I have learned many things here in Ecuador, one being that pigs smell TERRIBLY!!!

ECUADOR:  FRUITS OF ALL KINDS, LOADS OF RICE, NICE PEOPLE AND 4 TO A MOTORCYCLE!!!

March 30, 2015

The mission only gets better:)

 We started off this week after Pday last Monday hopping on a bus down to Guayaquil to a zone conference and a temple trip with the Pres. The bus rides are great because they are so pretty! This really has to be the land bountiful I swear! They also play movies which we cant watch so we have to avoid getting sucked into the temptation! The temple was a great experience! We slept into the hotel the night before which meant hot shower just like in the US! 

I seriously love the temple though! That session was by far the most spiritual I have been through! I seriously felt and understood the fruits of the atonement of Jesus Christ. I´m so Grateful for my savior and the great things that we can gain from his sacrifice, which such things are still way beyond our comprehension! #GraciasAQueÉlVive #BecauseHeLives (watch the vid)  http://www.mormon.org/easter?cid=HP_FR_3-27-2015_dMIS_fMRMN_xLIDyL1-A_ 

I also got to see Brother Jaramillo there from my last ward and he said all is still going well!

Reminiscing on the bus:) 

                    People cooking a pig outside of the church :)

No rice on this plate :)

One of our investigators, Nanyy, was able to get baptized as well because she separated from her boyfriend! Elder McMinn baptized her and I confirmed her a member the next day in church which was our ward conference so there was a ton of people! But it was such a cool experience! I could literally feel the spirit flow through me as I was confirming her! Good experience:) 

The work is great! I love finding these people so ready to accept the gospel! The mission is awesome from helping old drunk guys get up and walking as they cry to bringing people that I grow to love come unto Christ and experience the same blessings I have seen from this gospel in my life!

Stuff to read if you want to come closer to Christ:)

https://www.lds.org/liahona/2015/04/it-isnt-a-sin-to-be-weak?cid=HP_TH_3-26-2015_dPTH_fLHNA_xLIDyL2-2_&lang=eng

and the rest of the church magazine for the month of April!

Love you all!

Elder Rawson!

A piece of heaven on earth

March 23, 2015

Hey people.

There goes another week in the books. The mission is still awesome. This week we have been working a lot with the Tuvay family still who the dad is an inactive member. They are still doing really well and are following up on their prayers and scripture readings! It was a bummer because Juan got caught up in a job thing yesterday morning and couldn't make it to church. 

This week we also met the nicest lady named Blanca Rosario that lives in a part of our sector that we have never been to before! She was a reference from one of her neighbors that we talked to a little. We walked up the street and in about 10 seconds she let us in her house and within a minute we were already laughing. She had talked to the missionaries before when she went to Spain so is a little familiar with us. She has been having a rough time with her health and kidney and when we shared the Book of Mormon with her and a scripture from Alma saying how God will always be with us in our tribulations, she got all teared up and it was super sweet. She told us we will always be welcome there! She´s so cool and she has her son from the Galapagos and he always cooks us up good little snacks. She has been sick as well this week and had to travel yesterday so couldn´t make it to church either,but we will see. 

Yesterday we also finally got the interview done with an investigator named Nanjy that my comp has been teaching basically for his whole time here! she separated from her boyfriend so now qualifies for baptism! So she will be baptized this week! 

Today we also are leaving for Guayaquil because tomorrow we get to go through the temple with President again! I'm super stoked because since I'm far away we get to sleep in the hotel of the temple which means hot shower and nice stuff just like in the big US!:)

But still loving the mission I wish I could share all but I cant! I share the words of Mormon when he wrote that not even a hundreth of the things that happened have been written! 

I know this church is true and I know that Christ is my savior and have felt many times the fruits of his atonement that he carried out for me and for all of you! Not only is there a rainbow at the end of the storm but better harvesting, which means better economy, and that means many more things! Just look for the blessings in life and remember that no one has ever "seen" God without dealing with Satan first!

Elder Rawson:) <3

pretty sunset

Just being goofy Dillon!

Some fun things sent to Dillon from his Grandma Jackie after going through some of his late Grandpa Larry's mission boxes.

March 16, 2015

Another super awesome week out here! Elder McMinn and I have been doing work and dealing with a bit of stress for how much effort we have been putting in without seeing all the results lately. But this week things have been improving pretty well! 

On Wednesday, our day of finding, we did an exchange with the ZLs and Elder Alguera and I went to a family with the dad that is little less active. And because I'm assigned as his partner to do his home teaching visits with him. Afterward Elder Alguera asked me as we left the house if we had talked to the house on the other side of the road and I told him no so we went and knocked on the door. Well the guy came to the window and lets just say that with less than 10 words we were inside teaching him. We taught him about the book of Mormon and when Christ came to visit the Americas. When we had him read the scripture in 3 Nephi when God presents Christ to the Nefites the spirit filled the room and after the lesson we both talked about how we noticed that exact moment! We haven't been able to teach him too much more because he has been traveling a bit but this week we will because he is gold! 

Also one day my companion and I were with a little bit of time so we decided to walk down a street that we hadn't visited too much. As we passed by one house made of wood and pretty poor, I glanced over and saw a lady working on something, I had the thought to say something, but I continued to walk... Then after about 3 seconds I stopped Elder McMinn and told him we should contact the house. We said hi to her and she was super nice and told us to come back in a few days to find her husband. So we went back when she told us and found Germania´s husband, Juan! He was so happy to see us and a little without words, tears filled his eyes and told us that he would love to have us return so he can make things right with god again. turns out he has been inactive for years.

So here´s the kicker, last night we went and visited them after church with our ward mission leader. Juan couldn't make it for work so we just taught his wife about prophets. In the lesson she began telling us how earlier on she had been attending "La Restauración" church near their house. She and her husband began talking about how the wanted to be involved in the same church, Juan told her that he was already baptized in the Mormon church, so they both agreed to get involved with the church and wanted to find a way to do it! Then I asked her when that whole conversation happened and she said about a month ago! 

And just 2 weeks later the big white handsome guys in ties came up to talk to her, as she told her husband!

I'm so glad I have the opportunity to be an instrument in the hands of the lord and wish I could share everything that happens but the time is limited and obedience is necessary!

I know that God lives and that this is the only church on the face of the Earth that is led by His son, Jesus Christ. Read the book of Mormon and pray about it to know for yourself! Its that easy!

Elder Rawson:)

(had a problem with the SD card this week so no cool pics, more coming next week though!)

                    But here's on with my boy elder rooks in the MTC!

March 9, 2015

Alrightyyyy,

   So not gonna lie, the last week was a little rough and the work was a little slow! Ive studied a lot about the "missionary of success" earlier on in my mission and understand that people have their own agency and will and we cant make anybody join the church if they aren't personally searching themselves. But some things on my mind, was that I didn't feel I was living up to the full potentials and privileges that I could have been as a missionary. So I had been praying quite a bit to bring more people unto Christ and that I have the faith to work miracles in the lives of others. Well this week as definitely been so much better and I have been able to feel the Spirit working through me so much more! This week we found and started working with 3 new families and they are pilas! (like awesome, ..literally means batteries..) But we have been teaching some awesome lessons and I can totally see that these people need some miracles! I'm stoked to get working with them more and to see the changes that happen in their lives! One is a couple named Javier and Diana which is funny because I was teaching a Javier and his wife Diana in Panorama before I left! They couldn't get to church this week and Javier is leaving this weak to work on the farm so he wont be back until Sunday when we have another appointment! They are actually married! (a miracle) and are in need of Christ and Hope in their lives. They have some time together and I asked them if they had kids and Javier told me no and they are still waiting because they haven't been able to yet for some problems with his wife. I couldn't imagine how hard that would be! They seemed so sad on the topic and we are so ready to help them out!

DA Zone

 

Da District

Wilber, Da biggest pig you will ever see

Super Dirty after service one day, digging and moving life 3 tons of dirt! (super white legs) :)

March 2, 2015

¡Hola Mundo! 

Another grand week here in the Land Bountiful! Ecuador has to be it for all the crazy stuff that grows out of the ground here! Everything with the work is still good. We are going to have to change some of the things we are doing to be able to bring more people to Christ because we have been working with a lot of the same families for a while but are having a hard time progressing (marriage) so we will be sorting the priorities this week to find some more people. Two other Elders in the district haven´t been doing to well together so we did an exchange and so I could see how the sector is. From what I could see is that there is a lot of potential and they should be getting a lot of people to work with soon! 

Yesterday I did my first baptismal interviews for a family that the sisters have been teaching. The first was the little 11 year old daughter then later on that night I interviewed the dad, Manuel Collantes. It was super spiritual! I loved talking to him about how he has gotten his testimony and the changes that have been happening in the family as they have been getting involved with the church. He was telling me there was no doubt in his mind of the truthfulness of the church and how he would obey whatever law the church (God) makes because of the answers he had received! He loved talking so the interview was a little long but it was a good experience!

Funny weird moment from yesterday. Me and my companion were making our way to a less active´s house when we saw a big family sitting out talking out front of their house. The two men were on the side drinking. But we contacted them and they were really cool people. They allowed us to share a message with them so we talked a bit about the family proclamation. During the lesson I realized the guy drinking was pouring the beer from his cup into his eyeball. It was super weird and not sure that that is normal.... Haha!

My comp and I went over by the jungle this morning:) Tan genial!

Really Growing to Love this Place!!!

The baptism of Carlos Francos, the Zone leaders were teaching him. This man is CHOSEN. He helped us teach less actives before he got baptized because he got his testimony so fast. This man is a huge example to all! He lost his legs a while back in a truck accident where he was ejected and stayed in the hospital for 9 months after! 

Feb. 23, 2014

Barely Surviving the Rice

Yup that's right.. The rice is killing me slowly, my health at least. But my companion on the other hand is still loving it!

So Elder McMinn is back up and running and we have been doing some great work! 

This weekend was stake conference and President Riggins came and spoke again like in my last sector. He is super famous here. Just cuz he is so funny and powerful as he speaks. But there was sooooo many people at this conference so there were like 2 extra rooms filled to the max where they watched on TV and me and my comp stayed in a back room with two other missionaries and the assistants and just listened from the speakers because there wasn't anywhere else to go! 

We finally helped an investigator Dora make the decision to go with us and now after nearly 4 months of investigating she feels comfortable to go to church with her husband, who is a member. She said she felt the spirit really strong at the conference and wants to keep going!

As for the rest of the district, they are all doing really well also. The sisters are champs and I love taking their reports cuz they do work. The ZLs are still doing fantastic, but there is one companionship that's kind of hurting because one companion has been struggling on his obedience. So we are going to be doing some exchanges and I'm going to go work with him in his sector for a day. Hes a great teacher and has a ton of knowledge but without the spirit that comes from obedience and love for the work, they will always struggle to be productive.

Missions are great and anybody that can should go! Love you all and peace out!

John 15:10

Elder Rawson:):):)

The FISH!! at El Parque Bocachico

 Some house that never got finished, but good for a quick pic!

       

Los Chapulos...Escaping a sketchy situation last week!!! A sick companion this week!!!

My comp and I in the clinic today!

A giant fish in my sector:)

Not so sure about this!!

Feb. 16, 2014

So I'm writing super late today because Ive been in the clinic my whole Pday with my sick comp. But its all good because I don't have a ton of things to share this week. Just that Tuesday my comp was talking to me about how he wasn't feeling to well and had a headache.  We kept working though, then the next day he felt really sick and stayed in bed all day. He ended up having a super high fever of about 40 C which is like 104 I think. One of the zone leaders, Elder Mendoza from Texas, stayed with him and I stayed out in the sector and worked with the my other ZL, Elder Alguera from Costa Rica.  Elder McMinn is getting better and his fever went down and is coming home tonight.  I feel bad because I was just with him in there today dying of boredom, trying to kill as many mosquitoes as I can.

I guess we also had transfers last night and I'm the new district leader. So that will be cool and all, to get to learn a few more things that God has in mind for me to learn.

Since I don't have too much more to share Ill share a thought that has been on my mind a lot lately.

 Basically everything we do that is good should come from the right reasons. 

1, because we love God.

 2, because we love the people we are serving. If its from anything else such as,( because its our job, duty, or to be better than someone else), it will not bring us or anybody satisfaction 

and as it says in 1 Cor 13:3, will be just as good as if we had not done it in the first place. At least in the eyes of God. If ye have not love...You ain't nuttin.

Peace out Fools:)

-Elder Rawson

Feb, 9, 2015

Welcome to the Jungle baby!

Haha...I am guessing he's imitating Brent and I from the pictures I sent him of our Jamaica photo shoot pictures!!

Heeeeyyyy,

 Reporting from crazy Ecuador. But I'm basically used to it but I know anyone else would say its pretty much nuts! 

But I forget some stuff last week so Ill catch up on that first. But last week we had a conference out here with President Riggins. He started out being himself and funny by making us laugh. Then he began to talk about what he calls, one of the worst weeks of his life. He told us how he had to go through a long process to finding a missionary that had made a mistake and ended up having to send a missionary home.... as a father. Yup, this elder messed up pretty bad. He has been stressing that we need to sanctify ourselves and especially as a mission. He also said that he will not be looking at numbers or stats to pick the new leaders. Just missionaries that are obedient and love the people they serve, which I completely agree with. Then after all that dumb talk of stuff that should never have happened, We enjoyed "Conozca a los Mormones" (meet the Mormon's) together. It was a great movie! I loved the messages that it presented while being very entertaining at the same time! Afterwards I had an interview with the pres and we talked for a bit.  He seems kind of drained when hes not in front of a lot of people, I feel bad he has had to deal with a lot of unnecessary crap!

But then this week on Saturday, my comp and I were on our way home at night finishing up when a car pulled up next to us with 2 guys trying to talk in English which usually just means they are messing with the gringos. I tried to ignore and keep walking but my comp kept talking to them and went up to talk to them. They shook our hands and he said he would pull over to talk to us. So he parked and the driver got out of the car while the other stayed in. I wasn't feeling very good and wanted to leave. He started telling us how he was a member but had been inactive for about 10 years and was talking to us about other missionaries that he knew when he was younger and stuff. I started to ease up but still had a weird feeling. He kept talking to us about weird stuff how he saw a bishop with a gun and how that's bad, and a bunch of other dumb stuff that I don't know why he was saying. Then out of nowhere he tried to take us home but we declined. Then he started to get all defensive how we don't trust him and acting offended. I put my arm around him and told him that we trusted him but we just didn't want a ride. after a few minutes he finally got in the car and we left. If you haven't realized by now, They were trying to rob us or do something! The more I have thought about that situation the more obvious it is that we got out of a sketchy situation! Glad I at least had the feeling (from the spirit) to tell me to get out! Don't mess with the missionaries!

Also yesterday we saw our bishop get released after 11 years in the calling! that would be nuts and the first thing that he said was "por fin" (finally) We all cracked up then he bore a powerful testimony. It was cool to see!

But I have written too much and got to go, 

Chao!!

This is a type of fruit here 

Elder Rawson:)

My sector:)

                             Rainy season has begun!!!

Cant tell but it rains SOOO hard here! I was walking in puddles INSIDE my shoes!!

The jungle!!!!

So made the ride out here to Quevedo and I figured out that Ecuador is pretty!! It´s super green. I´m in the city of Quevedo but my sector is on the very outside of the city and the jungle is like 200 feet away! I love it here. I´m lucky that i got sent to a sweet ward with awesome members so I don't miss all of my other friends back in Panorama so much. It was almost like leaving home all over again! But I can already tell that I will love it here as well!

My comp is Elder Tanner Mcminn from Layton Utah! He´s a hard worker and has an awesome testimony. He´s a pretty fresh elder as he just barely finished his first 12 weeks out in the field with his trainer. He´s got a pretty hard accent so he´s not too easily understood by the members, i even had some trouble at first, but we´ll get working on that. 

My sector that i work in is pretty confusing and I´m still trying to figure my way around but hopefully I can get it down! 

Oh and for a cool story this week. Elder Mcminn and I were walking down the street one day when a family called us over to there house. The older lady that was there was wearing sunglasses and the other ladies told us that she had been without her sight for 17 years! and the day before she had barely had the operation done to regain her sight. It was so awesome to see and be the first missionaries that she could see! she was actually the one who first saw us! which is cool how she recognized us so quickly! She also bore her testimony in church and it was really powerful!

The jungle!!!!

A moth that got in our house one day and we saw it when we returned that night!

Waiting in the office before heading out to Quevedo

Bus ride, chillin!

Me and the comp!