January 11, 2010

Ang Minamahal Kong Pamilya,


I believe I understand how you feel about house work mom, this week has been beyond challenging and I'll tell you why, so it seems E. Casuga is done working, 2 times this week he hasn't left the house before 2:00pm, teaches quick lessons only 8 minutes long and we wasted a total of 6 hours waiting for him so that he could find a member to work with him while JayJay and I worked in another area. and if I don't clean the house it won't be done, he didn't even have weekly planning with me this week and planned 1 day our numbers are 28 last week and 35 lessons this week because Jayjay and I have been teaching 7-10 lessons as a day and he pulls a measly 2-4...so today it changes I've been patient, loving, and understanding...so the gloves come off today. Jayjay(ward mission leader) and I are speaking to him tonight about his accountability in this work and if he does not labor dilligently the blood of these people will come upon him and he will not stand blameless before God at the last day he will come forth in the ressurection with stand garments because of his laziness. I'm taking the action of becoming Senior Companion and there are new rules in our companionship---We have companionship study everyday at 8:30-9:30, we leave the house at 8am do not return until 8pm, we are not returning home for lunch so that we can sleep we will eat outside on the street and only for 30min not the normal 1hour, we will only have splits on saturday and sunday, we will not hang out with the missionaries on tuesday after district meeting, and we are no longer having P-days we will go to work on monday at 10pm after we email and shop for 2 hours. If he does not want to work with JayJay and I...He has two options, he will go stay at the bishops house or umiwi maaga (Go Home Early) I have patience for him I truly do, but it irks me when he wastes time here in the mission field, it's not his time it's the Lords--if you don't want to work go home. So that is my mentalility from now on, I gave him the privelage of working with other members...but he's not pulling his wait, I gave him the privelage of sleeping in but now he doesn't plan--like I said before the gloves come off and so there are new rules. I talked to my AP's and they just said---you have immunity with planning he's got 2 weeks just deal with it, Pres and Us have great trust in you you can do it. I believe that if you're not a missionary you shouldn't be in the missionfield something my mtc teacher inspired me with, so I'm going to teach him in his last 13 days what it means to be a missionary, how it feels to be rejected hour after hour, how it feels to work 12 hour days only to do it the next day.
WISH ME LUCK!

But I am so glad for the opportunity honestly, I pray everynight and thank the Lord for this trial it's such a great learning opportunity I also pray for E. Casuga everynight and I get to learn about myself and change myself-- I'm now waking up almost everyday at 4:30-5:30 and studying language reading and filling my mind with crazy ideas of life and it's people. I'm so pleased to hear about you all---

Tiffany: the N means Neutral meaning the car will roll down hill next time don't crawl under it haha ;) But I'm happy your going to China that will be such a great experience and ASU should be so much fun
Jessica: So good to hear that you're still working hard
Zach: BE CAREFUL ALWAYS WEAR A HELMET, I always made it appoint to wear a helmet when I skated, wala akong pakialam--I don't care if it's cool or not--your head will enable you to skate/board/shred longer do the important thing
Mom: Relax! Don't go overload try and see the goodside of things! :)
Curt: Keep working hard! :) I'm glad to hear your still doing well and happy

Tell the steeles, I'm sorry for not responding to their email I've been rather busy I hope they understand but I love them very much and hope Brett is safe!!! I haven't heard much more about his problems hope he is still ahead in the mission and happy--he inspired me while I was in the MTC for that I am greatful!


I'm happy here and the work of the Lord continually moves forward, whether we work or not. I'm so thankful for all those who email and I will eventually email you back please forgive me if I've been short with you or haven't even emailed you...be patient ;) that's what I tell my self everyday!

THANKS FOR THE BOXES! she loved her gift...but now she's ashamed because she thinks it's too nice so that's why she doesn't talk much when you text her, she's shy ahah she's great!

Something I realized this week, through personal experience, a talk, and a scriptures. According to Luke, Christ said nearly 2000 years ago "Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever shall lose his life shall preserve it." I've come to know that this little confusing parable is true---whosoever lives unto himself only and only cares about his desires doesn't progress at all. I know that a man must live with principals to be happy, a man must live with tesimony alone, a man if he has faith has to carry the burden alone, like christ when he pleaded with the father in the Garden of Gethsamene, before he took the lonely and long road to Golgotha with a cross on his shoulder. If a man lives to himself alone and doesn't reach out and help others or is interested in others, if a man only thinks of himself first, if a man never learns to love his brethren.... he has noone to blame but himself and he is miserable as hell, excuse me but I believe it. I have come to know who I am through others, I have come to know what's important in this life in the service of my fellow man, I've sweated, bled, and cried here for my fellowman...but not for my glory or reward--but for the sweet companionship of the Holy Ghost and for the world to be brought to the Truth of the only true and living God, who is full of grace and truth to who I owe everything, and I consider it an honor to bow my knees each morning and night and for my tongue to confess that Jesus is the Christ to all those I have the privelage of teaching.

I seem to have gotten carried away in thought, I don't apologize for that I truly believe every word I have typed. To those who read my letters, my family, my friends, my internet stalkers, my beloved brothers and sisters of the world, I wish to convey one message to you all. The love you feel in your family is eternal, theres a reason why we are so close to them and why we hurt when they hurt, cry when they cry, and mourn when they mourn. I consider it blasphemy before God when men speak the words "Till Death Do Us Part"---There is a plan given us and there are Eternal Ordinances admistered in the Holy Temples of God by those who have authority to seal familes together forever, to take upon covenants to love and cherish your family, to stop at nothing to protect and care for your family but my one plead is that you do not have to believe me, I'm just a 20 year old who knows nothing about the world or it's people, for all you know I could have never read a page of the bible, for all you know I could be laying in Boracay right now sipping on a Mango smoothy and not laboring among the people of the philipines, for all I know all the "Spiritual Experiences" I've had could be fake , for all you know I could be making EVERYTHING up...And that's a valid thought--here is a question...What if I am right? What If everything I spoke and declared is true---families can be sealed together, Christ Lives and died for us to enable us to return to the heavenly courts of our Eternal God, what if there is so much more happiness, peace, and understanding that you are now missing because you do not know where to find it...

Here is my plead, pray about everything I have talked about, pray and ask for yourself to God if he does exist, ask if what I've said is right, ask if there is something you should do more for your family or your self--it's really not that difficult it may take 5 or 10 minutes and if you find the joy that I have you'd be beyond greatful.. So that is my plea, that is my challenge if you sincerely pray and ask if what this crazy derranged 20 year old confesses everyday in this foreingh land he inhabits is true, if you ask why there are 53,000 20 year olds a year living in almost every country in the world, struggling through languages to teach on simple truth---God lives and he doesn't change and he still calls prophets today because he loves you just as much as he did in the time of Noah, Ezekiel, Moses, Paul, and Daniel---Ask him if what I have said is true...and I promise you on my honor, my life, my soul, all that I possess and will possess in this world, that you will recieve an answer if you have a sincere in heart. There is no Logic, Bible Debating, Secret Answers, Science, Payment, or Suscription, I firmly believe and delcare that Salvation is found and obtained when one goes before the feet of the Almighty in might supplication and Prayer, I can't give it to you, I can only point you in one direction and you must walk the lonely path of Faith by yourself.

Your Eternal Son and Friend,

Elder Gonzalez