Feliz Navidad :))

Helloooooo everyone,

It has been a while since I've sent a weekly so I'll just give you a quick bullet-point list update:

-We had transfers, I'm still in Ontario

-I got a new companion!! Her name is Sister Dixon, she actually came to Idaho the same day I did :)) She's from Washington

-We no longer cover the Spanish Branch here because Sister Dixon doesn't speak spanish :// BUT we have a family ward now and it's sooo fun

-I hit 14 months! Crazy!

-The SWAT team busted into our neighbors house and arrested them (if someone wants to google why and what happened, I also would love to know)

-I got a parking ticket :|

-The girl Megan that we have been teaching is getting BAPTIZED!! JANUARY 9TH!!! Please pray that everything continues to work out for her

-We got to drive to Huntington, OR and I saw 4 Bald Eagles whaaaaat

-We started teaching 3 little girls, Charlotte, Jubilee, and Aurora, in our new ward and they ALSO ALL will be baptized in JANUARY!! Keep them in your prayers as well :))

This Christmas, as we celebrate our Savior, I would invite you and your families to watch this, "The Christ Child," video, depicting Christ's birth. It is the most touching video of the nativity I have ever seen, I love it with my whole heart. My favorite part is the reaction of both the Shepherds and the Wise Men, as they finally get to witness the Savior they had been waiting for. He truly was a gift to the world, and not just then, but now. I am so grateful for the light that He is in my life. He is my example, my joy, and my best friend. I know that through Him and because of Him, all things are possible. I can change to become the person He needs me to be, and believes that I can be. As can all of you. Please remember our Savior and turn to him. Not just this Christmas, but through this next year, and always. With the way things are in the world now, it can't hurt to try :) https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=yXWoKi5x3lw&feature=youtu.be

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

Hermana Rawlins

345 NW 7th St.

Ontario, OR 97914

13 Months Down, 5 To Go!

Holaaaaa :))

This week has been a little slow since we have just been in quarantine, but it was still good! Our official quarantine from exposure ends TOMORROW (yay!), however, the county of Oregon that I live in has decided to go on a county-wide lockdown, and so that means not much else will change for us these upcoming weeks... We will be able to meet with our investigators in person for lessons though, so we are excited about that! 

I had to get tested for COVID last week because I started showing some symptoms (the test was not the most comfortable thing in the world, but also was not the worst. probably 4/10 recommend) I came back NEGATIVE though so I'm probably just dealing with a mild cold, yay!

We were able to have a lesson over video call with a girl we are teaching, Megan. It went really well! We hope to ask her to baptized soon. Other than that, we have been keeping busy cleaning the house, making facebook videos, painting, playing cards, and dropping off notes and stuff to some less-active members in our wards. Overall, pretty good week :))

I have started reading the Book of Mormon over again from the beginning, this time with the purpose of looking for verses that talk about joy/rejoicing/happiness. There are SO many! While the ancient prophets and people of the Book of Mormon dealt with a LOT of sorrow, trials, persecution, and contention, there are still so many mentions by each of them of the joy that they find in their lives. When we have a knowledge of our Savior and Heavenly Father, we can have joy no matter what is going on around us. The blessings, miracles, and love that come from our Heavenly family NEVER stop, regardless of our situation on Earth, and THAT is a reason to rejoice! Look for those blessings! Focus on them!

Soooo much love,

Hermana Rawlins

Address:

345 NW 7th St.

Ontario, OR 97914

Quarantined Missionary Round 2

Hi friends :)))

This week has been a little crazy! As you could tell from the subject line, I am quarantined yet again, haha! My companion and I were exposed to a member who tested positive for the Corona Virus, landing us in 14 day self-isolation. :// It is definitely not ideal, BUT I have been in isolation before and for a lot longer than 14 days, and so I know we can make it through :)) Sister Thatcher has been having a pretty tough time with it, but we're trying to motivate one another and fill up our schedule as much as possible each day. We've also been setting one goal that we want to accomplish each day, that way each night we can feel successful in our efforts and like we actually accomplished something that day. It's been going well! 6 days down, 8 more to go!

Our Mission President has challenged us this month and next month, to reread the Gospels of the New Testament- Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John- and find words, verses, and phrases of Jesus Christ that change us. I sooo love this commitment because I LOVE the New Testament. A phrase that stood out to me as I began my reading this week was, "and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us." (Matthew 1:23) Jesus Christ is not our God, but he was and is our way in knowing and understanding who our Heavenly Father, our God, is. They are one in purpose, and everything Christ did on the Earth, was under the name of the Father. As we study the life of Jesus Christ and who he was, we can know that that directly correlates with the character of our Father in Heaven, and we can know that Christ was acting as our God with us here on Earth. I invite you all this Holiday season to take my Mission President's challenge, and find verses and phrases of Jesus Christ that change you!

I love you all, have a great week!

Hermana Rawlins

Address:

345 NW 7th St.

Ontario, OR 97914

Pictures:

Welcome To Oregon!

Helloooooo friends! Happy Halloween and Feliz Día de Los Muertos :)) I hope you all had a fun weekend! We had a traditional missionary holiday of being home by 6:30 pm, and just kind of hanging out! I got to have a fun girls night though with my NEW COMPANION and so we made it fun by getting pizza and soda and cookies :))

Last Thursday I was transferred out of Kuna and am now in Ontario, Oregon- one of the biggest weed capitals of the state, perfect for 2 little sister missionaries ;)) This area is reaaaaaaaaally different than good ole Kuna and I miss it and my district and friends there so badly, but I know it will be great here too. We cover 2 wards- a YSA (young single adult) ward and a Spanish Branch. I get to use my Spanish again which is soooo fun! The branch is tiny though- at church yesterday there were only 5 people in the congregation... hahaha soo we have a lot of work to do getting the members to come back to church!

My new companion's name is Sister Thatcher and she is from New Mexico! She has been on her mission for 9 months, and she was originally assigned to serve in Chile! She was only there for 1 month though before she got sent home and was reassigned to here. 

We are teaching lots of awesome people! We found a new girl to start teaching the first night I got here named Cassidy, she is a friend of someone in the YSA- she's super nice and we are excited to start working with her. We have another girl in the YSA ward, Edith, that is on date to be baptized November 21st!! She is super awesome and wants to be baptized really bad, but we are having a hard time getting her to come to church. Pray that we can help her reach her goal of being baptized and that she will feel a desire to attend church on Sundays! We also are going to begin having lessons with a lady named Shaya. We will eventually have to pass her off to the Elders that cover the family ward she would be in, but as for right now, she prefers to be taught by sisters so we get to work with her! She is awesome and we are excited to help her increase her faith and grow closer to Jesus Christ.

I am studying the Old Testament right now and have been reading the stories of Samuel. In chapter 3 of 1 Samuel, the Lord calls to him in his sleep, and each time the Lord calls, Samuel readily and anxiously responds, "Here Am I," "Speak, Lord; for thy servant heareth." I have so much admiration for Samuel and his willingness to respond to the Lord's call and in being so quick to do whatever it was he was going to be asked to do. We all have a call from the Lord- to be His disciples, His followers, examples to those around us. He also always comes to us using the still, small voice of the Spirit, giving us more personal calls and impressions, everyday. May we all be like Samuel, so ready to hear and respond to the voice and call of the Savior. Let us live in our lives in a way that our minds and ears will be open to hearing that still, small voice, that when it comes we may, like Samuel, say, "Speak Lord; for thy servant heareth." 

Soooo much love, have a good week!

Hermana Rawlins

Address:

345 NW 7th St.

Ontario, OR 97914

Pictures:

1. Last pic with Sister Pearson

2. Last pic of me and cutie Sister Taylor

3. Cool pic of me and my best friend Elder Gifford

4. Me and my NEW COMP SISTER THATCHER

5. Last stop to get lunch at Zupa's before I met my new companion :,)

6. Me and Sister Thatcher and our sodas on Halloween :))

7. Me and my bffffff Sister Robertson finally got a cute picture too before I left <33 

Back To McCall!!!!

Hello everyone!

A lot has happened this past week! First, I have now been out for ONE WHOLE YEAR!!!!! This has been the craziest, hardest, funnest, best year of my life! It is crazy to think I only have 6 months left! It is going to flyyyyyy by.

We were able to have the first lesson with the new girl we are teaching, Hannah. She is awesome! She is so ready to learn more about the gospel and her friends are super supportive and helping her through all the lessons. We are super excited about her!

This past weekend, I also got to go back up to MCCALL!!!!!!!! A girl I was teaching up there, Sam, turned 18 this past month and was finally able to get baptized and our Mission President let us go to the baptism!!!!! It was the BEST day ever! Sister Taylor and Sister Robertson went up with us because Sister Taylor also served in McCall and taught Sam after I was there. We got to do a roadtrip up there and back with them and it was soooo fun. It was also my first time seeing McCall not covered in 1854047383 feet of snow! It was so pretty! Snow is pretty though too ;)) The baptism was soooo good. Sam's family cried when they saw me, which made me cry juuuuuuust a little bit too! The spirit was so strong, I'm so proud of Sam for getting baptized. She is the sweetest girl. It was also so fun to be able to reconnect with so many members I served with there, and to see them all remember me made my heart sooo happy!!! Being a missionary is an experience unlike any other. 

We also got transfer news Saturday night, and, after a long good run of almost 6 months in Kuna, I have to say a very sad goodbye :(( This Thursday I will be transferred out to Ontario, Oregon with my new companion, Sister Thatcher. I am so, so sad to be leaving my district and all the missionaries around here. They are my best friends in the whole world! I am also so sad to be leaving my wards and members here, I have come to know them soooo well. Kuna holds a very special place in my heart :,)

I love you all, have a good week! Talk to you next week from Oregon!!

Hermana Rawlins

Pictures:

1. Me, Sam, and her little sister Bri at the baptism :))

2. Me and my girls Sam and Bri again

3. Me and Sister Pearson

4. Polaroid of our cute little car group on one of our last rides :((

5. Me and Sister Taylor back in our McCall house!

6. Scandalous picture of us at the store this morning

7. Us getting lunch in McCall

8. Pretty McCall :,) 

LoHAH- Land of Holiness And Hoarders

*Disclaimer: The subject line this week comes from Elder Gifford. I could not think of anything good for this week's email hahaha

Hi friends! 

I've missed a couple weeks of sending out an email! But all is well here! I can't believe we are already in October! This year has just been flying by! Countdown: 3 days until I hit my YEAR MARK!!!

This past Saturday, my companion, Sister Pearson, went through the temple for the first time and I got to go with her!! It was such a great day. It was such an amazing experience to be back at the temple after so long of them being closed. The spirit was so strong and I really needed it. I also got to meet Sister Pearson's whole family- they are soo nice! They took us to lunch after at Tucano's. Which, if you haven't eaten there, I 17492793/10 recommend. It was delicious. 

We have been working really hard with an inactive family in one of our wards. We have gone over quite a bit with the Elders to give them the sacrament and have church with them. We also set up every Friday night to have a family game night with them so we can bring the spirit and the Priesthood into their home and be a good influence on the kids. It has been so fun! Another fact about them: they are hoarders :// The last time we were there, I had a prompting to ask if we could come and help clean up their house and make it a bit brighter so that the spirit would be able to have a constant place in their home . They gladly accepted! I really didn't know what I was getting us into though... We went and cleaned for 4 hours the other day and only got the kitchen done. It was spotless! Then we went back 3 days later and found it right back at square 1. So, please pray for us that we can clean (and keep clean) this house! Hahaha!

Our wards have started going back to church every Sunday!! Yay!! We got to attend 2 of our 3 wards yesterday and it was awesome! It was so fun to be able to see so many families. 

Alsoooo MIRACLES FROM THIS WEEK: WE FOUND 3 NEW PEOPLE TO TEACH!!! After long months of waiting and desperately trying to find new people to teach, we found 3!!! We are so so excited. We hope to set up some lessons with them this week and to see their progression. I will keep you all updated ;))

My spiritual thought this week starts with a question: How do you know that God loves you? There are soooo many blessings and feelings in this life that testify to us that we have a loving Heavenly Father. He has an infinite and individual love for each of His children. It's easy to remember and feel of that love when things are going good. However, when we begin to suffer through trials and hardships, we can be so quick to ask, "Why is this happening to me? Does God even really love me?" I came across this quote from Elder Holland this week in my personal study. He is explaining the instance when Christ, after having died on the cross, came and showed his resurrected body to some of his disciples. He talks about the wounds in his hands, feet, and side and refers to them as "signs," "Signs, if you will, that painful things happen even to the pure and the perfect. Signs, if you will, that pain in this world is not evidence that God doesn't love you." It is such a universally accepted truth that God loved His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ. And yet, no human on Earth would ever have to suffer as much as Christ did. Yet we know, that no matter what, God never stopped loving His Son. The same applies to us. We may go through hard things, but just as God never stopped loving Christ, He has never and will never stop loving us. I  promise that, no matter what you are going through, He has not forgotten about you. Look closely, and at the end of the day, ask yourself, "How did I feel God's love for me today?" I promise, you felt it. It was there.

I love you all!! Send me an email or something ;))

Hermana Rawlins

Address:

1742 N Madderlake Ave

Apt. #3

Kuna, ID 83634

Pictures:

1. Me and Sister Pearson

2. Me, Sister Pearson, Elder Gifford, and Elder Hambrick on our way to heart attack the door of a less active family in one of our wards.

3. Me and Elders Gifford and Hambrick at Melba Swings a couple weeks ago. 

4. Me, Sister Pearson, and one of the members in our ward at the Boise Temple!!

5. Some of our district at Melba Swings again

6. Us and 2 sisters that live with us in front of the Boise Temple!!

11 Months Down, 7 To Go!

Hi friends :))

I HIT 11 MONTHS LAST WEEK!! Soooo crazy how fast the time is going! Other news from this week, I got my new companion, Sister Pearson! She is from Orange County, California. She is a brand new missionary from the at-home MTC so I get to be her trainer and very first companion in the mission field! She is so sweet and excited to be in Idaho. I am excited for this transfer! I do really miss Sister Smith and all my best friends I used to live with though :') 

This week we also had the opportunity to do service for a little old lady in Melba. She was a widow and we helped with some yard work BUT she was from Mexico and spoke spanish!!!! She didn't know english very well, and so as soon as we got there, it was established that I would be the translator. I was sooo stressed out at first because, with Sister Smith gone, I was the only one there that could speak Spanish and so it was all on me. BUT I really got to see just how powerful the Gift of Tongues is and how much it has been working on me and I just haven't had the chance to notice. I was able to understand everything she was saying, translate it for the rest of the group, and then translate what they wanted to say back to her! It was sooo amazing and so much fun speaking Spanish again!! 

I loved this quote from a talk, "He Hath Filled the Hungry With Good Things," by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, "I have always loved that when Matthew records Jesus’ great injunction, “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect,” Luke adds the Savior’s additional commentary: “Be ye therefore merciful, as your Father also is merciful”—as if to suggest that mercy is at least a beginning synonym for the perfection God has and for which all of us must strive."  Sometimes, striving towards the goal of being eventually perfect is very daunting. It can seem completely unachievable some days. I love this quote though because, striving to be merciful is a much simpler, more readily attainable goal. We can strive to be a little more merciful toward ourselves and others each day in an even longer, eternal pursuit of eventual perfection.

I love you all! Miss you!

Hermana Rawlins

Address: 

1742 N Madderlake Ave

Apt. #3

Kuna, ID 83634

Pictures:

1. Me and my best friend Elder Gifford

2. Me and my new companion Sister Pearson!

3. Our district with the Mexican lady we did service for

4. Last district photo before transfers. Hiking the Kuna Butte

5. When I picked up Sister Pearson at the Mission Office!

6. One last picture before all the girls in the house moved out

7. Me and Sister Smith on her last Pday in Kuna. We explored the Kuna Caves. 

Kuna Round 3

Hello everyone!

I am so sorry I haven't written an email in a few weeks, but I can assure you that all is well here! I have just been kept so busy! This week marks the end of another transfer. This Thursday, Sister Smith will be transferred to Meridian, and I will be staying in Kuna for a 3rd transfer. I will also be training again!!! So this week I will welcome a brand new missionary to the Idaho Boise Mission :)) I am very excited, but also so SO sad to be separated from Sister Smith- we have really become best friends. Also, all 5 other girls in my apartment are getting transferred out as well, leaving just me to hold down the fort. I am so sad to see all my friends move away, but I am excited for this next transfer (and very glad I get to stay with my district, they are like my best friends)

We got 2 REFERRALS THIS WEEK!!! Me and Sister Smith have been trying sooooo hard to find new people to teach and we had been struggling. It seemed like nothing was working. BUT in my email to our Mission President last week, I told him I felt like a miracle would happen soon, and it DID! We got a random referral for a man who said he was ready to learn about the church and have the missionaries over. We, unfortunately, only had an address for him and not a phone number and with the restrictions in place right now, we can't just show up to his house. So, we took a walk (an hour there and an hour back!) and dropped off a Book of Mormon with our names and phone number in it. Now, we just pray that he takes that step in contacting us so we can meet up with him! SIDE NOTE: while we walked to and from his house, about 5 people stopped asking if we needed a ride, and so many honked and waved as they drove past. I love being a missionary :,) 

Our second referral happened while we met with a family in one of our wards and were sharing a spiritual thought. At the end, we asked if there was anything we could do for them and their middle school aged son told us that he wanted to talk to us about something! This cute little guy told us allll about his friend that had been coming to all the youth activities with him for a while now, and that he really wanted him to take the missionary discussions. It was PRECIOUS! The youth really are sooo influential in bringing others to come unto Christ as they just simply be an example and invite. It's so easy! We are excited to meet up with this boy soon!

Just a little fun fact that we are learning about Kuna is that I think every fly in the whole United States has migrated here. Apparently with all the harvesting and stuff that happens at this time of year, the flies get REALLY really bad. I kid you not when I say they are everywhere and there is no escaping them. Also, whoever told me that flies only live for 24 hours, I have a few fly friends in my house that beg to differ. Those babies are going on a week now I think. 

This week, for our dinner message, Sister Smith and I have been focusing on the Atonement of Jesus Christ. In Alma 34:10 it says, "For it is expedient that there should be a great and last sacrifice; yea, not a sacrifice of man, neither of beast, neither of any manner of fowl; for it shall not be a human sacrifice; but it must be an infinite and eternal sacrifice." Infinite and eternal mean forever. Christ's atoning sacrifice covers every person that has ever and will ever live. It covers every sin, no matter how awful. It is infinite, it has no limits or bounds. And because of that, none of us will ever be required to make any comparable sacrifice. However, we can and should still make small and meaningful sacrifices, to show Heavenly Father just how grateful we are for His son, for that chance He has given us to repent and be made perfect, and for His sacrifice. What is a small and simple sacrifice you can make this week to show your thankfulness and admiration to our Savior?

I love and miss you all!!

Hermana Rawlins

Address:

1742 N Madderlake Ave

Apt. #3

Kuna, ID 83634

Pictures:

1. Sister Smith and I on our walk to drop off the Book of Mormon

2. Our district at our Stake President's house. He had us all over for breakfast!

3. Elder Gifford and Hambrick from our district live down the street, so they come at night and read us the Hobbit in French (because Gifford was in a French speaking mission before he came here!)

4. Our downstairs neighbor was fixing the hinges on our front door. While he worked, his dog just made himself right at home in our apartment, hahaha! Was it the best day of my mission? Yes.

5. Selfie with Sister Brown

6. Elder Gifford served in Africa so he made us a traditional African meal for District Council- peanut butter soup and fufu. It actually wasn't that bad! Would I eat it again though? Probably not hahaha

7. A 13 lb Zucchini! Only in Kuna

8. Sister Robertson is my cuddle buddy every night. I'm really going to miss her

9. Me and Sister Smith :))

10. 3/4 of our district picture