Transfer 9 week 2. December 10, 2012

Dear Peoples,

Yesterday was such a great day!!!!!  Maria was baptized!!!!!  She was so happy! I am will be ever grateful to see the miracle of the atonement over and over in my mission.  There is nothing like seeing someone step into the waters of baptism and covenant with our Heavenly Father that they will follow Jesus Christ.  When they leave the waters of baptism they also leave the world and all the pain associated therewith. I am reminded of the words of Alma "My soul hath been redeemed from the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity. I was in the darkest abyss; but now I behold the marvelous light of God. My soul was racked with eternal torment; but I am snatched, and my soul is pained no more." (Mosiah 27:29)

This week were able to teach tons of people by inviting them to hear a Christmas Message.  Unfortunately that means they got to hear me sing several times (including "Angels We Have Heard on High" I assure that it was not pretty) but luckily they felt the Spirit and invited us to come back to hear about the Restoration. I really love Christmas!!!!!!  I am so happy that I get to share my love for Christmas with others and call it missionary work!

This week I spent my lunch hours making SNOWFLAKES!  I will be handing one out to each missionary at Zone Conference tomorrow!!!  

I thoroughly enjoy being able to go into the Visitor's Center several times each week.  Its so Christmas-y and happy!  Before Maria's interview we were able to go thru "God's Plan for Families" with her and were able to invite her to prepare to enter the temple after she has been baptized.

Saturday I was on exchanges with Elder Sturgell (who was in the MTC with me).  We talked to this one guy named John Connor who informed us that Canada, The US, and Mexico will soon be joining together to make their equivalent of the European Union.  And this will be for the purpose of handing the world over to Satan.  We told him that we weren't too sure about that and he replied with "y'all need to do more studying"  We told him to read the Book of Mormon because he it would clarify the Bible and he responded with "nah, thats ok the Bible is pretty clear to me."

Well thats all I have from the Ghetto of Oakland this week!

Sincerely,

Elder Luis Gonzalez