Heavenly Father asks us to have faith and when we act on that faith he will help us know
that these things are the truth.

I'm so grateful for my testimony. I know that this is Christ's restored gospel. I know that it's the only way to everlasting happiness and I know that my calling as a missionary is so special and 

I'm so grateful to have these experiences.

Have a great week!
Sister Rachel Petrick

The Zone

February 29, 2016

No group letter today. She said she couldn't think of what to write. She has been doing a lot of exchanges. She gets to stay with one of her former companions, Sister Van Arsdale, tonight. She is excited about that. She sent pictures. Her district and her and Sister Madrid.

Where oh where is Sister Petrick?

Hi everybody!!

So sorry in advance that this email is going to be shorter, it's kind
of a crazy Pday and I can't wrap my mind around writing too much. But
this week has been hard, but also wonderful. I had to say goodbye to
the family that I found in Vineland, New Jersey, and have been
transferred to Morrisville, Pennsylvania! Morrisville is so wonderful!
This ward is very missionary oriented and I already know that I will
learn so much here.

This week started out interesting because my first day here we had to
take our car into the shop because of previous car accidents and we
still haven't gotten it back! I've honestly loved it. We've been
walking around a lot, talking with lots of people on the street, and
I've been able to get to know a lot of members because they've been
driving us places. So really it's been full of blessings in disguise!

One highlight of the week was meeting a woman named Mardi. Mardi is
such a strong person! She's a new member of the Morrisville ward and
it's been such a blessing to hear her testimony of how the gospel has
changed her life. She has such a desire to share the gospel with all
those around her and listens to the spirit and seeks for Heavenly
Fathers guidance in all that she does.

And I wanted to make sure everyone had my address so you can send me
the piles of letters you have ready, so here it is:

171 S Main Street apt. 2
Yardley, PA 19067

I love you all!

February 15, 2016

Well everyone, tomorrow I say goodbye to Vineland! I'm getting
transferred and I leave tomorrow morning so I apologize in advance
that this will be a shorter email. Being a missionary for 15 months
really helps you accumulate a whole lot of stuff and packing takes a
while.

But I did want to share a few highlights of the week:

First, Lillie came to church this week! She couldn't stay the whole
time because her knee is still really bothering her from her surgery
but when we went and visited her afterward she told us that for the
first time her and her grandkids were just quiet all day because she
felt the spirit so strongly at church. I have been so grateful for
Lillie! I'm sad that I won't be here for her baptism, but I'm grateful
that I've been able to see the gospel bless her life so much already.
Her baptism will be such a special day. :)

This week we also met a woman named Ruth. She's actually a preacher of
another church. She let us in and we introduced her to the Book of
Mormon and she was so excited! She jumped at the chance to read it! We
shared with her some of our favorite passages about Christ and she
said right then and there that she believed that it was true. And she
invited us back!

This was a wonderful week! I'll include some pictures since I'm making
this so short. I'll let you all know where I end up next Monday!

I love you all!

---------------------------------
Sister Rachel Petrick

The Vineland Gang for the last time, and us and Vaughnie and Adam. :)

"if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness"

Hello! :)

If I could describe this week in one work it would be HECTIC. We were
constantly running from one place to another and I loved every second
of it! It was a strange week because Sister LeFevre and I were out of
our area for 2 1/2 days while we were with some of the other sisters
around us. Tuesday evening we got to go up to Medford, New Jersey, for
a really fun exchange! I was with Sister Roberts and we had a day full
of teaching! She taught me great lessons about having short, powerful
lessons and about seeking out ANYONE and EVERYONE to talk to! One
experience I want to share is meeting a woman named Dawn. Dawn was
meeting with the missionaries in Medford when I first came to this
area and due to a sad series of events she decided to stop. The
sisters were always hesitant to go back and see her but today Sister
Roberts really felt like that is where we needed to be. When we got to
her house there was no answer at her door so we decided to leave a
note. As sister Roberts was writing the note a woman stopped a little
ways away from the door and started staring at her so I waved and it
turns out it was Dawn! And to make this story even more exciting, For
a couple of weeks Dawn had been praying for the missionaries and
praying for the courage to go back to church because she was so
scared! This experience really taught me that Heavenly Father will use
us to help other people of we listen to the promptings of the spirit.
I know that it was no coincidence that we showed up that day to see
Dawn. She needed us, and Heavenly Father used us to answer her prayer.

The next day we had exchanges in Cherry Hill and o got to be with
Sister Nutting! Sister Nutting has a great talent of being anxiously
engaged but completely laid back at the same time. I really admired
that about her. She taught me so much about relating the scriptures to
those who we see. Any time someone asked us a question she first
turned to her scriptures. I know that the scriptures, specifically the
Book of Mormon, hold the answers that we're looking for and I promise
that a we pray and ask for guidance our Heavenly Father will lead us
to those answers.

Another highlight of the week was once again seeing Lillie! Lillie is
recovering so well! When we were with her she pushed her walker aside
and walked back and forth in her front room all by herself! She also
showed us her Book of Mormon and not only is she reading, but she had
colored tabs, different colored highlights, she had underlined and
circled cross references in the footnotes, she is really diving in to
her scriptures! And she is progressing so well and is so excited for
when she can walk and move well enough to come to church. Please
continue to keep her in your prayers. :)

And in other exciting news, for the last couple of weeks we've been
part of the ward choir! I just have to say that this choir has been
such a tender mercy for me. :) I have so badly missed singing in a
choir and the Easter songs that we've been practicing have really
helped me stay focused on the Savior and all that he's done for me. I
know the the Savior lives! I know that he lived and died so that I
might be able to return and live with my Heavenly Father some day. I'm
so grateful for his sacrifice and I know that this is His work.

This week we get our transfer calls! I'll let everyone know what
happens next week, but just in case, use this address if you send me
anything this week:

721 Paxon Hollow Rd. Ste.B
Broomall, PA. 19008


I love you all!
Sister Rachel Petrick
Here's a picture from month's zone training. :)

"whatsoever thing he shall ask in faith, believing ye shall receive, ye shall receive it"

Hello everyone!

Happy February!! :) This week was one of those weeks where I feel like
so much happened but at the same time like nothing did. A lot of
people were sick this week so we had to get creative with our time. :)

My first fun story comes from going on exchanges! We were up in
Sewell, NJ for a day. We've been trying to really help these sisters
because the work in their area has been slow lately. That morning I
said a prayer asking Heavenly Father that I would be able to do
something to help these sisters see that there is success in their
area. One thing my mission president has stressed is that "there's no
such thing as a dead area" and I was determined to help the sister I
was with see that! At first nothing we tried seemed to be successful
and I could tell the sister I was with was having a hard time. I
noticed a cute older couple sitting down the hall from where we were
and I ran over and started talking with them. Soon enough they were
asking about our church and we were telling them about the sacrament
and the restoration! They were both so excited to learn more and to
read a Book of Mormon! As we walked away I was so grateful to know
that Heavenly Father answered my prayer. I still get so nervous going
out of my way to talk to new people but Heavenly Father truly helped
me be courageous enough to open my mouth and I know that He can do the
same for all of you. :)

This week we were also able to meet a new man named Vincent. We've
taught Vincent's wife a couple of times and we finally got to teach
him! Is church is actually closing and he's looking for a new place to
go. We told him about our church and gave him a brief overview of the
restoration and he looked so excited! It's amazing to see how the
simple truths of the restoration truly do touch the heart. We, again,
just have to open our mouths and be ready and excited to share this
message!

I read a scripture this week that really hit me and I wanted to share
it with all of you. :) It's Romans 8:38-39. " For I am persuaded, that
neither death, nor life, nor Angels, nor principalities, nor powers,
nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any
other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God,
which is in Christ Jesus our Lord." HOW AMAZING IS THAT?!? There is
NOTHING that can separate us from the love of God. No matter how hard
things get, no matter how many mistakes we make, our Heavenly Father
still loves us just the same. I know that that's true. And I'm so
grateful for that knowledge. :)

I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Love,
Sister Rachel Petrick
#TheChurchIsTrue

Our cute family picture. :)

Snow!

Dear friends and family,

This week we were hit with LOTS of snow. Apparently it was known as
the "blizzard of 2016." Or at least that's what I'm told. For the
first time in my life(at least that I remember), church was cancelled.
So my companion and I were able to spend our morning helping people
shovel themselves out of the snow. Even though it was less than
freezing, it still really warmed my heart. :) And to make a fun memory
even better, after we returned home the members we live with surprised
us with a mini sacrament meeting! They got permission to administer
the sacrament and then we watched President Nelson's recently young
adult address "Becoming True Millenials." As I listened to him speak
the thing that hit me most powerfully is that we truly do live in a
fallen world. There are wars, disease, pain, and all sorts of
temptations. Many often say that the world is in the worst condition
it has ever been in. But that's all in opposition to the fact that we
also live in the dispensation of the fullness of times. We might have
some of the worst things happening around us, but that's simple
because we are also blessed with the BEST. We are blessed to live in a
time where we can inherit all of the blessings that our Heavenly
Father has to give to His children. I'm very grateful for that
knowledge. I'm grateful to know that in 1820 the heavens were reopened
and that Heavenly Father and Christ set their work in motion. The
restoration of the gospel began and we are now all taking part in His
great work today.

I also wanted to give everyone an update on our investigator, Lillie.
This week were were able to go visit her with our Bishop and he gave
her a blessing for her surgery. When we went and visited her in the
hospital two days later she was overcome with gratitude and told us of
how well she was healing. I will never forget the smile on her face
when she said "it's because of bishop cook's blessing." She's doing so
well and is already ahead on her healing schedule! This week we read 2
Nephi 31 with her at the hospital. This woman constantly amazes me
with how much faith she has! As we read about baptism and explained
its importance she just looked at us, again with a smile on her face,
and said "I know." She's so excited to heal and come to church and be
a part of God's kingdom. She's already expressing how much she loves
her new "church family." I am so grateful for her and the example she
sets for me. She is so willing to do whatever the Lord tells her. She
really does hold such a special place in my heart.

Thank you for all of your love and support! I love you all!
Sister Rachel Petrick

It finally Snowed!

Hello everyone!

I am really just so excited to tell you a little bit about the simply
MIRACULOUS week that Sister LeFevre and I had. There were so many
times when we walked away from situations and look at each other and
said "Did that really just happen? Heavenly Father is SO GOOD."

The first miracle was such a tender mercy for a us both. Tuesday was a
long day full of administration work we had to finish so we didn't
have as much time as we like to outside. With the couple hours that we
had we decided to go contact a referral named Joseph who had requested
a bible. And it turns out that Joseph and his house full of people are
from West Africa! We started teaching him and a few of the other
people there about the Book of Mormon and after I shared a verse one
of the men said "Is that from Nephi?" We were shocked! He knew about
the Book of Mormon! And they knew all about the temple! They also had
a lot of questions so we scheduled a time to come back later, but we
left feeling so refreshed by the spirit. What a tender mercy. :)

We also got to go on two exchanges this week and I can testify that
exchanges bring miracles! I was with a sister named Sister Eckman and
I was blown away by the boldness of her teaching! Our first exciting
adventure together was delivering a bible for another referral. We
were also able to teach her about the Book of Mormon and she was so
excited to read it! We left and when we were almost to our car we
heard her calling after us and she came and asked us if we would bring
more copies of the Book of Mormon for her SEVEN KIDS so they could all
sit in with us and learn!

And just yesterday Sister LeFevre and I were delivering yet another
bible referral to a man named Gary. Gary invited us in immediately and
as we were handing him his bible he said that he meant to order a Book
of Mormon! Of course we happily gave it to him, told him a little bit
about it, and he asked if we would be willing to come back and teach
him about the doctrine of our church!

Heavenly Father is truly preparing people to hear the message of
Christ's restored gospel. I know that that is true. These experiences,
along with many other miracles from this week, really taught me that.
They also taught me how important it is to open our mouths and make
our message known. We could have easily just dropped off the bibles
and left, but because we mentioned the Book of Mormon and testified of
its truth the spirit was able to touch the hearts of these people and
they are letting us come back to share the gospel with them. Our
Heavenly Father gives us all incredible miracles each and every day,
we just need to follow his guidance so that we are where he needs us
at the right time. I know that Heavenly Father is so aware of us all.
I know that he loves us and that as we look for it we will see His
hand in our lives everyday. I know that this is his work and that it's
only through the sacrifice of his son, Jesus Christ, that we will be
able to enter into his presence. I'm so grateful to be a missionary!

I love you all!! I hope you have a great week!

Love,
Sister Rachel Petrick

January 11, 2016

Good morning!!

I'm still alive and it's another beautiful sunny day in south jersey!
The temperatures are dropping but we still haven't seen any snow, so
there are blessings everywhere! I hope everyone had a great start to
2016 because I know it did! This past week was our transfers and I
got a new companion! Her name is Sister LeFevre and she is from
Tropic, Ut, which I've learned is right next to Bryce Canyon National
Park, which happens to be one of the most beautiful places I've ever
been. She also just came from the ward that neighbors my first area
and so we've been able to talk about a lot of the people that I taught
which has been a little tender mercy. And I really love being with
Sister LeFevre!  She is such wonderful missionary and I love hearing
her testimony. We work really well together. :)

We were able to have a lot of fun experiences together this week. The
first person I want to mention is James. I've met with James a couple
of times and he's a funny guy, and he really believes that there's
more scripture than the bible. So naturally we left him with a Book of
Mormon. So this week we went back to follow up to see if he's read.
When we asked he said "I  read it, I like it, but I just have one
concern. It doesn't mention anything about Jesus Christ." And
immediately I felt the spirit in me tell me he's wrong. The more we
talked to him the more we realized he was coming up with excuses, but
I'm really grateful for the feelings I had at his original comment.
While I do have a testimony of the Book of Mormon, in that moment I so
clearly felt the spirit witness to me that EVERYTHING in the Book of
Mormon is related to Jesus Christ. And as I've read since then I've
been so much more aware everything He is mentioned. I want to testify
that the Book of Mormon is a testament of Jesus Christ, as is says on
the cover, and that we will draw nearer to the Savior as we read,
study, and ponder its teachings.

Another miracle we were a part of was teaching a woman named Lillie.
Lillie requested a bible from us a few weeks ago and this week was the
second time we were able to meet with her. We had previously taught
her about the Book of Mormon and as we talked about her reading when
we saw her she showed us verses she had read that addressed specific
concerns that she had at that time. The spirit was so strong as we
testified to her of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon and the
Restoration and invited her to be baptized. And she said yes!! The
first time we met with Lillie we had brought a member of the ward with
us who was able to share her conversion story. Lillie said that after
we left she prayed and felt that her meeting us and hearing this
member's story was God's way of Showing her where she needed to be.
She said that after we had left "her flesh wanted to leave the church
she was attending." As she shared this with us I again felt the spirit
so strongly. Lillie is an incredible example of faith and obedience.
All she wants is to do the will of the father and her example is
teaching me so much. Please keep Lillie in your prayers and she
continues to learn and read the Book of Mormon.

I am just so excited about this next handful of weeks! I have a
feeling that they will be great for us all as we work our hardest to
serve our Heavenly Father. I have come to have such a strong testimony
of this gospel. I know that "there is no other way nor means whereby
salvation can come unto the children of men." I know that the Savior
lives and that his infinite atonement can strengthen us in ways that
we can't even imagine. It's just up to us to let him in.

I love you all! Thank you for all the prayers in my behalf, they're
felt and appreciated!

January 5, 2016

Rachel didn't send out a group email yesterday, she must have been too busy.  I got a short letter from her though.  It is transfer week.  She is staying put, but her companion is going home.  So, yesterday was spent getting her all packed and ready to go.  Rachel said she would pick up her new companion today.  Hopefully we will get a big letter next week!

This picture was posted yesterday.  It is from there Christmas meeting they had.

Philly North, Cherry Hill North, Cherry Hill South, Wilmington zone Christmas Conference 12-23