There is always love in thousands of mountains and rivers, and every trace of love will eventually become love.

【Company and Dedication】

Oral narration/Rahel Peters Interview summary/Zhou Weiwei

In the alleys and alleys of Dashu District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan, everyone knows and knows the mention of "Swiss Mother" or "Rachel Teacher" Horatio.

Rachel's parents were both Swiss. In order to learn English, they both went to South Africa to study, started a family, and gave birth to their lovely daughter. Rachel is full of energy, her bright and natural smile is like the sunshine, and her soft and gentle tone is like the warmth of the spring breeze. When she was sixteen years old, she was invited by a friend to participate in the mountain climbing activity of the church youth group. When she saw the joyful demeanor of the team leader sharing on the stage, she felt that her wandering heart was suddenly tightly grasped, and she secretly She said, "I want to be like her!" At that moment, the fellowship pastor walked up to her and asked her if she wanted to believe in Jesus. Rachel nodded happily and began to walk into the church. She had no regrets in her life.

▲The "divine couple" Herbert Peters and Rahel Peters took on a mission and returned to Asia in love.

"The Divine Grace Hero" went to Asia with a mission

At the age of 22, Rachel graduated from the University of South Africa and decided to return to her hometown of Switzerland, where she had never lived, to work as an Occupational Therapist at a local children's hospital. However, God’s intention for Rachel was more than that. He was connecting her with her future significant other, Huber.

Huber and Rachel attended the same church in Switzerland. At that time, they had just graduated from the Swiss Bible School. They were called by God and prepared to go to Asia to receive missionary equipment and preach the gospel to the Chinese. The two fell in love with each other very much when they first met. He Bo frankly confessed to Rachel that he was a poor student. In addition to a heart that loved the Lord and Rachel, he only had a suitcase.

Rachel, who was surrounded by many suitors, did go through a struggle in her heart when facing major events in her life, and she kept praying to God for confirmation. She and Uncle Huber could always talk about anything and everything. That natural attraction made Rachel know that she belonged to Hubby. However, the battle between love and bread kept getting in the way.

That day when she went to meet with Uncle Huber, Rachel was so anxious that she couldn't speak freely. Suddenly, a card on Huber's bookcase caught her eye. On the card was a canoe, which was about to fall into the abyss of a waterfall in the rapid current. The words next to the picture were particularly eye-catching at this moment: "Jesus is in control!" Rachel immediately realized that God was speaking to her through this card, I immediately responded in my heart: "I am willing, but I don't have enough confidence. Please help me.""

The two lovers who were in love with God finally got married. Immediately after their marriage, they flew to Hong Kong on the other side of the world to receive a two-year missionary equipment from the "Youth Mission Group". Two years passed in the blink of an eye, and the couple's savings were almost exhausted. Rachel thought it was time to return to her hometown in Switzerland to recharge her batteries and build a stable life, but God's call to Taiwan kept recurring in Heber's mind. Although she has lived in Asia for some time, Rachel admits that she does not like the hot subtropical summer climate, and her understanding of Eastern culture is still one-sided. The gang fights in the movie made her equate Chinese society with it. Even fear.

But God’s will cannot be hindered. One day, God touched Rachel’s heart with two verses: “The land that was measured out to me is situated in a good place; indeed my inheritance is wonderful!” (Psalm 16:6 ) "Seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you!" (Matthew 6:33)

With full faith in God, Hubby and Rachel used their last remaining travel funds to buy two tickets to Taiwan. As soon as they arrived in Taiwan, they were surprised to find two letters from friends in Switzerland, including donation checks, which had been delivered to their new residence before they came to Taiwan, expressing their willingness to support the He family's missionary work in the long term. The two of them were pleasantly surprised and had to believe that God, the faithful boss who sent them and their wife, was so rich and wonderful.

▲The marriage contract scripture that Hubbard and Horacius received from God after prayer—1 Corinthians 2:9. The Hes and his wife are in love with each other in the Lord, and their love will never change, even to the ends of the world.

Are you a foreigner or a Kaohsiung native?

In 1993, Hubby and Rachel took their eldest son, who was only two months old, to settle in Dashu District, Kaohsiung, Taiwan to serve as missionaries. With their faith in God, they later gave birth to five more children in Taiwan. The six children grew up in a foreign land, but they never regarded themselves as strangers, because they saw their parents happily becoming citizens of the kingdom of heaven, regardless of nationality or place, and devoted themselves to preaching the gospel. They were influenced by their ears and eyes, respecting and identifying with such a kingdom of God. View. The "Heaven Mailbox" at your door is always filled with gospel pamphlets, and neighbors are welcome to request them freely. This recognition as a citizen of the kingdom of heaven allows children to avoid the confusion of their own identities as they grow up.

Before entering high school, the children received education at home. In addition to personally teaching various subjects and common sense of life, Hubbard and Rachel regularly led the children to read the Bible, meditate, and share with each other at the family altar. The family mainly communicates in German at home, and when outside they communicate with locals in English, Mandarin and a little Hokkien. When Rachel first arrived in Taiwan, she was deeply attracted by the soft phonology of Mandarin. Her enthusiastic personality that liked to communicate with others enabled her to quickly master the skills of communicating with the outside world. Whether going to the market, taking a walk, visiting, or having a fellowship meeting, you can hear Rachel greeting neighbors, brothers and sisters in Chinese cheerfully and cordially.

Huber and Rachel, who followed the local customs when they came to Taiwan, deeply loved the rich human touch in Taiwan. They obeyed God's guidance and determined to cultivate and build their second home and help their neighbors.

▲"Call me a Kaohsiung person!" The next generation of the He family, from left: John, Nathanael, Anlia, and Tingna.

Bring love into the community

When the children were still young, the Huber family would regularly go to Kaohsiung Wenzao University of Foreign Languages to share Swiss culture, interact with college students, and share Swiss customs, traditional culture, feelings about being a missionary family, and faith in God. , conveyed through different ways, through group games, drama performances, song teaching, baking art and other activities to reflect the multicultural characteristics of missionary families.

When the children grew older, they opened English classes in the community, with Rachel taking several older children to teach one-on-one or in groups. Rachel, who loves young children, especially combines English with the Bible in the church's Sunday school, so that children can learn Bible stories and foreign languages at the same time in a lively teaching environment. Because the children of the He family are familiar with the customs and customs of this land, they are better able to master the interaction with children in design language teaching.

Every day when school is over, Huber's dark green box van always appears on time at the gates of several primary schools in the community, picking up children to attend after-school tutoring at the church, rain or shine, as it has for decades. This is a seemingly simple but important job. It is an entrustment from God and should not be taken lightly. Being able to show up on time, pick up and drop off safely, and give the child a "safe love" is the biggest motivation that has allowed Herbert to stick to the trust for many years.

Rachel, who greets everyone she meets, is a loving angel in the eyes of her neighbors. The natural and unpretentious kindness exudes a charming charm. "Mother Zhang, are your feet feeling better?" "Uncle Li, have you taken medicine for your cold? Have you seen a doctor?" The wise Rachel knew that service requires spiritual partners to go long. So many years ago, I started working with a sister who has the gift of evangelism. Together, we regularly visit the elderly living alone in the community, pray for their physical and mental illnesses, and read the Bible and sing hymns together. Because of the same love and connected thoughts, the two sisters supported and helped each other in the service, comforting and nourishing many lonely and helpless hearts.

It is also worth mentioning that the He family often team up with church youths to distribute beautifully packaged New Testament Bibles on the streets of Dashu District. This gospel missionary team shuttled through the community where temples and incense burners flourished. They generously introduced Jesus to their neighbors and did not hesitate to share the good news. At first, they attracted many sideways glances, and later became the highlight of love in the community.

As a mother of six children, Rachel understands very well the challenges, struggles and hesitations faced by teenagers as they grow up. Her figure full of motherly love makes many new generations in the community like to talk to her and seek guidance from her. In the afternoon, Rachel would often find a quiet and atmospheric resting place with one or two young people, have a cup of coffee or milk tea, and have an open conversation. Teens love Rachel’s empathy and sense of humor, which allows them to pour their heart out in a pressure-free conversation! Rachel felt sorry for the fact that many young people lacked support and understanding from their families when they were at crossroads in life, so she often prayed with them and provided timely care and encouragement to help these children get out of the gloom.

▲Everyone in the He family has "actors" who like to use stage arts to spread the gospel.

▲The whole family going out to preach the gospel is a very convincing testimony.

▲Horagie often meets with the church youth to form a team and travel through the streets of Dashu District to distribute Bibles.

Open the family with love

In recent years, the doors of the He family have often been opened to needy children, teenagers or adults in the church, inviting them to have Swiss-style dinners. Some people have never had the opportunity to have a meal with their family. It is very meaningful to enjoy unique and exotic dishes in the warm atmosphere of the He family.

Every Friday night, the living room of the He family is always full of people. This Bible study group for community seekers has been running for many years. Huber leads his neighbors in Bible reading, sharing and prayer based on different themes. On the last Friday of each month, a movie that matches the Bible study content will be played to allow group members to have a deeper understanding and interaction. Participants enjoy the way they teach each other, encourage each other, and practice prayer. In addition, dinner parties and birthday celebrations are held from time to time, which strengthens the relationship between the group members.

How long you can live is up to the Lord.

However, serving on the mission field does not mean that the sky is always blue and the flowers are always fragrant. The He family has also experienced many challenges and difficulties in life.

In 2011, Rachel was diagnosed with malignant melanoma of the skin. Two years after the surgery, the doctor said that the cancer cells were gone and there was no need to continue tracking. Unexpectedly, in January 2015, another tumor was found under the left arm. The test report showed that it was benign, but the doctor recommended further examination to make sure it was correct. At that time, Rachel was busy teaching, preaching on the streets, and conducting children's summer camps, and she forgot to check. In June, she had a sudden and abnormal pain in her calf, which she thought was due to wind and cold. Unexpectedly, the pain made her unable to sleep every night after that, and various painkillers, traditional Chinese medicine, and massage and acupressure could not improve it.

One day at a children's summer camp, Lajie couldn't use his legs. Later, it became so severe that he had to use a wheelchair to move around. In panic, I sought medical treatment everywhere, only to discover that the cancer cells in the tumor under my left arm had metastasized to the lymph, and then from the lymph to the spine, causing me to be unable to walk on my lower legs. The cancer cells have been confirmed to have spread throughout the body. The doctor said helplessly: "You can only live for another three months at most. It seems that only your God can save you!"

Such sudden bad news plunged the He family into darkness. Uncle He could not imagine the life without Rachel, and the children were even more inexplicable. Rachel herself said to God: “If it is Your will to take me out of this world, I am ready because I know where I will go. But I know there are still many visions from You that have not yet been completed. , I even have six children. What is your will?”

Through Bible reading, the speaker’s information, and the concern and encouragement of brothers and sisters, God has been speaking to Rachel through a passage of scripture: “Surely He has borne our sorrows and carried our sorrows; yet we thought Him punished, smitten by God. "(Isaiah 53:4) Rachel declared with faith that Jesus had been crucified for her skin malignant melanoma, and all she could do at this moment was surrender, obey, and not worry. Face it with an attitude and surrender yourself completely to your Heavenly Father. So she decided to undergo chemotherapy and was moved to preach the gospel to the doctors. She wrote a large card to the doctor and told him, "God wants me to be brave enough to go through treatment, and He promises to be with me."

God, who is full of faithfulness and love, is really miraculous. During the course of chemotherapy, Rachel not only did not lose her hair or vomit, but her appetite was better than before. Apart from physical fatigue, it can be said that the medication has no side effects. One night, Rachel had a dream: she cried and lay before the cross of Jesus, thanking Him repeatedly for being crucified for her illness. In the next few days, the pain in her calf gradually disappeared, her condition improved, and she no longer needed a wheelchair. Seeing that the three months mentioned by the doctor had expired, but she was still alive and well, Rachel, who was filled with peace, believed that Jesus had heard her urgent prayer. After five rounds of chemotherapy, doctors determined that all cancer cells in Rachel's spine were gone.

▲Rajie, who can play and sing, often accompanies the elderly living alone with her sincere singing voice.

sick angel

During her stay in hospital, Rachel described her ward as "the happiest ward." Not only do her husband and her children take turns to accompany her every day, but the brothers and sisters from the church often come to visit her and pray for her. As Rachel's story was shared on the Internet, many strangers were moved and came from all over to express their condolences to her. A nurse once curiously asked Rachel: "You got such a terrible cancer, don't you blame God?" Rachel said heartily: "No, this is the best time in my life!"

In the eyes of the medical staff, Rachel, who carried the chemotherapy IV bag to each ward to preach the gospel whenever she had the strength, was not only a "life fighter" who was not afraid of dangers, but also a "sick angel" who loved God and people. .

Rachel said: "I now know that my worth in God is not what I have done, but God loves me in the first place! It doesn't matter if I am weak, God will make me strong. I have done nothing myself, but through many Because of people’s prayers, God has done many wonderful things to me!”

▲Rachel’s care, visits and prayers comforted the hearts of many people.

next dream

Mr. and Mrs. Huber have always had a dream in their hearts - to drive the whole family in a mobile "gospel theater vehicle" to tour and perform performances. They believe that such communication art, which can be performed at any time and enters the community, is not only creative but also close to people. When people talk about this vision, Rachel exudes positive energy, which makes people deeply attracted and sincerely wishes her dream to come true.

From the grasslands of Africa to the mountains of Switzerland, from prosperous Hong Kong to the remote countryside of Kaohsiung, Rachel’s simple heart of preaching the gospel has never changed. Environmental changes cannot eliminate Rachel’s care for people, and the pain of cancer cannot shake it. Her faith in God. There is always love in thousands of mountains and rivers, and every trace of love ends up in love.

Reporter profile Zhou Weiwei is currently a New York public school teacher. While devoting himself to education, he is still immersed in the service of words and experiences precious moments of closeness to the Creator. She has a son and a daughter with her husband Xie Yongping.