Bloomington, Illinois

Ok let me clarify something.... We left Thursday morning to go to Iowa City cuz thats where the main stake center is in the mission and it's about the middle of the mission so not a terribly long drive in every direction. Once we got there we had a meeting and we all got to see who our trainers are and see all the missionaries in the mission. I did see Elder Larsen and he was made a zone leader in some other area and i got to talk to him for a bit. My companion is Elder Harris, he is from a few places but graduated high school in Morgan and then lived in Vegas before his mission. He's been out here for 9 months and he loves it. He's been in the church his whole life and reminds me of me hahaha. He's cool and is about 6 foot 1 and has about 10-15 pounds on me. I like him and we're really getting along. oh and I'm actually not in Iowa City but I'm in the absolute ourskirts of our mission in a city called Bloomington Illinois! I like it and it's alot of fun. I am in the Bloomington Ward and there's about 100-120 people that were at sacrament meeting. I was the 2nd person to get up and give my testimony. Bishop Clay is in charge and he's a good man. Since i've been here I have done more planning then I have ever done and it's taken alot of our time so far in trying to get through our first 12 weeks program book.

   I have been able to teach a few investigators and a couple families and that has been a lot of fun. We had district meeting on Saturday and then got some taco bell YA! I was also able to get my first baptism to an 11 year old kid named donavon gaydosh. haha no he's not my baptism but was my comps and I was able to see that and get all set up for that.  Tracting is SCARY.  People out here are crazy with their religions. I swear there has to be 20 different different churches that I've seen so far. 

 

Winter is coming early here and it's cold outside for me at least and I don't have a sweater to wear over my shirt and now that my package is sitting at the mission home I have no idea how that is going to ever get out to where I'm at.

 

In my interview Pres Jergenson said that I will be speaking my native tongue...................... english  :(    but thats ok cuz i talk much better in english.

 

we live in an apartment and its very nice, but 2 other elders are living in it cuz their apartment has mold and its black mold too so extra bad.

 

   I've had the Book of Mormon Ensign for the past 2 weeks we had to use it during our tuesday night devontional with Elder Nelson. I've read it and marked it up and its amazing so use it for your fhe's and for Prist's quoram or however you spell it.

 

on sunday after conference for fhe you will sing pg100 and army of helaman for songs and will eat mint brownies for the treat haha.

Second P-Day in MTC, September 14, 2011

hi mom its been a crazy week and i never get time to email while waiting on the laundry cux its just too packed in there... and that starts at 1:30 and im writing this right now.... well we got our flight plans for next wednesday we leave the mtc at 5 in the morning and our plane leaves for MEMPHIS at 8:35 and we sit there for an hour or so and the get on a plane to go to Des moines. and so we aren't going to get to iowa until about 4:35... i have no idea why we are going to memphis but i love being on airplanes and I better get a freaking window seat.... there are 6 of us leaving on the same plane, 2 from another district that i realized are going to iowa too. and my companion Elder Virgen is leaving just him and another missionary to go to minnianapolis (yea i spelled it wrong) and then to iowa. so we're all excited for that.... the arkansas guys are leaving at 4in the morning and go to atlanta for a couple hours before going to arkansas so its all jacked up like that.

   not going to lie i was pretty upset when i found our from the security guards that utah lost but also way happy to know that byu got beat to and im going to rip my hair out when i hear the game on saturday.... so i got here with 7 ties and through some good barganing have been able to get that to 9 ... ya everyone here trades ties every night and it gets kinda crazy when there are 30 elders in an area trying to get good deals. so thats fun ... the only thing that im really worried about is that my bag is going to be to heavy and that ill have to gey rid of a bunch of stuff and the airport... so expect a call from me next wednesday at about 7 in the morning maybe later i guess and send me jareds number and ill call him... and dads and make sure that he has it on and he can hear it... the mtc is great and right when im starting to get used to things here im already leaving..... i have alot of respect for some of the guys here and stay and rot for 9-12 weeks... ummm ive put on 5 pounds since i've been here and that might have gone down cuz iv'e been sick the last couple of days with a sore throat and runny nose and a mild headache every once in awile. 

   the district is doing good but i think that some of the guys are losing focus because they realized that the investigators that are here are all actors and members just playing the part but elder virgen and i have be keeping the focus and have reallly been doing good with our lessons.  on saturday night i think that i received my first revelation... we were in a lesson with tony hale and he was talking about his smoking and drinking problem that he has and we were just telling him that he needed to stop and that he would feel better and while elder virgen was talking with him i just had the biggest impression to give him a blessing and i just blerted it out and asked him if he needed a blessing and the spirit was stronger than i have ever felt it and all three of us in the room were crying cuz our teacher told us that what i felt was true revelation and that he did the exact same thing to tony hale..... so that was a really good part of the past week but not the best...... at our tuesday night devotional elder M. Russell Ballard came and spoke and we were only like 30 feet from him front and center i wish we coulda taken a picture to prove it but it was sweet and i loved it so much

 

 

 

             well i can't wait to talk to you on wednesday and i love you all (even Zoe i do miss her) 

                              peace out from this miserable place called provo utah ewwwwww it really needs more red here!!!!

                                 

                                    Elder Gonzalez

First Email Home, September 7, 2011

well i don't know where to start except that im really loving the mtc and all that it is offering. my comps name is elder virgen from lehi and he graduated in 09 but was really young for his grade. there are 10 guys in our district and im the youngest one of course but that didn't stop me from being called to be DISTRICT LEADER!!!! yea its crazy but i feel that i've been a big help in keeping the district in order and maintaining that quiet dignity in the classroom and in the residence hall. the schedule is so packed and at the end of the day we are just exhausted but this p day has reeally helped to get some much needed rest and do some laundry. so here are the elders in our district..... elder frost from orem. elder adamsom from carey idaho who i actually played basketball against in boise who knew...elder ford from layton...elder rich from some small idaho town... elder rabe from arizona by mesa... elder stewart from small town in montana... elder allan from twin falls.... elder wilson from lehi and that's it and 7 guys graduated last year so there all older which makes me that little baby in the district..

our teachers are great and one did serve in iowa for the last year of his mission in the nebraska omaha mission so thats cool the other went to tennessee so nothing exciting but they are good teachers that do a really good role play when they act like investigators. today we did get to go to the provo temple and i saw the other version of that movie  for the first time. then afterwards we ate breakfast there and went back.

only one kid from the other district in our zone of new comers last week went home which was really a shock because he was there district leader and thats put some pressure on me!!! but its ok im loving it which really matters..  

 

please send as many dear elders as you guys can i didnt realize how much mail means here like its gold in our little pinger tips.  oh and elder ford rich rabe and stewart are going to the arkansas little rock mission fyi... our zone has 4 districts and 2 of them left for oregan and washington yesterday so the residense hall is alot quieter now

 .... im trying to think of what to say cuz thme is runnuing out...go utes and please send as many score updates as possible.

 

i love you guys and a can't thank you enough for al; that youve done for me i love the mtc and ill love my mission even more

 

 

ps i;ve seen justin boswell and roger maxwell since beiing here so bye    horrah for israel

Arrival at the MTC, August 31, 2011

I'm here.  Let's do this. 





Family in front of Provo Temple

Good-byes are not easy

Officially a Missionary, August 30



President Lester Nielsen and Bishop Dave Smith





John, Garrison and Austin
come to pay their last respects.  ha, ha