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