Sunday, May 4, 2014

Allergies, Heat and Reactivation

Hey, Mommy!!! How is everybody? I have been taking my medicine and I will keep washing my face. Usually we need to take a cold shower before bed. Otherwise we can't sleep cause it's too hot. We can't wear anything other than normal glasses. Our president is strict. but its for the good. haha Mom, I miss you. Thanks for your support and kindness. Do you say that - kindness?  idk if that makes any sense. 

I am not gonna lie - it's so hard in this area. We found more people but its goin by slow cause its vacations here for 2 weeks cause of Easter. hmmm... so yea. Elder Brown and I get along quite well. We got a lot in common and he's American, too. It's just funny.  Lots of the other Hispanic Elders here are awesome but it's not the same as having an American companion. It's awesome. We both can't roll our R's well. I'm getting pretty close. But lots of the Hispanics laugh at us. It's funny. I've learned just to laugh and it's all fine. 

We just barely had to move houses cause the sister missionaries are moving in our apartment. We have a lot of cleaning to do and organizing to do at this new house. It's really nice. We share with this couple that has 2 houses and they rent one to the missionaries. They are nice and sweet old people.  They have their kids living with them, too, and its nice to all share and talk to them. They say the other missionaries, after they're done with plan at night, they go right over with the family and they have treats and talk and share scriptures and she said its gonna happen with us to go over and get fed. Can you send me the Kneaders french toast syrup recipe and like a normal cookies recipe? I would like to make cookies but the ones here aren't that good. They're not the Castleton cookies. 

Well its getting hotter everyday. I know dad's right, it's like 70 or 80's now, idk, but its cause were walking all day it makes it seem like its 100. But they said in a couple months it's gonna be the worst. I can't see me living this out, haha.  Already its soo hot and like my companion and I noticed that the sun will mess with your head. It makes you go so weird. Like we can't walk straight sometimes or speak well. It's because we're so tired, hahaha. It's funny cause I'm like durrrr hhhhhduhhhhmmmmmaskljfojsakljdklfj hahaha. I can't speak haha. 

So we had some Investigadores but we had to drop some due to they, well, we found out they were from the cartel. The new rule is that no matter what, if they are part of that we can't teach them and we have to drop them. Its soooo hard. Most of my work here is working with less actives. Here in Mexico, I don't know the exact number but it's thousands and thousands and thousands of less actives. In our ward we have probably like close to 200 less actives in our area. Just for us two missionaries. Well, probably like 160, idk, somewhere around there. So we have already brought, in three weeks, 7 people back to the church. One guy said "I left because there are leaders here that are doing bad things and all this stuff about people in the church doing bad things and not being obedient." We basically loved him and he's like "This is your house, if you want your welcome to come by anytime", and we talked with him and now he's gonna come to church.:) So there is work but its mostly picking up where the elders left off. Reactivating. There are two things why we have less actives - president taught this - it's because THEY'RE sinning or THEY don't understand a principle or some doctrine thing. So that's why. Also he added, normally they don't understand God. Because lots of them come from Catholic and other backgrounds and their god was different and the missionaries didn't notice that at first. They're like do you believe in God? Yes. Ok, well blah bla bla bla bla bla bla and it's not the same.  They're not on the same page. So that's what I've learned. Also, I can baptize lots of people if I want, baptizing is easy, but to have them stay a member is hard. Teaching them and having them live and change and obey and all those things is hard so that they can stay a member and NOT leave the church. So that's what I'm dealing with here a lot. 

Well anyways its nice here. I've met so many people that have lived in Draper and Lehi and Salt Lake City and Provo from here. It's crazy haha. So many white people here. I feel close but far at the same time. They say El Paso is sooo different than Juarez and its more pretty, too. Lots of them go there to shop and buy groceries, haha. Sometimes they bring us food from El Paso. I am one area away from the border, on the right side a little. We have been getting fed really good here. There are some houses, like its just ridiculous, they're huge.  So basically, NOW I know all the history of Juarez. We had a meeting with the assistentes and they talked to us about a lot of things and what happened here for us new people and I was about to cry. It was horrible. I knew it was bad but I had no idea why it got to a point of war here. I won't go into detail until I am done with my mission or tell you anything else until I come home or what I've seen here.  But its hard to teach and to find and to find and teach because people are so broken in pieces from the war and there's no trust here and too much death. We are the light and the truth to bring to this people and to bring light into their lives, just it's hard to make that first bond. People just hide in their houses and won't answer the door even when they're references. Well, I love you all.  I have to go. Have a great week! Bye.

Elder Castleton 

2 comments:

  1. Gabe asked if he should join the army when he was younger. I kept encouraging him to serve the Lord instead. Now he is part of the Lord's army going about to heal people from the ravages of war.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Gabe asked if he should join the army when he was younger. I kept encouraging him to serve the Lord instead. Now he is part of the Lord's army going about to heal people from the ravages of war.

    ReplyDelete