NOV. 24, 2014 HELLO FROM CRAZYVILLE

GLAD HE'S RECEIVED ONE OUT OF THE THREE PACKAGES I SENT SO FAR!  HOPING THE OTHER ONES AREN'T FAR BEHIND!

YES THIS WAS A CHRISTMAS STOCKING HE WASN'T SUPPOSED TO OPEN UNTIL CHRISTMAS!!!  HE TOLD ME HE COULD SMELL THE REESE'S THROUGH THE PACKAGE...I GUESS A LITTLE TOO TEMPTING TO WAIT!!!

HELLO FROM CRAZYVILLE

Buses are of the devil I swear,  ( I think he is referring to the fact that they pack the buses like sardines there, haha)  Got on a bus today right after school got out and had to break the law of chastity like 50 times... So many people! But as for the work, Veronica and Blanca got confirmed because they weren't able to last week and Blanca´s sister is going to join them as members this next weekend as well.  It´s truly been a blessing to be part of their conversions.  It´s hard because they are going through so many troubles but remain faithful and I know the Lord will bless them for it in His due time. 

Yesterday in ward council we established that although baptisms have been going up in the Panorama ward, the attendance has been going down. We are really going to be putting more efforts into seeking out the less actives and helping them attend church and getting them more involved.  I´m looking forward to it, and it  means we´ll be getting all the ward to help out as well. 

But I really have a whole new outlook on missionary work now.  I always wonder why I did not put forth more of an effort to help out those that were spiritually struggling around me.  I definitely had the time for it. 

So please don´t be like me, and look for those in your own ward that could use a helping hand. Just small things like stopping by there house to say hi for 5 minutes could mean the world! 

Receiving a testimony is not a one and done thing, not a job of a week or even a year... But a lifetime of constantly seeking for truth. -Go listen to Pres Uchtdorf´s talk "Receiving a testimony of truth and light" It´s my fave to share with members and investigators. 

Elder Rawson:)

NOV. 17 2014 Que pasa mis amigos!

Que pasa mis amigos!

 So please forgive me if I don´t write very well, I´m having a hard time concentrating because some kid with headphones on won´t stop singing, and singing terribly! But an awesome week, nothing too crazy or funny happened this week, but it was very spiritual so that is better anyway!:) So I have come to realize that I have been blessed with an awesome companion who has a huge desire to serve the lord and use his time that he has been giving doing what the Lord wants. This week I heard stories and have been opened up to what far too many missionaries are truly like. I know there are lazy missionaries and ones that came on missions without a true desire to serve. But I have been seeing and hearing things of other missionaries who are constantly not taking the mission as serious as it should be and not honoring their calling as representatives of Jesus Christ. Before I say more I have to say that I am far from perfect and have MANY things I need to improve on. But I have been pretty irritated seeing other missionaries completely forgetting about the sacredness of their calling. I don´t even like to know about the things that go on behind the scenes and then having them go out to represent my savior.  I can´t help but to think what He thinks of that as well. But as for me, I will continue to acknowledge my own weaknesses and do my best to improve because I sure know I am not exempt from this as well.


On another note, I am soo grateful that the Lord as allowed my to participate in the work at this time in the ward of panorama. We have been working well with the members and the blessings have come. We´ve been teaching 2 main families that I have felt especially blessed to watch grow. Javier Calderon and his family and Veronica and her girls. We had the baptism on Saturday and at the beginning only Veronica came without Blanca her daughter! She told us that her daughter didn´t want to be baptized. So Elder Cook and George went to go pick her up. When she came she was still unsure so the bishop told her to go in a room and pray about baptism and if she should. while she prayed, us 4 elders went a seperate room and knelt in prayer for her to receive an answer. When she came out she had tears in her eyes and the biggest smile I had ever seen on her face. I felt the spirit very strong and knew she had felt the spirit telling her it was the right thing to do. After the baptism they had us elders bear our testimonies and the spirit was so stong. I got a little choked and I looked at the members and about half of them were crying so ya, I couldn´t help it. But oh well, it was an amazing experience and I am truly blessed to be out here serving the mission. 


Love you all tons! Wish I could tell you all the cool experiences that I am having but that would take forever! 


With <3,
Elder Rawson :)

NOV. 10 2014 AWESOME WEEK!!!

Nov 10, 2014

COUNTER TOP OR WEIGHT BENCH???

Awesome week, full of the spirit and all that good stuff:) Yesterday at church they did the primary program and it was awesome! just like back in the good ole salt lake! The kids here are my favorite. They are hilarious and constantly make me laugh. Next week we are baptizing Veronica and her daughter. It has been amazing being a part of their conversion process and being able to watch their testimonies grow.
 We have had an investigator named Javier Calderon that we have been teaching. A very nice guy, lives with his "wife" (not married) but they have two little twin 7 year old girls and his "wife" has a 17 and a 16 year old (both girls). She is also a Mormon but inactive for many years but excited to get back involved with the church. But usually when we would teach them, Javier just asks a ton of questions but would never give us 2 seconds to answer. yesterday after church the bishop and his wife came over with us for a lesson and explained everything soo well and now Javier really wants to get involved with the church! So They´ll hopefully be getting married and then baptized soon!

 Way awkward moment this week. We were walking and Elder Cook told me to go knock on a door because he thought a family lived there. So we go up and I knock on the door. I was expecting a "¿quien?" (like, who is it?) And we would have said, Los Elders or something. But instead the person opened the door wide open with full confidence. It was a teenage girl with basically no clothing on, just undies!  I had honestly no idea what I was supposed to say! I don´t know why but the words, "¿Usted estaba esperando a alguien?" (Were you expecting somebody?) left my mouth!! It was super awkward and Elder Cook  come in and saved me! But the part that really got me was because she was actually really pretty! ..Bad news! We told her we would come back later when her parents were there, but we haven't seen them again. Elder Cook told me I had the weirdest look on my face when it happened. I hope I´m not that awkward with girls already with only 4 months in the mission, Or I´m going to have troubles dating when I get back!

 But yeah. Love you all. Keep up the good work.
 BYYYYYYYEEEEE
 Elder Raws

MAYBE HES GOING TO BRING ME A NEW KITTY HOME!!!

on:)

Happy Halloween/Spider-man to the rescue!!! (Week of Nov. 3, 2014)

Happy Halloween!!!

Ecuador bowling doesn't look much different

Nothing unusual going on here...

A member sent me this picture a few weeks ago because they all think he looks like Spider-man.  It must be cause he's tall I'm thinking!!

I'm guessing a little Spider-man role playing won't hurt...Not sure where the shirt came from!!!

Hola people,

Mission is great, got 2 main stories from this week.. Start off with the Funny (but not really) story. 

So last night we had transfers and i finished my training too so we were expecting a call last night.  Well at about 12 last night while I was in the sweetest, deepest sleep I have experienced my whole mission, we got a call from the district leader and he told Elder Cook that I was getting transferred and had to report to Guayaquil at 8 in the morning!  I could not believe it because I had no expectations whatsoever that i was getting transferred.  So I began to get my bags all ready for the departing in the morning.  Thoughts were running through my mind and I was sad because of some investigators that we have and i have high hopes for them and wanted to see their conversions.  I was thinking a lot and began to alter my thoughts to ones like, God knows best and if there are other people elsewhere that i need to meet and things I need to learn.  Then about 20 minutes later after much confusion, sadness, and anxiety I received another call from Elder George, my DL, and he asked if i was packing. I told him I was, And he said the coldest words I have ever heard.... ¨"Just kidding, It was a joke you aren´t getting transferred" I threw the phone and hopped on the bed to continue my lovely sleep.  Still a little bitter but whatevs, I´ll get him back later.

Then  something pretty cool happened on Saturday.  Me and Elder Cook were waiting to go to a members house for a little family home evening thing and we had a little bit of time, so we decided to run by an investigator´s house named veronica.  Shes a single mom raising for daughters.  She paints and that's her only income of money.  We got to her house and it was completely dark, but we heard voices inside so we knocked.  After a little wait, she came to the door.  We had small talk and asked her how everything was going.  She said, "bien... eh no bien, mas o menos" we asked her what was wrong and she just said she was having a hard time.  We asked her if we could share a short thought and she invited us in, it was completely dark except for two candles that they used to get around because they had shut off her lights for not paying.  I shared one of my favorite scriptures, Isaiah 41:10, and Elder Cook shared DC 121:7. We both talked about how these scriptures have helped us and how every trial God allows to happen to us is only for our good and benefit.  It requires us to reach out to him so he can bless us and increase our faith and testimonies.  I looked over to her threw the dim light that we had and saw the sparkles from the tears running down her face.  She thanked us a ton and how we said exactly what she needed to hear.  There´s nothing better that a missionary can hear than those words.  She came to church and listened to the testimonies from the members yesterday and there were some powerful ones that almost brought tears to my eyes.  I looked over at Veronica during it a few times and noticed she was getting teary eyed during the testimonies.  Nothing better than seeing the spirit work in people. 

We also had all 4 recent converts that were there bear their testimonies which was amazing as well!  I love this church and the incredible things that it can do in people´s lives!

Love you all so much!  Missions are great!

Elder Rawson

(OCT. 27TH, 2014) WE MET UP WITH THE JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES...

YUMMY!!!! 

THE FOOD LOOKS AMAZING...LUCKY MISSIONARIES!!!

INTERESTING LOOKING BANANAS

OH MY, HE'S RUBBING OFF ONTO EVERYONE!!!

A MEMBER TOOK THEM TO GET ECUADOR HATS MADE FOR A SOUVENIR FOR EACH OF THEM!

 Holi mis amigos. 

So we had a baptism this last week. Kevin Cantos. a friend of the Garcia family.  It went well and he shared his testimony after. Nothing better than  hearing the testimony of someone that was just introduced to the true gospel of Jesus Christ.  I bore my testimony right after and the whole time i was talking i had a little prayer in my heart that they were understanding me. 

I'm absolutely loving the mission!  I'm doing my best to not be trunky like many elders here in the mission. I'm trying to dedicate has much time to my Lord because he is the only one that can make me into the man that i want to be.

This Wednesday on our day of contacting we were doing really well and found some great new people that i can see going far in the church. We contacted the owner of a little restaurant and he is from LA.  We just chatted with him in English. he was laughing cuz he was talking about how the people here are lazy and don't want to do anything which is funny because he was born here, but has lived in the US for a while. He lived in Guayaquil and had to leave. We bought some burgers from him and while Elder Cook and I were eating. WE GOT CONTACTED BY THE JEHOVAH'S WITNESSES...  hahaahha!  They have a church down here and every time i have met one they are super nice people. The girl invited us to her house to talk on Sunday so we agreed. Well, come Sunday, we went and her husband pretty much opened up and started telling us all the reasons why he disagrees with are church and pulled up scriptures trying to go against our teachings. I know i could have explained every question he had if he would have given me the time of day. While he was going off one time i interrupted him with proverbs 3:5, lean not to thine own understanding and trust in the lord with all thy heart. ..something like that, but then because he has a closed heart he pretty much tried to explain to us why we don't need to pray for answers because we got the bible.  It was a weird experience. don't really want to go back there....

Well talk to y'all next week.

Les amo, Elder Rawson