Flight plans?! We have flight plans!?

Questions from the family:

Anybody you're teaching now that you want us to pray for? Besides you?

Good question. We have an investigator named C who could use some prayers. Also M. She's awesome, we can just never find her!! Besides that, please pray that we can find people who are prepared to come and learn and change. People who want the happiness of the gospel!! We're on the hunt. My goal is to leave my companion with a good, solid base of people to work with in the area. 

Registration for classes is the end of this month! should i just register you for stuff that is on the list of classes you still need to take? anything you know you for sure you need to take?  

oh gosh. I have no idea. Alli can you look at the class list for my major and sign me up for the next ones on that list? Just some basic stuff? What day is registration, will I have time to do some stuff when I get back?

So the week started out with President/the Assistants asking me to come to a district-leader-only consejo they were having, and speak for 15-20 minutes on how they should treat the Hermanas in their districts and also how they should work with the Sister Training Leaders. I was so intimidated!! I talked with some Hermanas to get their ideas before I went... and they had some rather strong opinions hahaha. So I stood up and told all the Elders that they were lucky it was ME talking to them and not other sisters!! I shared some opinions and advice and it turned out good! President was thankful and my companion said she wished she had recorded it to show the other hermanas haha. 

Then on Thursday we got to do divisiones with the Hermanas in Ituzaingo!! This time I stayed in Posadas, but next time I'm totally going to Ituzaingo! I want to conocer. :) I was with Hermana Hartley, one of the new Hermanas we had just greeted last week, and she is just the sweetest thing! It was an awesome day. During the afternoon I called M and asked if we could come over, and she said "look, this is my work schedule (and she told me) and so I'm literally only available sunday mornings... unless it rains. If it rains a lot I'm at home. You're gonna have to pray it rains if you want to see me". So I told her I would pray that it rains haha. 

And it did!  That afternoon a big storm rolled in so we went to the house of the yw we were out with and shared a message, and while I was sitting there I thought, "wait a second... its raining!" and we finished there and went over to M. We clapped there and she came out (really mad) and said it looked like God had sent us and I said "yeah God answered my prayers!!" and she said she had just had a huge fight with her boss and left early and come back home just steaming mad and I was like, "oh, I was talking about the rain." But hey! We shared a message and helped her out so I'm not complaining :)

Then on Friday we missionaries had organized a luau as a ward missionary effort. It turned out fun, the drama of the night was that here no one has ever heard of a GRILLED hot dog, it has to be boiled si o si, and so everyone was rather put out that we wanted to try and grill hot dogs. One member even said "Que me importa si asi se hace en Hawaii." haha. Then he went out, bought some sausage, and grilled that after the hot dogs were done. All ended up happy, those who ate grilled hot dogs, and those who ate grilled sausage. 

We also had stake conference this week, which was actually really weird for me. It was my first one in the mission, (because a district conference does NOT count as a stake conference) and it kept reminding me of stake conference in Philly where I see all of the missionaries together, and then all of a sudden I WAS one. Weird! (and a weird realization to make with only 4 weeks left).

Other good news!! M, a woman we were teaching in Saltos, got baptized last week!!! Also if everything went well, J, a youth we were teaching, should have gotten baptized last Saturday. Hooray!!

I have more stories but no time. I'll just tell you all soon :) (I'm excited too!!!!)

All my love,

Hermana Rawlins

p.s. sorry, forgot my camera so no pictures this week!

Availability Not Ability

Questions from the Family:

How are you? I can't believe this is your last transfer!

I'm good and I cant believe it either!!

How's your area treating you?

Well, its not treating me like Paraguay treats its missionaries, but its good. :)

Okay side note, family members being trunky in their emails but trying really hard not to be is one of the funniest things to read. No worries, I know I'm coming home soon. We can talk about it. :) 

on that note, can you guys schedule some doctors appointments for me?? I so badly want to go. Just like the dentist, regular doctor, something to test my thyroid, and something to clean parasites out of my intestines? (haha kidding... sort of.) 

This week's been a good one!!

On Wednesday we got to spend the day with the new hermanas who just came in from the MTC!!! Perks of being an HLC in Posadas. They were all super cute and new and we played games with them and then took them contacting along the coast in Posadas. It was really fun. My favorite parts were when we were practicing a contact with them and the two new american sisters walked up to me and I immediately said hi and kissed their cheeks. They looked so confused. :) Also when they asked me the difference between two sodas at lunch and I told them that one "doesn't have gas in it." After their weird looks I went, "oh, does that not make sense in english... uhh... uhh.. carbonated!! thats the word" If anyone wants soda with gas in it let me know. 

Then at the end of the week it was quite an adventure because we had to move apartments and so all of the office elders and the assistants came to move our stuff. It was an ordeal. But, everyone is alive and the new pension's nice. :)

I thought I'd share a few things that have helped me this week. 

Alma 18: 32-35 

And Ammon said: Yea, and he looketh down upon all the children of men; and he knows all the thoughts andintents of the heart; for by his hand were they all created from the beginning.

 33 And king Lamoni said: I believe all these things which thou hast spoken. Art thou sent from God?

 34 Ammon said unto him: I am a man; and man in the beginning was created after the image of God, and I am called by his Holy Spirit to teach these things unto this people, that they may be brought to a knowledge of that which is just and true;

 35 And a portion of that Spirit dwelleth in me, which giveth me knowledge, and also power according to my faith and desires which are in God.

Also, D and C 81:5-6. 

And this quote from Neal A Maxwell:

"God does not begin by asking up about our ability but only about our availability and if we prove our dependibility, He will increase our capability." 

Love you guys!!

-Hermana Rawlins

me and Andrecito, some giant statue that someone explained the meaning of to me and then I promptly forgot 

I love Posadas!! 

us and the new hermanas! they're all so cute!!

us moving!! ...it was a pain. Actually it literally was, because now I'm really sore. haha.

you know you're in Argentina when... you find this graffiti in the hymnals. #mate

After church, we discovered little kittens trapped inside the motor of a members car and rescued them. It was quite the adventure.

The Last Transfer?

6 WEEKS?!?!?!? What is this people?!?!

Questions from the Family:

You still didn't tell us much about your companion!  What's her name? 
While now she's not my companion anymore haha. Hermana Primo! She's from Peru, and is headed back there tomorrow, woot!

Have you been able to get out in your area much this week?
ahh... not really

I guess transfers are this week, do you know your new companion?
yup, her name's Hermana Averett!! I was her HLC last transfer, she's in some of the pics I sent home!

How did it go this past week with your companion's healing and trying to learn the area?

While she's feeling better and I probably wont get too lost.

What was the shoutout to Elder Roberts' mom?

hahaha that was an experiment. I've discovered that a surprising amount of people read my blog. Like all of the American hermanas who come have read it, and lots of peoples moms are reading it (hey guys!!) Elder Roberts is in my zone now and he told me his mom told him that my blog said that I was sad to leave Paraguay. (did you follow that? :) so we decided to put a shoutout in my email and see if she'd notice haha :) 

Do you hear anything about E?

YES!!!! E got baptized on Valentines day in the Parana River!!! I was so happy when I found out that it went through and also sad that I missed his river baptism. maybe I cried a little.

Other item of business: No one kill me, but I do not remember Issac's birthday (Isaac is Amanda's nephew). Considering the child was born while I was gone.... I do not consider myself obligated to remember the exact date of his birth. But someone should tell me so I dont feel bad for missing it.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ISSAC!!!! (just in case)

Also this week the office started the process of flight plans I believe, I put mom's email on the address cause its the only one I remember and the home phone. Do we still have a home phone?? haha

Today is cambios!!! I'm staying in LaValle (surprise!) and my new companion is Hermana Averett!! She was in La Paloma when I was in Saltos so I know her and everything and now she's gonna be the one to kill me! (mission slang, not really haha) I wish I had been there in Saltos when they read that transfer to everyone! I bet the reactions were pretty funny cause we were just together 2 weeks ago haha. 

Also in the cambios they're taking the Hermanas out of Virasoro!!! I'm so sad! there just aren't enough Hermanas coming in and a ton going home so a lot of areas are being closed. But I feel blessed to have been there while the hermanas were there. Royhaihu Virasoro.

I have really found comfort and guidance in the Book of Mormon this week. I love it so much. I was gonna write down the verse is particular but then I forgot, sorry.

But I liked this quote Emily sent me a few weeks ago.

"I pray that on your mission you will have many moments of complete and overwhelming and even anguishing desperation. Why? Because then, and only then, will you desperately ask, desperately seek and desperately knock. Then, and only then, will you find the courage and determination to follow through with exactness everything the Lord needs you to do in order to serve a valiant vibrant, worthy and very successful mission for Him."

Sister Nelson 

It is very true that sometimes the Lord is the only one you can turn to. And He is always there.

love youu!!

hermana rawlins

me and hermana primo at the physical therapist :) 

the most crooked zone picture ever

sister missionary parties are the best kind 

duomo, the best icecream place in the world, does at home delivery here. Its the best thing ever 

me and hermana primo!

What would you think of an eagle who walks all the time?

Things are good! I had already been in the Lavalle a few times for divisiones. Its not very city-like, its just like a normal neighborhood here like I'm used to which is nice. I would die in the city and I think God knows that. But we're close to the office which means I get mail pretty fast haha :) 

I don't really know how to answer a lot of your questions because to be honest this week wasn't very busy. My companions having knee problems and cant really walk so we spent almost the majority of the week going to doctors appointments and resting in the pension. I wont complain, because I finally got my journal caught up to January. (it was in December) hooray! And I also have a goal of finishing the book of mormon before I get home, and I just barely started alma haha so I'm using the extra time to do that. The problem about it all is that in 1 week I'm supposed to know everything about the area and be able to teach a new comp. But I'm trying not to stress about that, The Lord must know that my best will be enough for Him, and my companion already feels bad enough about it as it as so I try not to make her feel any worse. She would kill herself working if I would let her. :) She's the best and honestly I feel really blessed to even be with her for 2 weeks and  just get to talk and learn from her. She's a really good friend already :) 

I have some funny pictures from the doctors appointments we went to but this computer is sketchy so I'll send them next week. 

Shout out to Elder Robert's mom! :)

Being in the ward is fun! There were like 80 people in church yesterday which was the most I've seen in awhile, and we have a bishop auxiliary organizations that mostly function!! Yesterday I loved church and learned a lot and it felt good to leave edified and not stressed haha :) s'all good :) 

I've learned on the mission that happiness is in everyday moments, and I''m enjoying many of those and many butterflies so all is well :)

Since I don't have anything particularly exciting to share this week, I thought I'd share a spiritual thought since those are always good.

A while ago President asked me a question that came back into my mind as I was feeling a little overwhelmed one night this week.

 "What would you think of an eagle who walks all the time?" 

We are all eagle's, and our divine potential is to fly. We get comfortable in our circumstances, in the nest, and perhaps convince ourselves that we're fine just walking around. Asi no mas. But The Lord intends for us to fly, and often will push us out of our nest. When that happens we can recognize the opportunity for growth, take the strokes we can (is that what its called when a bird flies??") and trust that He will catch us or give us the strength to fly. 

I had that written out better but theres no time to type it haha :)

love you all!!

-Hermana Rawlins