flight change

Luis' flight was changed to 3:20 pm  US Airways Flight 562
on December 4, 2013

December 2, 2013- Transfer 17, Week 6

 "Endure to the End"‏

Luis Gonzelez Elder

 

 

 

 

 

This week was amazing!  What I will remember most is being able to bear my testimony and invite others to come unto Christ.  Such a blessing!  I saw many miracles this week.

 

But  most of all this week I want to bear my testimony.  I know this church is true.  The book of Mormon is true.  Joseph Smith was a prophet of God.  The priesthood is on the earth.  

Always share the gospel.  There is no other way.  Its our greatest responsibility.

I love you all.

Sincerely,

Élder Luis González

2 Nephi 31

November 25, 2013- Transfer 17, Week 5

Subject: Transfer 17 Week 5 "The Death Bed and Rain!"

The Lord decied he would test me with some great rain this week!  My companion refused to go outside in the rain.  So then I quickly called a member and asked if we could come over for a lesson.  They said yes.  When we got there, there was a nonmember there that asked us tons of questions! We taught her the first lesson and she said she would pray and read the Book of Mormon!  It was an awesome miracle.

I went on my final exchange with Elder Sommer!  I was in the YSA ward.  It was a crazy day full of tons of driving!  But it was a good exchange!

 

My companion got sick on saturday, so we did not help at the Brentwood Parade and barely made it to Stake Conference.  I was so bored in the apartment for two days!!!!!!!!!  But the aparatment is looking clean!

 

Everything is looking great!  We found some new investigators and are planning on finding more this week!!!!!

 

I am a missionary.  I know it.  I love it.  I live it!

 

Jacob 6:12

 

Love,

 

Elder Luis Gonzalez :)

flight plans

Luis arrives home on December 4, 2013 at 2:27 pm in Phoenix.
Delta flight 4501

November 18, 2013- Transfer 17, Week 4

 "The Mormon Temple in New Delhi"

Saturday I talked to a nice lady from India.  I gave her a card of the Oakland Temple, to which she replied,  "Is this in New Delhi?"

She called us this morning because she wants to meet with us!  So awesome!

 

Our Investigator also came to church yesterday, but only stayed for sacrament.  The Bishop is his home teacher, so we have a really good ally on our side. 

 

The tire on bicycle wore out and popped my tube.  I am borrowing a member's bike right now.  It is very girly.  It makes me laugh. 

 

Tuesday and Wednesday I got to go to Oakland!!!!!  There was leadership training for ALL the leadership in the mission.  It was so much fun seeing all my friends in the mission.  But it was really weird to realize that I was in the oldest group there!  i learned so much there that i will be able to apply throughout my life!

 

This week  I was very grateful for the opportunity I have to talk to EVERYONE about the restored Gospel.  It is such a privilege and blessing to be a representative of Jesus Christ.  3 Nephi 5:13

 

Never forget your duty to share the Gospel at all times!  "Share the gospel at all times, and if necessary use words."  if your example hasn't brought some to church, then its time for you to use words!!!!

 

Sincerely,

 

Elder Luis Gonzalez

Transfer 17, Week 3- November 11, 2013

 "Obedience is the first law of EVERYTHING"
Wednesday I got to travel all the way out to Oakland!  I needed a temple recommend interview.  So I have a new recommend signed by my mission President!

Thursday we had an emergency Zone Leadership Council .  They told us to make sure our district was informed of everything, but my whole district was already there.  But we talked a lot about obedience and about exact obedience.  Also about correcting disobedience.  It was super inspiring. 

On Saturday at my district meeting I trained on why we should be obedient and how to help others be obedient.  It was really awesome.  

On Sunday we had lunch wit a less active family, and it was so good!  Then we had dinner with the Bishop and his family. 

 We were helping the young men and women pass out invites to their activity this week.  They wanted to invite the older brothers and sisters of the ward to a slideshow.  As we were helping with that we went by a family who had just found out that their daughter had died.  We didn't feel like we did much but they appreciated our visit.  It was so cool that the Spirit took us to exactly where we needed to be.

 

I'm loving my bicycle! I finally got the lights on it fixed! 

 

Well that's a summary of my week!

 

I know the Lord loves us despite our weaknesses.  He wants to help us improve and to grow.  But we need to be willing to let go of those small things that we are hanging on to.  Don't hold back a portion of your heart. Give it all to the Lord.  It will be the greatest thing you will ever do.

 

Sincerely,

 

Élder Luis González

Transfer 17, Week 2- November 4, 2013

"When The Mighty Winds shall beat upon you"
There was some crazy wind this week.  Luckily when the worst parts hit we were inside.  We have been mainly been working with members this week.  We also invited ppl to learn about family history this week, but not too much success.   We are teaching tons of less active members though and it is going great!  It is still really wierd to teach in english.  I decided to tell the members I will be going home soon and I've been using that to encourage them to do their missionary work.  We tracted into a YSA recent convert and he asked us tons of crazy questions.  One of the recent converts in our ward has a cool pet snake.  We cleaned on halloween night.  Its a new apartment so we finished super fast.  I spent the rest of the night throwing away stuff I dont want to take home.  A member here in the ward has the same birthday as me so his wife made us dinner and cake!  It was a good birthday!

 

That's my week in a nutshell!

 

Con tanto amor,

 

Elder Luis Gonzalez

October 28, 2013- Transfer 17 Week 1

 "Praying in English is HARD"
Not sure how many of you are still reading this but here we go..

So it turns out that English speakers that don't live in the ghetto are a lot meaner when you talk to them about the gospel.  I am so glad that there is a Spanish group in our ward so I actually get to speak Spanish!  But the members here are awesome, and the area reminds me tons of queen creek.

I am determined to make the members here into a finding, letting the missionaries teach, baptizing machine.  They have so much potential. 

I am enjoying my bike!  It makes some things harder, but I am not complaining. 

There was some crazy wind last night.

The ward had a chili cook off and trick or treat on Friday.  It was tons of fun and I got to know a handful of the members

I'm excited for these next couple of weeks!

 

LOVE,

 

Elder Luis Gonzalez

October 21, 2013- Transfer 16 Week 6

 "I Love the Pittsburg 4 Relief Society District"

This week we had transfer calls!.....................................................

The week started kinda shaky but by the end of the week the sets of sisters helped their baptismal candidates pass their interviews.  They organized the baptism and got it all ready.  We had a couple of the families from the branch show up and support them.  We sang "Lead, Kindly Light".  The investigator we were able to help come started crying during our song.  She loved the baptism as well.  We are really excited about her progress.

The primary program lasted an infinity!  Sacrament lasted 30 minutes longer than usual.  We got to sing Helaman's army with the primary.

.................................................................................................................I have been transferred to a new area ...............................................................................................its in the same zone /stake..........................................................................Brentwood 1B.......................................................its in English ward. :(

Sincerely,

Elder Luis Gonzalez

P.S. I will miss my companion and my favorite district ever!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

October 14, 2013- Transfer 16 Week 5

 "Pulga Burritos are so Good"
Not too much time this week. So here is the run down of the week.

A less active family has come back to church and we set a baptismal date with the 9 yr old daughter.!!!! The dad quit alcohol so he can baptize her!

Our new investigator came to church!  But she didn't like it because there was no crazy band.

We talked to 40 ppl on Saturday at the Pulga (flea market) and afterwards had some really good burritos.

A less active that comes to lessons with us is coming to church and is inviting all his friends to church!

Sincerely,

Elder Luis Gonzalez

October 7, 2013- Transfer Week 4

Sunday-In between the awesome sessions of conference, we ate with the Tongans!  We are still trying to decide if that was a good choice or a bad one. 

Then afterwards we met as a district and organized some things with the branch.  Then we ate pupusas with the branch president and half the branch.  Elder Serdar and Hermana did a Duet  "Tengo Gozo en Mi Alma Hoy"

Saturday-In between sessions of conference we taught a less active sister who LOVED listening to conference although she only understood a little bit because it was in english.

Friday-We had choir practice and Elder Serdar got out of doing a duet and we convinced the Primary President to let the Hermanas. 

Thursday-District Meeting! With my paisana (you can look that up if you want) Hermana Cooper!  That night during splits I found 2 new investigators with Presidente Alvarado.

 

Wednesday-We spent tons of time tracting.

 

Monday-We taught three less active familias during the night!

 

thats a summary of my week!

 

Sincerely,

Elder Luis Gonzalez

September 30, 2013- Transfer 16 Week 3

 "Oakland x 2 + Seventy = Happyness"‏

So yes, the Lord was merciful this week and allowed to travel to Oakland twice this week!

It seemed that so many people were sick this week, we gave 3 blessings this week, and took the sacrament to an elderly sister. 

Wednesday we got to go to the temple!  There is crazy traffic from Antioch to Oakland so when we got to the temple and I realized that I had forgotten my temple recommend I was not very happy.  Luckily, they were able to look me up and we had no problems.  That night we found a new investigator.  We are going back tonight.

Thursday night I went on splits with President Alvarado and visited some families in the ward.

Friday we went back to Oakland, we ate $3 burritos, were taught by Elder Aidukiatis from the Seventy all this added up to a super fantastic great FRIDAY!!!!!! I was so happy that day!  There is nowhere like Oakland!

Saturday we went to the flea market and found 20 potential investigators as a district.

That sums up this week!  I love it!

Sincerely,

Elder Luis Gonzalez

September 25, 2013- Transfer 16 Week 2

"Flor ¿Tienes Hambre?" (Flower, are you hungry?)
On Sunday I gave a talk at sacrament meeting! Not my best talk but the five families in the branches seemed to like it. I got to confirm Cristopher!  And we had three new investigators come to church!!!! It was a really good Sunday!
Saturday was full of craziness.  We went to the flea market as a district but then it rained so it emptied out really quick.  But not before we got a handful of referrals.  Then we had a branch family home evening.   Us six missionaries did a skit to tech the branch members how to do their own family home evenings.  I got to play the part of the eldest lazy brother who does nothing.
Friday I had interviews with President

Thursday we got to do service and move 267854352897 pots so they could paint our member's home.

We  found a new investigator tracting this week but he has disappeared and wont answer our calls.
That sums up this great week in the vineyard of the Lord!

Sincerely,

Elder Luis Gonzalez

P. S.  Still trying to figure out how to be district leader over a district of all sisters. Help would be appreciated.

September 16, 2013

So it seems like the Lord wanted me to be prepared to return to the desert. I'm in the hottest part of the mission. It gets well over a hundred out here. There aren’t to many mountains out here but there are tons of hills. and because it’s so hot the grass dries out and hence we have "golden hills." It’s a lot safer out here, I miss the ghetto but it’s nice to not here as many gunshots every night.

 I am now serving in a branch. We have lots of good work to do. There are tons of Latinos out here too, so I'm super excited about that! But we will have to strengthen the branch so that we can help them do their missionary work. The branch president has a cool President Monson tie.

 We had a baptism this weekend! I in reality didn’t do much, I was just here to witness the miracle! He is thirteen and is super awesome! He is from Costa Rica. He told our zone leader that he was born in San Jose, the zone leader thought he knew where that was until we told him it was the San Jose in Costa Rica, not California.

 My district has all sisters. I had the longest Sunday night of my mission last night. It had nothing to do with how late I went to be (although that didn't help).

 I'm super excited to be here, it’s gonna be fun!

 Sincerely, 

Élder Luis González

PICTURES!- September 1, 2013

I wish I had labels for all of these pictures, we'll just have to wait and hear about them when Luis gets home!

 

September 9, 2013

Mon 9/09/13 2:35 PM

Transfer calls!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 So I will be...............................................(drum roll).......................................................................I have been transferred to a new area, I will be serving in Pittsburg 4 branch.

This week we taught 17 lessons to recent converts and less actives.  we had tuaght them earlier in the week, but when we found out that I am leaving we went back and visited them and said goodbye.

English classes were so much fun!  There was a really short student that Elder Clark towered over.

have to go pack!

Love,

Elder Gonzalez

 

one year in one place: two things happen 1.  You really really love some of the members and your recent converts and never want to leave 2. you really really get excited to leave because you get tired of the members who don't want to do anything

unusual for my mission? yes

i have learned many great things here's a list

1. patience

2. long-sufferring

3. way too much about the Visitor's Center

4.time is a valuable resource

Transfer 15 Week 5- September 2, 2013

 "Way Too much Food"

We had dinner with members everyday this week!  And also some lunches.  We ate way too much.

We are trying to find new investigators right now.  We did some contacting up at the temple because there are always so many latinos up there.  We got a couple of contacts that we are gonna visit.

 

We started morning english classes so we hope we get a better turn out.

 Nothing else was very new.  A pretty normal week.

Love, 

Elder Luis Gonzalez

P.S. I hit my year mark in this area on the 4th!  :)

Transfer 15, Week 4- August 26, 2013

"The Mystery of the Mattress"

So Elder Felt, a senior missionary delivered a mattress to our apartment this week.  I have no idea why.  My guess is I'm going to be in a trio again.

The whole mattress thing has preoccupied my mind this week but these are some of the things that happened this week:

Our new investigator gave us all his coffee!  we carried around coffee all day with us.

We ate pupusas with our recent convert Milagro and the primary president Hna Celis!  I ate way too much!

Yesterday was the confirmation our latest converts.  They were so happy.

Love, Elder Gonzalez

Transfer 15, Week 3- August 19, 2013

 "How do you say 'BAPTISM' in Chinese?'

so much craziness this week, I don't even know where to start!

Monday!

We had a family home evening with our investigators and recent convert.  The kids tried to wake up Elder Clark as he was "sleeping."  They did not succeed until they read the instructions on the paper we gave them.  We then taught the importance of reading the scriptures t help us find solutions to our problems.

Tuesday!

I got to go to the Chinese program for a day!!!!!! My purpose was to learn more about how to make our English classes more effective for proselyting.  I definitely did learn about that but I learned so so so much more!  We taught a lady who accepted the invitation to be baptized.  I however had no idea that is what happened. I am still practicing on saying "I am a representative of Jesus Christ" in mandarin but i got pretty good at saying "God loves you."  All the chinese missionaries laugh when I say it, probably cause I say it pretty bad.

Wednesday!

ZONE CONFERENCE!  I learned so much!  The best way for me to describe it would be in missionary terms but then none of you would understand! haha

Thursday!

7 new investigators!  1 family.  They are from Guatemala.  Yes they speak mostly mam.

Sunday!

Los Piedra were baptized!  Their family came! It was so cool!  We are going to start teaching them this week!  We went to the VC afterwards and took pictures with the Christus!

I LOVE THIS WORK!

H-A-P-P-I-E-S-T time of my life!

Love,

Élder Luis González

Transfer 15 Week 2- August 12, 2013

Ireland: I
 went on exchanges with Elder O' Farrell. We salvaged a member dinner and lunch!  Then we were able to find a new investigator with a handful of potentials.   People seemed to be so impressed that someone from Ireland can speak spanish.
Cow Tongue:

I thought it was delicious.  The other elders not so much.

The Stones:
In spanish it is said "Los Piedra"  which is  the name of thefamily we are teaching.  They came to the ward picnic and loved it! their little girl went swimming!  Then we went to the VC and watched the Joseph Smith Movie at the Visitor's Center.  Last night we had a mini testimony meeting after church.  Another person who  lives in the house and who had never joined us before came in and sat down with us.  She had tons of questions.  She asked us why we were so calm and just over all peaceful.  My answer has been something I have reflected upon often in a very short amount of time.

"I guess the reason why we are so full of peace is because....that although we have tons of personal problems, here and back home, and plenty of worries, that is not the focus of our lives.  The things I think about most and worry about most are who i am going to teach, who i am going to find so that i can teach, how I'm gonna help these people come closer to Christ.  That is my life right now. "

Sincerely,
Élder Luis González

Transfer 15 Week 1- August 5, 2013

Milagro was baptized.  I was so happy!  I am so grateful that we went street contacting on the streets of Oakland that May afternoon!  The Lord truly puts people in our path.  
Love,
Élder Luis González

Transfer 14 Week 6- July 29, 2013

So we got transfer calls on Saturday!!!!!! So the transfers are as follows.......................................................................................(drum roll)......................................................................................Elder Villa has been called to serve in the San Leandro 2 Branch on bike!

Elder Clark will be staying in Oakland 6th

And Myself, after 8 transfers in oakland (which is the equivalnat of 48 weeks, just under a year) has been called by the spirit of the Lord to labor in the area of....................Oakland 6 South!!!!!!! The same area!!!! He will finish training Elder Clark (if he doesn't get his Visa) and is still the district leader.  

At this point, I hope I stay here for the rest of my mission!!!!  I've already spent more than half my mission here, why not finish it here!

It was Elder Bradford's last week so we made sure to remind him everyday!  We had cake as a district on monday!  We had planned to give service to some of the members in our area who just had a baby!  We were gonna cook them dinner but when we got there they already had everything ready to go for a barbecue!  We helped them cook everything and then ate so much!

We went street contacting at The BART Station and there was a huge line for WIC (not too sure what it stands for or what its for) and 99% latinos in that line.  We invited them all to english classes!!!!!  90% of them were interested.  

After church yesterday, we went by Milagro ("Miracle" for you gringos), and she was really sad that she doesn't have any family support but she is super prepared to get baptized and she has so much support from the ward!

 Well that's all from this part of the Vinyard!

Love,

 Elder Luis Gonzalez

Transfer 14, Week 5- July 22, 2013

The ISC  was  closed part of this week so for excercise we played basketball at Brookdale Park.  We be playing street ball.
 We had a carne asada with Alberto!  I burnt my finger eating chicken.
At the new missionary follow-up training Elder Clark, Elder Villa and I were SURROUNDED by sisters.
We sang "Placentero nos es Trabajar"  to Elder Bradford at our dinner with Los Mejia.  I was hoping he would cry, thats the song they sing at funerals.
This week makes 5 years since I was baptized!!!!!!!!!  Its really awesome!
 Saturday night we, the help of Hno. Calderon, were able to set a baptismal date!
On Sunday Los Mejia were super happy about getting there calling!  We also had 2 new investigators at church!
Thats my week in a nutshell!
God speed!
Sincerely,
Élder Luis González

Transfer 14, Week 4--July 15, 2013

So I added yet another trio to my resume.  This one included Elder Bradford again! It was also the last time with Elder Bradford. Elder Clark and I both went into his area.  It was also a 48 hour exchange which made things pretty crazy.  At the end of the first night I couldn't believe we still had a whole other day in the central area.  But it was a miraculous day indeed. But I will limit it to only 2 miracles.  

 1.  At the end of the day we had a lesson at the VC with a family from our english classes.  They have been looking for a church and want to figure out how Jesus Christ can bless their family!  We watched Finding faith in Christ and they loved it!

2.  We invited Victorio to church although he was not interested in investigating.  He then came to church and after sacrament he told us that he wants to prepare to be baptized.  We tried inviting for August 11 but he said that was too far.  So he has a date for the 28th of this month.

 Busy P-dy, gotta go!

Love 
Élder Luis González