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