True Canadian

Hello Everyone! I hope that you all had an amazing Christmas and that you were able to feel the joy of the Christmas season! I hope that you were all able to remember the Savior and His birth. I became a true Canadian; I made a snow angle on Parliament Hill and had a beaver tail! ​I also  hope that you were able to ring in the New Year with happiness and health! We had such a great week this week! We have a new investigator! Her name is Myrlandy and she is Haitian and she is so ready for the gospel in her life! She has a son who is a member and she had met with missionaries before but she stopped and she said that she felt that she needed to meet with missionaries again. Heavenly Father is so aware of His children and their needs, she was a referral from the Chapel Hill sisters. We had decided to pass by her on Friday night and when we knocked on the door she was so happy and we met with her on Saturday as well and she was like I was so depressed last night and then you came and I felt so good afterwards! AWW! I love the power of the Spirit! It is so amazing to see Him work in peoples lives and touch their hearts!This week I have really come to appreciate how blessed we are to be able to take the Sacrament and to renew our convents with the Lord. The Gospel of Jesus Christ is so amazing! The work is going so well here! 

Yesterday Caeri and Patrick and Xander had their baptismal interview and they passed!!! They are getting baptized on Sunday! They are so excited and it has been such a blessing to have been able to teach them and to help them! Being a missionary is so amazing! This week we had an amazing lesson with Shirley one of our investigators we taught her the Word of Wisdom and we were able to get the former stake president to come with us last minute and it was so great! The Spirit was so strong in that lesson! We went on exchanges on Tuesday and i had a good time with sister Olsen and I learned a lot form her. I finished reading Jesus the Christ! Life is just so amazing when you are teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ every day!  Sorry this email is so short I dont have a ton of time! 

Love Sister Gonzalez 

Funny Moments this week: 

At Caeri and Patrick"s: We are playing the game of life with them and then Xander ( Caeri's 8 year old son) fell off the couch and when he fell his pants came with him so he mooned us! hahah! 

Patrick: Xander has Nanna syndrome ( Meaning that he was like his grandma)  

Me: Banana syndrome? whats Banana syndrome 

Caeri: Its when you wear your clothes to much that you have to  peel them off 

Talking about the difference between the U.S. and Canada ( Caeri is originally from the U.S.) 

Caeri: They call doughnut holes timbits 

Patrick: whats a doughnut hole?

Caeri: Its a timbit dear.  

FIRST TRANSFER

Hello everyone I hope that you all had a wonderful week full of miracles! 

This week was so great for us! We had amazing lessons with Charlie, our investigator, and he is getting baptized! He is doing so great! He has been 12 days smoke free! He is so sweet we were doing service for him one day and he was like, "You girls you know what you are? You are Charlies Angles!" We felt so happy and so touched that he feels that way. We decorated for Christmas with him and it was so fun! We had an amazing lesson with the Raymond family on Wednesday and it was just such a great lesson! They came to church on Sunday! The whole family! It was so amazing! 

We had so many great things happen to us this week! We were given a referral from the ward and it was a part member family and we visited them and they came to church! They said that they will be coming regularly now! It was so great on Sunday we were surrounded by the people we teach it was amazing! To look around the chapel and see all the wonderful people we teach sitting by us! I had an amazing last Sunday in Cornwall! I am being Transferred. I am going to Riverside Ottawa so I am still in English and I am still in Ontario. It was so sad to say goodbye to everyone. But I know that the Lord needs me in Ottawa. 

Love Sister Gonzalez 

NINE investigators!

Doing service with the Young Women

Hello everyone, I hope all is well. This week was just so amazing! We had our transfer calls on Saturday and we are both staying which we both knew was going to happen since sister Rawlings is still being trained. So we are on transfer two or phase two haha! Our district is changing so much though! We are now meeting in an even father location and we had two new teams of missionaries in our district. This week was so great the Lord has been really blessing us and we had 2 new investigators this week! and 9 of our investigators have baptismal dates! The Lord has really prepared His people it is so amazing to see that the field truly is white and ready to harvest! I love being part of the work of salvation and seeing how i truly am just an instrument in the Lords hands! I feel like Ammon when he is boasting about how great the Lord is to His people!

We had some really amazing lessons this week with our investigators and they are all just so great! On Wednesday we went and had a lesson with Charles and we were waiting for our chaperon and we were talking to him outside and he was with a neighbor. And so we go up and talk with them a bit and then our chaperon arrives and we asked his neighbor, Shane if he wanted to join us  and he was like ya what are we doing and we were like we are going to teach a message about Jesus Christ and His Gospel and he was like sure I would love to so we taught them the Restoration and invited both of them to be baptized and they said yes! And when we gave Shane a Book of Mormon his face just lit up! it was such an amazing experience and while we were teaching Shane was like I have always wanted to know more about God I just didnt know where to find it. So what it says in D&C is so true people are only kept form the truth because they know not where to find it. We also helped with young women's and it was the "amazing race" it was really fun and the Raymond girls came out to the activity and their mom stayed and did family history! They are such a great family! On Satruday we did service with the ward and we went to clean up a park and that was really fun but it was sad to see how much people litter. Two of the Raymods came out and helped it was so great to see them there! Then the Raymonds and Charles came out to church so that was so great! I love being a missionary so much! I love helping people and teaching them the Gospel! I hope everyone has a safe and happy week and that they eat lots of candy hahahah!

 

Love, Sister Gonzalez

The Lord's Blessings

Hello everyone, I hope everyone had a great week! I cant believe its Monday already! Anyways this week was so amazing! We have 7 new investigators! We have a whole family the Raymond's and they are just so ready for the Gospel! they were a media referral and when we met them they told us that they had been looking into the church for a year! They went to Palmyra to go watch "meet the Mormons" and they went to the sacred grove and everything! it was so amazing to go and teach them! The Lord truly is preparing His children! And the best part is that they came to Church! We have another Investigator Charlie we met him while on our way to visit someone who lives in his building but they weren't home but we felt that we should go talk to him and we did. we set up an appointment with and we had a great lesson with him and we invited him to church and he said he would come if he could get a ride so we got him a ride and he was there on Sunday and he was in a nice suit and tie and he really enjoyed church and said that he would come back! Also he knew some members of our ward! So we had five investigators at church! It was such a blessing to see all of them come to church and have a spiritual experience!

my new winter coat :)

Our other two investigators are related to Tammy one of the new investigators that we got last week one of them is her daughter and one is her sons girl friend. I didn't meet them because I was on exchanges in Lasalle but Sister Rawlings said that it was a great lesson and that they are also so ready for the Gospel in their lives! We had exchanges on Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday it was a really strange exchange but it was so great I learned so much. On Monday we went to Montreal and checked the mission office to see if they had any nice winter coats they didn't so we went to a store and we found some really nice winter coats that I will be buried in because they were so expensive! hahah! But then we split off and I went with Sister Alvarez to go teach a lesson and it was my first Spanish lesson! We slept over at the STLs apartment and we then went to zone training meeting. We had Interviews with President Patrick which went well. Then after Zone training we went and got Poutine!  We went to this Greek place that I had never been to before but some of the other missionaries recommended it and it was the best poutine that I have ever had! It was so great because sister Rios and Sister Heninger were on exchanges together so they came with us so that was fun! Then we split off and Sister Rawlings went back to Cornwall and I went to Lasalle and we had a great exchange! then on Wednesday afternoon we drove back to Cornwall. It was such a great week the Lord has been blessing us so much!

 

Love sister Gonzalez

General Conference

Hello everybody I hope all is going well and that you were all able to watch General Conference! It is truly a blessing we get to gather as a church and hear the word of God. How blessed we are to live in these latter days and that all over the world we can listen or watch in our own language! What did everybody think about some of  the members of the quorum of the seventy speaking in their native languages? I loved it! I think it just showed that it is a world wide church and that God loves all His children. Some of the themes that I picked up on were : The Sacrament is Holy treat it as such, have a testimony of prophets especially the Prophet Joseph Smith, Seek the Savior learn of Him and His character become more like Him. Get out of Babylon and not just say it but do it. I loved Elder Hollands talk about helping the poor and the needy and how we should always give no matter what. I loved Elder Bednars talk about why we share the gospel it was such a great talk! We had a lot of less active members come to conference! It was so great to see them come out to church! One of the less active members we had been teaching for a few weeks said he would come to General Conference and he did! And when we went and talked to him he was like I felt that it was time to come back! Ah what a miracle! It was also so great to see Jennifer there! She is so great she comes out to all the activities and she always comes to conference and she stays for all of the sessions! Jennifer is just such a great example diligence.  This week was pretty good. We had some pretty good lesson and we are just working hard and trying to find people and help them. We had some really great experiences contacting and we have some lessons set up from passing by formers! We are doing pretty well and we are working really hard! I am just so tired all the time but its great because you know you put in your all. Yesterday when we were at home making lunch it was a bit dim but I didnt really notice it was dark until Sister Rawlings turned on the light and I thought that is like the Gospel people dont even really notice that they are sitting in darkness until some one turns on the light and we are just so committed to helping people find the light of the Gospel so they will no longer be in darkness. I love you all and I hope you have a great week! 

Love Sister Gonzalez 

Funny moment this week: We were street contacting this guy and we were being attacked by lady bugs! Well on the bright side we have a return appointment and we gave him a Book of Mormon! so that was great! Also we were talking with a member and she was telling us how her grandma could cure anything even warts and how her husband had a wart and she told him to go find a white horse and to go to the corner of the field and to say I wish my wart on the back of that white horse and how it worked but it was just so funny how she told this story! 

Double Whammy

So much happened this week! The beginning of the week was a bit sad because sister Heninger was leaving and it is sad to see your companions go but I was super excited to get my new companion! Her name is Sister Rawlings and she is from Rexburg Idaho! She is so sweet and super enthusiastic for the work! And it turns out that she had read my blog before she came so that was really cool! On Wednesday was my first time driving in Montreal! It was so stressful! Then we got to the mission office and we were there super early! Because they told us to be there at 10:50 and we got there at like 10:15 and our meeting didn't start till 12:30! We were waiting forever! President Patrick gave us a training on how to be a trainer and then all the new missionaries came in and there were 29 new missionaries! That is the biggest group that the CMM has ever had! So to be training the new face of the CMM is a huge responsibility! Then we got our new companions and I really wanted to take Sister Rawlings to get her first poutine but we had to show the Elders from Hawkesburry to the freeway so we couldn't go :( but we will soon. I felt so bad for the Elders because they had to follow me and I had no idea where I was going I was just following the GPS so it was an adventure! Then we got back to Cornwall and we had a lesson and then we went and put Sister Rawlings stuff away and that was at the end of the night.

My trainer (on the right), me, and my trainee (on the left)

We had district meeting the next day and so Hawkesburry and Cornwall are going to Ottawa for when Elder Bruce A Carlson of the seventy comes to visit the mission. So Elder Rangel was explaining why we were going there and he said something like they don't want us because we are brown. So when we were introducing ourselves I was like "Hi I am sister Gonzalez and I am from Utah and my parents are form Guatemala and that is why I am brown" and then Elder Echeverria was like " Hi I am Elder Echerverria and my mom is from the states and my dad is Guatemalan that is why I am half brown." it was so funny! and then Elder Rangel was like no I didn't mean anything by my first comment. hahah it was so funny!  We had some really great lessons! Sister Rawlings is already so great at being a missionary! We had a huge miracle this week we were passing by former investigators and we couldnt find this house but we were determined to find it so we go up to some people to contact them and to ask where this house was and someone tells us where it is so we go and we knock on the door and the lady comes out and is like ya you can come back! So that was amazing! We had such a great week! I love being a missionary so much! I love being here in Cornwall with Sister Rawlings! I am so excited to see what else the Lord has in store for us here!

 

Love, Sister Gonzalez 

Yup, that's frost on the ground!

Hello everyone, I hope that all is going well with every one! I hope everyone is preparing for the best time of the year General Conference! How blessed we are that every six months we get to hear from the Lords prophet and apostles. I hope you are all preparing to hear the inspired messages that we will receive this weekend! This week was so busy and so great! Tuesday one of our members took us out to Morrisburg which is part of our area but is pretty far away so we were able to go do some visits there and it was really great! Wednesday was the Zone conference with Elder Bruce A. Carlson of the seventy. It was so great I learned so much! The conference was an all day thing. So we had lunch and we sat by Elder and Sister Carlson and it was so cool! One of his main themes was that our purpose was to establish Zion where ever we are put. He also told us that we are called to teach not to talk. I thought that that was so powerful and he also taught us to plan in specifics and that when we do that we will see more results. 

Sister Carlson also spoke and she talked to us about how we should always be obedient and how we should never think we are above the rules and how the rules are there for our protection and that they keep us safe and grant us blessings.  Then when we were back in the meeting after lunch they were going to pick some missionaries to bear their testimonies and they were looking right at me so I was like ok I guess I will be picked and I was! I went last and it was a bit nerve racking but it was great. Sister Rawlings was like you were glowing up there! So that was really cool. Then Sister Rawlings was picked to be interviewed by Elder Carlson. So that was really cool! I have now been to the Capital of Canada! It was a bit stressful driving because I had never been there before but it was good because I had the GPS so we got there and back safe and sound.

 

Thursday we had a lesson with Jennifer and she is doing so great! and she is so excited to go to the Temple on Saturday after the women's meeting she was like "Sister Gonzalez when do I get to go to the Temple?" it was so amazing to see how excited she is to go to the Temple! It makes me so happy to see how great Jennifer is doing! On Thursday we had a lesson with Raquel and investigator and we had a member with us and it was just such a great lesson. Our member Sister Gaudet is so awesome she really helped Raquel understand the pre- earth life! Having members present at lesson makes a huge difference! We were having two activities at the church a board game night on Friday and the Womens meeting on Saturday so we wanted Raquel to come out to both of them and we had been trying all day to find her a ride for Friday but it wasnt working out and then finally we got some one but then when we showed up to tell her she had a ride she was like I cant tonight but I can come tomorrow night to the other thing and can my friend come? and we were yes she can come and ok so we got her a ride for Saturday! We had a cake decorating activity before the broad cast and that was super fun and they really enjoyed it and then we gave them a quick Chapel tour with sister Merpaw. It was really great. Raquel seemed to really enjoy the broad cast! She was paying attention the whole time and I think she really liked it! We had some really amazing bus contacting experience on  Saturday was well! We meet a lady how has a cousin that is a member and she is interested in some of the church DVDs!  We have been doing so great I love being a missionary and being here in Cornwall! The Lord is really blessing us and we are just working really hard! Each day I am so tired but I feel so happy knowing that I did my best in trying to help others come unto Christ. 

 

Love, Sister Gonzalez 

Transfers and Greenies

Boys and girls wanna hear a true story? Saturday night I was at a real stressful transfer call. There was stress and anxiety over flowing the apartment when the Zone leaders finally called. He said, "a whole lot will change since we called you last." I am staying in Cornwall and I am training!!!!!!!! AHAHAHH!!!!! I am so humbled by this call to be a trainer. At the same time I am so excited to get a new sister! Sister Heninger is leaving and going to the Mission Office so she will be in Montreal. We were both a bit shocked since she has only been here for two transfers but it is all what the Lord wants.

We had a really good week this week. We were both committed to not stress or think about transfer calls so we got busy and got to work. We had some really great lessons with our less active members and recent converts. We were able to visit Loretta twice this week! She is doing so much better! On Thursday when we visited her we had a member with us that she was really close with and after we said the closing prayer she walked us to the door and was like, "thank you for loving me so much." I just felt so happy to know that she does feel our love for her and that we are making a difference in her life. Loretta is making so much progress.

We tried Bison burgers on Monday. We don't like Bison. I don't know what inspired us to buy/try them but we did and it was weird. Then, later on in the week, we made Poutine because most gravies have gluten in them we had to make a gluten free gravy to make our poutine and it tasted legit. So I can make Poutine for you when I get home :) On Saturday we went to kirkland to go to Lasalle to go do service with the stake. We had to wake up at 5:00 to get there on time. It felt like I was working at Life Touch again hahah. But we got to see the beautiful Canadian sunrise. Then we went and collected cans for the food drive; it was really fun and we got to speak French! Sunday we visited so many people so sister Heninger could say bye. It was a really good day. That's basically all that happened this week but it was a really good week! I am grateful that I get to stay in Cornwall for another two transfers! I am so excited for Wednesday to go get my greenie!

 

Love, Sister Gonzalez 

 

Funny moment this week; We went out on two trips to collect food and the second time took longer so everyone was really worried that we were gone for so long so when we came back the Zone leaders were like Hermanas what happened where did you go? Did you go back to Cornwall and take a nap and then come back? hahah it was pretty funny.  Also I was speaking French to this lady and she calls her son and is like "tradusca me mijo por que no le entiendo nada" hahah I felt really bad I was like man my French must be awful! But I was able to speak to her in Spanish which was good.