12/28/2-15

Joyeux Noël A Tous!

        Hope you all had a great week! We had some really special things happen this week! We had a Mission Christmas Devotional, which was really unique because all the missionaries from our mission were together. There was a very special and powerful spirit that was in the room. I had the privilege of singing in one of the last choirs, after singing the first two verses of Hark the Heralds Angels sing in French, followed by the whole mission gathering and singing. The spirit was so strong as we all sang our praises in celebration of Christ's birth. 

Dressing up for dinner with Jye!

       On Christmas eve we had dinner with a family in our ward whose tradition is to have what they call a Bethlehem dinner. We dressed up a little, and we ate by candles and ate typical food that would have been found at the time of Jesus. It was a very neat experience. 

 Christmas was great! The ward really just encircled us and made us feel very loved!  Our spiritual thought for Christmas really touched me. We talked about the gifts that the wise men brought to baby Jesus, and how they had really brought things of worth. We talked about  how God himself gave us the gift of Christ by sending him to the world to redeem us all. (John 3:16). Truly the best gift to the world. With infinite worth.  I feel like so often during this season we get distracted by the lights, bows and glitter that are so often associated with Christmas that we forget the true meaning of Christmas-Christ. So this year we challenged everyone to give a gift to the Savior- a gift that is of great worth just like the wise men. Perhaps its saying your sorry more, criticizing less,  forgiving, reading your scriptures everyday, going to the temple more often, spending more time with your family. Whatever it might be it is a gift that we can do for the Savior that can show our love and appreciation for the gift that he gave to us.

Blast from the past-part of my MTC District.

        Though Christmas a missionary can be a hard time-being away from your family I feel like I really got to feel and share the spirit of Christmas.  I will share my testimony with you that I Have come to know with out a shadow of a doubt that the true essence of the gospel is love. Everything was done because God loves us and he has our eternal welfare at hand.   I really felt that on Sunday when our investigator Glorie came. The spirit was so thick in the air that we could all feel it. God knows us individually and he wants us to get a step closer to him everyday. Love you all!

12/14/2015

Picture for Mom's Birthday (December too).

Happy Birthday Sister Rawlings!

Mackenzie turned 21 on Sunday (12/13) , Brother and Sister Wong fed her dinner, with a cake and sent pictures!

Video of Birthday Singing!

12/7/2015
Hey everyone!

     

        Where to start! Exchanges, Ward Christmas Party, p-day in Montreal, and so much more.

Before

After

 Monday-We went down to Montreal with four of the sisters in our zone, we went to Old Port. We were hoping to get them their their first taste of Beaver Tails (aka..scone), but it was closed so we decided to all pitch in and go on a Carriage Ride through the old downtown of Montreal. It was absolutely beautiful:)       

We than had exchanges, where I got to go to La Salle and after un-exchanging Sister Schruch, everything started to get a little crazy.

  Exchanges Sister Olsen, Schurch, Me, Ferell

Montreal City Hall

The sisters had accidentally took our phone, it was freezing rain and everybody that we had planned to see was falling through so we started driving when suddenly I got this very strong impression that we needed to knock on this house that we had just passed. I pushed it aside thinking I was crazy, after all it was freezing rain and very wet outside but the impression came again. Knowing that I needed to follow the impression I told Sister Schruch and we turned around, re-found that street and than proceeded to go knock on the house. A teenager answered the door and we introduced ourselves and than started to share a bit of the new, "A Savior is born" initially his mom responded that they were not interested and they shut the door.
We stood there on the sidewalk thinking, okay what now. So we tried the house next to them...not home. When we saw a woman on the other side of the road.We walked up to her and started talking to her, she explained that she would be interested but she was busy walking to get her metro card re-filled. We asked if we could walk with her and she agreed. After explaining more she explained that in her country that she had met missionaries before. We talked about the Savior and than asked her if we could come

share the message with her and than she said, " Wait I think I talked to the elders the other day, this is no coincidence, you keep finding me."
We were able to testify that the Lord was very aware of her and that the message that we had could bless her family so much! 

      But the story does not end there, while walking with the woman we both saw a young man and had the impression to talk to him. While walking back to the car we saw him at the corner and started to talk to him, he told us that he liked basketball and I had this weird idea to ask him if he knew one of the young men in the ward who we had just had dinner with, who I also knew liked basketball. So I asked him if he knew the young man and Sister Schurch looked at me like, what are you doing? The odds of this young man knowing him in Montreal are extremely small, but after a minute he said, "Actually, yes I do." We were able to talk a little bit and have a wonderful conversation.  And to think that if I wouldn't have listened to the Spirit that would not of happened. We felt so blessed by the Lord for him to place two of his children who were willing to listen to in our paths. 

        It was such a testimony to me that while you may not know what these people need, the Lord does and he will guide you when you are willing to follow. 

        Overall it was a great week! Our ward party went extremely well, they put on the production of the nativity and I would say over 1/4 of the people there were not members! It a very uplifting, Christ-centered evening:) 

I love you all! I hope you all have a fabulous week!

Love Sister Rawlings

11/25/2015

Hey Everyone!

       What an amazing, crazy, busy week! 

Us with Sisters Carpenter and Dexter

       We started off with training in zone training. It went really well. Right after that we headed on splits, and I went with Sister Dexter to Greenfield Park. It was super fun and a great learning experience. 

        This week was also the cultural celebration, followed by the Temple Dedication for the Montreal, Quebec Temple. We went to the first dedication at 9 am-it was beautiful. President Eyring re-dedicated the temple. As he was saying the dedicatory prayer I looked up to the screen and it just seemed like he was glowing with goodness. It was a very special feeling. Something that I loved that was said during the talks were how as we celebrate the re-dedication of the temple we should also re-dedicate ourselves to the covenants we  have made, with a strong desire to make the temple more a part of our lives. 

       

We also had an amazing miracle happen when Sister Schurch stopped to check the mail and we smiled at a woman and just started small talking to her and than we parted ways. The next morning we had went to the church to take out the garbage and we saw  the same woman on the sidewalk. As soon as we smiled at her she just poured out her soul to us, and she told us that we always seemed so happy and she wanted to know why. After explaining to her that as missionaries we teach people, she replied, " Ensena me" which is Spanish for " Teach me". It was such a miracle that God puts people exactly where they need to be. It was a very tender experience for us all. 

Sausage making at its finest!

       On another note, we made sausages with a family:)! Never something I thought I would learn how to do on my mission!  It was such a neat experience for us all:) 

 Love you all!

Soeur Rawlings

11/16/2015

Hello Everyone! 

   The majority of the week was spent at the temple. We were there mostly all Monday to Friday. It was an amazing experience to be able to help. Very exhausting, but very spiritually uplifting.  

    I felt very luck because I had the opportunity to see many people from past areas and to see how they were doing. It was truly inspiring to see people who traveled 12+ hours on bus, people who crossed the country-all to see the temple. It was really inspiring!

   All in all it was difficult for people to express exactly what they felt in the temple, but my favorite thing that people would say was, " I don't know how to explain it, I just felt it." 

The Sisters in the Montreal Mission

  One of my favorite experiences was while opening the doors to the reception tent, I felt impressed to go talk to this man who was by the comment cards. I walked up to him and asked him about his experience in the temple. He replied, "Interesting."  Not sure if that was a negative or positive things I asked him how so, he explained that while he was a spiritual person and had been baptized that he had never been to the temple before that time. As we talked it was truly amazing to see him commit to put his life in order so that he could attend the temple in the coming months. 

Zone Conference-joined with two other zones for our Mission Tour with Elder Goldon. This is not everyone in the mission but it is a big portion.

 People felt of the peace, calmness and spirituality of the temple. It was truly a testimony builder to me of how important the temple is and how it can truly bless the  lives of those around us just be visiting for the open house. We have seen so many hearts softened by the temple.It was such a blessing to be there:) 

Love you all!

Sister Rawlings

11/9/2015

Well Hello Everyone!

   What a fabulous week it has been. I've been settling very nicely to Kirkland. It really is a great area filled with so many faithful people.    The week started off with a training for the temple. All I can say is, "whoa!" Elder Richards of the 70s came and spoke to us and took us on a private tour through the temple and than sat all of the sisters in the Instruction Room and taught us- right there in the temple! It was an experience I will never forget!

    This past week we only served for three shifts at the temple but it was so powerful. As soon as you drive into the parking lots, you can feel the difference. While talking to a member in the reception tent we both marveled at how even though the temple isn't dedicated, the Spirit is so strong.

    There is definitely a special Spirit that the temple brings. I have heard and seen  many hearts changed all by the Spirit felt in the temple. Not only do we have the privilege to serve in the reception tent but also in the Video Room before the tour inside the temple. Even though we have seen the video countless times, each time I feel the Spirit and catch the Spirit of the temple so strongly.

   We even have seen people who are not members finish their tour and decide to go through again!

We jumped into a pile of leaves!

   One of my favorite personal stories is teaching a woman who had just visited the temple two days before. She loved it. Her testimony really strengthened me she said, ."People kept telling me go to the temple, go to the temple." Then she got really quiet and than said, "I understand why now. The Spirit really testified to her and she told us that she wanted to be married in the temple! Miracles were prophesied when the temple would be dedicated and we just starting to see a sliver of them!

   The week was pretty busy. We also had the opprogunity to go on splits with the sisters from Chicoutimi, which was a fun expereinces and we are now on splits with Ville Marie sisters:)

   We helped arrange a baptism for a 8 year old after Church and than during sacrament meeting we had a huge miracle-we had a woman walk into chuch who we were able to talk to after sacrament, who is moving to the area and is looking for a Church! We were so excited but wait-it doesn't stop there! Than a woman and her son said that he had been invited to play baskeball at the Church and being fairly new in the county were wanting to meet new people and join a Church and they wanted to learn more about our Church! Truly amazing to see the Lord gathering his sheep!

So blessed to be here in the time and place that I am!

Love you all!

Love Sister Rawlings

11/2/2015
Hello my family and friends:)

Last District Meeting

      I received quite a shock this week, we were told on Wednesday that we would be receiving transfer calls that day in preparation for the temple and moving a week early. This is how that call went......(Sister Cumming and I expecting nothing to change) "Sister Cummings you will be staying in Laval..." and we were like "yep"."and you will be receiving Sister blanc (which is her old companion)" So we were really excited for her but than it hit me-wait that means I'm leaving!  "And Sister Rawlings you will be going to Kirkland, and being a sister training leader with Sister Schuruch." 

Marie-Sophie

    Oh how I wish you could see the video Sister Cummings recorded during this calls, my face was complete shock! So I'm  off to Kirkland...today! My new companion is from Belgium and I will be in the same district that I was in when I was in Cornwall. Which is a tender mercy because during stake conference in two weeks I will get to see many of those who are in Cornwall:)   

      We also had the chance last night to visit the temple with Vanessa and Evelyne, who are both recent converts. Can I just say, woah! I have missed the temple. 

      The day started off a bit rough, We woke up early- forgetting it was daylight savings. Than we were late to ward council thinking it was next week, even though we woke up early...lol..   I was feeling a bit stressed with the unexpected packing I needed to finish, the ward members I needed to say goodbye too and the French testimony I was to be giving in a few hours. And we were having scheduling problems with who was coming  for the temple.  Both Sister Cummings and I  were like, "why is all this advisory coming from!" And then we realized that it was because we were going to temple. 

Driving to the temple.

Only in Canada-Canadian Mounty

    It literally is the house of the literal God. Power comes from that house. It is where we can be lifted above the fog and truly remember why were here. It is a source of strength. Even though it isn't dedicated, there is such a special spirit that is felt there. I am overcome with gratitude to be able to serve here in Canada and in the temple!    

 Love you all! 

Soeur Rawlings

We helped decorate-Halloween Maze!

Church Party!

10/26/2015
Bonjour tout le Monde!

 Well it was a crazy busy week! 

 First off, we had a 70 visit our mission. Elder Goldon, it was very special for all the missionaries here! I felt so blessed to not only have one, but two on my mission. My favorite quote that he said was, "you can't do anything about yesterday, don't worry about tomorrow-just focus on today and doing what you need to do. If you take care of today, the tomorrows will take care of themselves..... we just have to work on one day at a time. If you put in the work, the miracles will come!"

After the plunge!

The second thing was,VANESSA GOT BAPTIZED...AND CONFIRMED!It was a beautiful baptism and the Spirit was very strong:)  After some last min adversity, everything went perfect. We have just come to realize that when there is adversity that just means that were doing the right thing. It's a chance to prove to our Heavenly Father that we will choose the right. I know that baptism is such a simple act, but has such eternal rewards. I feel so blessed to have helped Vannessa, who is such a great example of searching for the truth. As she said in her testimony, after 7 years, I asked and now I've found it....

Floral designer in training.

Je t aime! 

Love, Soeur Rawlings

10/20/2015
  
 Hello everyone!

 What a beautiful week it was! My favorite time of the year here in Canada! It snowed a little bit but we will forget about that and just talk about the beautiful trees here. See for yourself!

 It was a pretty normal week. Vanessa is doing really well and is progressing:)

 on one occasion this week we were trying to think of an interactive visual lesson that we could present for a family home evening we were going to and we decided to use D&C 27 about the Armour of God  which says,

 " Wherefore, lift up your hearts and rejoice, and gird up your loins, and take upon you my whole Armour, that  ye may be able to withstand the evil day, having done all, that ye may be able to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, having on the breastplate of righteousness, and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of
peace whichI have sent mine angels to commit unto you; taking the shield of faith wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of my spirit, which I will pour out upon you, and my word which i reveal unto you and be agreed as touching all things whatsoever ye ask of me, and be faithful until i come, and ye shall be caught up that where i cam ye shall be also.  Amen."

Our Bishop with the Armour of God

and than also in Ephesians 6:13, " Put on the whole armor of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places. Wherefore take unto you the whole Armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand."   
***We ended up with a 3-D visual of the Armour of God.​

So I ask you-Do you have on your Armour of God?

Love you all have a great week! 

Love Soeur Rawlings

10/13/2015

Bonjour tout le monde,

Sitting in a restaurant right before being dropped off at the MTC, Ii remember my cousin saying, " Missions are Hard." " Ya, ya, I know" I remember saying, " You will learn a lot" he continued. Little did I know-haha!

 Missions are a personal day by day refinement. Not only do you help others change but if you will let it, a mission will change you- all for the better. Each day, I have come to learn is another day to become more sanctified or the process of becoming holy or more in line with our Heavenly Father and Savoir.  As it says in Hebrews 2:11,"they who are sanctified are all of one".   The more sanctified we become the more in line we are with God's plan which is explained more in  John 17:21,"That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us"

And after this week-I feel like I have had so many experiences that have helped me learn,  here is a few....

1) Sometimes we think we are learning something but really God is teaching us so much more- Though I had realized before that I had been called to learn French, I realize now that I'm learning a lot more than just the language of French.  I truly don't feel like I'm learning French just to learn French, though it is one perk . But through French I am being taught many other lessons including patience, compassion, faith, trusting in God to name a few.

2) Remember the big picture-After having to push back our investigator's baptism.  We found ourselves sitting in a car very discouraged, pleading with our Heavenly Father to  help us understand why, and to be able to find patience. After discussing with our bishop we realized that there was much more to the Eternal plan, it wasn't just about a baptism, it was about eternal families.

3)  Faith not Fear- parked in our car we noticed a woman walking towards us. After feeling like we needed to talk to her I started unbuckling my seatbelt without realizing it  but after my companion asked me what I was doing I started talking myself out of it, thinking how weird it would be to talk to her, what would I say, etc.... and as the woman was passing my window, still thinking you need to get out, I smiled and she stopped, pulled out a flower from her coat and gave it to me. We then jumped out to talk to her. We had a great discussion and we ended up giving her a Book of Mormon and getting her information. And to think that we had almost missed this deeply spiritual woman. A learning experience-to always follow the spirit even when it doesn't make sense. 

4) The Atonement is for you-We teach a lot about the Atonement and we constantly are telling people how much it can help them and can apply it to themselves but I've realized that it applies in mine and your life just as much as it applies to those we teach. We stress the importance and the effect that it can have on people but do we truly understand what it can do for us in our lives.  

While talking to man he said, "We live in a world of suffering". Yes there are trials and test- yes they are hard - that is apart of this life but we must remember that the atonement is there to help- yes you, and yes me. That he is there not just for our sins but for our sufferings, weakness and inadequacies  and that through him we don't have to go through it alone, that we can be comforted, refined and made in the end who God wants us to be, all possible because of the Atonement.

Yes, missions can be hard but I wouldn't change what I've learned this week for all the gold in the world.  I love the gospel and I love you all! Have a good week!

Sister Rawlings

10/5/2015
Bonjour tout le monde!

         Hope you all had a fabulous Conference weekend! Such an amazing time of year to listen to God choose servants and than apply their words of wisdom in our lives for the next 6 months:) 

Good bye to the trio!

         We had a very crazy busy week! In all the best ways possible:) We dropped off Sister Meldrum at transfers, after trying to see as many people as possible. The next day we had a lesson with our amie d'Eglise, Vennessa who is just amazing! She is so determined to get baptized this Saturday,, so we have been seeing her almost everyday to teach her all the lessons:) Even though we are teaching the lessons we learn so much from her especially by her desire to follow the gospel. 

       While teaching the Word of Wisdom she put it quite simply by saying,  " I see it like a scale, ( on one hand) Coffee, (on the other hand) Salvation. And I choose Salvation". Wow, right!

Hot chocolate cup, as a visual aid for coffee cup.

       While in the same lesson we ended up pondering the sacrifice of Abraham  and comparing it to her sacrifice of coffee. The spirit was definitely guiding us because we had not planned that.  As we were discussing it, it made me think of what a sacrifice it must of been for Abraham (who had almost been sacrificed himself by his father) to be told of God to sacrifice his only son Issac. Can you imagine the heartache! But true to his trust in God he went to do as the Lord commanded, and because of that trust an angel stopped him and his son was spared.

     Likewise, we too at times, will be asked to sacrifice, time, money, coffee etc. for kingdom of God...and just like Abraham it will be hard but as we trust in God we will be blessed beyond understanding! I can promise that because I have felt and seen that. 

     Remember that "to sacrifice is to give up something we value for the sake of something of greater worth." as it says in True to the Faith. 

     As the Savior taught, "Again, the kingdom of heaven is like unto a merchant man, seeking goodly pearls; who, when he had found one pearl of great price went and sold all that he had and bought it"   The Pearl of great price is the gospel and while other gems are good what are we willing to sacrifice for the gospel, the greatest and purest happiness we can receive? You tell me...

 Love you all! The gospels true! 

Sister Rawlings

9/28/2015

Bonjour tout le monde!

        Crazy week! We had lots of cancellations, but we just took that as the Lord has other places for us to be:)  

Sister Huggette made us blankets.

         We had transfer calls-Sister Cummings and I are staying in Laval and Sister Meldrum is going to Ottawa-so we have been seeing lots of people before she leaves. We had the sweetest Soeur in our ward knit us all blankets:) 

Laval- me, Cummings,  Meldrum, Elder Sumpsion and Monroe

     

          I finished the Old Testament this week! :) It had been my mission goal to finish all the standard works on the mission, and after over a year I finished! I have gained such an appreciation for the Old Testament and the stories of faith and sacrifice that they give to us. I am thankful for the historical, cultural and religious insight that they give us to better understand the New Testament and Book of Mormon.  It has strengthened my testimony of the Divinity of the Savior and of the Restoration.  I am so thankful for those who gave their lives to give us the scriptures in our own language!

Love you all! Have a great week!

      Love,
 Soeur Rawlings