Monday, October 26, 2015

Hey dad, work is good. People progress and fall, but my companion and I have some good goals, 10 baptisms this change and 2 rescued menos activo [less active] families. We had 7 with fech [a date] for baptism but none of them came to church, so it fell for all of them. Satan works really hard on really good people. We teach one family that are only home at night and don't have electricity so we teach by flashlight or candle light. Kinda cool. There's 3 women of that family that had fetchas [dates] and one brought her husband to church, but on the way they lost a license for his work, cell phone and some super important papers. So they went home. They are super poor and live up the mountain basically alone, but have an awesome view with a pig and a cow and cui (guinea pigs), rabbits and chickens. They are super stressed and don't have the 200 dollars to get a new license and he can't work without it. rough.... but the church is true and we are doing our best to help. 

Love you dad! Sounds like work is super crazy, haha a new boss must be weird, but it's like a new sector and a new companion, just love him lol that's all you can do. 

Elder Gonzalez

Mom,

This week has been good. I'm in Amaguana or at least we live there and work mostly in Uyumbicho. It's super pretty, mountains huge pine trees, views.... It's amazing! Streets are mostly dirt except main roads that are cobblestone. It's been raining and thundering all day so kinda dim, but still misty and pretty. It rains hard and cold here and a lot. We've entered rainy season so wish me luck. 

The other day we contacted his old man, stiff, cold, blank, military looking guy with a bar mustache. Military decorated leather jacket and American looking art on his walls. His parents died when he was very young, grew up on the street, hungry his whole life, worked hard, made money and begged God to send him a loving woman to marry. He found a woman, but she turned out to be cold, bitter, mean and rude. They've been married for idk how long but he's given up on God, says that he doesn't exist. He's not there, doesn't believe in happiness, doesn't understand why anyone would want to be happy. He talked for about ten min, and I wanted to cry for him so bad. As I listened, a tear ran down my cheek and I begged Heavenly Father to touch his heart as I spoke... I bore my testimony of the plan of salvation, that we have a father in heaven and that we can have happiness both in this life and the next. My companion asked if we could pray, still standing in his doorway, rain falling on our backs. My companion offered it and prayed for this man directly in the prayer. He ended the prayer, the man stood and looked into the distance still cold and empty, but there was something in his eye. We stood there and he began to speak again. He explained his past briefly again, and expressed how when testigos and catholics and christianas come to his door to talk, they are mean and attack him with words and his wife yells at him to come away from the door and to stay inside. But with us his wife said nothing, just sat in the kitchen bitter and mean, but no words and that we were kind. He said, I hope one day I can know God like you do.¨He took the plan of salvation pamphlet and looked at it and said, I'm going to read this. And that was that. We said goodbye and went on our way. I think we will go back there this week, I know he felt something and caught a glimmer of hope. His heart is rough and hard on the outside but within there is a child of God dying to have some kind of hope. 

Every day I am here my testimony grows, the mission is not easy, but I know that there is always hope.  It hurts my heart to see someone blame and dismiss God because things went wrong in this life. I know this life isn't easy, but I have almost literally felt the arms of Christ around me in some of my lowest moments of my life. He lives and he loves us so much. Please, please do not ever forget that Christ lives, that we have a Heavenly Father, and that all of us, even the worst of us have the potential to become just like our Father and Heaven. Look to your neighbor and lift them up and as you do, you will feel even greater the love of Christ. 

I love you guys and am so grateful for each and every one of you. Trust your Heavenly Father and I promise, and even more important, He promises that He will take care of us!

Elder Gonzalez

my scripture his week is moroni 10 32

*Here's a link to a free online Book of Mormon to look up the scripture above.  You can also read the Bible from this link.  https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm?lang=eng

Monday, October 19, 2015

SAM
WOOOOOw super excited!!!! I'm being transferred today to Los Chillos its near Quito. I'll give you better info later today!!! 

You guys are awesome!!!

MOM

Wow! Changes already...  yes, please let us know!

SAM

yea for sure, love you guys, I'll write some more when I get there. Super nervous for a change, Ambato has become my home.

MOM

Everywhere you go will become your home! That's how you know that you are serving with your heart! Love you!

SAM

So I am here in Los Chillos, el barrio(ward) selva alegre. Apparently I'm in a red zone of cotopaxi [the volcano] so if it blows I'm right in its path, comforting right?  Lol, I'll be fine, don't worry.  President is on top of all volcanic action. Um, my companion is Elder Tzun from Guatemala and he's got 20 months in the mission, two changes left, I might be his last companion..... Crazy. I'm in el campo, very country, lots of cows and chickens and farm land, so far, but very tanquillo [tranquil] and pretty and green, and a little hotter than Ambato. It's nice though, I really like it so far. 

It's weird to leave my first sector. It's like leaving home all over again, but I'm excited for this change. My companion wants to end his mission strong, our goal is 10 baptisms this change, apparently we already have 6 with fetchas. Super excited!!!

Miss all of you guys and I send lots of love!

Elder Gonzalez

P.S. the time is going way too fast, I almost have 6 months..... its really crazy!

Monday, October 12, 2015

10am

I'm just on for a few minutes right now... thought I'd answer some questions, ok so with packages I'll give you some ideas of what to send...

rootbeer

my jogger pants with the elastic at the ankle

candy(sweedish fish, sourpatch...)

letters

a pocket knife

pictures

ties

a flash drive to put pictures on to keep safe

deer jerky

If I come up with other ideas I'll tell you. 

With the camera deal, it's probably more expensive to buy here... but probably safer... if you want you could send it, I would take a pair of wool socks and hide it in the bundle part of the socks if you send one, if not I can just take out some money to buy one I need like 50 bucks more or so to have enough I think to buy one here.... I'll have to look some more. 

When you send the package, if you do, they have white mail bags that you can send the stuff in instead of a box and it's cheaper and faster and doesn't get checked.... just an idea.

any other questions?

Later in the evening...

Hey, 

This change has been really hard. So far in 5 weeks we have taught and found 28 new people, but none of them have progressed, but miracles happen and this past week we found the family Ortiz Leon, and they are so cool. So a bunch of citas [appointments] fell this past Wednesday, and so we were knocking some doors on a street we have never seen before and on the 5th door/gate, this kid named Javier came to the door. We introduced ourselves and asked if his parents were home, he said just a sec., his mom came to the door and said come in come in, and that never happens, I mean for someone to say yea come right on in is a rarity. So we walked into the living room and their whole family one after the other filled in, 6 is a big family here. (mom, dad married for 20 years, daughter 19 years old, daughter 18 years old, son 17 years old, and daughter 8 years old) and they came in and sat down all ready to listen. So still in shock (we thought it was a joke) my companion and I introduced ourselves and got to know them a little bit, then we started, explained about who we are, what our message is about and we started with a prayer. They had a few questions but mostly just listened super intently. The little girl was super cute, she reminded me of Mari, she read in the scriptures and was so good and sat still and listened and was interested. We ended with a prayer and the dad offered it. We came back the next day and the dad had to go to work but they had read and studied the pamphlet of lesson 1 all the way so we left them a Book of Mormon and came back the next day. They had lots of questions, and we helped them understand lesson one more in depth. They had read three chapters of the Book of Mormon together, they have some doubts but they come from a different background so they have reason to be confused, but they promised to come to church and they did except for the dad because he had to work. Tonight we have a noche de Hogar con ellos y una otra familia y obispo [family home evening with them and another family and the bishop]. They are super awesome and have great desires to learn and they are so smart. They have a baptism date for the 31 of this month.

I'm ending my second change in the mission and finishing my training. Not sure what's gonna happen this next change but I'm ready for whatever. 

Miss everyone at home, stay strong, read your scriptures, say your prayers with your heart, and always go to church. 

Elder Gonzalez

Hey dad,

Thanks for the email, that really helped, things have been hard but also really great, and the great always triumphs. I'm super grateful for your example in my life, I don't know much about your youth, but you've been an awesome father. One of my alltime favorite pictures of us I think is in the green shoe box mom has of pictures of me. It's a photo of me and you sitting at the edge of a pond fishing and I'm super small and you were like tickling me or something so we are both laughing hysterically, it's an awesome picture. 

My English is getting worse and worse. I don't know how I'm gonna go back to school when I get home or speak Spanish. Spanish is so much easier to speak. Well, as I learn it, it seems more and more simple. 

This past week we found a family of 6 people, awesome family, Ortiz Leon es el apellido de la familia, y ellos asistieron este domingo pasado menos el padre porque el tuvo trabajo. pero cuando dejamos una libro de mormon con ellos, ellos leeron tres capitulos y el folleto del leccion uno. Voy poner mas informacion sobre ellos en mi carta a mama. Pero estoy animado por el progression de este familia. 

y bueno, con sus preguntas sobre mis compañeros y todo, yo olvido mi papel en la casa entonces no tengo conmigo ahora, pero el proximo lunes voy a enviar el informacion a usted. 

creo que el español de mexico es bien differente que aqua en ecuador, la gente aqui dicen que mexicanos hablen con mucho volgur.. pero yo no se, como es en san antonio y argentina? differente, casi el mismo o que? 

si quere puede escribir a yo en español, y voy a mejorar mi abilidad escribir en español. solo para practicar. pero ya. 

I miss you a ton and hope all is well in the family and in the stake. 

Love you dad,

Elder Gonzalez

Monday, October 5, 2015

Wow.... Conference was incredible. Never in my life have I actually stayed up and intently listened and taken notes on every single speaker. I was able to listen in English. I have about 25 pages of notes from conference. I am so very grateful for the divine callings of prophets and apostles and for their willingness to give their whole souls to the Lord. There are so many talks I would like to talk about, but there is no where near enough time to share all my thoughts. I'll start with a few ideas I pulled out of the general spirit of conference. First the plan of salvation is real, God exists and Christ does too, they work through divinely called leaders in the church. Second, what we learn in the scriptures and from the word of prophets and apostles are not just good words to hear, they are things to apply. Application of what we learn is essential to holding on to the "old ship zion" we can not jump out and try to swim to exaltation on our own. Third, the sacrament is so incredibly important to our lives and to our salvation. We received very strong correction from Francisco J. Viñas, as he told us we should not be late to sacrament and we should not arrive without preparing ourselves before. Go back and watch that one... from the first session on Saturday, and the talk by Elder Eyring was super good too where he spoke of the role of the spirit in our lives through the sacrament. Fourth, the men that are called as leaders of the church are men called of God, we need to sustain them by applying the things they teach, if we do not apply what we learn, they serve us no purpose. My question is how long will it be until we forget what was taught. 1 week... 2 weeks..,. a month? ...or do we have to wait 6 months to relearn and reapply.... if you ask me each conference is a step in a staircase to exaltation. Are we just jumping up and down on the first step or are we slowly making our way up the stairs building ourselves upwards off of each step. We need to apply everyday until it is habit, that is how we become like christ, apply what we have learned in our hearts, nuestro corezones. I'd like to share a few of my notes from one of the talks, one of my favorites. 

This is from some of my reflection on conference.

" The Talk by Larry R. Lawrence is one of my favorite talks thus far into conference. First thing is first we must be humble and teachable and if we are, the Lord will take us by the hand and show us the way. Then we must pray and if we are to receive an answer we must be willing to act when we receive that answer. That is part of being teachable. As we ask humble, sincere questions in prayer, the spirit will give us personalized answers that may shock us. The spirit is going to be honest with us. Sacrament is the perfect time to reflect on ourselves and ask the question "what lack I yet." Elder Lawrence then gave us a commitment (in spanish we say compromiso... not sure if that's a good translation) to kneel down and sincerely and humbly ask "what is keeping me from progression?" with the desire and humility to act on whatever answer we receive. the speed of our progression is nowhere near as important as is our direction, towards Exaltation." 

Before my mission I knew nothing... suddenly it is as if my eyes are opening, I am understanding things in my heart that I always knew in my mind. This is crucial I think to our progression... the growth of understanding in one's heart... there is so much more I would like to share but my words are not the prophets, for this reason I invite all of you to get on the church website and watch these talks again and take heartfelt notes even on things you do not think apply to you. I'd like to end with my reflections on elder Holland's talk. 

As usual Jeffrey R holland gave a powerful talk specifically of and too mothers. Christ's love for us is just like that of a mothers, never failing. This love of a mother to her child is divine and because it is divine children can cause their mothers great pain, the same way they cause the savior pain. I echo the word of Elder Holland, but specifically to my mother "Thank you, you are doing Better than you think you are."

Want to know more about what the Prophet asked of us?  Click on the link below:

https://www.lds.org/prophets-and-apostles/unto-all-the-world/october-2015-general-conference-invitations-from-the-prophet?cid=HP_SU_10-4-2015_dPTH_fCNWS_xLIDyL1-A_&lang=eng

This link below will take you to all of the wonderful conference talks spoken about above:

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/sessions/2015/10?lang=eng