Oi! 05/10/2013

Familia, I cannot believe you are actually going to Argentina! Marcos the Warriors are being blessed bcz of my mission haha. I'll have to wear my warriors shirt soon! I'm so jealous you are going to a game, a sister here just got re-assigned to Oakland. Well, now I am the Sr companion in my trio which doesn't really mean anything haha, but we are teaching a ton more. My district is filled with immature boys haha but they are not bad all the time. 

Everyday kind of feels the same, but Tuesdays and P. Days are the best. Tuesdays we get to do a service project and then right after that it is personal gym time, which means we are not allowed to go to the gym we have to find some other way to exercise  and this week me and one of my comps decided to take a nap then haha (trey songz) just kidding, is was because we weren't feeling well we just needed to rest for a little, everyone in my district is sick so I'm trying not to get sick.

I have two teachers they are both from the US and they are also the investigators we teach, I find it really weird that our teachers are only a few years older than me, and they are guys I want to teach girls haha. Well this week we practiced doing street contacts with another district. So we got to play the investigators and the missionaries. And we had to do it without our comps and in Portuguese of course. The girl that I was teaching said I did pretty good, we only had five mins to talk to them about the Restoration  I really liked that activity. 

I've also figured out a way to plan out the lessons better, I decided that my comps and I should each bear our testimony about the lesson in 5 mins in English and then translate those words into Portuguese so its becomes much simpler when we teach, and it has been working, now we go teach without any notes and the lesson runs smoother. I'm also the only one that knows how to invite someone to be baptized in Portuguese so I get to do that a lot and its fun. One time during a lesson my comp said in Portuguese  "I dont speak anymore portuguse but I know the book of mormon is true." haha it was great then I invited him to be baptized. Every lesson we teach I learn something new.

I also did run into Serena Gardner and Blake Cashmore. We have had some members from the 70 speak to us but I dont remember their names. The days are long but the weeks are short it feels like. Cody I would love it if you could write to me in Portuguese if you have time. 

I also feel really impressed to tell Marcelino how wonderful he is, and I cant wait to get his letter. I still read the letter he wrote me in my notebook before I left. While I was doing my Book of Mormon study I thought of Marcel and how he would highlight Christ name in the book and how excited he gets about languages and other countries. I just know Marcel, that you are going to be a fantastic missionary. You are going to make people feel just as excited about their baptism like you were for yours. You are an amazing spirit Marcel and you have so much love in your heart. I know that you already know how awesome you are but I just want you to know how awesome I think you are, I love you Marcel.

Also, mom as for my carry on can you try to send the purple kathy one I have, I think that one would be best. And I don't really care what you send in it, but if possible could you send those burts bees face wash towels the yellow one that I had from target I think Angela might know what im talking about. Well I don't really have very much more to say, I do enjoy the dear elder letters tell tia that I got her letter and I loved it. Thanks for everything, let me know how the rest of your week goes.

Eu te amo!

Sister Gonzales

Gaby's First Email! 05/03/2013

Oi! Familia! I hope you got the letter I sent, as well as the postcard I sent Viggo! My P Day has been moved to Friday so Dear Elders throughout the week would be really nice. :] I am in a trio my companions are from Utah and Idaho, one is 19 and the other one is 21. We are all so very different but we work well together. Pretty much my days consist of waking up at the crack of dawn, eating breakfast and then studying, studying and studying! We get to have personal study time and then language study time. I practically live in my classroom. My district is pretty cool then and we have gotten pretty close in a matter of a week. All of us are going to Sao Paulo. 

My third day here we had to teach an investigator. The investigator is an actor but we had to treat him like he was real. We had to teach him all in Portuguese  Our first lesson we taught him about prayer, I ended up speaking the most because I was the only on that would understand him and I also taught half of the lesson in spanish. I can understand Portuguese but I am having a hard time pronouncing the words because I want to say them in Spanish. Well anyways, the third lesson we taught him was about the Restoration  I also spoke most of the time, but that lesson was awesome because even though we all are struggling with the language the spirit was so strong in that lesson, it helps when we recite seu proposito before we go and teach. Our last lesson with him wasn't ideal, but it was definitely a learning experience, one of my companions was having a hard time and she left during the lesson, however I did invite him to be baptized (all in Portuguese  And he said he would pray about it then he said we could leave to check on our companion. We got into a bit of a rough patch the next day also because we don't know how to plan correctly yet, but we worked through it and we are here to lift each other up and help each other. I do like my companions though, I am learning a lot from them.

And I am so grateful for the missionaries back home, they really helped me so much! Nobody here knew about the pen demonstration with the prophets, so I also taught that in one of our lessons.

We have had some great speakers here as well. On Sunday we had the new young womens president come and speak to us, and then after that we all got lectured on modesty haha. But at first it was weird having everyone call you Sister, but I am used to it now, and I actually prefer being called Sister. I met some Elders going to Argentina they asked me if they would struggle understanding the people there when they speak spanish, and I said yes haha just being honest with them. 

A lot of missionaries who are going to Brazil and Argentina are getting re-assignments because they dont have VISAS. I will probably get re-assigned as well but I still have 5 more weeks here so we will see what will happen. The day I am suppose to leave is June 3. Also Mom just wait on the carry on because they have some here, but if you want to send me a package anyways that would be nice too.

 

I did get the card with the money in it, thank you! Here at the MTC they way they want us all to study is to study as if we were trying to teach an investigator, so we are studying so that we can help other people. Our focus is not on us but on our investigators. The atmosphere here is great and I feel like I am in such a bubble, so it will be weird going out into the real world. We aren't even aloud to listen to music here. Oh you might think this is funny but I was in the choir haha it was because I couldn't find anyone to go on splits with so I had to join. I dont really sing, but I pretend to. I also met a columbian sister here she is funny but she said all Argentinos are cocky, and I met a chileno. He got excited when he saw my last name and asked if I spoke spanish, he is going to Fresno on his mission.

 

Hey vanessa when does Josh get here I might see him since I dont leave until June and how is Gianina and all of the kids doing. I really do hope Viggo got his postcard. Marcos how are the warriors.& Angela if you could give me any advice about anything here at the mtc dear elders throughout the week would be awesome! Or anyone else that would like to do that as well.

 

Tell the kids I miss them and I love them, I wrote the missionaries back home a short letter so hopefully they get that soon, and I probably wont write again cuz that took forever haha. But they helped me so much so I had to thank them.

 

I miss you all, and I am grateful for your support, I know this is where I am suppose to be and I am very happy to be here, wherever they do end up sending me I will just be happy, mainly to get out of this bubble haha but the MTC is awesome!

 

Obrigada Familia Eu te amo! muieto! Ciao

Sister Gonzales

 

(Also remember my p days are on fridays that is when I will write emails, but dear elders would be great as well, Angela I loved the pictures! Mom wait on the carry on & My fav scripture is D&C 11:21 Obrigada! Also I am glad dad is finally speaking in Sacrament! Ciao Ciao ) :]

And she's off!

Gaby left to the Provo Missionary Training Center April 23rd 2013.