Out of miles, Out of food, Out of money, but not out of luck!!

Oh Family how much I love you. Things are just bliss here in the Land of Lincoln. Pioneer Day was one that I will never forget due to the fact that Nauvoo is a very special place and that the pageant there is a great way to share the gospel and that Josesp Smith was one who truly talked with God. SO with that here is the presidents letter

 

Dear President Jergensen

  It's been a wonderful week with multiple exchanges. We first had exchanges with the assistants and I was able to go work with Elder Parkinson. We had a great time in both the teaching of lessons and finding new investigators to teach. I have learned that I need to use more backup plans to avoid the "what's next situation".  Elder Parkinson and I taught a lesson to Dedra and she has a baptismal date for the 26th, but that will have to be pushed back and that is something that Elder Manwaring and I will take care of.
  Elder Purcell and I were able to go on an exchange after district meeting and we had a great teaching oppurtunity with a man named "Pickle" he won't give us his real name. He is very ready for changes in his life and wants to get ready for baptism. We meet with him tomorrow and will have a baptismal date ready for him so that he can have that blessing in his life. He is the product of a 21 day promise and is the son of a member in the ward. I know that Elder Purcell is having some struggles with Elder Peterson, but he has a great understanding heart and is doing really well with the situtation that he is in.
  Delores was able to attend a ward bbq with her boyfriend Jim on Saturday afternoon. She enjoyed it but wasn't able to make it to church due to her sickness that she woke up with. We meet with her tonight and we are going to make it very apparent to her that her date will have to be moved back due to not being able to teach her the commandments and she is still not living the law of chastity yet.
  Elder Manwaring and I are really excited that the work here is picking up and that the mission is inviting more investigators to a baptismal date. We will be getting in touch with each companionship about the 40 day fast that they are on and keep encouraging them to commit everything to Christ.
   Elder Gonzalez  Peoria Illinois 

 

  Sooo this last week we had to take p-on Tuesdat since we were going to the pageant.. On monday we went and did some finding and found some potentials as well as we had to do some work in the church library because we had to make some copies of all our zone reports. We did have a good dinner with the Chatfield family and that was amazing stuff.

 

The high light of the week was for sure going to the Nauvoo. We left here at about 2 and got there just after 4 and had some dinner with the family that took us. the Powell's here are an awesome family and they were kind enough to have dinner for us as well. Elder Manwaring and I started up the hill towards town and the temple and someone offered us a ride and we could tell that they were with the church and so we accepted and it turns out that it was the president of the pageant and his wife. they are a sweet couple and gave us a lift to Neff's book store because that's the place to get everything cool and deep as well.  I will i promise with all my heart that I will get the package out today that has my memory chip with all my pictures from Nauvoo and of Elder Manwarings and I on it. It also contains some sweet squirrel videos on it so enjoy.

 

 Back to Nauvoo, the pageant was awesome and as Elder Manwaring and I were there some many people wanted to know where we were from and that was kinda annoying because I have to explain to everyone where the heck Riverton Ut is beause no one knows. I think that I'll just start claiming hawaii as my home because everyone knows where that is.   I'm not going to lie some many people treated us like Gods there, giving us free snowcones and popcorn and discounts on stuff and you have probably found out.... sorry i couldn't resist.

 

It was sweet going on exchanges with the assistants. they are so funny and are just great missionionaries I certainly learned lots from them and we have a straight up party in the apartment that night that they stayed. so much fun. Being a missionary isn't all that bad after all. I like it alot.

 

 So we found a family after Elder Manwaring and I prayed about where we should go and we felt that Russell street was the place. On exchanges we wenty there and just mowed both sides of the street over and on the 3rd door for Elder Parkinson and I we met and taught a sweet lesson to Jose Perez who has been looking for a church. He wasn't able to come this past week but will with his wife and 3 kids this next week for sure.

 

 

  WEll i love you all and i know the lord loves you too

Elder Gonzalez Peoria Illinois 

Pioneer Day in Nauvoo...... I think so!!!!!!!!!!!!! (from July 23, 2012)

Hello there my good family in the great state of deseret, life is super fantastic here in the Land of Lincoln.

 

 Here's the Presidents email

 

 

 

Dear President Jergensen

  This past week we had a successful zone meeting and we were able to present the zone with the 40 day fast. Many seem to be excited about it and are willing to put away those things which aren't considered disobedient but are blockers from having the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost with them.
  Delores this past week has shown much progress, but there are concerns in the ward that she may just want the financial help from the church and not quite make it a true spiritual conversion. On Saturday night we did a church tour with her and she was in tears because of the spirit multiple times in the church. We had her kneel by the baptismal font and she just poured her soul out to God very sincerly and got that answer that it's going to be ok and that it's all true. It was a very spiritual experience, and we plan on teaching her about the Law of Chastity and other commandments so that she can begin to start living them and really show her faith and show her desire to follow the Savior and them begin a path towards making sacred covenants with the Lord.
  If we feel that she wants baptism for the purpose of church support, should we continue to work towards baptism?
  I feel that the zone here is very excited for the work to keep moving forward. The concern is still with the Elders in Bloomington and Normal.  It doesn't seem like they have a fire burning under them so Elder Manwaring and I are going to make frequent contact to make sure that they are on task and using time effectivly.
  We are going to keep working hard and praying for 400.  Elder Gonzalez  Peoria Illinois
  

 

  IT;s been a super busy week again. On P-day we played some ball and then went out to work for the night. BTW i did dunk a basketball on p-day and I'll get in on camera next time so that you can see that it's legit. I just kill it out here because not many here are the best of ballers and so i play easy on them until i decide to bring the wrath of the Witch King on them fools. Ghetto talk it just becomes who you are out here.

 

We had a bridge call on tuesday which was our Zone Leader Council for the month and we will have it again in few weeks but then we will have in Iowa City and that will be a fun road trip. Its was good to talk over the phone for 3 hours about all the stuff that's going on in the mission and what needs to be done to improve because we can always be on the improving list.

 

We had to take our 2012 Dodge grand Caravan to get the tires rotated and I thought of Tony while that was happening and was like wow I never want to do that for a job hahaha but its all good.

 So one of the new things that's happening in we have a zone meeting right after we have zone leader council and that's where we get the zone together and basically go over all that was discussed in the zlc and give trainings as we are instructed to do. 

 

 WE do have some investigators that are progressing well but once again we will have to be getting some people married before we can get any further with the baptism. We have legit black sisters in the ward and oh my goodness they know how to bbq....................... I mean that meat was the most heavenly thing that I've ever put in my mouth especially when you just got done lifted and placing like 50 pieces of sheet rock. That stuff sucks too and i will never be working with mechanics or construction for as long as I live. that stuff just isn't for me.... I'm a golfer ha

 

 There's so much to talk about and just not enough time to say it and once again it's just sad that that has to happen

 

To help answer some questions.... Star street is the most ghetto place in the city and not far from where the incident was, but I'm really not that scared of places like that because people surprisingly have some good respect for us in those neighborhoods and i mean hoods haha.

 

Well I love you all in I know that God is watching over all of you

 

Elder Gonzalez

 

Iowa was no good so I'm back in Illinois!!!!!!!!!!!!!

What's up family!!! It's so good to be back home in Illinois and to be here in Peoria. I gots lots to say but will send presidents letter now.........

 

 

Dear President Jergensen

  I love it here in Peoria, it's like a homecoming being back here in Illinois. I love the people here and I know that Elder Manwaring and I will do all that we can to help this zone/stake progress towards 400 baptims.
  Elder Pope is in good hands as he serves with Elder Larsen and that makes my happy to know that he is going to get some wonderful follow up training from him.
  Elder Manwaring and I have been working with Delores, and she is progressing nicely although she may be in for the wrong reasons and my want some assistance from the church soon after baptism. We will work with her to help her progress towards a true conversion.
  Our focus in the Zone will be to increase the spirituality and find by the spirit and watch the Lord do his work in these areas. A concern is with the Normal and Bloomington areas. We will focus on getting them on track and teaching investigators as it looks like they are struggling in those areas. 
  I'm learning so much that it's hard to keep up at times, but excited to be back where it all started for me.

                                                   Elder Gonzalez  Peoria Illinois

  So there's only so much to say since I've only been here for 4 days and that included putting together a stake coordination and attending some district meetings. 

 

 

My companion is Elder Manwaring from Vernal Utah.. He's legit and super funny hahaha we get along just fine... he reminds me of Aaron and that's kinda cool

 He loves music and is a freak with the piano. He is the middle of 5 boys and both his parents served missions as well. His mom served in Cicily Italy or however you spell it and his Dad served in Argentina.

 He's been out for 19 months and only has 4 transfers left including this one so it is likly that we will only be together for this one transfer. What President Jergensen has been doing is taking his ex zone leaders and breaking for 1 and training for their last 2 transfers which is likly what will happen to Elder Manwaring. He's been a zone leader for the past 5 transfers and has plenty of experience to help me out with and that is much needed.

 

 So Elder Larsen (big Josh) is breaking my boy pope back in Des Moines and that's so cool and he's such a good missionary I'm so happy for pope and for that ward to have such a hard worker. He goes home in November and so I may never see him again for the rest of my mission since I'm clear over here in Illinois and that's about 5 hours away from him. I'm so glad that I was able to leave Des Moines with 3 baptismal dates and that they have a good teaching pool to work from. I was there for 3 transfers and that makes me happy to know that after 2 years with no baptisms they can have 3 within the next couple months.

Transfers was awesome and I've been going a 100mph since I've been here. On Wednesday we went and helped with a move and then got our numbers for stake coordination ready for Sunday ( ask Tony about what all that consists of) Friday we had to drive to Washington ( you can look on a map and see where all these locations are so you know what I'm talking about) to train Elder Purcell on how to be a District Leader. He came out in my group and he's the biggest guy in the mission. We then helped with another move and then got to teach our investigator with a baptismal date. Delores is really nice and is prob about 30 and she is interested because her dad is a member in the Pekin ward and that's how we got to start teaching her. I hope that we can get her to start with a true conversion and not just for the financial benefit.

 

 Saturday we get to do some service at the Methodist church downtown and that is called Loaves and fish and it's a food give out that they do on Saturday mornings and it goes to all thehomeless and the more needy. It's good to work with those of other faiths and truely put Mosiah 2:19 to work.  We spent some time at the library getting all the papers typed up for the coordination meeting and that was so much fun.

Later that night we taught a lady named Dedra and she is getting very interested in the church and was able to attend for all 3 hours yesterday as well as Delores which was great.

 

Sunday we only went to half of sacrament because we had to bail out and go to Bloomington and have the coordination meeting with the Stake President and with President Jergensen. It went well and it was so nice to see all the members of that ward and have them say that they miss me and that the elders there now aren't doing as well. That I'm disappointed about, Bloomington is the deffinition of white and already to harvest and we've got 4 missionaries in town that are piling out and not getting much done. President Cummings in the stake is a great man who is very missionary motivated and i miss his family and that ward so much.

 

 

 So as far as the questions go......the shoes are just wear and tear but are the best for tracting the streets of Peoria and nice shiny shoes aren't a fav of these folks.  Star street in town here is in our area and it has more homocides then any street in the hood of Chicago and that just to show you how ghetto the south side is here in Peoria. It's a big town in them mission but it only has one ward with 6 missionaries in it and that's going to change here.  We did teach a big black brotha named pickle who we are going to be working with, he's awesome.

 

 

 I love  you all and I'll try to get a letter in the mail; this week  ps we have 3 districts to cover and 10 ares

 

 

                            Elder Gonzalez  Peoria Illinois

I'm getting transfered... it's too soon :( (from July 7, 2012)

Well it's that time of the year again and it's transfer week and from now on i will always email on Monday even if it is transfer week. President wants us to email on Monday because he just gets swamped from reading emails all week and if we email on Wednesday that just isn't enough time for him.... P-day still is on Wednesday but we will just email today.

 

 

Dear President Jergensen

Thanks so much for the time that I've been able to serve here in Des Moines. I'm sad to leave but looking forward to the new assignment and with a new companion.
Elder Pope and I were able to set a baptismal date with the Fakhouri family and that is now September 8th. It was a date that they picked out and that's the new goal that they will work towards. I have full faith that Elder Pope will be able to oversee that baptism. Gary was able to make it to a baptismal service of a girl in the ward and he has a great desire for baptism. We are going to set a good date with him today and get to help him see that true importance of a prophet. He was out of town this past week and wasn't able to make it to church but is committed to next week.
I see this District making great efforts to big up the ward's confidence in missionary work. Things are going great here and it's going to be hard to leave Elder Pope and this ward.

 Elder Gonzalez Des Moines 2nd

 

  It was a great 4th of July week and we had a parade for the city of West Des Moines go right in front of the church and so some of the families in the ward were there and we just passed out cards like crazy because who's going to stop us we're right in front of the church and for those people who were on the lawn they ain't got much of a choice because they on my lawn haha it was fun to have them trapped.  We then had to clean up all the garbage that people threw from their floats.  It's a humbling thing to pick up trash after the parade and then have the floats come driving back towards the high school where it started and have the floats that are from a church yell something at ya and mock ya for picking up trash.... just a sign of the true church i guess.

 

  This is really starting to get to me as far as i have no idea where I'm going and who I'm going to be with.  I know that i'll get a good companion though because that's what president promised me. i can come home now and start my mission stories off like this " when i was Zone Leader I ......."  it's  going to be great to get Tony's response and start using that line hahahaha I can see it now.  Yes I'm going to be a Zone Leader and it's going to be crazy. Part of me is really nervous and part of me is way relieved because i know that I'm going to be put with someone who actually knows what their doing. I could end up in Fort Madison which is right across the river from Nauvoo and work the pageant every night.... that would be awesome.

 

It has been so got this past week and I'm so glad that we had the car because we would have been soaked to the freakin bone. I heard from a member that the heat got up to 103 and felt like 109 with the humidity.... it's like nothing that I've ever felt in my entire life. I wanna go back to utah weather where it's nice and warm and not hot.

 

 So i forgot to mention this in the president's email but we are working with a excom member this week under the supervision of the bishop. His name is jake and he is going to be a medical student and DMU and he played football and the University of Utah back in 2007 which is awesome.

  this week i got to use my favorite tool again..... chainsaw ooohaha!! Like Tony once said..... " it's like an extension of my arm"   it's a beautiful thing to just shred wood and clear a pine tree in a couple of hours. I'll send home the other memory chip when i get to my new area so that you have a picture of my new companion and what the new apartment looks like.

 

                       This is the time of my life and I feel that the heart of my mission is about to start with this new oppurtunity that is ahead. I love all of you so much and I pray that things will continue to go well and that Mom can just continue the healing process with success. Tony....... GO UTES............ that is all!       

                                   

 

                                        YIPPEE KI YAY   Des Moines    Elder Gonzalez  

Gary is the Man!! Roses Right Before Leaving. (July 3, 2012)

SOrry family for not emailing yesterday, we had quite the experience from p-day which was much miscommunication and running around town trying to get all the items done before we could get to email.  We had a missionary go home today due to personal reasons and we had to deal with all of that while the assistants and zone lords were busy so as usual crap roles downhill and ends up with myself and Elder Pope. It was madness and we didn't get back to our apartment last night until 10:40.... crazy day.

  We did make sure that we had the neccessary time to have our scheduled church tour with Gary. He is a preacher at various churches around town. He's been looking for truth his whole life and has accepted the message of the Restoration with ease. He even preached to a church from the Restoration pamphlet on Sunday and people asked where he was reading from and he just said " from the book if you knew it then you would know" haha he's awesome so here's the email to President.  

 

 

Dear President Jergensen

  It's been very hot week this past week but we have been able to find a new investigator named Gary. Gary is very accepting of the doctrine that we present for him and quite frankly doesn't have a problem with anything that we talk to him about. He is an older gentleman and has a great love for the gospel and he have been able to meet with him several times this past week. He wasn't able to make it to church this past week due to him being a guest speaker at another church in Des Moines. He is fully committed to joining us for church this next week and getting that confirmation from the spirit that this is true. We have a date for him for the 28th of July.
  We finally have a teaching appointment with the Fakhouri family tomorrow which will be the first time in a few weeks. They seem committed to learning more just not so much when Sunday morning roles around. We will address that issue and recommit.
  I went on an exchange with Elder Dearing which went very well. We make goals for how many teaching oppurtunities we would have as well and potentials and hit that amount in the time that we had to find. I learned from Elder Dearing the importance of giving a reason as to why someone should listen to our message. Simple and to the point was the key.
The teaching pool in increasing in the area and much in due to our own finding efforts. We are really going to buckle down on the principles from the case study and get the member work going in the ward.
                                                     Elder Gonzalez  Des Moines 2nd ward

 

  So next week is transfers on Thursday morning and I'm more then likely to be transfered out of the area that has been down on it's missionary efforts for over 2 years and has since been seeing much fruit begin to flow. This area is alive and I'm sure that President will be sending me to a area with little going on     oh well .... it's just what we Gonzalez's.... we leave places and people better then what we found them.... that is living the doctrine of Christ.

 

   So to help answer Questions I will be sending some pictures of shoes next time and I would love some more of those stickers with just my mission address on them....... as well as stamps :)

 

   It's good to hear that the surgery went well and that Tony is at least up the health enough to hit the ball past the ladies tees. I was worried 

 

  SO it's been hotter then I've ever felt in my entire life.... if you haven't notice it was like a 100 with a heat index of 105 and in that area all last week and we were on bikes and just suffered like dogs...... but we did it with smiles and lots of water.

 

  Our ward is in a real slump right now as far as members coming to sacrament meeting. it's the summer and a ton of our medical students are gone for the summer and so our numbers for sacrament went from about 140's to about 100 or less and it wouldn't surprise me if it was like 80 this past week. lots of moves and stuff just keeps taking our members away...... maybe I'll move away next and make it even smaller haha Thanks for the package and for all the goodies I like candy...... when it's christmas ..... but hey it's all good the thing that I like most right now is pictures and jerky and referrals. so if you have extras of thoses lying around that would be awesome.  Them otter pop things are legit..

 

  So I hit my 10 month mark on Saturday and now I'm old but I feel way young and I really am but just in the district I'm the 2nd oldest and that's just not right. next thing ya know I'll be on that hump day and life will be sad because it's taking so long to get the hang of things and i can finally start really applying all the vast knowledge of missionary work that I can. I'm excited this next transfer to see who I serve with and if the Elder is up to par with things because my whole mission has just been nothing but training

 

 Transfers 1-2 I got trained and had to dive into missionary life  transfers 3-4 I trained and had to put on the big boot as they call it out here. transfer 5 I had to retrain someone who didn't quite have the motivation to be hard worker 6-7 I'm training.and we'll just have to see what's in line next

 

  I love the gospel and I love the Book of Mormon and all that it means. Being a missionary is like being a soldier of truth..... with a badge.... just remember that we are all missionaries and have to do so.  The church is true and Joseph Smith is a prophet..... that's a fact it happened

 

 

                                                                                    Elder Gonzalez  Des  Moines 2nd Ward

My Time In Des Moines is Coming to an End (from June 25, 2012)

This is a good place to be so I'm going to stay here

 

Dear President Jergensen

  It was a good week Elder Pope and I picked up a new investigator who is showing good interest in the church, but doesn't really get the whole part of us being the only true church on the face on the earth. We had a church tour with her and taught the Restoration while doing the tour. It was a good experience and she says that she knows that it's true and wants to learn more but she may be getting the impression that we're just another church so Elder Pope and I are going to address that with her this week. She is committed to coming the church this next week.
  Scheduling is our nightmare and it's killing us. Any suggestions about how we can schedule appointments with our investigators better and on a more consistent basis?
  The Fakhouri family is doing good. Chris and Quentin helped out with a move in the ward on Saturday, but weren't able to make it to church yesterday for whatever reason. This week we are going to schedule and make plans for them to pray about a date for their baptism.
  The Mulhern's are back in town from their week long scout camp and so the ward is going to invite them to participate in a canoeing trip with the young men this Wednesday. It's a slower process with them but they are making great efforts and we'll see them at church more frequently.
  Elder Pope is doing very good with the training process. Although we are a bit behind on our 12 week program we are doing good practices with our companionship study. He is now the Senior Companion for the rest of the transfer and that will help him get very familiar with the ward and area.
I had a good exchange with Elder Gibson this week. He has a very good desire to do missionary work and was very pleased from the effort and drive that I saw from his this past week. I will go on an exchange with Elder Knight this upcoming week to see how things are going there.
                             Elder Gonzalez  Des Moines 2nd

 

  Time is starting to just go into a big blur each week it seems like the same old routine of going to people and begging them to come to church and to read from the Book of Mormon and then Sunday roles around and they don't show up and then you have weekly planning and your new goals ain't a lot different from the old ones. This whole missionary thing is starting to wear on my gears and it doesn't help when it's humid as crap outside and your broke and don't have money for a cold gatorade or something.

 

  I'm glad to hear that Tony got his knee all fixed up..... now he can tell me a little more than how much his knee is keeping him from doing "stuff" hahaha love ya bro

  Now the next step is to have Dr. Cooley take you to "The Country Club"  I know where I'm going to be playing when I get back. 

 

  Iowa Iowa it's the place to be, Iowa Iowa not a lot to see, Fields of corn stretch across the sky, the only thing exciting is an occasional firefly....... Elder Gonzalez

 

 

  This is my new look on everything that I am doing on my mission

"I am part of the fellowship of the unashamed. The die has been cast. I have stepped over the line. The decision has been made; I am a disciple of Jesus Christ. I won't look back, let up, slow down, or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I'm finished and done with low living, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tinted visions, worldly talking, cheap giving, and dwarfed goals. I no longer need preeminence, positions, promotions, plaudits, or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, recognized, praised, regarded, or rewarded. I now live by faith, lean on His presence, walk with patience, am lifted up in prayer, and labor with power. My face is set, my goal is heaven. My road is narrow, my way is rough, my companions few, my guide is reliable, my mission is clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, divided or delayed, will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of the adversary, negotiate at the table with the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the maze of mediocrity. I won't give up, shut up, or let up until I have stayed up, stored up, and paid up for the case of Christ. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops me and when He returns for His own, He will have no problem recognizing me”.
- Elder Henry B. Eyring  

 

   This man gets it. He knows what the big picture looks like and if I can follow his example then I will be right on my way to living a life of a true disciple of Jesus Christ. My mission is in full swing, although I see the fails of the week and appointments rarely kept.... I know with all the certainty of my heart that this is true and no back woods "Christian" will ever get me to flinch at what I know to be true.

  Lately I have found great wisdom with the words of Christ in John chapter 3 when Christ is teaching Nicodemus the way things really are. I can only teach people when they are willing to listen, and when that is available then I can teach them the ways of heaven and shed some light on the Dark night of their personal apostasy. I love this work and will be with the Savior till the end. Come join the ranks. In the name of Jesus Christ our master amen.

 

   I love you all                                      Elder Gonzalez      aka the " stormin mormon  Des Moines 2nd ward   of the Des Moines Iowa Stake of Zion