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