July 4, 2016
Mis seres muy amados,
I am so thankful that the Lord has blessed me with such and amazing
opportunity to serve as a full-time missionary these past two years. Being able
to forget myself, leave my own life and serve in the Lord's vineyard for this
short time has been and will always be a blessing that I will cherish forever.
The people I have met and come to love here have helped me grow in so many ways.
They will forever hold a place in my heart. I feel so humble to have seen how
God has been able to work through me so others may partake of the many blessings
of this Gospel. The joy that I have felt from being an instrument is the hands
of the Lord is beyond my words.
The Lord desires that all people, no matter who they are or what they've
done, to come unto Him in order that He may heal them through His atoning
sacrifice. He is so merciful to those that accept His Gospel and do His will.
The Gospel heals families, relationships, and broken hearts. He has done it for
me. For as dumb as I have been and the many times I have forgotten Him
throughout my life in some of the choices I've made, He did not forget me. He
has heard my cries and answered my prayers when I have recognized my own
nothingness and needed His saving grace. I testify that He is our Savior. There
is nothing of greater value to me than my relationship with Jesus Christ.
Every person in this world has two final goals or purposes. First, to
qualify for eternal life and second, to help others to do the same. There is no
greater joy than that which comes from getting to love a person and seeing them
accept Christ, repent, receive the ordinances of the Gospel and then press
forward faithfully striving to keep the commandments of God. I have felt so
privileged to have experienced a little bit of this joy in my time in this great
work.
Thank you everyone for your support and for the prayers. They have been
felt in times of need. I love you all and wish for you to consider your choices
and act in order to draw closer to God through little steps like simple prayer
and reading the Book of Mormon. I promise it's worth it. Change is often hard
and at first, uncomfortable but the results make it worthwhile.
God lives. He is our Father. He chose and sent His perfect Son to descend
lower than anyone of us ever could in order that He might lift us up unto
eternal life if we accept Him and His atonement. Though I have been taught and
known this almost all my life, the living realities of God, the Father, and of
His Son, Jesus the Christ, have never been more real to me than they now are.
The Spirit testifies of this to me. I lack so much and have many things to
improve on but the mission has shown me what I must do so I can continue to
progress the rest of my life.
I love my Redeemer and of Him I testify.
Love,
Elder Rawson
