Week Fifty-Five: General Conference!

So conference was pretty stellar. Sorry that I'm kind of late to the game on that one but like I explained last week, the elections kind of ruined that for everyone here. I'm running out of time so I'll just say that I learned a ton, ate a lot of snacks, and partied in the little English-speaking barricade that we made upstairs.

If anyone wants to hear my favorite talk from the conference, they can listen to my main man Jorgen VonStrangle: https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/10/approaching-the-throne-of-god-with-confidence?lang=eng 

Hope that you all have a great week!!!
Elder Gonzalez

Week Fifty-Four: Elections and Pranks!

So this week was elections week. In case you were wondering: no, they are not anything like elections in the United States. First of all, there are more than two parties, there are about 4 or 5 main ones but even a little guy can get pull based on three things: 1. The amount of free stuff (beer openers, t-shirts, and matchboxes), 2. The number and swag level of their crazy rallies that include a salsa band, and 3. The number of people in giant Ben 10 and Angry Birds costumes that you have in your parades. Also, FYI, you should probably start going hard around February if you want any chance of winning.

On actual voting day, it is mandatory to vote. Like they don't care if you are an informed voter or not but you have to vote or there is a fine. And you have to vote where you drivers license says that you live. And they stopped accepting changes in address about 3 months ago. So if you aren't living where the government thinks that you are, you have to get home. Also, the government randomly selects random table presidents to be in charge of voting which cannot be turned down. Our branch president got picked.

It was a rough week because a lot of the people that we teach traveled home to vote and all of the news that we found were just here to vote.

The best thing that happened this week though was a sweet prank that we pulled. The day before voting, you HAVE to take down all voting propaganda or there is a big fine. We got our hands on a GIANT sign, cut out the dude in it and taped it above E Muguerzas bed while he was sleeping. Around 3 am, the tape gave out and he woke up with a giant man on him. HAHAHAHAHAHA.

Other news: I was looking at my family history and I found a line that goes all the way back to Adam. Yeah, that Adam. Not Levine. The father of all living. So that's cool.

Love you all!!!!1
Elder Gonzalez

Week Fifty-Three: The Burning of the Suit Coat

So this week was pretty normal. Well not really but nothing surprises me anymore.

The highlights were: 
Burning a suit coat with E McClellan for our one year mark
Last Monday after internet, we went for a sweet hike here in Chao
While the women were in the women's session of General Conference, all of the Priesthood went out to a really good chicken restaurant.
We moved adobe bricks into an adobe house
We went to a meeting for all of the new missionaries that was really fun.

Deforestation is real and we have to do something. #AssembleWashingtonianBrethren  

Super misjudged my time this week. Sorry y'all.

FYI: This Sunday are the elections in Peru so we will be watching General Conference next week. Send me your favorite talk so I can pay more attention, haha.

Peace out,
Elder Gonzalez

Right before it started smoking a horrible black smoke and we had to put it out and evacuate

Week Fifty-Two: In Which a Missionary Quotes Barenaked Ladies (The Band)

Holy cow guys. It's been one year since:
- I've slept in
- I've drank soda from a can
- I've been barefoot on carpet
- I've touched a banjo
- I've seen an Asian
- I've had a glass of milk
- I've swam
- I've gone 24 hours without eating rice
- I've read fiction
- I've seen melted cheese
- I've logged into Facebook
- I've driven a car
- I've had earbuds in my ears
- I've been thrift shopping
- I've been out in the rain
- I've pledged allegiance to a flag
- I've seen a DVR
- I've cooked for myself
- I've missed a day of scripture study

And one week since:
- You looked at me

Five days since:
- The living room

Three days since:
- You smiled at me

And it'll still be two days till we say were sorry.

It's been a pretty fast and crazy year and I'm sure that the next one will be pretty loco as well. I hope that you've all been good this last year and that you have another 365 days of magic and wonder. I love you all a ton.

Elder Gonzalez

PS. Birchmount stadium; home of the robbie

(This is a reference to the song One Week by Barenaked Ladies. I've gotten too many questions not to let you all know, haha)

Week Fifty-One: The Beach

Line of the week: "Sociology is learning about human relations while not having to have any relations with humans." -Lillian Gonzalez

So Chao is pretty much just the most fun in the world. Living in the same little town with 6 missionaries is WAY fun. Every meal just feels like a little feast. Then we all split up, go out to preach, aquire some crazy stories and meet back up for the next meal to share them. The missionaries who are here right now are literally 6 of the coolest missionaries in the whole mission and I never ever have to worry that they arent working hard.

E Craft and I are still just having a lot of fun. We found a really nice little family a couple of weeks ago that moved here from the jungle. The parents are named Henry and Grimanesa and their kids are Grecia (7), Henry Jr. (4), and a baby who is like 6 months whose name I am blanking on. I think that its like Adrian or something. Anyway, they all came to church this week and last week and a couple of days ago. Henry told us that Monday (today) was his 30th birthday and asked if we could come over since he doesnt have that many friends. E Craft and I invited some people from the branch and were going to buy him a cake and see if we cant just fellowship the daylights out of this punk.

Today for Pday, we are going to the beach. We cant swim so I imagine that well just goof off and get sand everywhere and then we will be cleaning sand out of the shower for the next 3 changes.

Hope that you are all having fun in your new year of school, making new friends, getting along with your teachers, and eating well balanced meals.

Love you,
Elder Gonzalez

Week Fifty: WEEK FIFTY!!!

Did someone say "Week 50"?

So this week was a pretty crazy one. I got to go to a leadership meeting in Trujillo. That was inspiring, insightful, and a ton of fun. I got to see a lot of my good mission friends that I dont get to see very much including E Leavitt and E Flores. We talked about the vision that the mission has right now and I think that it helped us all get on the same page.

Yesterday was like the best Sunday ever in my mission.  We brought 5 investigators and Chao II (E Meaker and E Farnsworth) brought another 4. Between the four of us, we also brought another 6 members who hadnt been to church in a long time. The members are seeing the vision and everytime a new person came in, the members actually fought with each other about who was going to sit next to them and be their friend. It was the best.

E Craft is seriously like the coolest comp ever. I think that you guys will hear a lot of great E Craft lines. One sweet story that he told me this week. "Me and 3 friends who were in a Guitar 1 class together decided that even though none of us could sing or play the guitar we should start a band. So we did. We were called The Park Rangers and we only played songs about animals. Our big hit was Mouse House but I think that our jem was Moose on the Loose." That kid just cracks me up.

Anyway, love you all and I hope that you have a great week and that you are all having a great time in your new classes with all of your new little friends.

E Gonzalez

Week Forty-Nine: Hey There, Mr. Egg-Head

Great week.

So I'm training E Craft.

Me and E Craft

He's from Pleasant Grove, Utah. He is 18 and he's a Mormon. Seriously though he is the greatest. We'll be comps at least into November and I'm down. Here's an example of a great E Craft moment: "When I play rock paper scissors, I always choose scissors. Sometimes, it works." The man is a savage. He's excited, bold, funny and the people here already like him. I think that he will be one of my funnest comps in the mission.

My "family history"

Chao got split in 2 and E Meaker came to open it with his new son, E Farnsworth. E Meaker is from Blaine, Washington and E Farnsworth is from Miami, Florida. I cant even tell you guys how great it is to have a Washingtonian around that knows about Taco Time and loves the smell of lavender. And even though E Farnsworth is new, he knows a ton of Spanish. Fun fact: Peruvians don't have the mouth muscles required to say the word "Farnsworth".

E Meaker and E Farnsworth

E Craft is a lucky dog and got to baptize on his very first Saturday of the whole mission (I'm kind of the best dad ever). Her name is Juana and her 8 year old grandson was baptized by E Walker a while ago but she never listened. We started focusing on her and she decided to get baptized. It was awesome.

Juana's baptism

My birthday was great. Aside from the fact that we baptized, there is a tradition in Peru where on your birthday, people throw eggs on your head. My pensionista Flor and her husband, Overt, were nice enough to let me take my tie off but I still could not escape taking about 20 eggs to the head. It was hilarious and gross and took about three showers to get out of my hair. My pensionista is the best.

Flor and Overt and the cake they bought me to make up for egging the heck out of me

Thanks for all of the birthday wishes sent, emailed, and thought. It's been almost a year and it seems like no one forgot about me, haha. Y'all are the best. I'm not a fan of being 20 though. E McClellan has been making a lot of old man jokes.

Eggs are gross