Monday, July 20, 2015

The other side of Hump Day!!! One Year Out_One More to Go :) Loving the Mission!!!


One Year Hump Day...July 2, 2015
almost met my goal of having the splits down by my year mark haha!!!
(yup my goofball son is a little on the strange side...he makes me laugh) :)
Here's how I have been spending my exercises for the past little while..(didn't make my goal at 1 year)








Mon, Jul 6, 2015 


That week flew. This week I completed 1 year as a missionary on Thursday. Its been a good time of pondering for me and what I have seen and what I have become as a disciple of Christ during the first year of my mission. Kind of like a little mid-life crisis. I've decided that although one could easily say that I've tried hard to be obedient, change my actions, and even to keep my thoughts and desires in the right place, I feel that God still expects a lot more out of me and the level of obedience I have offered this far is enough. Especially with getting to bed on time (confession). Sometimes it is hard because if we are in lessons late, our sector is a long walk from the house, we get home, plan, Many nights I receive calls from other missionaries to take their informs and try to write in my journal and other quehaceres. But I know that God has placed these rules for our own benefit and 10:40 is not the chosen time. This month´s Liahona magazine has an article called Which really opened my eyes the importance of getting to bed at a good hour to be able to get up and have a good morning. Because mornings are sacred! The killer question that I have is how much peaceful time with God have I missed throughout my life for sleeping in after staying up to late? DC 88:124 (Its actual, inspired doctrine) The articles from the magazine is filled with Life and Energy, from this month!
Es todo.

Elder Rawson:)

El Señor Jacome:) The owner of the forest!

clean drinking water I'm hoping!!!

1 year mark, so we slept out on the floor..SLUMBER PARTY!!!












July 13, 2015


 Well I just got done with the transfers and am exhausted so can't think super well right now  of what has happened this week. But Saturday Javier Sanchez, The son of Alfonso who was just reactivated, was baptized on Saturday. Alfonso wasn`t quite yet ready to baptize so they asked me do to it. And because I was leaving anyways. Yesterday after church we stopped by the Tubay family to say bye  to them. Then later on we went and ate with  the Sanchez family. They fed us fish, and I've always been a little hesitant to eat the fish down here...  I'll get to that in sec. But Saying bye was hard.  Seeing a big man like him tear up like that. Never knew I would've actually been able to help make such a big  change in someones  life like that before. But hopefully we'll be able to see then enter the temple before I head out. Then last night we got the call for transfers late like normal and I had to stay up to do my bags to leave early in the morning.  And on top of that after finally having about 1 and a half hour of sleep the fish came back to haunt me. First time throwing up in the mish but it had to come at one time or another. It came back 3 times in the night and  I got 0 sleep after that. The bus ride down to quevedo was not fun.   my whole body hurts.. But now I'm  in the 3rd trio of my mission  with Elder Melzer from Mesa Arizona and Elder Ypis from Santa Cruz Bolivia. Elder Ypis is leaving in 2 weeks and then we ll  be back in a normal companionship again. The house here is  pretty ugly but all is well!  venga lo que venga y disfrùtalo!
Elder Rawson:)

nature walk last pday  in San Camilo



The old zone



 the baptism of Xavier
 





Father and the Brazilian getting separated






July 20, 2015

There goes me first week back in Durán. I'm in the ward literally closest to Panorama, where I started but its on the other side of the highway and in the other stake so I haven't seen anybody yet. Except for Hermano Clavijo's car pulling out of the mall today. I was too late. But I'm sure I will see them again sometime.

The members here are way great and are like always so willing to go out and work with us. So I´m excited for that! But at the same time it seems that a few missionaries have been through here that hadn´t shown very good examples of diligence and the members are used to the missionaries spending time at their houses, and eating their food instead of changin lives. If there's one thing I have a huge testimony of is obedience. When we are obedient we allow God to do His work through us. It is the only way, because His rules are His ways. If we enter a house to teach a lesson without a man present, no matter what age or if we have the best intentions, we will not have the spirit and the time spent with be in vain. That's just what I have come to learn:) And remember, if you LOVE me keep my commandments:) (Love is a commandment!)

Elder Ypis one of my comps is going home next week as long as my ZL Elder Mendoza who I was also with in Quevedo for 4 months! 

Ama la vida!
Elder Rawson=)
1 year mark renewing the visas in Guayaquil on Thursday

Exchange with Mendoza:)


The house after church:) minus Elder Flores






His long awaited Butterfingers finally arrived :)








Monday, July 6, 2015

June 1,2015 thru June 29, 2015

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!
Zone activity last pday. ping pong and tacos:)
The Brazilians and their trainers:) just 2 in the mish in the same district:)

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! 

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)
  1. La Santa Cena, al tomar,
    a Cristo quiero recordar,
    mostrándole de corazón
    que limpio soy por Su perdón.
  2. Por mi Su sangre derramó,
    y en la cruz Él padeció.
    En agonía y dolor
    murió, libró al pecador.
  3. En inocencia Él murió;
    a la justicia Él pagó.
    Misericordia extendió,
    y a los hombres rescató.
  4. 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.

my comp has a hurt foot so he wore sandals to church!

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!

Saw my cousin Elder Dalton in guayquil today for the first time! finalmente haha, he is serving in the South Mission!

sitting at my cousins desk in the home office




Few pics of the Brasilero:)

La Vista
The Sanchez Family!!
Happy Fathers day! (my son, see the resemblance?)
Boys will be Boys!!!



always wrestling!!





The Garcia fam!!! See ya in the celestial kingdom!

Elder Rallison trained Elder Lopez(not present) who trained Elder Cook who trained me who is training Elder Vitor! posterity!




 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=)

Crazy, super tasty fruit! cant remember what its called...



not sure but this looks like chicken foot to me...

"The machete"