Transfer 6. Week 1. July 30, 2012

We had  to go to Berkeley on Wednesday for Elder Mares' doctor appiontment.  We decided to take the San Mateo Bridge instead if the Bay Bridge because there is less traffic on the San Mateo Bridge.  Once we got to the east side of the bay the traffic on the freeway picked up so as not to be late we decided to get off the freeway and drive thru the city.  We drove all the way from Hayward to Berkeley.  And just let me tell you, the California Oakland/San Francisco Mission is amazing!  The whole drive was beautiful. 

 

Elder Mares has what the doctor called "water on the knee" which basically means that his knee cap is out of place beacuse of some fluid.  The doctor said that he would not need surgery or anything like that but that it would just take time to heal.  Thats not really what one wants to hear when one only has 2 years to serve.  The doctor told Elder Mares that he doesn't neccassirly rest all day  but that he should take things "slow".  Needless to say, our tracting time has been greatly reduced and we are having a really hard time finding investigators. 

 

Despite this hardship, some great things are happening in the ward.  Yesterday was the start of a ward 40 day fast for missionary work.  I know that miracles are right around the corner.   As we are taught by Alma 6:6  "The children of God were commanded to  that they should gather themselves oft, and join in fasting and might prayer in behalf of the welfare of the souls of those who knew not God."  I know that the Lord will soon lead us to those who know that God. 

 

I am so grateful for the restored gospel of Jesus Christ.  It is such a pleasure to wake up everyday and know that I will be inviting people to come unto Christ.  That I will be dedicating that whole day to helping them God's greatest gift, eternal life.  I know that the Book of Mormon is the keystone of our religion.  This week the Book of Mormon has helped me to see that through the tribulations we may face that God will always be there.  Alma when explaining his pain said "there could be been nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains."  At times I feel this way and I think I just cannot go on.  But I strive to always remember the next part of Alma's wordsm, "That on the  other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy."  I know all things bitter can be made into sweet through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

 

Sincerly,

 

Elder Luis Gonzalez

Transfer 5. Week 6. July 23, 2012

We got transfer calls saturday and the Lord has decided................(drum roll)...........................That Elder Mares and I should stay in Half Moon Bay.  How grateful I am that the Lord has placed me in the coldest part of the mission for the summer.  Elder Mares and I have decided to go to the vey bottom of our area and to take a picture of the Mission boundary.    This week was super hard, mainly cause we did a whole lot of nothing.  Our District Leader was on exchanges with Elder Mares.  Elder Mares was backing him out (but he decided to stand in the blind spot) and Elder Mares' knee got pinned between two cars.  He called Hermana Olvera, the mission nurse.  She has told him to do nothing.  We are not allowed to leave the apartment.  Which means we can't really do missionary work.  We are going to Berkely on Wednesday so the doctors can look at his knee.  Until then we are pretty bored.    In the mean time, our investigator has to live the word of wisdom by saturday to be baptized on her scheduled baptismal date.  Unfortunately she is still smoking 8-10 ciggarettes per day.  We are praying for a miracle.    This week I finished reading the Book of Mormon.  I decided to take the suggestion of Preach My Gospel and pray to have my testimony of the Book of Mormon strengthed.  I know that God speaks in our day and that he has once again called a prophet to guide his church.  I know that Prophet is President Thomas S. Monson and that he holds the same priesthood that the Apostles of  old held.  I know that it is by the Prophet Joseph Smith that the Lord's Kingdom has been restored.  I know that God loves ME and I know these things because I know the Book of Mormon is true.   Read the Book of Mormon, it will you bring closer to God than any other book.   Sincerely,   Elder Luis Gonzalez

Transfer 5. Week 5. July 16, 2012

The bad things about summer as a missionary is that everyone is going out of town or they are never home.  We were unable to find any new investigators this week.  And we haven't been able to have as many lessons as we would like.  And then none of our investigators came to church.  Our most solid investigator at the moment isn't very good about remembering our appiontments.  We have to constantly remind her.  But on the brightside she has started to cut down on the amount of ciggerattes she smokes everyday.  Elder Mares has hurt his knee again, so we have tomeet our goals while allowing him to rest properly.  Things don't look so good for this week.   However, despite our not so good week, we had 3 of our latino families come to church this week.  The spanish sunday school class was a happy site.  And a lot of the new families moving into the ward speak spanish because of their missions.    So the futire for our little spanish group is looking good.  And also the Bishop is working with the ward to help them do more missionary work.  The bishopric has given a talk on Preach My Gospel and the whole ward has been invited to read Preach My Gospel before the end of the year.  So Iknow success is up ahead!   Hope all is well!   Elder Luis Gonzalez

Transfer 5. Week 4. July9, 2012

While teaching one of our investigators this week she related to us one of her dreams (and according to her, almost all her dreams come true.  The dreams starts with her hanging out with Osama Bin Laden and then they decide to go burn rich peoples' houses.  I was too busy laughing to hear the rest of the dream but I doubt she couldn't topped that part of the dream.  She unfortunatley was unable to come to church because her dad was in the hospital.   The only thing special about 4th of July as a missionary is that we sang the patriotic hymns in the hymn book in companionship study.  And we listened to MoTab sing some patriotic songs as we drove to District meeting.  And then we got an awesome barbarque dinner from the stake patriach later that evening.  I never thought, I would be cold on the 4th of July.   Friday night we were about to go visit a potentcial investigator but then i heard a loud noise coming from the front wheel of the car.  We examined it more closely and saw that we had gotten a hole in the tire and it was goinf flat at a  very swift rate. Considering the closet tire place was over half  an hour away that put an end to our night.  We spent Saturday in San Bruno waiting for our tire to be fixed.    Well thats all for now!!!!   Stay Swift,   Elder Luis Gonzlez  

Transfer 5 week 3. July 2, 2012

The biggest thing that happened this week is that we met President and Sister Meredith!!!!!  I never knew how much you could love someone you just met.  But what I noticed most about them is the great love they have for us even though they know very little about us.  I am so excited to get to know them better!!!!   So we are teaching a woman we found while tracting and this week we invited her to live the word of wisdom and the law of Chastity.  She admitted to us that she has problems with both but what seemed so amazing to me is the desire she has to live them.  She understands that these commandments are God's will and that when we disobey it saddens our Father in Heaven who wants nothing less than our eternal happiness.  It was so great to see herself humble herself enough to ask two 19ish year olds how she could began to fully live the word of wisdom.    The temperatures continue to be in the 60's here in Half Moon Bay and the mornings and evenings are super foggy with most days being sunny.  When I tell people that I am fro Arizona they always ask me if I am loving the weather, which of course I am!   Next P-day our district is planning on going to Alcatraz!!! Should be exciting!!!!   Thats it for this week!!!1   Sincerely,   Elder Luis Gonzalez   3 Nephi 17:21