Kia Ora family!
Wonderful to hear from you all again! Sounds like you all had a wonderful week spending time with one another! Must be great to be all together!
As for myself this past week was pretty good! We are starting to find some great success! We had some great things happen this past week!
Tuesday we has an amazing zone conference where elder hamula from the area presidency came and spoke with us. I'll just say that it was really incredible and has affected me so much as a missionary. I feel ever since that day my missionary efforts have been greatly improved. He mainly just spoke about how we really really need to believe in the Lord and trust Him and really believe miracles will occur. There was so much i can't even tell you everything haha. But a huge thing i learned was that I just need to overcome any fears i have and just put my faith in the lord and believe everything will work out.
We are working with some great people right now. We have been teaching this one woman named Jen who is awesome! On thursday we actually set her for baptism on the 2 of june! She accepted! She has really been doing her part in reading and praying, and just really loves the Book of Mormon. She prays before she reads and also after she reads. She tells us that she really feels that its true. On Sunday she came to church with us and it was actually a stake conference, a broadcast from Church headquarters specifically for all the stakes in New Zealan. Elder Bednar spoke and it was fantastic. She really loved it. Its so great because afterwards she had all these people keep coming up to her and talking with her. Turns out she knows heaps of members! She knows more of the members than we do haha! Its great though she is coming along great!
Tia and Likresha are two other investigators we have been working with as well. Tia is one of those investigators who has just been so prepared and we dont really have to do anything haha because she is so ready. She already believes the book of mormon and church is true, the only thing holding her back from being baptized asap is chuch attendench. She only needs to come one more time and she qualifies! She's been coming so far and really loves it, she always says that after church she just feels so uplifted. She is golden! She's actually set for the 2 of june as well! Likresha is her stepdaughter and we've recently started teaching her along with tia. She is a really nice girl. Has no religious background whatsover so we've really had to take things slow with her and help her understand everything. We got her to pray for the first time after one of our lessons and it was so awesome. The spirit was so strong as she said such a humble prayer to heavnly father, it was a marvelous experience. She's looking good for the 2 of june as well!
We even have one more investigator who is awesome as welll! Her name is amy, and she has been coming to church with her boyfriend, who is LA member returning, for the past 2 months! When i found this out, i asked myself why hasnt she been baptized yet? We finally had a chance to catch her and have a lesson with her to find out whats going on. We asked her how she felt about baptism, and she just told us that she doesnt feel ready yet. In my mind i was really really puzzled, asking how is this possible after she's been coming to church for like 2 months now. So we asked more and more questions but we just couldnt get anywhere with her, then the prompting came to my mind to ask her if she believes joseph smith was a prophet. I asked her and she paused and answered well not really, then i asked her about reading the book of mormon, and it turns out she hasnt really read any of it nor prayed about it yet. Boom, concern found! I was so happy when we finally found out the concern, and it was as simple as her not finding out if the bofm is true yet. So we committed her to start reading it and praying about it. I was baffled that the last elders teaching her somehow skipped this or just didnt emphasize it. I am totally confident that she will recieve and answer and feel ready for baptism!
So things are really picking up here in swanson, we have some great people coming out of the wood work and are just chugging along. I love what you were saying mom about how we really are going to have to rely on the spirit. That truly has been the case. I've been praying so much more and really looking for promptings on where the lord wants me to be, and it has led to some great people. I really love how the holy ghost works. whenever we receive a prompting, we never really know 100% if its a promping from the holy ghost. Its only when we act upon the promptings and we see the end result to we realize that it was the holy ghost that prompted us to do a certain something. In the moment of the prompting we never will be 100% sure if its from the holy ghost, but thats where faith comes in and we go along with what we feel inspired to do and find out that it was from God.
On Friday my companion and i were greatly blessed! We were blessed with a car!!! Yes we have a car! I'm still not to this day sure why we were given a car, but believe me i'm just gonna go along with it and not question why but enjoy it while it lasts. I must say it really has helped a whole lot though. We still use our bikes some days though whenver we dont have any appointments, that way we can talk to more people on the street. Its a great blessing though because its actually getting pretty cold here. At night it gets cold, and its wonderful to have a car to keep us warm.
So even though the first week and a half were pretty rough, things are really picking up and looking good. Our next objective is, like you were saying mom, to get the members involved! We are going to be visting them this week and find out where their stance is on missionary work, becaue right now it looks like its not the highest prority in their lives. I'm excited to see what happens!
Yesterday, we had stake conference, and it was really good like i was saying. Elder Bednar had an amazing talk about not only having a testimony of the gospel but being converted. He said something very interesting and powerful, he said with what lies ahead a testimony of the gospel will not be enough for us to rely on. He spoke about how we must be converted if we truly are going to make it. Conversion is really what we need to be aiming for. And conversion does not come all at once, but line upon line, precept upon precept. When we are converted, it is to have a deep devotion to the savior, and really live they way he wants us to live an be the way he wants us to be. We can't be going through the motions, but really need to be living the way a disciple of christ would live.
Well I love you all so much! Thanks for the pics, i loved them! I hope you all have a great week, and i will talk to you in a weeks time!!!!
Love,
Elder Rawlinson
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Friday, May 25, 2012
Friday, May 18, 2012
Henderson Stake/ West Auckland
Kia Ora Family!
Wonderful to hear from you all once again! Mom thank you so much for the story you shared and your experience! It was really spiritually uplifting! I loved hearing it! Glad to hear you are all pumped and excited about going to the temple more! Its wonderful to think that the savior has visited each of his temple and walked through it. It is amazing to think i have walked where he has walked!
Well i did get transferred to a new area here in the auckland new zealand mission. I am now serving in the swanson ward, which is part of henderson stake here in the west part of auckland city. The area i am now serving in is a very nice little place. Its pretty much the suburbs of auckland where i'm at. Its a really nice little area, very beautiful. Much nicer than my last area. What i mean by that is it is cleaner and not as rough looking.
I'm still a District leader here in Henderson, and my new companion is Elder Cerros from Melbourne Australia, but actually of spanish descent. His parents are from El Salvador but actually moved to Australia when he was very young. He's a really nice elder, pretty humble guy. He's been out a little over a year now. We are getting along really well so far. It will be a great chance to serve with him here in Swanson
Oh by the way i forgot to mention we got double shifted in. My first double shift. Its been an interesting experience so far. Just to have to learn the area and pick up where the last missionaries left off. The last missionaries actually left some great notes for us and a really updated area book, so thank heavens for that, they did not leave us empty handed. We've met a decent amount of the investigators and some of them are pretty keen. Our ward mission leader is the man! A young guy with a small little family. He's awesome though, really energetic and excited about the work. The Bishop is also a really nice man as well.
Its been pretty challenging though just because we are still learning the area and still getting to know the members. I really feel that this is a pretty good place though with a lot of potential. Its been hard for one of the investigators to adjust to us though. The first time we went over and met her she just kept going on and on and on about the past elders and how much she misses them. It was really annoying actually but i can see where she's coming from. She's set to be baptized this saturday. She has told us that she still wants to be baptized but is still stuck on the past elders. Hopefully this week we can make her feel good with us and get ready for saturday.
I almost had a heart attack on transfer day though thrusday. I got everything packed and ready, went to the transfer meeting and while sitting there i realized i didnt have my wallet! I figured i just had left it at the my old flat which wasn't very far away and would hurry up and go back and get it after the meeting. So after the meeting i told my leaders and they said ya we'll go grab it. So we go to get it at the flat, and i can't find it!!!! We looked everywhere and i looked through my luggage as well to make sure i didnt pack it, but still couldnt find it! We eventually decided to just go to the area and hope that it would turn up. I must admit i was pretty upset this whole time, and just really frustrated. I said about a million prayers that day. And to be honest each time i prayed i would feel comforted that everything would be okay. I wouldnt trust those feelings though from heavenly father and would just continue to stress, but each time i kept praying the same answer kept coming. Friday, that next day i got a call in the morning during our weekly planning from the assistants that my last companion had found my wallet in our old flat!!! Guess where it was?? Under my bed!!! The one place i didnt look! I was so relieved whenever i got the news and could then just focus back up on the work! I am so happy! I think what i really learned from this experience though is just to trust the answers we receive from Heavenly Father. I just would not accept his continuous answers that everything will be okay, i just kept stressing myself back out. It really has helped me to learn to trust Him, even though we cannot see everything or know how its going to work out, but we just have to trust in the answers he gives us.
I think this new area will be good though like i said. We have nice little flat, really small but its funny because it has heated tiles! isnt that fancy? Its been really great though because it is getting cold over here right now. During the days its fine, but at night it is freezing! The heated tiles are helping to keep the flat warm! I'm going to have to buy some jumpers and some gloves because it is getting cold and i'm still on bike!
I can't believe that i get to talk to you all this weekend!!! It honestly doesnt feel like all that long ago i called you at christmas!!! I was thinking that yes if it would be best for you that i would call you all probably Sunday night here the 13th at maybe nine o clock my time?? If that doesnt work i can call you for a tiny bit then and then set something up for the next day which would be mothers day for you. So for sure I will call you on the 13th NZ day, at 9:00 my time.
To be honest i'm pretty just nervous/anxious about the double shift. But i'm not like overwhelmed or anything but, I just want to be able to save souls over here. I have faith though that all will work out. The ward is pretty nice and people seem pretty nice so far, so all should work out. I love you all so much and look forward to talking with you this weekend! Until then, have a lovely week!!!
Love,
Elder Rawlinson
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Wonderful to hear from you all once again! Mom thank you so much for the story you shared and your experience! It was really spiritually uplifting! I loved hearing it! Glad to hear you are all pumped and excited about going to the temple more! Its wonderful to think that the savior has visited each of his temple and walked through it. It is amazing to think i have walked where he has walked!
Well i did get transferred to a new area here in the auckland new zealand mission. I am now serving in the swanson ward, which is part of henderson stake here in the west part of auckland city. The area i am now serving in is a very nice little place. Its pretty much the suburbs of auckland where i'm at. Its a really nice little area, very beautiful. Much nicer than my last area. What i mean by that is it is cleaner and not as rough looking.
I'm still a District leader here in Henderson, and my new companion is Elder Cerros from Melbourne Australia, but actually of spanish descent. His parents are from El Salvador but actually moved to Australia when he was very young. He's a really nice elder, pretty humble guy. He's been out a little over a year now. We are getting along really well so far. It will be a great chance to serve with him here in Swanson
Oh by the way i forgot to mention we got double shifted in. My first double shift. Its been an interesting experience so far. Just to have to learn the area and pick up where the last missionaries left off. The last missionaries actually left some great notes for us and a really updated area book, so thank heavens for that, they did not leave us empty handed. We've met a decent amount of the investigators and some of them are pretty keen. Our ward mission leader is the man! A young guy with a small little family. He's awesome though, really energetic and excited about the work. The Bishop is also a really nice man as well.
Its been pretty challenging though just because we are still learning the area and still getting to know the members. I really feel that this is a pretty good place though with a lot of potential. Its been hard for one of the investigators to adjust to us though. The first time we went over and met her she just kept going on and on and on about the past elders and how much she misses them. It was really annoying actually but i can see where she's coming from. She's set to be baptized this saturday. She has told us that she still wants to be baptized but is still stuck on the past elders. Hopefully this week we can make her feel good with us and get ready for saturday.
I almost had a heart attack on transfer day though thrusday. I got everything packed and ready, went to the transfer meeting and while sitting there i realized i didnt have my wallet! I figured i just had left it at the my old flat which wasn't very far away and would hurry up and go back and get it after the meeting. So after the meeting i told my leaders and they said ya we'll go grab it. So we go to get it at the flat, and i can't find it!!!! We looked everywhere and i looked through my luggage as well to make sure i didnt pack it, but still couldnt find it! We eventually decided to just go to the area and hope that it would turn up. I must admit i was pretty upset this whole time, and just really frustrated. I said about a million prayers that day. And to be honest each time i prayed i would feel comforted that everything would be okay. I wouldnt trust those feelings though from heavenly father and would just continue to stress, but each time i kept praying the same answer kept coming. Friday, that next day i got a call in the morning during our weekly planning from the assistants that my last companion had found my wallet in our old flat!!! Guess where it was?? Under my bed!!! The one place i didnt look! I was so relieved whenever i got the news and could then just focus back up on the work! I am so happy! I think what i really learned from this experience though is just to trust the answers we receive from Heavenly Father. I just would not accept his continuous answers that everything will be okay, i just kept stressing myself back out. It really has helped me to learn to trust Him, even though we cannot see everything or know how its going to work out, but we just have to trust in the answers he gives us.
I think this new area will be good though like i said. We have nice little flat, really small but its funny because it has heated tiles! isnt that fancy? Its been really great though because it is getting cold over here right now. During the days its fine, but at night it is freezing! The heated tiles are helping to keep the flat warm! I'm going to have to buy some jumpers and some gloves because it is getting cold and i'm still on bike!
I can't believe that i get to talk to you all this weekend!!! It honestly doesnt feel like all that long ago i called you at christmas!!! I was thinking that yes if it would be best for you that i would call you all probably Sunday night here the 13th at maybe nine o clock my time?? If that doesnt work i can call you for a tiny bit then and then set something up for the next day which would be mothers day for you. So for sure I will call you on the 13th NZ day, at 9:00 my time.
To be honest i'm pretty just nervous/anxious about the double shift. But i'm not like overwhelmed or anything but, I just want to be able to save souls over here. I have faith though that all will work out. The ward is pretty nice and people seem pretty nice so far, so all should work out. I love you all so much and look forward to talking with you this weekend! Until then, have a lovely week!!!
Love,
Elder Rawlinson
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Wednesday, May 2, 2012
A Success
Kia Ora Family!!
Well what a fantastic, hectic week its been! Quite eventful! As you guessed it and hoped for the wedding and baptism happened!!! It was a great experience!
Everything didn't go as exactly as planned but it all worked out for the best and the family was married and baptized! We had the service saturday at two. It was so amazing to just sit back and watch them both be married. I could feel the spirit so strongly that they were such a prepared family, and Elder Dorosan and i was meant to meet and teach them, just like you mentioned dad.
It was a pretty crazy week just putting the wedding together, and not only that but making sure they were prepared for baptism! I must admit the lord did all the work, we were just His instruments.
A lot of their family was able to show up for the event, heaps of nonmembers. I know they felt the spirit, and will hopefully desire to learn more for themselves. Some of them looked like pretty rough people that need a little light in their lives.
Our Bishop is the man! He was so supportive of the whole thing. Working right beside us through the whole process. I'm so thankful that we have a great bishop to work with that is pumped up about the missionary work.
The following sunday was really great. All the confirmations were very powerful, and the ward was so welcoming to the family and has been since the start! I am always so nervous about our recent converts and the transition from us to the ward. I just want the ward to take good care of them and nutrure them in the gospel. Their are so many new things that converts have to adjust to, so many big changes they are making! They need all the support they can get.
I'm just so happy! The happiness i cannot contain! This family is so special! I just amazes me how prepared they were, and how we found them at just the exact right time. Experiences like this just build my faith so strongly! I just know that this is all true and is the lords work!
I've looked back on the past 7 months, which doesnt feel like 7 months by the way, and am just so thankful for the many experiances i am having. I'm not our here only converting others to the gospel, but also converting myself. Its been a great opportunity to recognize my many weaknesses as a person, but be able to come to the lord and ask for help and strength to overcome them.
One huge lesson i have been learning this whole last 2 transfers is patience. I have discovered that this is something that before i did not really have at all. Many times my patience has been tested the last few weeks. Just with training a new missionary, stepping into leadership and also with investigators. Its really been a good experience for me to just take a breath, relax and have some patience in times of difficulty. For instance this last week we were teaching this one woman, and it was going well at first, but it just go to the point where i was getting so frustrated with her because she just wouldnt accept joseph smith. With some help from my leaders, i was able to really learn patience, and just to relax and put myself in the persons shoes and see where they are coming from instead of getting frustrated. I know the lord is helping me so much to develop and mature for my life, and i'm so thankful for that.
President called elder dorosan the other night and informed him that he would be training this upcoming transfer, which starts this thursday! I'm so happy for Elder Dorosan, it will be a great experience for him. He will also be staying in the area and become the next district leader! He's pretty nervous, but i know he'll be fine. Whom god calls, god qualifies.
So this means that i will be transferred somewhere else. I havent found out yet as to where i will be serving next. Its just really weird to think about, to think that i will be leaving otahuhu. I've been here for 6 months! Its been my home haha! Its going to be so weird, it just feels like i will be here for the rest of my mission haha. I'm kind of looking forward to serving in a new area though, just to change things up a bit. It really doesnt feel like i've been here for that long. Time just flies by!
I finally did get the package you sent me! Thanks for the socks and deoderants, and candies, oh and for all the letters from the ym/yw! They were great! The clothes are great also! Elder Dorosan says thank you for the shirt! The weather is really weird in this country right now. Every morning we wake up its pretty cold. But by mid-day/afternoon time, its flipping warm outside! Its like all four seasons in one day!
I hope you love the pics i sent of the wedding and baptism. I like the pic of me and the other missionaries, containing all sorts of nationalities, a philipino, american, canadian, and tongan! What a variety haha. The other two elders are our zone leaders, they are great missionaries!
Well i love you all so much and enjoy all the wonderful updates on your lives! Talk to you in a weeks time!
Love,
Elder Rawlinson
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Well what a fantastic, hectic week its been! Quite eventful! As you guessed it and hoped for the wedding and baptism happened!!! It was a great experience!
Everything didn't go as exactly as planned but it all worked out for the best and the family was married and baptized! We had the service saturday at two. It was so amazing to just sit back and watch them both be married. I could feel the spirit so strongly that they were such a prepared family, and Elder Dorosan and i was meant to meet and teach them, just like you mentioned dad.
It was a pretty crazy week just putting the wedding together, and not only that but making sure they were prepared for baptism! I must admit the lord did all the work, we were just His instruments.
A lot of their family was able to show up for the event, heaps of nonmembers. I know they felt the spirit, and will hopefully desire to learn more for themselves. Some of them looked like pretty rough people that need a little light in their lives.
Our Bishop is the man! He was so supportive of the whole thing. Working right beside us through the whole process. I'm so thankful that we have a great bishop to work with that is pumped up about the missionary work.
The following sunday was really great. All the confirmations were very powerful, and the ward was so welcoming to the family and has been since the start! I am always so nervous about our recent converts and the transition from us to the ward. I just want the ward to take good care of them and nutrure them in the gospel. Their are so many new things that converts have to adjust to, so many big changes they are making! They need all the support they can get.
I'm just so happy! The happiness i cannot contain! This family is so special! I just amazes me how prepared they were, and how we found them at just the exact right time. Experiences like this just build my faith so strongly! I just know that this is all true and is the lords work!
I've looked back on the past 7 months, which doesnt feel like 7 months by the way, and am just so thankful for the many experiances i am having. I'm not our here only converting others to the gospel, but also converting myself. Its been a great opportunity to recognize my many weaknesses as a person, but be able to come to the lord and ask for help and strength to overcome them.
One huge lesson i have been learning this whole last 2 transfers is patience. I have discovered that this is something that before i did not really have at all. Many times my patience has been tested the last few weeks. Just with training a new missionary, stepping into leadership and also with investigators. Its really been a good experience for me to just take a breath, relax and have some patience in times of difficulty. For instance this last week we were teaching this one woman, and it was going well at first, but it just go to the point where i was getting so frustrated with her because she just wouldnt accept joseph smith. With some help from my leaders, i was able to really learn patience, and just to relax and put myself in the persons shoes and see where they are coming from instead of getting frustrated. I know the lord is helping me so much to develop and mature for my life, and i'm so thankful for that.
President called elder dorosan the other night and informed him that he would be training this upcoming transfer, which starts this thursday! I'm so happy for Elder Dorosan, it will be a great experience for him. He will also be staying in the area and become the next district leader! He's pretty nervous, but i know he'll be fine. Whom god calls, god qualifies.
So this means that i will be transferred somewhere else. I havent found out yet as to where i will be serving next. Its just really weird to think about, to think that i will be leaving otahuhu. I've been here for 6 months! Its been my home haha! Its going to be so weird, it just feels like i will be here for the rest of my mission haha. I'm kind of looking forward to serving in a new area though, just to change things up a bit. It really doesnt feel like i've been here for that long. Time just flies by!
I finally did get the package you sent me! Thanks for the socks and deoderants, and candies, oh and for all the letters from the ym/yw! They were great! The clothes are great also! Elder Dorosan says thank you for the shirt! The weather is really weird in this country right now. Every morning we wake up its pretty cold. But by mid-day/afternoon time, its flipping warm outside! Its like all four seasons in one day!
I hope you love the pics i sent of the wedding and baptism. I like the pic of me and the other missionaries, containing all sorts of nationalities, a philipino, american, canadian, and tongan! What a variety haha. The other two elders are our zone leaders, they are great missionaries!
Well i love you all so much and enjoy all the wonderful updates on your lives! Talk to you in a weeks time!
Love,
Elder Rawlinson
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
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