The last week of my first transfer!!!!!!! It went by so fast!!!!! By next Wednesday I will have a new companion!!!!! I inherited tons of cool stuff from my "trunky" companion.
Last week we got a referral for someone named Byron. We tried contacting him but we got no answer at the door. I had to look at something on my bike so we ended up staying an extra 5 minutes outside that door. We were just about to leave when the door was opened and they asked us if we knocked. 5 minutes later we were teaching Byron!!!!! Byron makes me so happy!!!! He already accepted a baptismal date and currently is preparing himself to make that covenant relationship with God. He was in an accident and is a victim of a gun fight so he has been unable to walk since July. But his faith in the Lord did not disappear. He trusts in the Lord and has changed many of his old habits. He exemplifies humility!!!!!
Oh and he is from Nicaragua so he never pronounces the final "s" on words. (Spanish accents are fun!!!!! I always make sure to use them while singing.)
Since Elder Pettit will be gone soon and my companion will not know the area I have started leading us to appointments so I can learn where everything this. That way we don't get lost.
That also means I get to start conversations with people. Which is easy fro me because everybody knows how much I like to talk.... But it never ceases to amaze me the stories hear. Just when think I've heard it all I hear something crazier. I gave a man a card with the Oakland temple on it and he told me that he had seen that same card in a vision...I'm pretty sure he was what Californians call "medicated." Then a man told me story about how his dog (that was barking at us during our conversation) had been brought back to life by his pastor. In his own words (translated of course) he said, "it was as if electricity had struck the dog, and then he came back to life"
The rain finally cleared and we are again enjoying beautiful California weather!!!
Hope all is well back in the AZ.
Sincerely,
Elder Luis Gonzalez
Monday, January 30, 2012
Monday, January 23, 2012
January 23, 2012
I saw more rain in the last 4 days here in Richmond, than in the last 4 years in Queen Creek. The rain refuses to stop pouring on us. And it goes through cycles of hard and soft rain. Unfortunately we go stuck in one of those hard cycles on Friday when my bicycle decided to get a flat. We get home each night and have to change before we are able to do daily planning. I found out today that having a rainy P-day on bike is very comparable to having it rain for a straight week and having that week be spring break.
Besides the rain and the flat bike the other great hinderance to the Lord's work was the 49ers game. 4 out of 5 of the houses we knocked were watching the game and told us "right now is not a good time..." Even later into the night people were distracted by the game. We found out that the game had gone into overtime...
Elder Pettit and I are excited about our current investigators, they are reading the Book Of Mormon and are asking lots of questions. One of our investigators, Raquel, is from Brazil but speaks really good spanish. She seems very excited to come to church and is always happy to see us. However she lives in North Richmond and can only see us later at night. We're not too scared of North Richmond we just prefer to not tract there after dark. But the police officer that pulled us over is apparently very concerned for us. He flashed his lights at us and said "Do you guys know where you are at?" My companion and I almost laughed right there on the spot.
Elder Pettit got his "double trunk" this week. The double trunk is the letter the mission ofiice sends to you a couple weeks before you go home and it gives you an itenirary of your last days here in the mission. Thankfully, Elder Pettit is able to control his trunkiness and is able to do a good job as my trainer.
Sincerely,
Elder Luis Gonzalez
Purpose as a MIssionary:
Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them recived the restored gospel, through faith in Jesus Christ and his atonement, repentance, baptism, reciveing the gift of the Holy Ghost, and endring to the end.
Tuesday, January 17, 2012
January 17, 2012
So many crazy things happened this week! I know the 49ers won on Saturday because I heard people yelling "9ers! 9ers!" through their screen doors. And I also know they beat the Saints because this one was running out in the middle of the street yelling "49ers won!" as cars drove by. So when we rode our bikes by him he stopped us and gave us a weird high-five kinda thing and then he hugged us. Then he told us "We marched all over those Saints!"
Up in North Richmond Elder Pettit and I have a friend that we call La Santa Muerte. Its a cat that has been lying dead on the side of the street for 2 weeks now (possibly more). One day we found a guy from Brazil that had very little Spanish knowledge. He actually invited us in and let us teach right there and then. I had the hardest time trying to figure out what he was saying and I'm not even sure he understood what what we taught him. But he seemed interested. Right after talking him we talked to some one in Spanish and I was amazed out how clear that Spanish sounded!
We found tons of new investigators this week. After weeks of doing tons of knocking and street contacting we finally found some solid investigators. We were super sad that none of them came to church though. I realized this week how big our area is, we biked for a good twenty minutes (uphill) to get to a recent converts house. There is plenty of Latinos to talk in our area that's for sure. Although lots of then just like to talk to us for a half hour and then tell us that they are not interested. Then one day the Jehovah Witness missionaries actually knocked on our apartment door. We had a nice little chat and then declined the Watchtower they offered us. We are thinking about offering them an Ensign next time they come.
The weeks go by so fast. I can't believe I'm halfway through my first transfer. Elder Pettit has started to pack and he is awaiting his "double trunk". That's the letter you get form the mission with all your travel information before going home. I'll be getting a new companion soon which means we'll both be lost in Richmond together!!!!! Just kidding, I only get lost half the time now.
That's all for now!!!
Elder Luis Gonzalez
Monday, January 9, 2012
January 9, 2012
Hola!
I've talked to so many people this week. We just bike up and down 23rd street sometimes and just talk to people and ask if we can share a message with them in their homes. It surprised me how many people are actually willing to just stand there and talk to us. And there is always people that have 15-20 minute conversations with us. Most people aren't willing to say no to us so they usually gave us a fake address or phone number. It’s pretty funny when we bike to the address someone has given us and we find a n old abandoned warehouse. We have no problems finding Latinos to talk to here in Richmond. My Spanish is slowly but surely improving, I was able to get a referral all yesterday for the first time without my companion's help.
I've talked to so many people this week. We just bike up and down 23rd street sometimes and just talk to people and ask if we can share a message with them in their homes. It surprised me how many people are actually willing to just stand there and talk to us. And there is always people that have 15-20 minute conversations with us. Most people aren't willing to say no to us so they usually gave us a fake address or phone number. It’s pretty funny when we bike to the address someone has given us and we find a n old abandoned warehouse. We have no problems finding Latinos to talk to here in Richmond. My Spanish is slowly but surely improving, I was able to get a referral all yesterday for the first time without my companion's help.
I experienced BART for the first time this week. It’s the train system they have here in the Bay area. It’s pretty relaxing most of the time, but when it gets to be rush hour, there is nowhere to sit and there is a great lack of elbow room. We went to a new missionary training in Oakland on the temple grounds. Then on Saturday morning we rode BART to Oakland again so my companion could be an escort for one of his recent converts that was going thru the temple. That was such a good experience. The temple is so so so so much more beautiful in the inside.
This Saturday and Sunday was the Concord Stake Conference. The Concord Stake covers our whole zone, even though the stake center is about 40 minutes away (so much different than back in Queen Creek). Elder Pettit and I got the great privilege of translating the conference into Spanish for the Spanish ward. We took turns switching off every talk. Lo and behold, I got the General Authority, Elder Gardner (sp?) from the Seventy. He spoke for a good 40 minutes. I'm hoping the Spirit filled in the gaps that I missed!
The Church members of Richmond definitely love us. A couple of times when we have been crossing the railroad tracks to get to North Richmond, people have yelled out there windows, "Be safe Elders!" Then the other day there was a sister that was closing the door on us when all of a sudden she pulled out a conference issue of the Ensign. My companion and I just started laughing. The ward members always make us such good food to eat. If I weren't on bike I think I would be gaining so much weight.
Every day is such an adventure out here. I love listening to people's crazy stories (especially from the Latinos). Just when I think I've heard it all, I talk to someone who tops it.
It truly is amazing how much one learns about themselves when everything they do is for other people. It’s amazing how much you grow to love others when you study to help them, pray for them, plan how to best help them, even when they reject you and choose to go down another path. I love living my purpose as a missionary even if it’s not always easy, "Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored Gospel, through faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end." (PMG pg. 1)
Love and best wishes!
P.S. I am now committed to learning the Vostros form in Spanish because it just sounds so cool! And also whenever I sing in Spanish I always make sure to sing using the castelleno accent :)
I experienced BART for the first time this week. It’s the train system they have here in the Bay area. It’s pretty relaxing most of the time, but when it gets to be rush hour, there is nowhere to sit and there is a great lack of elbow room. We went to a new missionary training in Oakland on the temple grounds. Then on Saturday morning we rode BART to Oakland again so my companion could be an escort for one of his recent converts that was going thru the temple. That was such a good experience. The temple is so so so so much more beautiful in the inside.
This Saturday and Sunday was the Concord Stake Conference. The Concord Stake covers our whole zone, even though the stake center is about 40 minutes away (so much different than back in Queen Creek). Elder Pettit and I got the great privilege of translating the conference into Spanish for the Spanish ward. We took turns switching off every talk. Lo and behold, I got the General Authority, Elder Gardner (sp?) from the Seventy. He spoke for a good 40 minutes. I'm hoping the Spirit filled in the gaps that I missed!
The Church members of Richmond definitely love us. A couple of times when we have been crossing the railroad tracks to get to North Richmond, people have yelled out there windows, "Be safe Elders!" Then the other day there was a sister that was closing the door on us when all of a sudden she pulled out a conference issue of the Ensign. My companion and I just started laughing. The ward members always make us such good food to eat. If I weren't on bike I think I would be gaining so much weight.
Every day is such an adventure out here. I love listening to people's crazy stories (especially from the Latinos). Just when I think I've heard it all, I talk to someone who tops it.
It truly is amazing how much one learns about themselves when everything they do is for other people. It’s amazing how much you grow to love others when you study to help them, pray for them, plan how to best help them, even when they reject you and choose to go down another path. I love living my purpose as a missionary even if it’s not always easy, "Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored Gospel, through faith in Jesus Christ, repentance, baptism, receiving the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end." (PMG pg. 1)
Love and best wishes!
Elder Luis GonzalezP.S. I am now committed to learning the Vostros form in Spanish because it just sounds so cool! And also whenever I sing in Spanish I always make sure to sing using the castelleno accent :)
Monday, January 2, 2012
I'm in the Field!
Brothers and Sisters!!!!!
I love it here so much!!! The people are so nice and the weather is perfect! Although we did get some crazy fog the other night!
My companion is Elder Pettit from Las Vegas and he is an awesome trainer. We are serving the Richmond 1st ward which is a Spanish speaking ward. We are on bikes so luckily there aren't to many crazy hills in our area. Luckily I was a runner so I'm not too sore at the end of each night. (side story: I was art Target buying lights for my bike when I heard Taylor Swift music playing and it just felt so weird and out of place.)
My first day here, all the new missionaries went out to lunch with the President Wade (who is the coolest mission president ever!!!!). It was some crazy Chinese restaurant. I decided to be brave and try the frog legs. They weren't bad at all! Then we went back to the Mission and walked over to the temple and walked up to the top and President told us the story of how he got called to be the mission president. We met his wife who is pregnant and is due some time this month and his 2 daughters, Ashley who is 6 and likes hitting the missionaries, and Rachel who is in 8th grade. We didn't get to meet his son Trevor who is a junior in high school.
The people here in Richmond are so nice, I love talking to them and getting to know them. Everyone is so respectful and for the most part are really easy to talk to. We've met so many potential investigators just by talking to people on the street and by knocking doors. The people here have so much faith and truly love God are are trying to serve the best they can.
Yesterday we baptized this sister named Nieves. She is from Honduras but she is also black. Her ancestors were brought over during the slave trade. She is one of the most fun people I've ever met. And she has the craziest stories. She mas being interviewed by President Wade and she took up an hour and a half just telling him all these crazy stories. She was so happy at her baptism and it reminded me of my own baptism. I know she is going to be a great member! Afterwards we took pictures at the temple (we had to go top the baptismal font near the temple because the Richmond building doesn't have one). We are teaching these two brothers Lupe and Salvador, the both have baptismal dates and if they are able to keep commitments they will be baptized in the next couple of weeks!!!!
The field is truly white all ready to harvest!!!!!
Elder Luis Gonzalez
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