Transfer Time!!!

dearest friends and family, 

after 9 beautiful, months of learning and growing, i will have a daughter.

yes, this transfer i have been asked to train! im staying in El Bosque for 12 more weeks to train. WOOOO HOOOO!!! 

but like any mother would feel, im SO NERVOUS!!! i mean come on! IM STILL LEARINGIN to be a good missionary! how am i supposed to TEACH someone! i imagine this is how MY dear sweet mother felt after carrying me for 9 months in her tummy. "how will i teach them to be better than me?". i feel for you mom. 

all i know is that the savior makes up FOR EVERYTHING i lack. i can do my best and be as obedient as i can, and in the end, still i lack. but i know that each day is a gift, and as such i present it to the lord and trust that the savior will make up the difference. he might have to make up A LOT MORE in the next 12 weeks, but that is why he is there for me. and THANK HEAVENS! 

so i meet my companion tomorrow. i dont know her name yet. presidetn likes to keep these things secret. we have a special meeting with food and all the trainers sit on one side of the room and the new missionaries ont he other, and in this meeting president presents your companion in front of everyone! 

there are on ly 6 hermanas coming in. 5 latinas and 1 americana. president DID tell me that my compaion is a professional soccer player! WHAAAA??? now I HAVE to play Futbol in the mornings..... no more avoiding..... blast.but hey, maybe she can teach me a thing or two and i can get good. also, SOMEONE WHO LIKES TO RUN! (finally!!!) maybe ill lose some weight. WOOW! 

also this morning, the district got to skype with hna downs! I MISS HER SO MUCH! 

also, MY trainer, hna huamon is finishing HER mission today! so much change. wow wow wow. the life of a missionary. 

life is good. i am richly blessed. i couldnt be happier dispite my fears, and the CHURCH IS TRUE! 

also, we have a baptism date for february 8th. his name is andy and is 21 years old and loves to play piano and is taking my english class. PRAY FOR HIM! 

love you all

con amor

hna Gonzales

a new mother.:D 

 

I'm going to miss Hna Flores

Hmmm, which souvenirs should I buy for family and friends? The possibilities are endless!

 

Just open the door and Christ is waiting

dearest friends and family.

im a sad girl. this was a hard week. especially this weekend. to be brief, we didnt do too much prosoliting. we did our best but our numbers arent so hot. but its ok.

we spent a lot of the week in the clinic for Hna Downs. she has another hernia. and yesterday, i saw my best friend go home back to alabama. after 8 beautiful months in the mission, hers was cut short cause her body is weak. i held her while she cried. i heard her say all the discouraging words a missionary would say. " i havent changed. i didnt work hard enough. i dont rock at spanish! i havent changed enough lives." and it broke my heart. 
she is such an outstanding missionary, and she HAS touched a lot of lives. including mine. youve  all already heard me say this, but she is my best friend. i dont let many in too deep. i have a lot of friends, but a few that REALLY get close. we got pretty close. she has seen my weaknesses and knows me better than anyone else here. and i think i could say the same about her. i miss her. so does hna flores. she was a ray of sunshine and a breath of fresh air and a leader and the ward members loved her. 

i would like to share a tender moment we had together the day before she left. 
she was packing her bags. all her crazy mess was all over the room and she was packing up the last 8 months into two suitcases against her will. about half way through, she went to the bathroom. she was in there for a while, and finally i heard her sobs. she really just let it out . after being strong for so long she just needed a good cry. i couldnt focus on my studies. i was just so sad. it was so hard to hear  her be so sad and there was nothing i could do! i foght with myself for a minute or two, thinking, oh she needs her space, i shouldnt do anything, but i couldnt help myself. it was killing me! so i went to the bathroom to try to comfort her as much as i could. but she locked the door. she did need her space. i went back to my desk, to try and study againg and i just couldnt! it was torture! finally, i just went to the bathroom door and sat on the floor and cried with her. she didnt know i was there. she didnt need to know i was. but i was crying right along side her. her on one side of the door and i on the other. and we just cried together. eventually she opened the door. and we were able to comfort each other and cry together. afterwards i thought, how symbolic. sometimes we have trials, and we are locking ourselves in the bathroom to cry and let it out all by ourselves. and how often is christ waiting on the otherside of the bathroom door crying on the floor with us. and waiting for us to open the door so that he can comfort us. and we can cry together and that is the atonement. it is infinite. it is love. it is always there AND HE is aways there. we jsut have to let him comfort us. 
and he has. sometimes we want to give up. sometimes we want to just wiff some cloriform and knock us out so we dont have to feel anything sometimes we just want to fall and lay there until the storm is over. sometimes we dont want to hear the words of comfort or advice or the silverlining. and in those oments, i imagine christ is saying "its ok to fall. just make sure you fall in MY arms. its ok to give up for now, just make sure you dont quite on me. cause ill make up the difference for now." He is the positive when i cannot be. he is my legs when my dont work. only HE is who makes it "OK" When it is really NOT ok with me.... 
and that is another reason why the atonement is INFINATE. he covers it ALL. when we cannot. he is there waiting. he is real, he lives, and he is with us weather we let him in or not. just on the other side of the door waiting for us to cry WITH him. instead of alone. 
and that is a few of the things i have learned from this trial. 
everything is in his will and all in his purpose. even when its not our will or what we want. 
we will keep working hard. cause the savior will make up for what we lack. lo que me falta.  
and we will seguir adelante.

 

in other news, five missionaries have chicken pox, a few of them have phamonia, and tyfoid fever. three have big nasty spider bites and one got attacked by a dog. sometimes i think satan is trying REALLY hard to stop the work of salvation and the only way he knows how is through the one thing he ddoes not have.... the body. BUT NOT EVEN THAT will stop God. cause he is too powerful to be stopped. and salvation is worth the pain.

also, i celebrated christmas AGAIN this week when dad and heidis christmas package came in the mail!!!!! THANK YOU! MUCHISIAS GRACIAS! it was so fun to open up all the texas clothes (yoga pants. my fav) ... all my favorite sweets (reeses pieces and peanut mnms) and much much more. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! this christmas in a box brought us joy in our final hours as a trio. thank you

 

also i watched the youth theme video for 2014 and it is powerful. mostly cause spencer is in it MY BRO IS A STUD but it made me weep. we are stronger than we think and we need to KEEP being strong. Christ is proud of us when we overcome. and so is our father in heaven.

 

shout out to aunt bobbi. i recieved 2 dear elders from her this week. about grandpa morgans funeral and her final moments with him. and i have one thing to say aunt bobbi.

thank you for this letter. it was key. i neeeded to read everything you said so i could let go of some things. i know that Grandpa Morgan is another angel that i will have on my team durring this mission. i will have the oportunity to work with him to bring salvation to many what a blessing. thank you aunt bobbi. i love you. and your letters. and your adventures with catching fire and everything. youre awesome. 4

 

i love you all. stay strong. keep working with the missionaires cause THEY CANT DO IT ALONE!

les quiero mucho

 

con mucho amor
su hija, 
hna Gonzales

 

 

Trujiillo Temple

stopped by the most peaceful place in peru after dropping hna downs off at the air port. 

these people have been waiting for this peace for a long time. there is a distinct feeling already there even though its not finished. just knowing the potential of such a perfect place is powerful. 

Light 'em up, up, up...

dearest loved ones

first of all FELIZ AÑO NUEVO!!

some fun peruvian new year traditions....

first, the few days before new years the streets are lined with yellow. they sell yello everything! mostly yellow underwear. yes. tons of it. everywhere you look. all over. it supposedly means good luck. and everyone wears yellow. its symbolic of a new year. cool. now what they do with the yellow underwear i dont like to imagine..... crazy burracho (drunk) peruvians on new years. always fun. and for this we had to go back to our room early new years eve and new years to avoid any danger. we saw a cop chase. that was exciting. some drunk driver went zooooming past way dangerously fast in a residential area and they looked like they were having a blast running from the cop car not far behind, also mur rapido!

also, as soon as it gets dark, people take out these dolls made of old clothes dirty things, and they are stuffed with old shoes, toys, garbage what ever, and then, they LIGHT THEM ON FIRE! so on everyside, just under a tree on the side walk, where ever, there are burning dolls. BIG dolls. almost like human size! because we went back early i didnt get a picture, but it was eery. like really wierd. int he morning we saw piles of ash everywhere, in place of where a lifelike doll used to be. its symbolic of burning the old and starting new.

at midnight, we obviously could not sleep cause of all the fire works, so we ran to the roof to watch all the fireworks go off. it was the most beautiful sight ive seen on my mission. good old run down peru, at night, with fireworks on every side. BEAUTIFUL! i wish i had a pic of this too. but it wouldnt do a justice.

let me explain the rain in the park picture. 

so we are at the stage where we are SEARCHING for investigators. searching high and low for those who are prepared. we dotn really have anyone progressing right now. and its kind of discouraging, but im doing my best not to let it get to me. just follow the spirit and be obedient and in the lords time he will put us both in the right place at the right time. but anyways, this particular day, we were knocking doors, searching for references, stole names from the area book and just walking all over. it was blazing hott in the morning and we were tired, then out of no where it RAINED!° not hard, but enought that it was muddy, and my shirt got soaked and we were cold. and i was wearing the wrong shoes so i was slipping everywhere. it was hard to walk and ill i wanted was to be INSIDE somewhere TEACHING! was that too much to ask!!!

what i learned this day, in a round about way was this.... you start in faith, and carry out in hope. and when nothing happens and your numbers are terrible, it doenst matter. cause you followed the spirit as best you could, and you worked hard. and that my friends, is missionary work. i am at peace with my failure. AND WHAT OTHER CHURCH OFFERS THAT! none. christ takes away the sting of death, pain, and even potential feelings of failure. numbers dont matter. people have their agency and becuase they used their agency to go and do something dumb instead of answering the door, it will be held against them one day. EVERYONE must have the chance to accept or reject the gospal. and if it means walking in the rain or the blazing hot and NOTHING then ill do it. its my purpose and its waht i live for.

one of themany lessons learned this week.

more about new years. its a chance to start fresh. this year, this 2014 is the year of my mission! the year that i will be in peru almost all year!! cool. so i will become even more peruvian. i will learn and adapt even more. 

just a few goals, 

• read 5 pages of the book of mormon every day (obviously) BUT i am reading in spanish. to help me understand better. so i can be a better trainer
• baptise 2 complete families
• eat cuy

• run four days a week even if its half a mile. 
• and become more sanctified. more dedicated to the lord. change MORE! i want to change so much so that when i go home i cant change back to who i was. i mean i wasnt bad before, but i want to be different and have a stronger spirit about me when i get home. stronger so that when i go back to college i wont be tempted, and i will continue to be a missionary and bloom where ever im planted.

that is my wish. my goals.

hope all is well in your individual lives. i love you all so much and your prayers are felt.

in other news, i had an interview with president this week and he asked me how i felt about training....

ill keep you posted....

hna gonzales with an s

FELIZ NAVIDAD y AÑO NUEVO!!

Querido Familia y amigos,

 

I HOPE YOU ALL HAD THE MOST FELIZ NAVIDAD EVER!!!! cause i sure did. i never thought i would love talking to my family SO MUCH! i jsut ate up every second. and 40 minutes IS NOT ENOUGH! man.... did you all know i have the greatest family in the whole world ever? cause i dooooo...... my parents, my siblings, my step siblings, THEY ARE ALL AWESOME! i talked to taylor and tyson, who i havent talked to IN FOREVER! and dad and heidi, AND MIKE!!! that was dads christmas gift to me. i have an awesome dad and an awesomely supportive boy friend YES he is STILL WAITING! and we are going strong! go team mike and moe. and i talked to my dear sweet beautiful mother. she is still so white as ever. i love her. i love it when she says HHHH ermana gonales. emphasis on the h. which in spanish is siletn. heheheeh funny huh. she is so cute. i love her. and i met the whole farm and the little girls intrudiced me to all of their chickens, ducks, bunnies and dogs. wow. will i be coming home to utah or to wyoming coutry farmland..... not sure..... but i love them all. my familiy is doing so well. made me cry to hear their voices and to share my experiences. BEST CHRISTMAS EVER! 4

 

also, earlier that same day, we MCd our planned talent show for the mission. and it was A SUCCESS!!!! see blog for pix. (and videos of plaza de armas) and it was so funny. the talent show was very entertaining. full of a variety of talent and skits and the spirit of christmas. hermana downs and i did not put our selves in cause everyone already knows we like to sing. so we were wrapping up the show and everyone startedn chanting "¡canta! ¡cantan!"..... so we did our Plaza de armas song, venid y adoremos for them all. it was cool . i felt pretty special. and loved. i love music! i love to sing! happy sister gonzales. after we had a very spiritual christmas devotional about the savior, and who he is and what he did for us. and a testimony meeting. of course, i was an emotional sister missionary ,crying out of gratitude for my savior and i shared my testimony. this has to be the most spiritual christmas i have ever had (next to savior of the world the musical) i have learned so much, felt so much, and IT IS THE BEST FEELING EVER!

All the missionaries got gifts from president and his wife. get this.... greatest gift EVER! we all got temple clothing envelopes with the Trujillo temple sewn into it. its soooo classy and something we will use the rest of our lives! so cool! very creative president. props.....

 

it was a beautiful christmas. full of peruvian traditions, music, and the spirit.

on a more spiritual note:

i did some study about the Holy Spirit of Promise. this to me, is like as deep of doctorine as Kolob.... ill never understand the concept of Kolob....cant handle it. but, after me deep studying and praying,  i decided that i would not get too worried about it. it is a desire of my heart and so i will show it through my actions. i will live in a way that i can always be worthy of the spirit. hermana marler once told me, never do anything with out first having the spirit. she said that is how you raise kids. i decided, since i dont  have kids, i will apply it to my companions and inecstigators. and i feel it working. i have been repenting DAILY. not just when i need something, not just when i feel like my sins have been adding up, but DAILY and there is a difference. i am more patient, i am sympathetic, and it is like a breath of fresh air. yes i still have my moments, but i am learning to control them. like you said, life in a way that i can be at peace. that if i died today, i would die and be ok cause i have been acting in faith, and repenting of my sins. and doing my absolute best. cause that is when we use the atonement. and the atonement is real. 

this sunday we were asked to speak in church, i chose the topic Perseverar haste el TEMPLO (persevere until the temple) for our ward. and i did some study, but as i was sitting listenting to hna downs talk about the atonement, i felt like i need my topic to go in a different direction. and thats exactly what happened. i feel really good about what i shared for the ward. about the spirit of temple work that is in elbosque. the ancestors are preparing the members and our invesetigators so that in 2015 their temple work can be DONE! and we all need to tune into that spirit that is here. we need to repent, use the atonemet and prepare to go the temple. 
sometimes, i just LOVE being a missionary. its so AWESOME!

our area is doing good. we are doing a lot of finding now. our ward is great! we set goals for 2014 in consejo del barrio for our next temple sealings and members to prepare for the temple. im excited! the spirit is strong AND IT IS HERE!

thats the latest and greatest. had the most spiritual christmas EVER! i feel like i have grown more in the last 7 months spiritually than i have in my whole life. i love being a missionary.

 

con amor

 

Talent Show

MC for talent show.... have you ever tried to MC in spanish.... cause its not as easy as english. just fyi.

 

 

Skyping Daddio