Transfer 3 Week 6- April 30,2012

Saturday night was transfer calls!!!!!! President Wade (after of course receiving revelation from the Lord) has decided................(drum roll please)..............................................................................................................................That I will be staying in Half Moon Bay!!! No surprises there BUT! Elder Brogyay is being transferred to Oakland 6th B Ward on BIKE (He is in for a rude awakening). President Wade called me to train! (Scary I know) Because of this I do not know my new companion yet. Elder Brogyay leaves tomorrow morning. I will be put with another trainer-to-be (hopefully Elder Kwok, my travel companion) until Wednesday night when all the new missionaries come in and we have a meeting where President announces who will be who's companion. I am hoping for Elder Greenawalt, whom according to the Mission Publication is from Arizona!

Friday afternoon President Wade had a meeting for new trainers (Someone needs to explain to my mom what a trainer is....).
He taught us from Doctrine and Covenants 121:34-46. The thing that caught my attention most was when we read verse 39 where it says " it is the nature and disposition of almost all men...." and then President Wade looked each one of us in the eye and said "well guess what Elder Gonzalez you are almost all men" The admonishes of that revelation are directed at me. I wish not to talk about the negative attributes of verses 34-39 (although i suggest you look them up) but focus on how we make "the Holy Ghost your constant companion and thy scepter a scepter of righteousness, and thy dominion an everlasting dominion that shall flow unto thee without compulsory means." In verses 41 and 42 it tells us that we must persuasive, long-suffering, gentle, meek, kind, intelligent. In verse 43 we are instructed to reprove with sharpness when moved upon by the Holy Ghost, and afterwards showing forth an increase of love toward that same person. And in verse 45 we are promised that the doctrine of the priesthood shall distill upon us as the dews from heaven.
Yeah, I pretty much LOVE President Wade.
We invited both families we are teaching to be baptized. However they both said that "they don't feel ready." I know that as we teach them from the Book of Mormon and help them to see that it is an evidence of the restoration that they will truly be prepared to be baptized!!!!!!!
Anyways...i gotta go, it’s a busy P-day with transfers being tomorrow and all.
Sincerely,

Elder Luis Gonzalez

Transfer 3 Week 5- April 23, 2012

Hello!

It’s week 5 of the transfer, that means Transfer calls this Saturday!!!!! After last transfer I quit the guessing game because I really have no idea what is going to happen.

So I assume Elder Tyler Petersen made it to the MTC! Unless of course he had Visa problems....
We spent lots of hours advertising our English class, and we were hoping that at least a couple of people would show up, even if they were running on Latino time (15-30 minutes late). But at 7:45 we decided that nobody was going to show up. But we are going to continue to tell people about the class and hope that someone shows up this upcoming Saturday.
Despite that great disappointment, we were able to find a family to teach this week! They seem really happy to be meeting with us, but they work tons and tons, just like the Latinos in Richmond.
Also we taught a man this week that told us that upon knowing that the Book of Mormon is true that he would get baptized! I was so happy that he understood the purpose of our lesson.
So not much success of late, but tons of potential!
I know the Book of Mormon is true, that as we study, ponder, and pray about the Book of Mormon that it will truly help us come closer to Christ than any other book on earth. I know that the Book of Mormon is evidence that Joseph Smith was called by God to restore the fullness of the everlasting Gospel, and evidence that this is the true and living Church of Jesus Christ. I know the Book of Mormon is a witness that Jesus is the Christ and the He is our Saviour and Redeemer.

Sincerely,

Elder Gonzalez

Transfer 3, Week 4 April 16, 2012

·         It amazes me how many things can change in a week. This week we had to let one of our investigators go because she wasn't keeping commitments. That is a very hard decision to make when there is only 1 other investigator in the teaching pool. But we felt it was necessary so that we could spend that time finding or teaching someone else.

We continue to spend hours on end tracting with very little to no interest. Someone even called the police on us. The police pulled up as we knocked a door and asked what we were up to , but when we got closer he saw our name tags and realized that we are missionaries. He then told us that someone had reported that we were "shaking doors." We got a member to go with us to La Honda (it’s about 25 miles south and on the border of the mission). Sadly we got there and knocked on the door and she told us that she was interested. It was pretty heartbreaking especially since it took a whole afternoon to go down there and find that referral.

We decided that we need to do something new to find investigators. So this upcoming Saturday, we will be teaching an English class. The classes will be in the chapel so we hope that people will get comfortable with being at the church and will start coming!

We had dinner with the bishop and his family this last week and he told us about a couple of people he wanted us to visit. So we of course go and visit them. But little did I know that the bishop had a trick up his sleeve. We knocked on the door of one of those "less actives". The bishop had told us to tell him "I'm worried I haven't seen you in Church since January." So we knock on the door. In excellent Spanish we got a warm welcome "Elders de Israel! Vengan, vengan" We asked "esta su esposo" Which she replied to with "claro, esta aqua en el otro cuarto." We walked in and as I saw all the Church art work I began to be very confused. The husband was on the couch, he had just had knee replacement surgery. So we started talking to them and I told them I was from Arizona and they said, "Oh we had a handful of Arizona missionaries" I had no idea what they were talking about. Then I looked around and saw that they had a "predicad mi evangelio" poster next to their mission plaque. I had no idea how these people could be less active. But then I told them we had come on Bishop's request. They busted out laughing and told me "the bishop got you good." Turns out this "less active" was serving as a mission president in Mexico and got back in in July. Also, he had recently been called to serve as the Bishop in the YSA ward, which is why he has not been at church since January. However this humiliation was not in vain, we were able to get 2 referrals from them!

Elder Gonzalez

Transfer 3 Week 3‏- April 10, 2012

          This transfer is already halfway over!!!!! That’s crazy! It feels like I was at the MTC celebrating Christmas just last week. There is no way yesterday was Easter!!!! A member gave us a chocolate bunny! But other than that we didn't get too much candy...

After teaching Michael the Law of Chastity (with his girlfriend present) we were excited to see him progress toward his baptism on the 28th of April. However, late Friday night we got a text telling us that he had to cancel the rest of our appointments for the week. Then yesterday we talked to his girlfriend at church and she told us that Michael's parents had threatened to kick him out if he got baptized. What a sad, sad, moment!

But then Elder Brogyay and I went out and had a great day of tracting. We set up 3 visits with potential investigators! But then they all fell through. But we continue to seek for people to teach.

We taught a couple of members this week with the hope of getting some referrals but we got nothing. So then we prayed to receive referrals from somewhere...anywhere! It got to Sunday and we had not yet received any referral. But then after church in coordination meeting we got a referral from a ward missionary. But then we went the rest of the day with little luck in our finding efforts. But then at 7pm, with 2 proselyting hours left we got a call from Lehi, Utah. A member told us about her inactive sister and nonmember husband who now lived in our area. As I realized that the Lord had answered our prayers the Spirit testified to me that God truly knows who I am, and where I am, and the things I stand in need of. I know that God listens to our prayers and that He truly will answer in His way and in His time.

What a great gift the Lord gave me on an Easter Evening.

Every soul asks, just as Job did, "If a man die, shall he live again?" As the tomb of the Lord was searched there came the angels with the message "He is not here, for He is Risen!" Jesus Christ overcame physical and spiritual death, the two great barriers that impede our return to God. Because Christ suffered pains that he described as "which suffering caused me, even God to tremble and to bleed at every pore" we will live again. But more importantly we can have Eternal life, which is the greatest of God's gift. I know my Redeemer lives and that He loves me. With God, all things are possible.

Sincerely,

Elder Luis Gonzalez

Transfer 2- Week 3--April 2, 2012

Two words. General Conference. What more can I say?
Truly we experienced a spiritual feast. Both from the speakers and the choirs (especially that MTC choir right?).
Every second of that conference was a learning experience!
As a missionary, Elder D. Todd Christofferson's talk really stood out. He taught the Doctrine of Christ as taught by Jesus Christ himself in 3 Nephi 11. That is faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. My purpose as a missionary as outlined by Preach My Gospel is "invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel of Jesus Christ through faith in the Atonement of Christ, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end." He described this as the "core" doctrine, but then he also described the uniqueness of The Church in having the true priesthood authority. It truly was music to a missionary's ears.
However I must say that President Monson in his talk Sunday morning was a bit distracting. He did he really have to use the word "swift", twice? Be honest, you thought of me when he said that, didn't you?
This week we are only able to find one new investigator. Nobody wants to listen to us! It is super frustrating having this great treasure, the greatest treasure even, and having people say "I'm not interested" "I'm catholic" "I'm busy at the moment." However we did set a baptismal date this week! He watched general conference this weekend and loved and even took notes!!!! He told us that he knows the Book of Mormon is true and that he knows that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. So excited for him!!!!!!
I know that God lives and that he knows me personally. Jesus Christ is my savior and redeemer. I know The Book of Mormon is the word of God and you can know it too. I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God and that this is the only true and living church of Jesus Christ.
With Love,
Elder Luis Gonzalez