Liberty Jail: an oxymoron

Dearest Family and Friends,

Week three has come and gone so fast! Can you believe im almost 1/18th of the way done!!!! its been another beautiful week in the MTC. i am really getting used to it here! and i weighed myself yesterday and good news. same same. NO TUBB! lol. I love wednesdays because i get to welcome new missionaries like i was welcomed. it feels good :) and i get to see familiar faces too! this week i saw Brandon Squires, from high school seminary and Temple Tuesday at USU and Anna Huggard from chamber choir and student council and Josh Savage from chamber choir! its so awesome!!!

like i said. its been a BEAUTIFUL week! i feel like i have learned so much! i can now recite memorized in spanish: "our Purpose" , invite someone to be baptised (which is one of the only things you memorize in PMG-Preach My Gospel) and the first vision!!! YAY!!! the gift of tounges is REAL@!!!! i make so many mistakes and i say "it will be a MIRACLE if i ever learn spanish!!" and look how far ive come. its working :D slowly.... but surely.... did you know there are 14 tenses in spanish???  CAUSE I SURE DIDNT! but all is well in Israel.

its down to Me and sister Worlton who is A GEM! i love her so much. we have really become unified this week. we have struggled with our two investigators and this week we had a break through! i never knew just how important it was to really work by the spirit. TRULY trust in the spirit  and where it guides. the spirit knows better than you what the investigator needs. We found out that he is searching for peach and joy and comfort. but he has looked in all the wrong pklaces. he was hooked on marijuanna and drinking for years and we testified that the Holy Ghost brings the right kind of joy and peace. and it is from God himself. and when you feel these feelings, you know with out a doubt that it IS from God and you can feel His love for you so strongly. You cannot find this love or Joy any where  save through the spirit. I shared that i have a sister who has made similar choices and i know the love I have for her, and i can imagine the Love God and the Savior has for him. The spirit was so strong. and i was in tears (of course). and it was all in spanish. it was amazing! i know that if i didnt have the spirit with me, i wouldnt have been able to testify and say the things that was needed for him. Its real. the Holy Ghost's power is so real. and it WORKS! AND IT IS KEY to bringing others to Christ.ive also learned how the spirit speaks to me. i get the chills. i become over whelmed with a sensation i cannot descrive. and ive learned not only how the spirit guides, and testifies, but how he tenderly corrects and sometimes even chastises. but it is out of love. he is the best teacher for our souls. what would we do with out the Spirit of God.  OH! i love it so much!!!

This last sunday for releif society, we had a special guest assigned to come! it was Sister Carol Stevens from the General Relief Society presidency! aka MIKE'S AUNT!!!!! but....... she never showed up! i was so bumed! but at the same time, i think if she came i would be EXTREMELY distracted..... lol. no one knows why she never came. Its rare when a general authority doesnt show up.... makes me worried. i hope everything is ok. she has been in my prayers. so the back up plan was for the MTC Relief society presidency give a lesson on Joseph smith. THey talked about his life and his dedication to the restoration of this gospal. they talked about his experience in Liberty Jail (isnt that ironic? liberty means free.... and jail means...well.... NOT free?). they shared how some of the most loved sections from D&C come from his experience there. GO STUDY D&C 121,122,123. amazing. i loved how they explained that even in jail, that dark place became a "temple jail" to joseph. you can find the lord and He can revweal to you what you need to hear even in the most low of low places. you can have spiritual experiences anywhere. God is ready and available and wanting to bear you up. ALL THE TIME! "my hand is out stretched still". it is so true. What love our Heavenly Father has for all his children. Its amazing.

The last few weeks i have made it a goal to come to know my Savior more personally. I have been studying His life and his character. In PMG Chapo 6 is all about Attributes of Christ. and it breaks it down so you can study each characteristic. So far i have studied Faith, Hope, and Charity. THis week i am studying about Virtue. Christ WAS ALL OF THESE THINGS PERFECTLY! as ive studied, i have been very humbled. I dont know if i will be able to keep the commandment of becoming like Christ himself. He is everythign good. He is Goodness. He is perfect in ever. way. I wish i could tell you all that i have learned. I wish i could go into detail about each of these things! i would sincerely encourage you to study about the miracles brought through faith. about the hope god has for all us children. that we can return to his presence someday. he loves us so much. about the pure love of our savior. it is so pure. to have that christlike perspective is amazing! ok this may be wierd, but i feel like it helps. as i shake hands with the elders and embrace the sisters, i have been thinking to my self in my head"i lvoe you". because that is what the savior thinks when ever he communes with us. is "i love you". i feel like it has helped develope my charity. i know i have a lot to learn, but i now look at people and i just automaticly LOVE them! i want the best for them. i want them to know how much they ARE lvoed! and what amazing missionaires they are going to be~!!! ah! its so cool!! and did you know yo ucan apply charity to EVERYTHING! in your home, in your relationships, in keeping your covenants! EVERYTHING you can have a Christlike love for. its a deep concept. and one i dont know if i can every wrap my mind around, but it is a good challenge. the other thing  is virtue. so far i have learned that virtue also means purity, and integirty. having a pure hart and pure intentions. this is something i must work on too. i need to have every corner, every part of my soul dedcicated to the Lord. not just for the next 18 months. but then next REST OF MY LIFE! AND eternity after that! and that comes through virtue. spiriually pure. im working on it. but these things are AMAZING~! so much goes into it. i wish i could share so much more!

BAH! this is amazing. i am just LOVING life. loveing THIS! i feel so blessed. i feel SPOILED with blessings! its amazing.

so i hear we have a farm at home? ducks and chickens??? this was hailey's doing wasnt it? she has such a gift with animals. I can see all you kids taking such good care of them and having a total blast. so do we get eggs? have you taught the duck to roll over?  

bethay, thank you for sharing your spiritual experience with me this week. it made me so proud! thinking my little sisters are already so intune with the spirit! it makes me a proud big sis. :D keep being good. keep being beautiful. all five of you girls. and every single one of you. it is so important!!! keep building your relationship with your father in heaven. he loves you SO MUCH! and he is so proud of each of you.

ok here is some food for thought,. some questions i had this week that i had to go study about and i LOVED what i learned.

- when you see in the scriptures "rely on the merits of jesus christ" what does "merits" mean?

-what is the difference between grace and mercy?

-what is the difference between sin and transgress? what about adam and eve?

-and define "godly sorrow."

-last one: what is "the gospal of christ"

i cant believe im saying this.... but dan, go whip out your PMG and teach with the spirit. keep it simple! they teach us, teach in a way so an 8 year old can understand it. and its so nice! its so smooth! its simply the pure doctorine. and IT WORKS!!!!

i love you all. that is the latest and greatest of Sister Gonzales.

Les Quieres! La Iglesia is VERDADERA!!! y me amo mi dios.

loooooves

sister Gonzales.

PS HPPY BIRHTDAY DANNI! thanks for the package! and chazzy for the cough drops. :D

PSS HPPY GRADUATION! (i think its this week? not sure...)

PSSS congrats dad on bishoprick! I knew going on a mission ment more blessings for the fam, but it sounds like you have to really WORK for your blessings. jk lol good luck. :D im so proud. love you

PSSSS i hope you all watched sis monson's funeral. It was moving. and i am inspired to be a good wife and mother! one worthy to take care of the Prophet! <3 what an incredible woman of God. they talked about how she had a cheerful countenance, and God was in her countenance. what a good goal for all of us. When people look at me i dont want them to see Hermana Gonzales.  I want them to see The savior. and even the countenance of God in me.

Hurrah for Israel!