9/29/2014

Well, hello my dear friends and family! What an amazing week it has been! The weather has been lovely as we are catching the last of the summer here. I'm not gonna lie though, I'm a bit worried for winter. Everyone keeps telling me that it's gonna be a cold winter because all of the squirrels are getting quite fat. That is something that we see a lot here...are squirrels... and they are not like Utah or Idaho squirrels. They are  big and black and the're everywhere! And to be honest with you-I love it! Every time that I see one it reminds me of my little black dog at home! haha

This week has been amazing, and I feel like each week I just continue to learn and grown. On Wednesday, we went to a mission tour by Elder Carlson in Ottawa and were  so blessed to be one of three chosen to be interviewed personally by him. It was great, and I was able to ask him questions and receive some advice. One of my favorite things he said was that as a missionary we aren't called to "talk but to teach", and that wherever we are we should build Zion.

Now, at the end of each day me and Sister Gonzalez sit down and spend a few minutes to look back at the day and find the miracles throughout the day! Some days are harder than others and sometimes you just feel like you put all this work into the day, only to find that no one was receptive to the message or lesson. But when you reflect back on the small miracles in the day they help you to keep going! So here are some of my experiences this week...my little miracles.

One afternoon we got on the bus to get into town to check on  some former investigators. On the way into town we decided to do some bus contacting. We had just spent the previous hour practicing contacting tips and role plays. We got on the bus, sat down, I took a deep breath...and I started talking to an older woman and after a while we started talking about religion. She had some friends that were LDS and even had a Book of Mormon and a Christ video. So we talked, and at the end of our conversation I asked her if she would like a video about Christ and she replied that she did, and she wanted this specific one, The Lamb of God. She than went on to give me her name, address, and phone number and told us that she was busy but that we should keep trying to get a hold of her. It was amazing!

On Thursday, we went to go teach one of our investigators. In the past she has been taught a few lessons but has had some questions and ideas that had stopped her from really progressing. But on this visit we decided that we were going to bring a member with us and it was just what she needed. By bringing the member with us she was able to relate to our investigator and answer some of her concerns and questions in a way that she could understand. So after a great lesson, we invited her out to our board game activity the next day, which she agreed to as long as we could find her a ride. We were so excited! So we searched for her a ride and searched and either people couldn't come or already had all the seats in their car taken! We got a little discouraged but I loved how Sister Gonzalez put it, "it's just Satan working against us so we just have to work harder" and so we did. We went though the whole ward list looking for someone who could give her a ride and...we  finally found her a ride! So we ran over to her apartment to tell her the good news (because she doesn't  have a phone) and we got there and she  thought it was tomorrow.... sigh...it was super disappointing at the moment... but the Woman's General Broadcast was the next night so we said that's find and told her about the broadcast and how we would be decorating cakes and watching the broadcast and she agreed to come! And even more miraculously she asked us if she could bring a friend!! And she did! And as we sat next to her and her friend I thought, this is perfect for her! She needs to hear this!  How amazing in the whole scheme of things. God knew what she needed, though both activities were good, he knew that one of them was better for her. In the end it all worked out and we could tell that she felt something. I think it's so amazing  to know that God knows each of us so well and that he prepares us for what's coming next ! I know that God is preparing each one of us for is to come in our lives as well as preparing so many other people  to hear of his gospel. We just need to continue to live right, be where we need to be and to open our mouths when the time comes!

Lots of Love

Sister Rawlings

P.S. I made friend chicken!

P.S.S. Notice the bagged milk picture.

A member took us out to Morrisberg- beautiful! The leaves are gorgeous...may be a little blurry because it was taken in  a car.

The cake was for the general broadcast cake contest, where our team had to make a cake based on a scripture!

          We did the wise man built his house upon a rock. 

 

There is a really pretty church that is in the city where we walk past.