Welcome Hermana Smith :))

This has been a good week!! As I mentioned in my last email, we had another transfer this past Thursday and my companion, Sister Bateman, was moved to Caldwell. Sooooo, I got a new companion: Hermana Smith!! She is from Southern California and was actually reassigned here from the Chile Concepcion mission! So she speaks Spanish!! We are still technically serving only English here in Kuna, but at least we get to practice and speak together in Spanish!! She served in Chile for 7 months, was home for 3, and then arrived to Idaho just this past week! So even though she has been out for 10 months, I am considered to be her trainer here in the Idaho Boise Mission :) She is so kind and we are so similar, it has been so much fun!

We have been teaching this 9 year old boy, Teghan. His family are all members of the church, but haven't been active for a very long time, and so Teghan was never baptized. We've had 2 lessons via video chat with him since I've been here in Kuna, but this past weekend me and Hermana Smith met with him and his family for the first time in person!! He is such a smart kid, and LOVES our lessons! It makes us so happy!!! We also were able to commit him to a BAPTISMAL DATE for JULY 25!! This will be my 2nd baptism, and we could not be more excited for Teghan!

We recently got the OK to start doing service again outdoors, and ohhh man have we taken advantage of that. I have never done more weeding in my whole life than I have done in this past week, haha! With all the farming and gardening up here in Idaho, there are plenty of people who gladly take the missionaries offer to help do yardwork. But it has been so much fun and so good to get outside! I'm starting to get a nice farmer's tan going hahaha! But I will take whatever I can get because I was almost transparent..

I read a talk this week by one of our Apostles, and in it they quoted a teaching by our Prophet, President Nelson. It says, "Jesus Christ came to pay a debt He didn’t owe because we owed a debt we couldn’t pay." This is why I chose to serve a mission, and why I continue to choose to serve each day. I am forever grateful for that sacrifice made for me by my Savior, Jesus Christ. That sacrifice being the Atonement, when he bled and died for our sins, mistakes, sorrows, and pains. He didn't have to do it, He himself didn't need it. But I needed it, and you needed it. We all did. We needed a way to overcome and repent of our mistakes. But we couldn't make the way ourselves, so He did it for us. That is the greatest gift ever given to us. There are some people in the world, here in Idaho, who don't recognize just how important and miraculous that gift is. They don't know that it is for them. They don't know how to use it. That's why I serve. So I can show them that, because they have a merciful, kind, selfless Savior and Redeemer, they can be saved and made clean. The least I can do is point others toward the gift that was freely given to them so long ago. 

I love and miss you all!!

Hermana Rawlins

Side note: we have been given a new rule by my Mission President that we can no longer communicate with friends back home through online messaging, including Facebook Messenger and Google Hangouts. I will only be able to communicate through email and handwritten letters from this point on (for those who had been in contact with me over Facebook Messenger) So sorry about that!

Address: 

1742 N Madderlake Ave

Apt 3

Kuna, ID 83634

Pictures:

1. Our district on a hike in Melba :))

2. Me and cute Hermana Smith

3. BEAUTIFUL SUNSET IN KUNA

4. Me and Sister Bateman on our last morning as companions in front of our apartment :,)

5. Me, Sister Smith, and these members from Canada that had us over for dinner and we had Canadian exclusive sodas! It was a very exciting time

6. Me and Sister Cruze when we ran outside to look at the pretty sunset

7. Our district last week before transfers doing yardwork for a sweet lady in Melba

8. Our hike at Celebration Park in Melba

9. ME AND HERMANA SMITH WHEN I PICKED HER UP IN THE MORNING

Another Transfer...

Hola :)

RICHARD WAS BAPTIZED ON SATURDAY! It was such an amazing experience. He was so excited and so ready. It was a very small service since the 25 person limit on attendance, but he had such good support from the members and his friends. The spirit was felt so strong, I was almost in tears the whole time. :,) He asked me to give the talk on the Holy Ghost and I was honored! The whole thing just went so nicely and it was a good day for everyone! He came to church for the FIRST TIME IN PERSON yesterday as well and the members just immediately welcomed him with open arms!! Miracles all around!

Speaking of which, YES we got to go back to church for the FIRST TIME! It was so good to be back and actually see and meet the members! It was weird though with everyone all spaced out and socially distanced- also like only 15 people showed up hahaha! But still a good day!

As for the subject of the email, we have another transfer coming up this Thursday and things are changing yet again! My companion, Sister Bateman, is being transferred to Caldwell, but I will be staying here in Kuna with a new companion! My last 2 companions I've only had for 3 weeks!! President is giving me whiplash with all these back-to-back changes, oh my goodness. BUT I will actually be training my new companion! So they are brand new out of the at-home MTC. It will be a good time.

There was a quote said in church yesterday and unfortunately I cannot remember who the quote was by, but it said, "He doesn't expect us to be perfect. Perfect people don't need a Savior. He is the Lord of the living, and the living make mistakes." I have been a perfectionist for pretty much forever. I remember in 3rd grade, I had this post-it note in my desk and everytime I would get an answer wrong in class or make a spelling mistake or whatever, I would put a tally on the post-it, and I would, personally, deduct 5 minutes of my tv time after school. 3rd grade me was no joke haha! But I remember just getting so frustrated and feeling awful because there was not one day that I didn't get a tally mark. No matter how hard I tried to be the perfect student, daughter, sister, friend, missionary, it has never worked out that way. That doesn't mean I give up trying, and we never should! But we need to realize that perfection just isn't an option right now. The Savior wants us to need him, and we need him the most when we act imperfectly.

All my love!!

Hermana Rawlins

Address:

1742 N Madderlake Ave

Apt 3

Kuna, ID 83634

Pictures: 

1. Us at Richard's baptism with our Ward Mission Leader and his wife!

2. Me and Sister Watanabe (one of the sisters we live with)

3. Me and Sister Cruze (the other sister we live with) hiking the Kuna Beaut! Ft. Sister Bateman in the back

4. Apartment 3 sisters at Zone Conference!

5. Me and Sister Bateman

6. I am grateful for a companion who captures pictures of all the good, little moments throughout the day :')

7. Apartment 3 sisters on our roadtrip adventure through Kuna and Melba last week

8. On top of the Kuna Beaut!

9. RICHARDS BAPTISM

10. Me and Sister Watanabe againnn in Melba

11. Me and Wonton round 3

12. Me and Sister Bateman sitting outside on a curb bc our ride forgot to come pick us up HAHA

13. Pretty, pretty Kuna

14. Apartment 3 sisters and 2 elders, Elder Larsen and Barron, from our districts

8 Months Down, 10 To Go!!

Hiiiiii

I honestly don't have much to say today, and I don't have much time. We have been busy trying to get to know the members and set up lessons with the people that the sisters here were previously teaching! It has been good! Richard's baptism is happening this Saturday! He is SO excited and we could not be more excited for him! He has such a strong testimony of the church and will be such a light in the lives of those around him. 

I am so sorry I don't have more time to write, but I will send lots of pictures! Hopefully that makes up for it. :)) 

I love and miss you all!! 

Address: 

1742 N Maddlerake Ave

Apt 3

Kuna, ID 83634

Pictures: 

1. Me and Sister Bateman with the 2 sisters we live with, Sisters Cruze and Watanabe, in front of a cute Kuna sign

2. Little view of Kuna

3. More Kuna 

4. Me and Sister Bateman on my FIRST biking trip! Turns out if you haven't ridden a bike in like 12 years, you kind of forget how to do it and have to RELEARN

5. Mooooooore Kuuuuunaaaaa

6. Me and Sister Bateman on a bridge in Melba

Welcome To Kuna!

Holaaaaaa

I made it through my first week here in Kuna! I hadn't been transferred in so long I forgot how weird it is right at first and how it definitely takes some time to adjust, but I am getting there! My companion is really sweet and has helped make things easy getting moved in and comfortable in the area!

First off, let me start by saying that the house I live in now is an *upgrade* from my basement in Nampa. We live in our own apartment and it is BIG. We also get to live with 2 other sisters, which makes things SO fun!! Always lots of people to talk to. Kuna is a whole lot of farming, but there is a good little mix of suburbs and city-life. The people seem really nice as well. Also, we are a biking/walking area, so no more car for me! :,( Just in time for the summer heat that's coming in. Hahaha. It will be an adventure!

We have already been able to have some lessons this week. Our first one was with Richard, a man that Sister Bateman and her last companion had been teaching and he actually is preparing to be baptized on the 20th of this month!!! I am SO happy to be able to help teach the last couple lessons to him and attend his baptism! He really is awesome, he knows so much already about the gospel. His testimony is so solid and he is so excited to be baptized. I am excited for him. 

Our other lesson was with Justin, Sister Bateman's friend from home. He has been reading through the Book of Mormon and he loves it!! The questions he comes back with from his reading for us are so thoughtful. He really is interested in learning and knowing for himself the truth. He always takes notes on the answers we give him and the things we tell him, hahaha. I feel like a real life teacher!

Other than that, we are just trying to contact lots of people that the sisters here had kind of fallen out of contact with since the quarantine happened. We are finally able to have dinner in member's homes with them AND have in person lessons!!! Still no tracting or just knocking on people's doors unannounced (no complaints here hahaha!) We cover 3 wards here: Indian Creek, Swan Falls, and Avalon. The members are so kind and really help us out with driving us to different places we need to be since we don't have a car. I have yet to use my bike, so we'll see how long that keeps up! 

A line from the scriptures that really stood out to me this week comes from Alma 37:47, "see that ye look to God and live." If we look to God in all things, if we always have the thought of Him in our minds and our hearts, the life which we live will begin to be better. It will be more focused on God and keeping His commandments and living the way in which He would like us to. We will actively look for ways to please Him, and be better disciples of Jesus Christ. So, if we look to God and just simply "live," it will be a more righteous and joyful way of living. 

Miss you all! I'm sorry I don't always have time to respond to all your emails, but I can't tell you enough how much they mean to me and how much I love reading them. Sending lots of love from KUNA!!

Hermana Rawlins

New Address:

1742 N Madderlake Ave

Apt. 3

Kuna, ID 83634

Pictures: 

1. Me and Sister Kucharyski on our last run to Nampa's best ice cream place, Stella's

2. For our last language study we decided to have a "movie night" and watch the Book of Mormon videos in spanish and eat popcorn

3. Me and my new companion Sister Bateman in this CHEESY pic we took for our Kuna facebook page. In case you wanted to know, the Holy Ghost feels like a warm, fuzzy blanket. Go check out the post for more info ;))

4. Me and Sister Kucharyski on my last day in Nampa and our last day as companions

5. NAMPA my home :,) has a little piece of my heart for sure

6. Sometimes I miss our little Nampa basement (not really though)

7. Stella's with our friends <33

8. Me and Sister Bateman on our first day as new comps!

9. My old comp Hermana Martin came to say goodbye to me before I left for Kuna!! I'm gonna miss serving around her <3

Goodbye Nampa :,)

Hiiiiii everyone!! 

This week has been full of ups and downs. As you might've guessed from the subject line, after 6 short months, I am being transferred out of Nampa. I am so sad to be leaving- this place has really become my home! It's all so familiar. I am excited for a change though and to be moving on to my third area of my mission...Kuna! I will be with a new companion there, Sister Bateman. Also, I was devastated to find out that, with all the new incoming reassigned missionaries, and our mission doubling in size, I will not be serving spanish for the time being. There are definitely perks to serving only English, but I will miss spanish so much, and hope I can return to it very soon.

We have been able to teach some awesome lessons these past 2 weeks!! We got a referral from a couple in our Spanish ward, Mario. He is so humble and ready to hear the Gospel. He is always so engaged in our lessons and so open and honest with us about his questions and struggles. He is going through a lot of hard things in life right now, and it has been amazing watching how he turns to Christ for strength, and is able to keep moving forward. I am going to miss teaching him!! 

2 weeks ago, Manny Vega (remember him? I've taught him since my first day here in Nampa!) decided that, despite gathering restrictions, he wanted to go ahead and reschedule his baptism!! I was SO excited, and we had scheduled it for May 30th. However, we aren't sure what happened, but ever since then, we have not heard anything from or been able to get ahold of Manny and his family. Needless to say, the baptism didn't go through. I am so sad to be leaving Nampa with Manny in this state, but I pray that he will come back around and I will be able to make a quick visit back here to see him finally be baptized! He really is one of the best. 

I think one of the hardest parts about being a missionary and missionary life is how temporary everything is. You can never get too comfortable because change is always around the corner- a change in companions, a change in where you live, a change in the people around you, etc. But no matter how mixed up things get, no matter how hard change is, Christ is always constant. He doesn't change or go away when everything else does. He is always there- a constant light shining through the darkness. I've learned on my mission more than ever how important that is, to have someone you can ALWAYS count on, you can ALWAYS turn to. He will lift us up. Through Christ, we truly can do hard things. 

I love you all, I hope you all continue to pray for the strength and wellbeing of the world. 

Hermana Rawlins 

(even though I may not be spanish right now, my name tag will always say "Hermana" ;))

Pictures: 

1. We got to teach a bible study lesson over Zoom to some of Hermana Kucharyski's best friends from home!

2. 10/10 recommend the smoothies from Panera. Actually 10/10 recommend anything at Panera that place has never let me down.

3. Tried this new Acai place down the street from our house! Also, turns out that sister missionaries eat FREE there. I love serving in Idaho

4. Last district photo with my last district in Nampa... :(( Gonna miss these people

5. We were having a bad day so we did a mandatory frozen yogurt run. Also as I'm putting all these photos in I'm realizing how much we go out and get food ooooops

6. A day in the life of a Missionary... If you're wondering what my life looks like everyday here it is. Me, wrapped in a blanket, sitting at my desk, listening to a devotional, eating cheesecake.