June 1 2015
Ecuador is still treating me well. Just read Elder Hansen´s letter with the
iPads and saw the picture with a big weight bench in the back..... But it´s all
good, I´ve made good use of my exercise time doing other things. ..Like the
splits, I have a goal of my year mark in one month but I probably might not get
it.. I´ll let ya know.
But this week Ilda Casquete, our investigator that´ll be baptized this week
told us that she has been very depressed lately. All of the sons that she has
had have passed away with the latest being 6 months ago. She isn´t happy at home
most of the time because her grand daughter teen is rude and misbehaved. But she
is determined to get baptized and is soo excited to be able to go to the temple
this after her own baptism to do those of her sons that have passed!
Orlando who we have been working with and wants to be baptized has been
working his faith so his wife can soften her heart. And we did an activity with
the two wards that attend in our church and HIS WIFE CAME! She didn´t join us
for church the next day but it's a step! I just hope they can get married at
least before I leave!
But this week has felt soo much better and I am so grateful for the
Savior's ability and willingness to take our burdens off our shoulders! The
atonement is real!
The trials and obstacles will always be there but it´s a lot easier with
the support of our Redeemer!
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| Zone activity last pday. ping pong and tacos:) |
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| The Brazilians and their trainers:) just 2 in the mish in the same district:) |
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| With hermano Tubay at church in his white shirt he got! (the only time he isn't smiling is in pictures!) this man is a true example of a Latter-Day Saint! |
June 8th 2015
So short letter today. But with our investigator Orlando, he is
still doing awesome but this whole week he was gone working in another part but
came back Saturday and we had a lesson with him and is wife about how marriage
is ordained of God with the help of the Cedeño family and the Bishop. It went
great and his wife that used to always hide when we showed up to the house
joined us for the lesson and it went great! We didn't have too much time because
we did it after the baptism of Ilda, which went great but got delayed a bit, and
we had to leave early because it was late! Then yesterday she went to
church, and she liked it! We went back later with our ward mission leader and
his wife to talk more and to make a plan for them to get married! She says she
wants to but Orlando wasn't there so she is going to talk it over with him and we
will be stopping by the house soon to see when it can happen! Her heart has
truly been softened! God answers prayers and fasts!
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| played b ball and soccer last pday. gringos vs Latinos and gringos won in soccer! |
Élder Rawson=)
La Santa Cena, Himno #103 -I was reading the words yesterday during the
sacrament and thought to share it with you. (maybe you can use translate, no
sé)
-
La
Santa Cena, al tomar,
a
Cristo quiero recordar,
mostrándole
de corazón
que
limpio soy por Su perdón.
-
Por
mi Su sangre derramó,
y
en la cruz Él padeció.
En
agonía y dolor
murió,
libró al pecador.
-
En
inocencia Él murió;
a
la justicia Él pagó.
Misericordia
extendió,
y
a los hombres rescató.
-
Ya
nos podremos levantar
y,
como Él, resucitar,
libres
de muerte y dolor,
para
reinar con el Señor.
The sacrament, to take ,
I want to remember Christ ,
showing heart
that I am clean by His perdón.Por my His blood shed ,
and on the cross He suffered .
In agony and pain
He died , delivered the innocence pecador.En He died ;
He paid to justice .
Mercy extended ,
and the men rescató.Ya we can lift
and , like him, resuscitate ,
death and pain free ,
to reign with the Lord.
June 15th, 2015 (Watch your Pride)
Quevedo is still great (better because the heat is
starting to fade away). This week has still been good.
We´ve been having some
great lessons and I feel that I am having the spirit work through me a lot more
as I teach and do things! But for time reasons, I leave you a few words from
President Uchtdorf:)
being able to see ourselves clearly is essential to our spiritual growth and
well-being. If our weaknesses and shortcomings remain obscured in the shadows,then the redeeming power of the Savior cannot heal them and make them strengths.12 Ironically, our blindness toward our human weaknesses will also make us blind to the divine potential that our Father
yearns to nurture within each of us.
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| my comp has a hurt foot so he wore sandals to church! |
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| Lunch at the best place ever! (BBQ ribs in Ecuador!!) |
-Elder
Rawson=)
June 22, 2015
So super spirit packed week! Alfonso Sanchez and his wife got
officially reactivated yesterday and he is now preparing to be able to baptize
his son of 16 years, Javier, the 11th of July! It has been such a blessing
working with this family and getting them up and going again in the gospel after
25 years! Especially how we found them! A few weeks ago we went to an
appointment with the 2nd counselor but the woman wasn't there so I asked him if
he knew any less active families that we could work with. Then he told me that
he had been looking at the names of the less actives of the ward in the church
the day before and saw Alfonso´s name and couldn't get the name out of his head
nor couldn't remember who it was because he only has 3 years as a member. But
when we asked him if he knew any one he remembered right there and took us to
Alfonso´s house and Alfonso let us in and confirmed that he was a member! That
was when he told us that just recently he had had a dream that his neighbors
told him that 2 cops were looking for him for a debt and he felt super guilty
but didn't understand why because he had no problems with the law. When we showed
up he understood that it was a spiritual debt instead of a legal debt! This man
has seriously been born again and is changing so much!
The work is going great and getting better! Keep looking for the hand of
God in your life!
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Saw my cousin Elder Dalton in guayquil today for the first time! finalmente
haha, he is serving in the South Mission!
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sitting at my cousins desk in the home office
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| Few pics of the Brasilero:) |
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| La Vista |
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| The Sanchez Family!! |
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| The Garcia fam!!! See ya in the celestial kingdom! |
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Elder Rallison trained Elder Lopez(not present) who trained Elder Cook who
trained me who is training Elder Vitor! posterity!
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June 29. 2015
This week started off down in Guayaquil as I mentioned in my last letter. Before
the zone conference as usual we got to go through the temple and as we were
about to start the session I saw Hermano Jaramillo from Panorama. we said hi and
he told me that the Garcia family, an awesome family that was baptized right
before i got there, was getting sealed that night at 7! But I had an appointment
at the hospital at the same time so I was a little bummed but still motivated to
go! The temple was a really spiritual experience as always. It really means more
as you go and actually try to understand the covenants and the messages that are
made there. I would go everyday if I could and I´ve made a little goal to try to
see if I can work in the temple when I get home! The Zone conference when well
with some great revelations from president. Afterwards I went running (dragging
Elder Vitor) to the hospital to get done. The Doctor didn't really have too much
to say so it was in and out to the temple to see the sealing. We got there just
after they started the endowments session so we just stayed in the waiting room
for a while which was no problem being in the holiest place in all of Ecuador!
President later came to wait with us for a few minutes before going in to see
the sealing. Going in, I saw my trainer Elder Cook and a bunch of the members I
had missed with a few other missionaries that had been through Panorama. The
sealing was truly one of the most spiritual moments I have had in a long time. I
bawled. But made me excited to share this gospel with more families to be able
to be sealed together for time and eternity as well!
After returning back we did a tooon of walking not being able to teach much
lessons. Alfonso Sanchez also is calling us everyday trying to feed us! He is a
great guy but at times we need to get stuff done but we don't want him to feel
bad! but he is reading the BoM and is loving it! He is truly rescued! I know I'm
getting transferred soon and its been great to see the people that have come
unto Christ in my time here and to see that I have been able to be an instrument
in the hands of the Lord! The mission is great! ¡Ámala!
Elder Rawson=)
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| Crazy, super tasty fruit! cant remember what its called... |
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| not sure but this looks like chicken foot to me... |
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| "The machete" |
