Monday, July 4, 2016

2 Years gone 2 fast (last letter home)


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

The Cáceres-Berfo family. :)