November 9th 2009

Thank you for the email Curt, it's really great to hear from you and thank you guys so much for supporting me out here. You are right about the Rain here, it gets crazy out here! and I'm always waking up around 3:30 am and open the window looking at all the rain and wind and my mind or heart or whatever turns to home and I stay up thinking about you guys, what problems your facing, what new battles mom is fighting, what zach's doing with his friends, what new crazy idea tiffany has come up with, and what new thing the dog's have chewed up. I miss you and love you guys.

So I was thinking about home this week during my personal study and decided to reread the letter mom wrote for me before I left, I never really had the chance to thank you guys for that it's given me much strength in hard times, and I remember a portion you wrote about whenever you feel the mist hit your face think of me, it's been rainy this week so indeed I have been thinking you quite often when it gets rainy or depressing here. But just know that I am happy and healthy and absolutely love this place. I've grown to love this country, this people, and I've come to know who I am or who I really want to be. I've come to know the goodness and wickedness of people in a foreign nation and foreign tongue, and more importantly I've come to know the God I serve more than I could have asked for. All is well here. In the words of the Psalmist from the Bible: "Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, who's hope is in the Lord his God"

This week I was riding in a jeep after we had been punted or stood up on lessons going to the other side of town to teach another family, I looked at my soaked clothes, my tired companion, my muddy shoes, the old seats we were sitting on, and then I looked out into the horizon, where I saw a miraculous sight...sunlight breaking through the clouds making a glorious sight in the setting horizon with rain dancing about the rays of sun. It was at that moment I came to love this place. It was when I sat in homes the size of my room, with familes of 15 in front of us and see a 50 year old woman cry because of my humble testimony about how great God has been in my life and how her family can be together after this life through the ordinances of the temple. I came to love these people. It was when I was on my knees and crying for faith, when God had comfortable my soul then I came to know how wonderful he his. It was when I saw the hand of God in this work by seeing those hearts of the people softened or indescribable coincidences take place that I knew this work is the most important thing I could be doing now.

I love you all so much, Hope all is well

Love Your Son,

Elder Gonzalez.


p.s. I've been thinking about Zach quite a bit this week hope he is doing well! oh by the way about your dream mom, I kept thinking about it and there is a Sister Warnick here she's american I told her about your dream she said that's odd, yeah our house flooded and now my mattress is destroyed and on halloween there was a drunk guy who wouldn't stop knocking on our front door for 20 minutes, I asked if she needed anything and she said she is fine, she's  a great girl from Idaho, so perhaps you had her in mind.

Really quick about Feddex, Mission president asked us not to send it because they really screw us over here. They charge about 5000P to pick up any package sent from fedex so it roughly translates to 100-150$ extra when it gets here  and the office elders have to front the $$ don't ask me why just another way to screw over american's because I suppose there mind set is well you have money! so gives us it! I've ran into that a lot over here. To which I reply in my head, well If you didn't drink all day or gamble and had a job at your age 20-45 then things would be different, it's hard to think that but it's also hard to see these horrible parents ruin their children because they don't want to work and sleep all afternoon and drink daily. It's a testament to me that in life if you want success: WORK, STUDY, and Take care of what's important which is family don't be a lazy slob and in the words move on with your life...values you have instilled in me since I was young so thank you again. So they asked to send through the post office because it's only 35P to pick up? Don't know how much that is to send from home, perhaps you can put 100$ in the package or something and maybe the Elders won't care. Who knows well love you again!

Tell Zach, Tiffany, Jessica, Jason, Michaela, Madison, Chance, TK, Malaki that I love them. and Zach to respect woman don't do anything with them that would bring shame to our family name, don't be stupid and drink, and don't be stupid and do drugs, and don't hang around with kids that give mom and curt worries.