APR_29_19_GROUP_TOW_Week of April 29, 2019
Hello Everyone!
It's been another great week here in Towanda! (Everytime I write Towanda, my tablet always wants to autocorrect it to Rwanda. Remember that really depressing movie, "Hotel Rwanda"? Me neither.)
Mayson and Cereniti were confirmed yesterday and received the Gift of the Holy Ghost! Goodness, what a sweet experience. Mayson asked me to confirm him, which was my FIRST time ever confirming anyone. It was so great. I love giving blessings and things like that. It's so humbling to metaphorically tell God, "I have no idea what I need to say. So just put the words in my mouth, and I'll be your mouthpiece."
Thats exactly what happened. I just opened my mouth and the words came out. I blessed Mayson that he would be an example to his father and his sister. That he would have light and that others would see it. That if he follows the commandments and holds true to the Covenants he's made, he would ha e a good life. And so many other things.
He was beaming afterwards. And so was Cereniti. They are both now members of the church! Better yet, they have both taken upon themselves Christ's name. Its such a crazy thought, but one that makes me happy to the core. I love those children and cannot wait to see what the Lord has in store for them. We had Family Home Evening with their family last week, and will be having it again with them tomorrow! They loved it! Their family is changing. It's being blessed for the kids' willingness to follow Christ, and Don's willingness to start on this journey as well. Don loves church and loves his kids. I love their family.
Elder Seeley and I also took a page out of my past companion's book (thanks Elder Foster!) and went to the local park and drew out the Plan of Salvation using sidewalk chalk. It was a lot of fun, and we got a lot of phone calls! Nothing has come out of it thus far, but we are grateful we did it. It's fun to just get your hands dirty every once in a while and have fun while simultaneously fulfilling the purpose that God sent me here for.
I've actually been able to get in touch with my creative side a LOT this week. Elder Seeley was sick on Saturday, and so I got to do a LOT of art that I would not otherwise have been able to do. I spent about 5 hours working on a piece of me playing tennis. I used digital art, which is something I am only now getting into since I don't have watercolors at my disposal. I had so much fun! Definitely a medium I'm going to take advantage of more fully after my mission!
I was also at my investigator, Stu's house a few days ago and his kids were doing watercolor painting! And Stu was like, "Elder Gonzales likes watercolor painting too! Cece (his daughter), paint with him!" So I got to paint with an adorable 4 year old girl for a few minutes. It was awesome. I love Cece and Optimus. And I love painting. A win win.
And then lastly, many of you may or may not know that I LOVE photoshopping. It's really just another thing I've pick up on my mission. I'm really so bad at it. But I managed to take a picture of Elder Seeley and I in flannels and a cowboy hat and photoshop us in the middle of a field. What can I say? Towanda has unleashed my inner redneck. Soon enough I'm gonna be suckling on straw and drinking Mountain Dew. Except I already do both of those things. 🤷♂️
But in all seriousness, I'm loving my mission. I love the people I teach. They are amazing. We had to stop teaching a few of them this week, and it always kills me to do that. I love these people so much. Too much sometimes. When they don't do what will make them happy, what I KNOW will make them happy, I'm filled with sorrow. Because I know what they're missing.
But fortunately, God still loves them. And I still love them. They'll come around someday.
I love this work. I love my mission. And I love all of you!
Until next week!
Elder Jake Gonzales
1) FHE with Mayson and Cereniti!
2) Rain makes corn, corn makes....
3) POS at the park!
4) Cece and Optimus ❤️
5)Elder Seeley and I at a local waterfall! Such a fun pday last week!
6) My digital art that took 5 hours 😓 lemme know what you think!
It's been another great week here in Towanda! (Everytime I write Towanda, my tablet always wants to autocorrect it to Rwanda. Remember that really depressing movie, "Hotel Rwanda"? Me neither.)
Mayson and Cereniti were confirmed yesterday and received the Gift of the Holy Ghost! Goodness, what a sweet experience. Mayson asked me to confirm him, which was my FIRST time ever confirming anyone. It was so great. I love giving blessings and things like that. It's so humbling to metaphorically tell God, "I have no idea what I need to say. So just put the words in my mouth, and I'll be your mouthpiece."
Thats exactly what happened. I just opened my mouth and the words came out. I blessed Mayson that he would be an example to his father and his sister. That he would have light and that others would see it. That if he follows the commandments and holds true to the Covenants he's made, he would ha e a good life. And so many other things.
He was beaming afterwards. And so was Cereniti. They are both now members of the church! Better yet, they have both taken upon themselves Christ's name. Its such a crazy thought, but one that makes me happy to the core. I love those children and cannot wait to see what the Lord has in store for them. We had Family Home Evening with their family last week, and will be having it again with them tomorrow! They loved it! Their family is changing. It's being blessed for the kids' willingness to follow Christ, and Don's willingness to start on this journey as well. Don loves church and loves his kids. I love their family.
Elder Seeley and I also took a page out of my past companion's book (thanks Elder Foster!) and went to the local park and drew out the Plan of Salvation using sidewalk chalk. It was a lot of fun, and we got a lot of phone calls! Nothing has come out of it thus far, but we are grateful we did it. It's fun to just get your hands dirty every once in a while and have fun while simultaneously fulfilling the purpose that God sent me here for.
I've actually been able to get in touch with my creative side a LOT this week. Elder Seeley was sick on Saturday, and so I got to do a LOT of art that I would not otherwise have been able to do. I spent about 5 hours working on a piece of me playing tennis. I used digital art, which is something I am only now getting into since I don't have watercolors at my disposal. I had so much fun! Definitely a medium I'm going to take advantage of more fully after my mission!
I was also at my investigator, Stu's house a few days ago and his kids were doing watercolor painting! And Stu was like, "Elder Gonzales likes watercolor painting too! Cece (his daughter), paint with him!" So I got to paint with an adorable 4 year old girl for a few minutes. It was awesome. I love Cece and Optimus. And I love painting. A win win.
And then lastly, many of you may or may not know that I LOVE photoshopping. It's really just another thing I've pick up on my mission. I'm really so bad at it. But I managed to take a picture of Elder Seeley and I in flannels and a cowboy hat and photoshop us in the middle of a field. What can I say? Towanda has unleashed my inner redneck. Soon enough I'm gonna be suckling on straw and drinking Mountain Dew. Except I already do both of those things. 🤷♂️
But in all seriousness, I'm loving my mission. I love the people I teach. They are amazing. We had to stop teaching a few of them this week, and it always kills me to do that. I love these people so much. Too much sometimes. When they don't do what will make them happy, what I KNOW will make them happy, I'm filled with sorrow. Because I know what they're missing.
But fortunately, God still loves them. And I still love them. They'll come around someday.
I love this work. I love my mission. And I love all of you!
Until next week!
Elder Jake Gonzales
1) FHE with Mayson and Cereniti!
2) Rain makes corn, corn makes....
3) POS at the park!
4) Cece and Optimus ❤️
5)Elder Seeley and I at a local waterfall! Such a fun pday last week!
6) My digital art that took 5 hours 😓 lemme know what you think!
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