Life Of A Quarantined Missionary

Another crazy week of the Corona Virus! It seems like each day more and more things close or shut down, and things just continue to change! The way we do missionary work has definitely changed, but it has not stopped!

As the subject of the email says, the Idaho Boise Mission has officially been quarantined, as of this last Thursday. That means we are only allowed to leave our house to go for a walk or get some exercise, to go to the store on pday, or to go to a church building for pday or for a sacrament service with our district. That means all face-to-face lessons and contacting have come to a stop... :( it has been very hard! Our only way to continue the work is via social media (facebook), video/phone calls, or text messaging. So far we have not been super successful in finding people to teach over the phone, but we will keep praying and trying! Unfortunately though, this also means that our 2 baptisms for this month have been postponed :( We are hoping life gets back to normal soon so our 2 friends ready to be baptized can finally make that step! But we know Heavenly Father is in control, and so even if sometimes things seem a little frustrating or disappointing because of the circumstances, we just have to trust that this is all part of His plan for us, and that everything will work out the way it is supposed to. 

I have gotten lots of questions about what we do to pass the time, since mission rules are pretty strict already! We are allowed to: read/study the scriptures, preach my gospel, and any material found on the LDS library app, language study, draw/paint/any kind of art stuff, exercise, call home 2x a week, 1 hour of board games or puzzles per day, and use facebook! So that is how we have been spending our days! It has also given us a good opportunity to learn how to cook some stuff since we can't go into member's homes for dinners anymore! 

A scripture that has brought me some peace this week: John 8:12, "Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life." Let us not fall into the dark chaos of the world, but walk in the warm, light, and safe path of Christ. If we do that, we can't go wrong :) 

Thank you for all the emails this past week! Being stuck in our apartment can get kind of boring and lonely, so it always makes my day when I receive an email from someone!! I hope you all stay safe and healthy, and don't go too stir crazy being cooped up inside. Enjoy this time with you family, and take advantage of all the free time! 

All my love,

Hermana Rawlins

Pictures: 

1. Us and the other pair of sisters in our district getting in some sunshine outside.

2. Me, Hermana Sanchez, and some elders in our zone having lunch together after we did some family history work (pre-quarantine)

Corona Virus!!!

Hiiiiii,

I hope everyone is doing alright with all this crazy Corona Virus stuff happening. It has been just as crazy here in Idaho! Just at the end of last week, we had our first confirmed case in Boise. Since then, it has spread very rapidly. I haven't heard of any cases directly in Nampa yet, however, so that's good! We do have several missionaries in our mission who have been exposed to the virus, and are on quarantine. The rest of us in the mission have been asked to prepare for a 14-day quarantine- the exact day it will start, we are unsure, but we can expect it to happen soon. Missionary work continues though!

Saturday we were so lucky to be able to go to the Meridian Temple and do a session there as a district! That temple is soooo beautiful- inside and out. It was really refreshing to be able to go and feel of the spirit so strongly. So grateful to have had that opportunity before all the temples close due to the Corona Virus!

We have 2 baptisms coming up and are getting very excited! So far, nothing is changing with those baptisms from the virus, so that is good!! Manny will be baptized this Saturday, and then Aiden next Saturday!! We love them both so much and are so happy for their decision to come unto Christ. 

Some sad news: Tuesday we got a call from our Mission President saying that Hermana Martin was being emergency transferred to Meridian, as we had a sister go home early. So early Thursday morning we dropped Hermana Martin off with her new companion at her new home in Meridian. :( It was really weird getting used to there just being 2 of us again- just me and Hermana Sanchez, but we are figuring it out and continuing to work hard!

I want to share a scripture that has brought me so much peace during these chaotic and uncertain times. It is found in D&C Section 1, Verse 17, "Wherefore, I the Lord, knowing the calamity which should come upon the inhabitants of the earth, called upon my servant Joseph Smith, Jun., and spake unto him from heaven, and gave him commandments," God and our Savior, Jesus Christ, KNOW. They know exactly the trials and tribulations that we will face. They know of the chaos and challenges that will arise with each new generation. For this reason, they have called and ordained a prophet to be on the earth, among the children of men. Just as he did with the prophet Joseph Smith as it states in the scriptures, he today has called President Russell M. Nelson, and he gives him instructions and commandments, solely for the purpose in helping us. Our prophet has been a diligent leader in everything that has happened since the first outbreak of the Corona Virus. He knows what needs to be done to keep us safe, healthy, and responsible. My testimony of him has grown immensely these last few weeks. 

I love you all so much! I can promise you that I am safe, happy, and healthy, and the ward members have done an amazing job at making sure we have all the supplies we'll need for a quarantine. I am praying for everyone!

Hermana Rawlins <3

Pictures:

1. Trio reunited at the temple!!

2. Me & Hermana Sanchez in front of the Meridian Temple

3. Pretty rainbow after the rain yesterday :,) ALSO on my mission, one of my fav songs is Rainbow by Kasey Musgraves. Super cute and happy. Give it a listen

4. Beautiful Meridian Temple

5. We got to take a trip to Boise for Hermana Martin's last day!!! Downtown Boise was giving me super LA vibes (just a lot cleaner hahaha)

6. Dropping off Hermana Martin early Thursday :(( last trio pic

7. My grandparents good friend Dave, who is the team doctor for Weber State, was in town for the Big Sky Tournament! We were able to go down to Boise for a couple basketball games!! (We got permission, don't worry) It was so fun.

MIRACLE SHARE

Holaaaaaa mis amigos <3

I'm so sorry I've been the worst at getting an email out!! And now I have so much to catch up on in this email so I'll try to just do bullet points!

1. My companion, Hermana Martin, ended up NOT getting transferred to Caldwell, so the trio lives on!! Fun fact: so far we are the longest surviving trio in the mission since our mission president, President Nygaard, has been here, so I think that means we're just the best ever ??? hahaha

2. IT'S WARMING UP! Thank goodness we have been having such nice weather! This week it's supposed to be in the high 60's and sunny everyday!! Being here has changed me already- in California I would be wearing a sweater and a jacket if it was in the 60s but now i'm breakin out all my summer clothes

3. MIRACLE SHARE #1: At church last Sunday an older member of the ward waved me over. He introduced me to a man with him and said it was his cousin, Salvador, and that it was his first time coming to church and asked when we could come over and start teaching the lessons. JUST LIKE THAT!! We since then have already met with Salvador 3 times and he is like our little golden child- so eager to learn and progress!

4. MIRACLE SHARE #2: Our first week here, we met this lady Kathy who has custody over her 3 grandchildren, Aiden, Moses, and Bella. First visit she told us she wants her grandkids to be baptized so they can go down the right path. Ever since then, we haven't been able to get ahold of her to set up lessons for the kids. FLASH FORWARD TO LAST SUNDAY, in walk Aiden and Moses to church with their other grandma, Maria, who happens to already be a member! We talked with her and set up a time to come and teach the kids!!!! Finally!!!

5. MIRACLE SHARE #3: The family that we have been trying to teach since we first got here, the Vega family, Manny Vega (nonmember- the one we are teaching) his work schedule is CRAZY so they are constantly having to cancel our lessons BUT we finally had a second lesson with them this past and we taught them about Joseph Smith and the First Vision and the Book of Mormon. THEN, one of the best moments of my mission thus far, I testified that I knew with all my heart that I knew this gospel was true and that if Manny read about it and prayed, he would receive that same answer and witness that it was true. I then asked him, if he came to know these things were true, if he would be baptized and he said YES! (There were tears for sure) We had a follow up lesson and he told us that he knew it was true and that he was on the right path, and he will be baptized March 21st!!!!!! My first time ever asking someone to be baptized and he will be my first baptism!! We are sooo excited and proud of Manny and the rest of his family are so happy for him as well.

6. MIRACLE SHARE #4: Back to the boys Aiden and Moses! We had our first lesson with them yesterday and WE PUT THEM ON DATE TO BE BAPTIZED TOO! Aiden (who is 10) will be baptized March 28th and Moses doesn't turn 8 until March 30th so we will have him baptized the 2nd weekend in April! They are so cute and excited about it all, the whole time they just kept asking, "Why can't I be baptized right now? I just want to be baptized so badly!" SO CUTE! They are so smart and so excited to learn everything. Also when we were there Aiden said the prayer before we left and thanked Heavenly Father for "the church ladies that teach us about Jesus" hahaha! I think instead of "sister missionaries" we should just be called that from now on. 

Continuing on the topic of miracles, one of my favorite scriptures in the Book of Mormon is Mormon 9:19, "And if there were miracles wrought then, why has God ceased to be a God of miracles and yet be an unchangeable Being? And behold, I say unto you he changeth not; if so he would cease to be God; and he ceaseth not to be God, and is a God of miracles." We are taught again and again in the scriptures that our God is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow. If there were many mighty miracles performed when Christ was on the earth- healing of the sick, raising of the dead, feeding the 5000- then it must needs be that there are miracles still performed today. I can PROMISE you that our God IS a God of miracles, and he IS the same God now as he was in those times. There are miracles all around us, everyday. There are no coincidences, only miracles ;) Look for them and recognize them!!

Sorry for the long email!! Happy March! Love yall

Hermana Rawlins

Pictures:

1. Selfie at Jump Creek w the 2 elders that cover the Nampa Spanish ward with us, Elder Weiss and Elder Fields

2. Me & 1/2 of my comps, Hermana Martin, at Jump Creek

3. Trio + Elder Fields at a service activity in Caldwell

4. Waterfall at Jump Creek 

5. All of the Spanish missionaries in the Boise Idaho mission!!! We had a spanish conference last week and it was a GOOD time

6. Friends <3 

7. Typical name tag picture at Jump Creek

8. Trio selfie on our hike! Hermana Sanchez was too scared to come down to the waterfall so she was hiding up in the rocks hahaha poor girl

9. Trio + one of our zone leaders, Elder Willis, at the Caldwell service activity

10. Cute off guard pic of me & my last comp, Hermana Percival, reunited at the spanish conference!