Transfer 9 Week 6 January 7, 2013

Dear Everyone,

New Year's eve we went to the Berkeley Institute building to watch
movies as a zone.  But more fun the movies was the gazillion pizzas
the stake bought us.  I remember more of what I ate that day than what
I watched.  I think the evening could be wrapped in the words of a
sister missionary, "eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we diet."
The institute building was super super super nice.  It had multiple
cool fireplaces.

Tuesday we were put into a Tripanionship.  Elder Bradford joined us,
and as a zone Leader we got to go to tons of fun meetings in between
preaching the gospel to opposite sides of Oakland.  For a second we
were in a Quadpanionship because we had to go to a District Leader
Council.  We picked up the Chinese District Leader and left his other
two companions (he is also in a trio).  This involved doing some crazy
driving in the middle of Downtown Oakland.

I really love the hymn "Brightly Beams our Father's Mercy" mostly
because my trainer, Elder Pettit, indoctrinated a love for the song
into me.

Brightly beams our Father's mercy
From his lighthouse evermore,
But to us he gives the keeping
Of the lights along the shore.

(Chorus)
Let the lower lights be burning;
Send a gleam across the wave.
Some poor fainting, struggling seaman
You may rescue, you may save.

Dark the night of sin has settled;
Loud the angry billows roar.
Eager eyes are watching, longing,
For the lights along the shore.

Trim your feeble lamp, my brother;
Some poor sailor, tempest-tossed,
Trying now to make the harbor,
In the darkness may be lost.

So I sing this song all the time (its like my new Taylor Swift if you
can remember those days, cause I scarcely can).  This song is
something that reminds people of my trainer and now me.  But anyway
this is all important to know because President Meredith has called me
to train a new missionary(........YEAH FOR TRANSFER
CALLS!...........).  This means I was invited to a meeting for
trainers, and in that meeting he opening hymn was "Brightly Beams Our
Father's Mercy."  That was a tender mercy of the Lord letting me know
that He knows exactly where I am and what I am doing.

This week has a been a bit exhausting but I am so excited for this
upcoming week.  This group of new missionaries coming in is the first
in the mission to have the shortened MTC training.  Also in this group
of missionaries is a Sister Cooper, which according to my pals the
Assistants is from Queen Creek!

Lots of packing left to do!!!!
Godspeed!

Élder Luis González