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