Dec. 21, 2015

Hey everyone,

Ecuador still hasn't gotten any less crazy. 

On Saturday we had our ward Christmas party. At the last second, my comp and I were asked to sing in front of everyone, The First Noel. I don't know why but I only have my Michael Buble voice when we are at home getting ready for bed so it could have gone a little better. Wednesday we have our big mission dinner. Antonio Maridueña is excited for his baptism on Christmas. Julian didn't go to church again and Juan hasn't been very motivated with the stress lately. Its likely this is my last week because we finish the training with elder Acarapi this week.

I strongly invite each of you to please make a conscious effort to remember Christ in all you do this week. Look to serve others to show more appreciation for Him. We do owe Him everything. A while ago I was thinking how it would be to be with Christ during His final week and to be by His side to help support Him through such tough trials that he was put through. Then the thought came to me of Him looking at me and saying, "Dillon, if you want to help me, then go help someone else in need, ..feed my sheep. The best way of serving Christ is through acts of charity for our fellow men and Christmas is the best time to do so!

If you haven't already, visit Christmas.mormon.org and see the videos there. Share them on Facebook and spread the message! A Savior is born. I testify that it is true and that He lives.

Elder Rawson:)

Dec. 28, 2015

*..For like one year I have been sending my emails to the same big list and I don't know if half of you read them. So if you see this send me a little note saying that you got this. (Aw he's feeling a little forgotten I think)

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone.

I hope everyone is enjoying the holidays, snow, and family time! We had a great week. Went to the temple Tuesday and had our Christmas program and dinner Wednesday. Spent a good Christmas. Antonio Maridueña was baptized and in his testimony after his baptism told everyone he wants to serve a mission! He's progressed a ton! We got the call last night And I got transferred. I am now in a place called Babahoyo in the Chopitea ward! Im with Elder Ascanta from Bogota, Colombia. He has about 4 months in the mission. Seems like a great guy and we will do great together! I always have felt like I would be sent out here. Babahoyo is kind of like Quevedo. It'll be nice do be out of the city again:)

Take advantage of the New Year to make the changes and set the goals to be more happy! After all, that is why we exist. Here they have a tradition where they make big, human-size doll figures. They put things they want to leave behind written on paper and put them inside the figures .... then they burn them! They also fill them with fireworks and stuff to make noise. Its crazy but based on a good concept.. 

Love you all!

Elder Rawson:)

The new comp at 4 guys:)

Dec.7, 2015

It's been a fine week. Even though there's no snow or presents, there's still always a bit of trunkyness in the air. But Elder Acarapi and I are still killing it working out here, doing the best to get people to remember the real reason why we celebrate in the first place. 

The other day we were out on the job finding people to share the great tidings of this special season. We stopped by a house to share the "A savior is born" movement that the church is doing. She said she was a Jehovah's Witness and doesn't celebrate Christmas. We explained that we respect her beliefs and culture and that she could just see the videos on the site to hear a message about Jesus Christ and why He is important. She was actually very nice about it though I don't know if she did end up visiting the site. But during the contact as we talked with her, her enormous black dog came out. I guess my comps black bag(that he always puts on the ground when we stop) called the dogs attention enough to get him to go and mark his territory on it. So yeah, while contacting a Jehovah's Witness her dog peed on my companions bag. Luckily its waterproof so it didn't do any damage but it sure made an awkward situation to laugh at afterwards!

The work is still going on. We don't know why but each Sunday morning something happens and the 15 or so people we had to go to church can't make it. But this week we'll be speaking more directly so there's no way the people can not understand the importance of church. We are going to the temple tomorrow morning for a zone conference so I'm stoked for that.

Love you all! Don't forget the core of what we are celebrating this month! Merry Christmas

Elder Rawson

Dec. 14, 2015

This week one day some appointments fell at about 4ish, so we decided to stop by our house (we almost never go home in the afternoon) to call a list of referrals that we had received from the Internet. So as we were making the phone calls I saw out the back of our house a person climbing over our wall. I yelled "Hey" and ran to the back. It was some dude (druggy) sitting on the wall with the deer in the headlights look. I said "que hace?!" and he just kinda slowly pretended to play with the fruit as if he was getting fruit and didn't respond. A few days later we did an exchange and I went to another ward with Elder Carranza and his comp, Elder Johnson from Springville, came here. Well after the Exchange they told me that Elder Johnson had left his sandals by my desk and they disappeared. (Yes, we have already been looking for a new house to move to...)  Heres the evidence..

Where the deed was done..

The curtain was moved.. (theres no window or door)

Piece of wood... (he used a long pole of bamboo to reach the sandals)

Where the sandals were left before the crime

My note that I put on the back.

Antonio Maridueña, the son of the Maridueña family that got baptized two months ago or so has decided to get baptized on Christmas.He was always nervous and was never really sure about the decision I guess. During the exchange My comp and Elder Johnson had a cool experience in a lesson with him and he received the answer to be baptized and he is so much more excited and it looks like a new light has entered him! He even says he want to serve a mission. He's 17 so hopefully we can get him on that! 

We went to the temple again this week and another conference with president.

Elder Carranza and I after the exchange.

Elder Jared Galarraga went off to the Birmingham, England mission this week! We said bye on Wednesday. Good guy..