Happily Ever After

1. A Wedding and a Super Baptism
What a week! First, I´m grateful for the thoughts and prayers of many this week, and I`m happy to say that everything worked out beautifully! Roger and Maricele got married Saturday morning and that afternoon they were baptized, as well as Diane! It truly was a miracle that everything worked out so perfectly. I've never worked and prayed so hard for something in my life, and the immense satisfaction and Spirit that I now feel makes it all worth it.  The mission is the best. being able to help them in this process was so amazing. It really was such a beautiful day.... I´ll never forget it. A family for Christ, & happily ever after for all:)

Marciele signing at her wedding

Me signing the marriage papers as a witness

The baptism

The family -- all members now!

2. Family Night with President Louza
On Monday we had another family night with President and Sister Louza! This time we brought Luis and Marilde, who are getting ready for their wedding/baptism in May. Their 13 year old son Ramiro, who was baptized last year, has been a great example to them. You can always count on your mission president to give a powerful message! It was a great night for sure.

3. Brazilian Politics
Right now Brazil is in a rough patch with political unrest. There is a lot of corruption in the government, and it´s a hot topic here. Well this week the ex president Lula, who is trying to get re elected, came to Santa Maria and had a rally right in the middle of my area! As missionaries we´re suppposed to avoid protests and rallys like this, but our area was packed with people! I even saw Lula! Ha, crazy stuff.

I´m grateful to be serving my Savior here in Santa Maria. I´ll never forget this time of my life! The joy I feel as a missionary is super extraordinary. I love it here.

Love,
Elder Rawson

Family Night with Bishop and some recent converts!

Selfie with Diane, her sister, and her Dad

Our pet puppy (kinda) who lives  in the house below us

Cooking Xis with Alessandro 

Baptism of Roger and Marciele

FHE with Luis, Marilde, and Ramiro!

Sunset Selfi

The newlyweds after the wedding

Roger and Maricele´s wedding and the members who came to support!

Our District full of gringos

Let´s get Married Folks!

HELLO FAMILY AND FRIENDS!

1. Planning Weddings
So the highlight of our week was for sure marking 3 weddings with people we are teaching! Here in Brazil nobody gets legally married, they just start living together, so to prepare to get baptized you have to follow the slightly complicated legal process. We've been working hard and we have 3 marked! This Saturday Roger and Maricele will get married and baptized so that will be a huge victory! I've been teaching them for a while now and we've fought various difficulties to get here. There´s not a better feeling for a missionary than to see your investigators trust in Christ and apply repentance so that they can be baptized. Their son Kauan was baptized in January, so this will be the first complete family that I was able to teach and baptize! Miracles everywhere.

 get ready for our investigators'  baptism

2. Crazy Brazil rainstorms
So twice this week I passed through a strange experience. We were walking on the street on a normal sunny day with a few clouds in the sky and all of a sudden it started DUMPING rain! I was confused cause it was sunny, but in 10 minutes it passed. It rained just enough to wet us down for the rest of the day:)

I´m so very grateful to be here in Santa Maria on my mission, serving the people of Brazil. The pure love that I feel for this people is not something I can describe with words, only something that Christ can put into our hearts. I´m grateful to have this chance to come to know my Savior.

Love you all!!
Elder Rawson

 I´m in love with Açaí <3

District meeting with President & Sister Louza

walking home after a good days work

Pday lunch with Alessandro (greatest member ever)

Give it The Gas

 1. Daniel´s baptism

This week's highlight was the baptism of a little kid we've been teaching, Daniel. His family was less active and we're helping them come back. It's different teaching Primary- aged kids, but he's the man. Irmão Alessandro, the best member missionary ever, baptized him and is taking care of him! We've been working closely with the members and our ward mission leader and things are working out well! Happy day.

Daniel with invitation to his baptism

Daniel's family

Daniel's baptism

10th Birthday/ Post-Baptism party for Daniel

Elder Silva & Elder Rawson celebrating Daniel's 10th birthday

2. God immediately blesses us when we do what´s right!
We are also teaching Alessandro´s brother, Alisson, and his wife Leticia. Alisson was baptized in another city and when he came to Santa Maria stopped going to  church. But we visited them and promised them that if they would go to church God would bless their family! So Alisson, Leticia, and their cute little daughter all came to church! Well, the very next day Alisson got a call for a job interview and he got the job! He was unemployed so it was a HUGE blessing in their life! They recognized this as an answer from God and they're going to always come! They also accepted our help to get them legally married so Leticia can get baptized! I´m so happy to know that God will can bless us spiritually and physically (Mosiah 2:41) when we are obedient!

3. Give it the gas Elder!
Well, my time in Brazil is ticking down... Just when you finally figure out how to be an effective missionary and speak the language it´s time to go home! The second half of my mission has really changed me. I´m just grateful to be here and I´m going to do my best for these last months!

Love you all! Read 3 Nephi 4:33

Elder Rawson

P.S.  Please pray for Roger and Marciele.  Their wedding is marked for next Saturday, the 24th, and if Roger can stop smoking they'll both be baptized after!  We also have a baptism date with Diane for the same day . . .

And please thank God for the great saints of Brazil and all they've done to help me and this great work.

study selfie

that day it was so hot and I was so sweaty
 I just laid on the floor by the fan instead of my bed

my fav Elder Mckinley

It's the Little Things That Count

Well its another beautiful morning in the kingdom brethren!

1. A pleasant surprise!
I´m loving every minute that I have to serve as a representative of my Savior Jesus Christ! The day I have to take of this tag will be a sad one... But this week I went on exchanges to my first area Salgado Filho! It´s always nice to spend a day where it all started. I had 6 great months there! Well, we entered into the house of one of their investigators and I knew I recognized the guy but I couldn't remember from where.... But he recognized me and reminded me where! 4 months ago in São Gabriel we were walking on the street and saw some guys struggling with a moving project so we jumped in and helped! Afterwards  we talked and I got their addresses and passed it along .  I  totally forgot, but turns out the Elders went there and now he´s getting married so he can get baptized! It was so cool to see a seed that I planted start to grow! No effort goes unnoticed!

2. One elect makes it all worth it
The days are long and hot, and I've never sweated more in my life, but I´m happy as can be. One elect can make it all worth it! We got a member reference for an incomplete family and we found the most elect young woman ever! Diane is 14 and is loving the church! When we shared the First Vision with her she cried and cried then at the end of the lesson we asked her to pray and she offered the most heartfelt prayer I've ever heard. It touched my heart. If everything goes well she´ll get baptized in a few weeks.

3. Cry nothing save repentance
I love being able to cry repentance among this people and invite them to make the necessary changes in their lives so that they can prepare to be baptized!! That´s what being a missionary is all about. This week I was extremely happy to see 13 of our investigators at church. Literally the best feeling ever! We have two weddings marked as well:) I´m grateful to be here serving a mission and to have come to know my Savior a little better<3

Elder Rawson

splits with Elder Munns in Salgado filho

my study desk

Pizza party

lunch with an investigator