Monday, March 19, 2012
Hello Again
Kia Ora Family!!
Wonderful to hear from you all once again. All your emails were great! Sounds like life busy busy busy for you all lol!! Glad to hear you are all feasting upon the words of Christ by reading the book of mormon! What a wonderful book, it truly is the keystone to our religion. Right now as a mission we are actually having a 90 day feast on the book of mormon. Its been great so far to start reading it. I learn something new everytime i read from it.
I was able to get my packages from all of you this past week. I got one from both you mom and dad and also you brandon!!!! Thank you so much!! All the little stuff in them are awesome haha. I really loved the pic you sent brandon and kathleen of portia and morgot! Man they are so cute! What an awesome picture of them both, I have it by my desk and look at it everyday and it always makes me smile haha! Haven't gotten my garments yet, but i'm sure they will come soon.
This past week was pretty good like always haha. Of course every week has its ups and downs but life as a missionary thus far is going well! We had a baptism this weekend! Teighman, the son of the eve, was baptized!!! It was a really great service! One of our members bore a powerful testimony at the end, it was really awesome. Sadly, eve wasnt able to be baptized because of an ear problem that arose up on thursday. She isnt allowed to get her ears wet at all. Hopefully though she will be ready and able to be baptized this weekend. It was upsetting that she couldnt join her son, but it was ok, and the service was great! Teighman is an awesome kid, really sharp. He'll be a great missionary someday haha!
Besides that miracle, we had a city-wide conference on thrusday morning. The General Young Men's president and General Sunday School president came and spoke to us. Their talks were awesome as usual haha. It was really great though. I'm glad that we are able to hear from such great speakers so often. It always is so inspiring and uplifting and always gives motivation. One of the powerful things the ym's president talked about was making our mission precious. Precious so that 40 years from now, we can look back and hold it very dear to us and see how much of an effect it had on all of our lives.
We've been meeting with one of the most interesting people i've ever met this past week haha. His name is Troy and he is a maouri. He is an interesting fella haha. He's a nice man but is really bold and asks heaps of questions haha. He really gets into us and tires to see if we are really sincere about what we are doing. Its actually been really great meeting with him. He really loves the bible and likes to see what our beliefs are and stuff. The maouri people are really proud people, meaning they are proud of their heritage and so far, it will be fun to be put in an area someday where there are heaps of maouri people, around where i am now there are not so many.
District leader wise, i'm just busy busy busy as usual haha. There is a lot of pressure, but its ok, its been a really good growing experience. A chance for me to learn to be bold and direct with others.
The members in our ward are awesome!! They are really starting to help us in the missionary work. I'm glad to hear the missionaries where you are are doing great and that the ward is an active part in the missionary work.
Right now, are teaching pool is running low, and we dont have anyone set for baptism, besides eve. So its going to be a busy week in finding and helping the people we do have to progress now towards baptism and hopefully set them for a date. All we can do is work work work, and see what happens from there haha.
I am grateful to be on a mission though. Its been such growing experience. I've really been able to come to know the gospel, and so much more than i ever have known. My relationship with Heavenly Father has grown so much, and I really understand so much more the role of Jesus Christ and his Atonement.
Well i love you all so much!! Thank you for the wonderful emails you send each week! And since your sending another package something i could use would be a new watch and a scripture case(black color) with a zipper. The one i have is a clip kinda thing and i would rather have one that just zips up, and some black church socks. Anyway i think thats all i need, i guess anything you want to throw in that you think i need.
Have a great week! And i'll talk to you all soon!!
Aroha,
Elder Rawlinson
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
March already, Fall is here! Winter is coming to NZ
Portia and Margot sound so dang cute! I look forward to seeing them when I come back, but love hearing all the little stories about them every week!
Brittany its great to hear that you are coming closer and closer to getting your papers in! Sounds like life is really hecktic, but if you can find the time, make sure you study preach my gospel lol!
So winter is over eh? Sounds like it was actually a nice winter, and not brutal lol! Its really weird to hear winter is ending for you because here its really strarting to cool down and winter is on the way. Everyday now its about 60 degrees i would say, and gets pretty cool at nights. I imagine the winters here will actually be cold, I better start preping for it haha because i dont have a coat or anything lol.
It was great to hear that Blake got his mission call to Taiwan!!!!! How exciting is that! I'm so glad he got called to a chinese speaking mission, I remember he really wanted that bad. He will love it i'm sure! Give me his address, i would love to write him a letter sometime.
Dad I can't believe you got an ipad 2 lol! Thats really awesome! Haha, those things are amazing i'm sure, our mission preisdent has one and always uses it at conferences and stuff to show us little video clips. I bet it will be really useful for your job.
Mom i loved the quotes! They are awesome, i'm going to print them off and take them to our flat! Keep em coming lol!
As for my side of the world, this past week was awesome! We had a miracle happen yet again!!!!! Our members are really starting to be awesome now and help us out! I say that because we've been teaching this lady, and she has come to church, and she was given to us by a member, and the member is always there at the lessons and there to support her. Anyway, we were able to set this woman and her son for baprtism this weekend!!!! How awesome is that! She was truly a miracle, so prepared by the lord! She says she really loves coming to church and really loves releif society. She is a really great lady. So nice, and kind. Her son also really loves young mens and wants to be baptized. We taught her last wednesday, had an amazing lesson with her on the Restoration, and set her for baptism at the end! Everytime we meet her, she is just so excited about being baptized.
It was really cool during one of the lessons we had with her. She asked me and my companion how we came to know this chruch was true. When she asked this, i realized that i'd never really thought of this before. I had never truly thought about how i came to know this was all true. And so my companion answered her question with a little story of his own while i sat there and really pondered about my own conversion. While i was pondering, a little scripture came to my head, and that scripture was the very first verse of the book of mormon where Nephi says "I nephi having been born of goodly parents". It was then i knew how i was converted. It was because i, like Nephi, was raised by goodly parents. I then told her how i was raised in the gospel, shared that scripture and said that i was fortunate enough to have parents teach me since i can remember to go to chruch, pray and read the scriptures. I realize that i've always known these things are true because i've been taught it since birth and i've always just had the holy ghost, since i was eight, to let me know its true and i've never questioned it. I've just always known this is true. I am just so thankful for you mom and dad to have raised me in righteousness since i was born, like nephi was. I really love nephi. I have started to read the book of mormon from the begining and have never really realized what an amazing man he was. So humble and willing to submit to the lord, all because Lehi and Sariah raised him well. Dont cry to much from reading this lol, but a big part of who i am today is because of you mom and dad! Thanks for being awesome parents!
Well i'm really excited for this week because we have some great things coming up. I am really excited because now that we got that little boy Denzel baptized, we are going to focus on his parents. We went over and met them last thursday and showed love for them and apprecition for them letting us meet Denzel and teach him, then we let them know we wanted to start focusing on them and teaching them. Whenver we said this, the mother, Sia, had a huge smile come across her face! It showed us that she is ready now! I and my companion are really looking foward to teaching them this week! I believe they could be bapzited by the end of this month!!! I really can just see that family in the temple someday being sealed. I can just really see it in my mind, and now i realize that the lord is trusting me and elder dorosan to teach them the gospel and help make that happen.
Oh something pretty funny happened this past week you won't believe. So since becoming a trainer and distict leader i am more busy than ever before, and i am constantly thinking about what needs to happen next. It came to where friday night we were so busy with appointments and running around seeing people, that i forgot to eat dinner!!!! Can you believe i actually forgot food! Thats how busy i was! So busy, i forgot i was hungry and we didnt even eat dinner until we got home that night! Hahaha, i looked back on this experiance and thought it was funny and thought i would share it with you Oh and dont think the members dont feed us, we are only allowed to eat 4 times a week with members, so friday night was one of those nights we were on our own. But we were so busy, we forgot to eat lol!!!!
Well i love you all so much!!!! I am excited to hear where you end up going brittany!!!! It could be anywhere!!! Just realize that wherever you go, is where you are meant to go because of the people. Its all about Gods children, and nothing about location. The lord sends you to that mission because there are certain people there you need to touch and help recieve the gospel!!! So just remember that!
Once again, love you all! Have a great week!!
Ofa Atu,
Elder Rawlinson
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Brittany its great to hear that you are coming closer and closer to getting your papers in! Sounds like life is really hecktic, but if you can find the time, make sure you study preach my gospel lol!
So winter is over eh? Sounds like it was actually a nice winter, and not brutal lol! Its really weird to hear winter is ending for you because here its really strarting to cool down and winter is on the way. Everyday now its about 60 degrees i would say, and gets pretty cool at nights. I imagine the winters here will actually be cold, I better start preping for it haha because i dont have a coat or anything lol.
It was great to hear that Blake got his mission call to Taiwan!!!!! How exciting is that! I'm so glad he got called to a chinese speaking mission, I remember he really wanted that bad. He will love it i'm sure! Give me his address, i would love to write him a letter sometime.
Dad I can't believe you got an ipad 2 lol! Thats really awesome! Haha, those things are amazing i'm sure, our mission preisdent has one and always uses it at conferences and stuff to show us little video clips. I bet it will be really useful for your job.
Mom i loved the quotes! They are awesome, i'm going to print them off and take them to our flat! Keep em coming lol!
As for my side of the world, this past week was awesome! We had a miracle happen yet again!!!!! Our members are really starting to be awesome now and help us out! I say that because we've been teaching this lady, and she has come to church, and she was given to us by a member, and the member is always there at the lessons and there to support her. Anyway, we were able to set this woman and her son for baprtism this weekend!!!! How awesome is that! She was truly a miracle, so prepared by the lord! She says she really loves coming to church and really loves releif society. She is a really great lady. So nice, and kind. Her son also really loves young mens and wants to be baptized. We taught her last wednesday, had an amazing lesson with her on the Restoration, and set her for baptism at the end! Everytime we meet her, she is just so excited about being baptized.
It was really cool during one of the lessons we had with her. She asked me and my companion how we came to know this chruch was true. When she asked this, i realized that i'd never really thought of this before. I had never truly thought about how i came to know this was all true. And so my companion answered her question with a little story of his own while i sat there and really pondered about my own conversion. While i was pondering, a little scripture came to my head, and that scripture was the very first verse of the book of mormon where Nephi says "I nephi having been born of goodly parents". It was then i knew how i was converted. It was because i, like Nephi, was raised by goodly parents. I then told her how i was raised in the gospel, shared that scripture and said that i was fortunate enough to have parents teach me since i can remember to go to chruch, pray and read the scriptures. I realize that i've always known these things are true because i've been taught it since birth and i've always just had the holy ghost, since i was eight, to let me know its true and i've never questioned it. I've just always known this is true. I am just so thankful for you mom and dad to have raised me in righteousness since i was born, like nephi was. I really love nephi. I have started to read the book of mormon from the begining and have never really realized what an amazing man he was. So humble and willing to submit to the lord, all because Lehi and Sariah raised him well. Dont cry to much from reading this lol, but a big part of who i am today is because of you mom and dad! Thanks for being awesome parents!
Well i'm really excited for this week because we have some great things coming up. I am really excited because now that we got that little boy Denzel baptized, we are going to focus on his parents. We went over and met them last thursday and showed love for them and apprecition for them letting us meet Denzel and teach him, then we let them know we wanted to start focusing on them and teaching them. Whenver we said this, the mother, Sia, had a huge smile come across her face! It showed us that she is ready now! I and my companion are really looking foward to teaching them this week! I believe they could be bapzited by the end of this month!!! I really can just see that family in the temple someday being sealed. I can just really see it in my mind, and now i realize that the lord is trusting me and elder dorosan to teach them the gospel and help make that happen.
Oh something pretty funny happened this past week you won't believe. So since becoming a trainer and distict leader i am more busy than ever before, and i am constantly thinking about what needs to happen next. It came to where friday night we were so busy with appointments and running around seeing people, that i forgot to eat dinner!!!! Can you believe i actually forgot food! Thats how busy i was! So busy, i forgot i was hungry and we didnt even eat dinner until we got home that night! Hahaha, i looked back on this experiance and thought it was funny and thought i would share it with you Oh and dont think the members dont feed us, we are only allowed to eat 4 times a week with members, so friday night was one of those nights we were on our own. But we were so busy, we forgot to eat lol!!!!
Well i love you all so much!!!! I am excited to hear where you end up going brittany!!!! It could be anywhere!!! Just realize that wherever you go, is where you are meant to go because of the people. Its all about Gods children, and nothing about location. The lord sends you to that mission because there are certain people there you need to touch and help recieve the gospel!!! So just remember that!
Once again, love you all! Have a great week!!
Ofa Atu,
Elder Rawlinson
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Thursday, March 1, 2012
February Almost Over...Wow
Kia Ora Family!!!
Well this past week flew by as usual, and now i realize that the month of February is almost over! Holy Cow!!! The past week was pretty good I must say. Some really awesome things happened!
It was really great to hear from you all once again. Thank you so much for the inspiration and updates on daily life back in the States lol. Glad to hear that I will be receiving some more packages this month somtime, so thank you again!!!
This past week we had a miracle baptism!! Yes we finally saved a soul after going through some rough times! We were able to baptize a boy we have been teaching for awhile now. We've been teaching him and his family for about 2 months. The Boy and his little brother always love coming to church and going to primary. They love it to much. Their parents have also come a long way. I remember when we first started meeting with them, i could tell they didnt really like us, but they have really warmed up to us and like our company. They are a somoan family and attend the Seventh day adventist church. They like our church a lot but are still latching on to their chruch for some reason. Ever since we have been teaching them, Denzel has loved it. He even tried to bring his Book of Mormon with him to the Seventh day church one day lol. He always carries it with him, its so cool. Their neighbors are members and are an awesome family. They have been great fellowship for them. They have such strong testimonies of the gospel and have really been able to help (the parents) feel it and come closer and closer to the truth. Its just been a miracle though, because the momwas not going to allow denzel to be baptized at all when we first met her, last week we asked her again, and for some reason she said it was okay. Denzel was so excited! I dont want to give up on The parents though, they are so close also. They have been to church twice now and have had some really awesome expericances there, but are still not quite ready to change yet. This week we are going to help them read the BofM and recieve that witness of its divinity.
Besides the baptism on Saturday, we had another zone conference on friday. It was really amazing. I loved zone conference, and learned so much. Every time i come out of the conferences so spiritually uplifted. We learned a lot about helping people keep commitments and forming the lessons specifically for our investigators needs.
Me and Elder Dorosan are doing really well. I love Elder Dorosan, he's so funny, we get along really well, he is like a phillipino version of blake lol. He's the man though, i'm glad i got such a great companion. We are working hard everyday and having fun doing it.
I'm getting more and more use to being a district leader now. It was stressful at first but i'm glad for the opportunity. We have some big goals for the month and it will be exciting to see how the month goes and what we can accomplish!
The ward now has like turned it on recently! They really love me and elder dorosan, and want to help heaps now. They are giving us people to teach its really great. Before i felt like our relationship with the ward wasnt so great, but its really good now. The Bishop is awesome and loves helping us out. I love the islander people, its so fun being in this area, it will be weird when i have to leave south auckland and go somewhere where its like all white people, that will take some getting use too lol.
Oh ya, i had some more horse again yesterday! And it was really good once again. Out here, the food is like meat, meat, and then some more meat haha. We also eat this one plant called Taro which is pretty good. Its like a root of some sort and they take the leaves and make another thing called Lu out of it which is also good. Everytime we eat at people homes, Taro and lu is usually part of the meal haha.
Thanks for the jump rope dad, its really come in handy in the mornings, i use it everyday, its really great!
One thing i need is some more pants. I dont know if you can send me some more or not. But i was looking for some more the other day, but they are pretty expensive here in NZ. So maybe you could send me a pair or two. My waste size is still a 44 and 34 length i'm sure.
Well that's pretty much it for the week! Love you all so much, and look forward to hearing from you all next week!!! Keep reading the scriptures, saying your prayers, and going to church lol!!! Love you all!
Ofa Atu,
Elder Rawlinson
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Well this past week flew by as usual, and now i realize that the month of February is almost over! Holy Cow!!! The past week was pretty good I must say. Some really awesome things happened!
It was really great to hear from you all once again. Thank you so much for the inspiration and updates on daily life back in the States lol. Glad to hear that I will be receiving some more packages this month somtime, so thank you again!!!
This past week we had a miracle baptism!! Yes we finally saved a soul after going through some rough times! We were able to baptize a boy we have been teaching for awhile now. We've been teaching him and his family for about 2 months. The Boy and his little brother always love coming to church and going to primary. They love it to much. Their parents have also come a long way. I remember when we first started meeting with them, i could tell they didnt really like us, but they have really warmed up to us and like our company. They are a somoan family and attend the Seventh day adventist church. They like our church a lot but are still latching on to their chruch for some reason. Ever since we have been teaching them, Denzel has loved it. He even tried to bring his Book of Mormon with him to the Seventh day church one day lol. He always carries it with him, its so cool. Their neighbors are members and are an awesome family. They have been great fellowship for them. They have such strong testimonies of the gospel and have really been able to help (the parents) feel it and come closer and closer to the truth. Its just been a miracle though, because the momwas not going to allow denzel to be baptized at all when we first met her, last week we asked her again, and for some reason she said it was okay. Denzel was so excited! I dont want to give up on The parents though, they are so close also. They have been to church twice now and have had some really awesome expericances there, but are still not quite ready to change yet. This week we are going to help them read the BofM and recieve that witness of its divinity.
Besides the baptism on Saturday, we had another zone conference on friday. It was really amazing. I loved zone conference, and learned so much. Every time i come out of the conferences so spiritually uplifted. We learned a lot about helping people keep commitments and forming the lessons specifically for our investigators needs.
Me and Elder Dorosan are doing really well. I love Elder Dorosan, he's so funny, we get along really well, he is like a phillipino version of blake lol. He's the man though, i'm glad i got such a great companion. We are working hard everyday and having fun doing it.
I'm getting more and more use to being a district leader now. It was stressful at first but i'm glad for the opportunity. We have some big goals for the month and it will be exciting to see how the month goes and what we can accomplish!
The ward now has like turned it on recently! They really love me and elder dorosan, and want to help heaps now. They are giving us people to teach its really great. Before i felt like our relationship with the ward wasnt so great, but its really good now. The Bishop is awesome and loves helping us out. I love the islander people, its so fun being in this area, it will be weird when i have to leave south auckland and go somewhere where its like all white people, that will take some getting use too lol.
Oh ya, i had some more horse again yesterday! And it was really good once again. Out here, the food is like meat, meat, and then some more meat haha. We also eat this one plant called Taro which is pretty good. Its like a root of some sort and they take the leaves and make another thing called Lu out of it which is also good. Everytime we eat at people homes, Taro and lu is usually part of the meal haha.
Thanks for the jump rope dad, its really come in handy in the mornings, i use it everyday, its really great!
One thing i need is some more pants. I dont know if you can send me some more or not. But i was looking for some more the other day, but they are pretty expensive here in NZ. So maybe you could send me a pair or two. My waste size is still a 44 and 34 length i'm sure.
Well that's pretty much it for the week! Love you all so much, and look forward to hearing from you all next week!!! Keep reading the scriptures, saying your prayers, and going to church lol!!! Love you all!
Ofa Atu,
Elder Rawlinson
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Busy Busy Busy
Kia Ora Family!!!
Well I guess you already got the news!!! I've been called not just as a trainer but a District leader too!!! Funny how fast news flies!! I am now more busy than i've ever been in my life haha.
It was lovely to hear from you all once again! Dad, i hoped you enjoyed your vacation haha, at least the Lord gave you one lol. You will do a great job!
So Brittany is deciding to go on a mission!! Wow! That was surprising news, but good news!! Maybe she will come to NZ somehow! Keep me updated on that!
For myself the last week has been pretty crazy. So much happened and it seems like it was long, yet i look back and it seems like yesterday i was emaling you! The week was crazy though. Elder Jolliffe left on Tuesday back to England and it was back to me and Elder Jibas for two days. We found out tuesday night that he would be leaving and i would be staying here in Otahuhu. We had a pretty good last 2 days together. He mainly said goodbye to a lot of the members that he'd come close too.
On Thursdays transfers came!!! I had no idea going in who my trainee was going to be. All the new trainers just lined up in the foyer and as the new missionaries came in, they found us and let us know they were our companions! It was cool, I was so nervous that day, stepping into leadership and also being a trainer. Lets just say i felt really inaduquete. But i met my new companion! His name is Elder Dorosan! He is from the Phillipines!!! He is the man. A really humble and nice kid. He wants to work hard and serve the Lord. We've taught some lessons by now and i must say he is awesome. I was nervous my new companion would be scared to teach, and not know the doctrinal points but elder dorosan is the man, he knows his stuff pretty good for being new and is not really that scared to teach. The Lord blessed me with the best trainee lol!!
So its been a crazy past few days being a new district leader and trainer. I'm still just trying to adjust to all the new responsiblility. There is heaps of it now. But honestly i love all the responsiblility. It keeps me really busy and 100% focused on the work, always thinking about missionary work. Its tough, but good. I feel blessed to have this privaledge. I reallly loved what you said mom and the beginning of your email, because at first i felt really inadequate to do this, but i know that the lord knows me and trusts me and put me in this position to learn and grow. It will be a great opportunity for me to learn heaps, stretch, grow, and come out of my comfort zone, and also to come closer to the lord.
Our district is on fire though! The Samoan sisters that i am over have a huge family of 9 and 5 others set for baptism this month!!! They are doing an awesome job. Actually the zone i am in leads the mission in baptisms. Its an awesome zone! Full of polynesians! In fact we had stake conference yesterday. It was packed! I think me, one of my zone leaders, and two other missionaries were the only two white people in the meeting lol. It was a chapel and gym full of islanders! It was a cool experiance! The conference was awesome and President Lekias actually spoke at it. He gave a great talk on missionary work and how our Church is the true chruch and what seperates it from others.
So the work is starting to pick up again in my area. i am ready to kick it in gear this month and save some souls! We are working with some good people. With my awesome companion i know we will have great success. We are teaching a girl named Susan who is from kiterpas( a small island somewhere). She is doing good, has some concerns just like anyone else, but is progressing. Prince, another man we are teaching from Nigeria is doing pretty well. We have committed him to read from the BofM and pray about Joseph Smith. We are going to see him tonight, and see if he's done that. One thing i've learned as a missionary is that everyone we teach has concerns of some sort and you can't avoid them. Ya just have to face em and resolve their concerns. I feel like last transfer thats what we did, is we would teach people and then when concerns would come up we would just try to avoid them and pretend they weren't there. Thats not going to happen anymore. Everybody has a issue of some sort, and its our job as missionaries to help resovle that and invite the person to repent.
Well I look forward to my first full week with my new companion!! Its gonna be good! Until next week! Love you all and talk to you next monday!!
Oh ya, and i have not got the package yet, i'm sure i'll get it soon. Remember how long the last one took? i'm sure its just taking forever. Anyway i think i would love to have some gatorade powder sent, and also somemore garments. More garment bottoms is what i need. Anyway, thats all i can think of for now. Candy is always nice, just send snickers and reeses lol. All right, talk to you in a week!!
Love you heaps,
Elder Rawlinson
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Sunday, February 5, 2012
Some crazy news
Kia Ora Family!!!
It was wonderful to hear from you all again!!! I can't believe that its 60 degrees overthere! Sounds wonderful! The weather over here is pretty good actually just humid
Well mom its good to hear that your doing surviving through the mazzio's choas! I remember nights like that, where the dishes would be piled up and heaps of people were there. Good to hear you are getting tough and use to some ridiculous people that eat there lol. Oh and mom i do love your letters, they do cheer me up heaps so keep em coming haha. Thanks for the update on Jake, thats cool he's just going to rsu and is back in town. I did send him a letter a few weeks ago, i wonder if he ever got it. Let me know when blake gets his call! Maybe i'll shoot him a letter today and give him some pre mission advice!
So this past week was pretty good. I felt like we were able to accomplish a lot of great things were as in the past we have just been kind of stalemating. or something. We were able to set three people for baptism in february. The trick now is to just see them as much as possible and help them come closer to the Savior.
This week is transfers!!! I think back and cannot believe how fast the transfer went. I am actually pretty happy though that i will be out of the threesome. It has been tough with three of us. The one elder finishes tomorrow so it will be back to me and Elder Jibas until Thursday, when the new transfer starts. I also got some crazy news. The mission President called me up last Wednesday night and told me that I would be training this next transfer! I was pretty surprised! I am really nervous but also excited at the same time. I feel like i'm still new myself and now i'm supposed to train? It will be fun though, I really am thankful to my heavnly father for the opportunity. I know it will be a learning experiance. It will be sad to have to leave Elder Jibas, I've really enjoyed serving with him. He's a great missonary and has been a great trainer. He has taught me so much and been a great example. I'm not sure where i'll be serving. I could stay and train here in Otahuhu or be shifted somewhere else. I should find out tonight or tomorrow. So by next week i will be a trainer!! Please keep praying for me lol!
On a side note i also found something crazy out this week. We were talking with the zone leaders and they told us that the government has changed the visa requirements for missionaires. Apparently, the NZ gov, now requires that if you want to be a missionary here in NZ, and you are from the u.s. or canada, you have to prove that you have already done 2 years of missionary service before you can come! They were telling us how like 12 missionaries who were supposed to come here can't now because of the new visa requirements! When i found this out i was like holy cow! I could be one of the last americans to come to this mission!! I'm so lucky that i was able to make it! I guess the chruch is still trying to work something out with the gov but nothing has happened yet. Its pretty interesting to think about though, i'm so thankful i was able to make it in before that new law came about!
Well overall the past week was good! We had a good amount of people show up for chruch this sunday. A family we've been teaching showed up with there kids and really enjoyed it. Also two less active members we met and taught came. Seeing those less actives come back made me just as happy to see investigators. I love my purpose as a missionary, and that is to invite others to come unto christ. Others means everyone else besides me! So my job is to invite everyone i meet, member, nonmember, unto christ! What a great job i have as a missionary. This motivates me to just not waste a single minute of work.
Well thats pretty much my week! I love you all and really enjoy all the emails you send me!!! Hope you all have a great week! Talk to you next week!!
Love you heaps,
Elder Rawlinson
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
It was wonderful to hear from you all again!!! I can't believe that its 60 degrees overthere! Sounds wonderful! The weather over here is pretty good actually just humid
Well mom its good to hear that your doing surviving through the mazzio's choas! I remember nights like that, where the dishes would be piled up and heaps of people were there. Good to hear you are getting tough and use to some ridiculous people that eat there lol. Oh and mom i do love your letters, they do cheer me up heaps so keep em coming haha. Thanks for the update on Jake, thats cool he's just going to rsu and is back in town. I did send him a letter a few weeks ago, i wonder if he ever got it. Let me know when blake gets his call! Maybe i'll shoot him a letter today and give him some pre mission advice!
So this past week was pretty good. I felt like we were able to accomplish a lot of great things were as in the past we have just been kind of stalemating. or something. We were able to set three people for baptism in february. The trick now is to just see them as much as possible and help them come closer to the Savior.
This week is transfers!!! I think back and cannot believe how fast the transfer went. I am actually pretty happy though that i will be out of the threesome. It has been tough with three of us. The one elder finishes tomorrow so it will be back to me and Elder Jibas until Thursday, when the new transfer starts. I also got some crazy news. The mission President called me up last Wednesday night and told me that I would be training this next transfer! I was pretty surprised! I am really nervous but also excited at the same time. I feel like i'm still new myself and now i'm supposed to train? It will be fun though, I really am thankful to my heavnly father for the opportunity. I know it will be a learning experiance. It will be sad to have to leave Elder Jibas, I've really enjoyed serving with him. He's a great missonary and has been a great trainer. He has taught me so much and been a great example. I'm not sure where i'll be serving. I could stay and train here in Otahuhu or be shifted somewhere else. I should find out tonight or tomorrow. So by next week i will be a trainer!! Please keep praying for me lol!
On a side note i also found something crazy out this week. We were talking with the zone leaders and they told us that the government has changed the visa requirements for missionaires. Apparently, the NZ gov, now requires that if you want to be a missionary here in NZ, and you are from the u.s. or canada, you have to prove that you have already done 2 years of missionary service before you can come! They were telling us how like 12 missionaries who were supposed to come here can't now because of the new visa requirements! When i found this out i was like holy cow! I could be one of the last americans to come to this mission!! I'm so lucky that i was able to make it! I guess the chruch is still trying to work something out with the gov but nothing has happened yet. Its pretty interesting to think about though, i'm so thankful i was able to make it in before that new law came about!
Well overall the past week was good! We had a good amount of people show up for chruch this sunday. A family we've been teaching showed up with there kids and really enjoyed it. Also two less active members we met and taught came. Seeing those less actives come back made me just as happy to see investigators. I love my purpose as a missionary, and that is to invite others to come unto christ. Others means everyone else besides me! So my job is to invite everyone i meet, member, nonmember, unto christ! What a great job i have as a missionary. This motivates me to just not waste a single minute of work.
Well thats pretty much my week! I love you all and really enjoy all the emails you send me!!! Hope you all have a great week! Talk to you next week!!
Love you heaps,
Elder Rawlinson
- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
Kia Ora Family!!
January 29, 2012
Kia Ora Family!!
Well i loved hearing from you all this wonderful day! I really cannot believe how fast this week went!!! It seems like yesterday i was emailing you!! The time is really starting to fly by now!
I mean i think back on the past week and its like a blur lol.
. It has been a tough transfer because we have not really been able to bring souls to Christ through baptism, and i feel really bad we have not been
able to do that this month. Its tough with a companion that is about to go home, its also just tough having a threesome. But even though its tough, its been a good experiance for me. To try
and work out the diffences, and to test my faith. To see if i am going to stand firm and hold steadfast, or give in and be discouraged. I feel that i have been able to be firm and steadfast, and
truly rely on the Lord.
We are teaching a lot of great people but they have some pretty tough concerns we are trying to get over. This boy and this girl named Alana and James are golden. They are awesome. They
read the BofM everyday and pray. They are striving to live the commandments and everthing. But their parents will not let them be baptized. Its really upsettting to me. They are so prepared
and ready to follow the Savior but there parents are hindering their salvation. We are really going to try hard out this week to talk to the parents and resolve that concern.
We also met this man named Jaime who is a really nice guy. He actually lives with a some tongans who are members but are less active. Anyways, this guy jaime is 27 years old but as lived
a rough life. He's been through a lot but has been able to stop doing a lot of stuff and is attempting to improve the quality of his life. There are so many people out there like him. Who didnt
have the privledge to grow up in a good family and have a bright future. Who were not taught good principles and correct ways to live. The family is so important. A lot of people are the way they
are because they did not grow up in a good family. It really hit me then when i met jaime, how lucky i am. How lucky i was to be able to grow up in a good family, where i was taught good princples.
And not only good princples, but lucky enough to be born with the gospel in my life. What a blessing. I really just want to help Jaime find happiness in his life because its something he's never really
had.We are going to see him this week and i just want to help him so bad to change is life and become a good person. Thats the beauty of the Atonement. We can change, we can really change and
become reborn because of the Savior. I love this Gospel. It really is the only way that we will ever find true happiness. So many people are looking for it so they resort to wordly ways like drugs, alchohol,
and other stuff. They think that those things bring happiness but they do not. But you really can't blame them because thats all they know. We are here to show them there is a true way to find true
happiness.
Anyways. I love serving here in Otahuhu because it is a melting pot. I mean there is literally like every religion here in this town. We meet so many Hindu's and muslims everyday. There are heaps
in this area. I never thought i would get to share the gospel with people like that, and to be honest its fun. Its tough but fun. Right down our street there is a buddhist monestary. And then not to far
away on another street is a muslim mosque. Oh and there is also a Sikh(dont think i spelled that right) temple in this town. Not to mention Jehovas Witnesses, Seventh days, catholics, baptists, protestants,
Church of Yaweh, methodists, congregational churches, assemblies of god, and some church called the Chruch of God where they preach about a heavnly mother, and then there's us, the mormons lol.
I bet the saints back in the 1800's never would have though the Gospel would spread to the isles of the see and far reaches of the world. Its pretty amazing. This Gospel is rolling forth "the stone cut without hands"
and nothing is going to stop it!
Well i better wrap this up! I will talk to you all next week! Hope the week goes good!!!
Love you all heaps,
Elder Rawlinson
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