After a nail-biting trip to the airport with a whole lot of sitting in traffic... and a prayer that we would arrive on time... we arrived just in time to meet Rachel!
She looks GREAT! We are VERY happy to have her home!!! (I don't think I've stopped smiling since she arrived.) Thank you to everyone in Germany that loved her and took good care of our girl! And thank you to everyone everywhere who prayed for her and sent her e-mails and letters. We appreciate you so very much!
Goodbye to the Frankfurt Temple... and to her very first companion from the MTC - Sister Stewart... and the Elders who finished their two years of missionary service...
Well, I can`t believe this is it!
I want to thank everyone for all the emails, packages, letters, and prayers.
This song is from the musical Wicked. There is a translation difference between the songs, so it means something a little different in German. But I love the meaning of both songs.
This is what I feel about my mission experiences:
For Good Wie ich bin
I've heard it said Es wird gesagt, That people come into our lives for a reason wenn jemand in dein Leben tritt, Bringing something we must learn dann, damit du And we are led etwas lernst, was du nicht weißt. To those who help us most to grow Bevor man fragt, If we let them erscheint ein Mensch, der Antwort gibt And we help them in return und er ahnt kaum welchen Dienst er dir rweist. Well, I don't know if I believe that's true Mir ist nicht klar, ob das auch stimmt für mich. But I know I'm who I am today Doch ich weiß, hätt ich dich nicht gekannt, Because I knew you... wär ich heut nicht ich.
Like a comet pulled from orbit Wie die Sonne den Kometen As it passes a sun wegzieht won seiner Bahn Like a stream that meets a boulder wie der Felsblock zu dem Fluss sagt: Halfway through the wood Fließ woanders hin. Who can say if I've been changed for the better? Du warst da. Darum hab ich mich verändert. But because I knew you Nur weil wir uns kannten, I have been changed for good bin ich heut, wie ich bin.
It well may be Wenn wir uns hier That we will never meet again vielleicht auch nie mehr wiedersehn. In this lifetime Was ich fühle So let me say before we part ist eher Dankbarkeit als Schmerz. So much of me Du lebst in mir. Is made of what I learned from you Ich hab so viel gelernt von dir. You'll be with me Deine Handschrift Like a handprint on my heart schrieb mir wichtiges ins Herz. And now whatever way our stories end Und was in meinem Buch des Lebens stand, I know you have re-written mine wird umgeschrieben neu erzählt, By being my friend... nur weil ich dich fand.
Like a ship blown from its mooring Wie ein Schiff, erfasst vom Sturmwind, By a wind off the sea auf dem Weg übers Meer.
Like a seed dropped by a skybird Wie ein Samen, den ein Vogel trägt, In a distant wood wer weiß, wohin. Who can say if I've been changed for the better? Du warst da. Darum hab ich mich verändert. But because I knew you Nur weil wir uns kannten, I have been changed for good bin ich heut wie ich bin.
Who can say if I've been Du warst da. Changed for the better? Darum hab ich mich verändert. I do believe I have been Und ich hab mich, denk ich, Changed for the better zum Bessern verändert.
Because I knew you... Nur weil wir uns kannten, I have been changed for good... bin ich heut wie ich bin.
God be with you till we meet again. Gott sei mit euch bis aufs Wiedersehn. Loves, Sister Rachel Doty
Rachel and Daniel weren't able to meet after all. Apparently his dog ran away that night, so he wasn't able to come to the dinner. Good news is... the dog returned later that evening. Daniel is planning to be baptized the end of August. He will send pictures. I am so impressed with this good young man. I wish him all the very best.
In FIVE days my girl will be home. It's hard to believe... and yet so very exciting for our family!
I know Rachel will return a changed person - to some degree. Over the last 18 months she's had amazing experiences... met wonderful people... grown in different ways.
Here are FIVE photos of the Rachel I know and love...
I look forward to hearing about all those wonderful experiences she's had.
I look forward to getting to know my amazing daughter all over again. ♥
Rachel and her father...
Brother Allen, Rachel and brother David...
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