Monday, July 28, 2014

Week Forty-Three and Forty-Four: Chao

So last week, I had at ton of stuff to tell you all so I wrote a really long, interesting, funny message. However, when I tried to send it...it didnt. I knew it didnt but I didnt have time to do anything about it. A few months ago, I would have flipped my biscuits but I have been gaining a lot of patience.

Anyway, Chao is dope. It is a small Cartavio-sized town that is almost the exact same distance from Trujillo in a southward direction that Cartavio was in a northward direction. It has a little bit more of a hustle and bustle vibe than Cartavio. It is in a different agricultural buisiness however. Instead of hearing nothing but fábrica, fábrica, fábrica, now I hear nothing but Camposol, Camposol, Camposol. Camposol is a company that grows and harvests produce which means men, women, and teenagers alike all get paid minimum wage to pick avacados, bananas, and asparagus all week.

My pensionista is AWESOME. Her name is Flor and we eat in her restaurant. Thats right 2 restaurants in a row. Her husband, Overt, is the brach president and she has two daughters, Keyla and Maite. I love this family. They are so cool.

I live in a room with 2 companionships of missionaries. We all live in Chao but E McClellan and E Muguerza go to Nuevo Chao everyday while E Walker and I stay in Chao.



E McClellan: He is from Brigham City, Utah. He is actually from my group. When I first got to Cartavio, he got to Chicama (a neighbouring city). We already know each other and we have a lot in common so we get along super well. We are becoming super good friends.

E Muguerza: He is brand new. He started his mission when I got here to Chao. He was raisied in the city of Chimbote which is actually in this mission about an hour from here. He left to Argentina and got baptized there so he sent in his mission papers and they called him back to his home. Its a little hard for him because he is an hour away from his mom who he hasnt seen in years but he is doing well.

E Walker: He is from Springville, Utah. He has 6 weeks less than me in the mission and he is still in his first area. That means that we will probably only be together through August but we are going to work hard.



This is the first time ever that there have been 4 obedient, hard working misisonaries here and President Marler, our branch leaders, and pretty much everyone expects to see a TON of growth here over the next little bit.

Well, I hope that that was long enough to make up for last week.

Fun fact: Right here as Im typing, the internet place is playing, "I Kissed a Girl"

Love you all,
Elder Gonzalez

Monday, July 14, 2014

Week Forty-Two: In Which I Reference the Cup Song

I'm going to write this first because I have a lot to talk about so I am REALLY sorry if I don't get to respond to some of your personal emails but I'll get there next week.

I. A thank you: Thanks a ton to team #prayforfleming. He was baptized on Saturday. His brother came up from Trujillo to baptize him and even though he and his brother are the only members, his whole family came to support him. He and his brother shared their testimonies and the Spirit was super strong.

E Flores, his brother, his mommy, Fleming, me

II. An anecdote: This Sunday, we had a meeting and so all of the local leaders were stressing over the World Cup. Our branch president leaned over to me and asked me who I wanted to win. I said Argentina because everyone in Latin America wanted Argentina to win. And he said, "I want Germany to win because one of the Apostles is from Germany and the pope is from Argentina." I laughed way louder than I should have due to the reverence of the meeting that we are in.

III. Crazy life changing news: I'm leaving Cartavio. Bum bum bum. E Flores is going to train a new missionary in my place and I am going to...Chau. Chau is a little town in Viru that is where E Flores came from four months ago. I'm going to his old area to be with his old companion that he trained, Elder Walker. ¡Qué locaso!  

That's about half of all of the crazy stuff that has happened this week but my head's not on straight because I'm half packed, and I have to run all over Cartavio to pass out photos with my name and email. But I think that they're going to miss me when I'm gone. They're going to miss me for my hair. They're going to miss me everywhere. They're going to miss me when I'm gone.

Love you all a ton. I added pictures of the current entries for the Elder Gonzalez Loves America Contest. Keep sending them in. Take care.
By Paul and Debbie Gregg

By my mommy

By Karen Gale

Elder Gonzalez

Monday, July 7, 2014

Week Forty-One: Proud To Be An American

Dear America,

You are a pretty great country. I missed you this week. I hope that everything is good over there and that you are still free and stuff. Thanks for Costco and for liberty. Sorry about Miley Cyrus and contamination and other reasons that people complain about you. I still love you America. I think it's cool that we pledge allegiance to our flag. I think that the US dollar bill looks a lot more like real credible money than any other piece of colorful paper that can be printed. I think that it's kind of funny how big and powerful we are and I'm glad to be an American. Most of all, America, I just want you to know that I sang the national anthem really loud in the shower on Friday morning.

Photoshop contest: Whoever sends me the best 4th of July/America themed Photoshop of this photo will receive a hand written letter from Peru. Oooh.