Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Mothers Day skype with the Family!!!


Mothers Day May 10th 2015






Best Mothers Day Ever









May 4th, 2015


So there´s no doubt that this last week was probably the most spiritually exhausting week yet.  Training sure isn´t, easy especially when you don't know how to communicate with your comp very well.  But bright side ya eu podo falar portugues melhor!  hay que aprovechar cuando tienes el único brasileño en toda tu misión:) ....oh wait, sorry;)  But Elder Vitor is a great guy with a good desires to serve the Lord.  He is very humble and wants to learn.  He is the only member in his family and is only a convert of about 2 years.  He comes from a family that really has nothing and had been living alone for some time before the mission.  His parents are separated and are both very poor.  He cant ever write them through email and we have to find out how he can send written letters to them each month.  He was basically surrounded and supported a ton by his ward back home to get him baptized and moving onto the mission.  He is a super friendly guy and though the people have troubles with understanding him they do love him, and there is a lot to learn from him!

But this week we got Brother Tubay officially reactivated and his wife and son are getting baptized this week after their marriage Tuesday or Wednesday.  Rosio and Luis as well are super excited for their baptism, but we did have a little bit of a scare yesterday when the bishop forgot their names in the sacrament meeting while announcing the baptisms.  I noticed it and was hoping they didn't, then the member that is friends with them leaned over and asked me if they were getting baptized too.  I think Rosio might have gotten a little upset but we did the baptism interviews after church and Elder Mendoza told me that she was fine for her baptism!
We also found a few other families that are really ready for the church and will be working with them this week to get them dates and helping them to know their savior more!

Elder Rawson=)


My comp is addicted to coke! (we also still didn't have light for half the week which stunk)





Chillin before a devotional we did with all the missionaries in the stake!



Rosio and Luis at the devotional of the life of Christ!






Christian, an investigator of the sisters, asked me to baptize him on Saturday:)





 May 11, 2015


"Si me amais..."


Hey ery body!
 The work is still great and Brother Juan Tubay´s wife and son and our other investigator Rozio got baptized and confirmed this weekend! It was was an amazing experience. Even though this past week was by far the most exhausting and stressful week I have had in my whole mission! It´s definitely not easy to train at times especially when you can´t understand you comp half the time. And for many other things that I guess I let get to me. But throughout these last few months I have come to the conclusion that there is such thing as a sense of being alert to get things done and there is stress. I really believe that stress is a result of a lack of faith and becomes a big distraction for feeling the spirit. Its from believing that the load we have is too big for us too handle and we believe to only have our own strength and abilities to to carry it. Causing us to worry and losing the trust in God that comes from understanding that He is all powerful and truly loves each one of us more than we can imagine, and that´s why He sent His Son to suffer so we don´t have to. I have been trying to be better these last few days to recognize that and keep the thoughts and feeling of stress out. I´ve tryed to take the time to breathe every now and then and pray more! Obedience is key:) Read the scriptures and pray!

"If ye LOVE me, keep my commandments." Note that it doesn´t say, "If ye want blessings/baptisms/eternal life, keep my commandments" -Love your Lord:)
Elder Rawson=)

Watching Frozen as a zone on Pday:) (with permission)



















Teaching Garfield..#LikeElderTeerlink:)
Married!!



Baptized!!


Chattin with the fam! missin 1 tho!













 May 18, 2015

 Hola mis queridos amigos

So this week has been a usual one. The work is still good but sometimes hard to get people progressing. You stop by and share a good powerful, spiritual lesson and the next day they turn into whole different people that don´t care. But this past week we have found some great families and we´ll see if we can get some miracles rolling! 

Elder Mendoza that was my old ZL got transferred and left as the oldest in our house. Now we have Elder Hunsaker from Orem joining us in San Camilo. We have an investigator Orlando that I found a while ago on an exchange with Elder Alguera and he has a testimony bigger that somebody with years in the church and is doing his best to get his family involved. We are doing a family home evening tonight with some members that live across the street from them and hopefully the spirit is strong enough to touch his family´s heart. 

But this week we are going to Guayaquil to learn about family history from some representatives from Salt Lake and knowing president, probably to enter the temple again! I seriously love that place. Go there! I´d go everyday if I could!
But not much this week.
Chao! 
Elder Rawson=)


Old Comp y New Comp
Las piñitas on exchanges, best restaurant in quevedo:)


We made burger cuz lunch fell:)




Comp completed 2 years as a member today!
May 25,2015

 So this week we spent most of our time traveling or in conferences. We went down on Tuesday to have a conference about family history. It went well but we had a lesson right before that went a little longer so we ran a little late getting to the terminal to travel with our zone and i realized on the bus down that while getting my stuff from our house in a rush i forgot my suit pants! so I rocked the old man style with light great pants and a dark jacket:) So I guess I´m still kind of that dumb  forgetful kid I was before! While down there I tried popping my head into the South Mission´s office because my cousin Elder Dalton is serving in there but when we went by he was at the airport running errands so that's a bummer but I'm sure we will see each other ya mismo! (soon, Ecuadorian style)
But we have had an investigator named Orlando Cortéz  for a few weeks. He reads the BoM a ton and has a testimony like a 2 year faithful convert. He hasn't been able to get baptized because he isn't married to his wife and she still has a hardened heart and hides when she sees us. But we needed to let him know that he needs to enter the waters of baptism soon before turning into an eternal investigator and spending a long time not being able to progress more in the gospel. We hit the point of marriage yesterday and he understood clearly and has committed to getting married before the 11th of June. He is chosen! Its just a bummer that Satan is attacking his wife so much but one day they will enter the temple together as a family. 

But there is no doubt that these last few weeks have been the most stressing of my life. Maybe training has a big part of it. But I testify to all of you that the atonement of Jesus Christ is real! And learning how to apply it in our daily lives is what I believe to be the most important ability that we can develop in our time on Earth. Seek to understand to atonement more. And please spend some time on your knees asking your Father in Heaven how you can apply it in your life to carry you forward. The atonement truly is the most important and biggest act of pure love that will bless us more than we can ever know.

Elder Rawson:)


Gettin kidnapped:)

Chilling at the temple hotel:)

Bus rides:)

With the Brazilian:)


























Monday, May 4, 2015

Aqui no mas

April 27, 2015


Oh boy this has been a crazy week and pretty happy to be starting a new one! We got the call saying Elder McMinn and Elder Alguera (ZL) had transfers! They also told me that I was going to be training a fresh missionary! So Tuesday I went to Guayaquil and then I wasn't going to meet my comp until Wednesday so right when I got there I got on another bus to go work in the sector of Elder Wilson from Eden, Utah for the day! Then after working for the day with him in Milagro we took the hour bus ride back to Guayaquil and slept in the temple hotel to wake up in the morning and do a session there! President Riggins is so awesome for letting us go through the temple so much and learn about the covenants we´ve made! The temple seriously gets more special each time you go! I would go everyday if I could! 
Then after all the trainers and greenies went to Presidents house to eat and have a training! Then afterwards we met our companions and I´m with Elder Marlon Vitor from Manaus, Brazil! He´s the only Brazilian in the mission and I get to train him! At first it was hard to communicate with him because he had a pretty hard Portuguese accent but now I'm getting to understand him better and his Spanish is improving. Ive also been trying to learn a little bit of Portuguese as well! Its super similar to Spanish so it isn't all too hard! The other Zone leader in our house is Elder Fernandez from Brazil also! but he is actually born in Chile but moved to Brazil at 16 years old. He also knows like perfect English and is the only one in the house that can speak the 3 languages perfectly! 

This week we also forgot to pay our light bill so we have been with out light and water this last weekend and have had to shower with buckets! its hard but i just hope they turn on our electricity soon!

 Love, Elder Rawson:)

Sweet pic with Elder McMinn before transfers!

President Riggins and me and the temple!


Meeting the new comp at President´s house! Elder Vitor from Brazil:)





We did an activity Saturday morning and went around selling Encebollados (tasty fish soup!) with the Tubay family to help them raise money to get married! Everything went great!












APRIL 20, 2015



My happy missionary :) :) :)



So I hope all is well out in the outside world!  
Here the mission is still so great and if you have the choice to go on one, do it!!
Something that made me and my comp crack up yesterday... After church we went and visited some investigators, Rosio and her son Luis. Rosio was a referral from a member and she is a separated lady and lives with her son Luis who has been living with her for about 5 months. They are both great! Luis is a little different to teach because he learns very slowly but loves to learn still and is excited to get baptized on the 9th of may with his mom! But yesterday in out visit I asked him what he learned from church and his reply was "... eh, I don't remember too much..... (Looks at us and get big eyes) .. There were a lot of pretty girls there!" Me and my comp worked so hard to not crack! 

But we still are going smooth with the Tubay family and this week we came up with the plan to prepare and sell soups this Saturday to members and other friends to be able to pay for the marriage. Yesterday at church we already got more than enough orders to pay for the whole thing so hopefully all will go well and Germania the wife and Michael the son will be able to be baptized this 9th of may as well! They are such a great family and it is such a blessing to know them!

As for me I think for the most part I'm about the same, other than the fact I can graw a beard I feel the same! Just a lot happier and closer to my savior as well! That's why you go on a mission in the first place!:)

Elder Rawson:)


With a turtle:)



With our investigator Blanca and her son! They always feed us soo well:)
With the Realpe family(investigators of the ZLs) That guy shows that black people are the same wherever you are in the world! Gettin married this week and baptized real soon!


The Lucas family! Nanyy our recent convert next to me. She has the biggest testimony!