First Transfer Day and Thanksgiving

This week Gabe's sister Eva got the best email.  Gabe's first transfer day in the Salt Lake City East Mission is coming up.  Here's what he said:

"Ah, my wonderful big sister,

Do you need help with those non members!!?!? I wanna help haha. I'm sorry you were sick.  I'll pray for you. I am still waiting for my visa... But the work is awesome! It's transfers Tuesday ... Idk what's gonna happen. The kids here are so funny! They're cute.

We have a new investigator.  his name is _______. He is sooo curious and interested. We have an appointment with him tomorrow at 11:00.

We are teaching this man and he knows it all and has felt the spirit and everything!, But his only problem is drinking before he is baptized. We got close one night to making him stop and other people have taught him for like a year, so he has everything down. His only problem is drinking. That's what's stopping him from baptism. So we thought he was fine these past few weeks but last night we went to visit him and he was completely wasted... It's sad. So that sucked.

Oh, I'm emailing like parts of family and friends today cause we don't have p-day tomorrow. It's on Thursday  (Thanksgiving) and its short so I'm gonna mail Mom and Dad and my other ma, then spend more time mailing them, but yea, I gtg. Love you all! Ill keep you all in my prayers! Bye sis!

Elder Castleton"

Today (the day after Thanksgiving) we got another quick email from Gabe.  The night before Thanksgiving we left a little treat for Gabe and his companion on their doorstep.

"Hey, sorry! We didn't have p-day Monday and it was supposed to be yesterday but it was so busy. We found 3 new investigators! Our p-day wasn't supposed to be all day anyways. I am trying to find a time where we can email. Were busy now but just wanted to say hi and was that you that brought me and Vital the candy and card!?!?!? He says thanks. I'm doing good - real, real busy!  I got to go but I'll find when I can email u. We will email you for sure on p-day. It's just things are crazy cause of Thanksgiving. Lots of people didn't get to email too. Well hope u had a fun Thanksgiving! 

Elder Castleton"

Early Thanksgiving Celebration

This week we had thanksgiving dinner with the ward and it was good. They had like turkey in wing sauce kinda thing.  It was so good and spaghetti and lots of desserts. They had so many kids!!! It was crazy! We had another 2 sets of missionaries and us bring non members and it was awesome. We blocked off the hallways with tables on both sides so kids wouldn't run around the whole church, but..... they are too smart. They found another door that connected to both sides and it was chaos. They are so funny but there was well over a hundred of them! They all like ran as a pack and they would chase us and grab our legs so we couldn't go. Haha. It's sweet how when we visit the non members the little girls always give us hugs and the boys like to act tough and do stones. The kids are so sweet and so funny.  Their is one boy HE LOOKS EXACTLY LIKE ME! when I was a kid. Its creeping me out. He is so cute though. 

So Elder Vital, my companion, tells me a lot about Juarez and Mexico.  I am so excited. So apparently there's no such thing as a smothered burrito! He says the burritos here are like what?! Like we went to Cafe Rio and he's like "What is this? They're destroying them." haha. So Cafe Rio is totally 100% American. Same with a lot of other Mexican restaurants I thought were kinda Mexican. He says burritos are small and skinny and they don't put like everything in it, like how Cafe Rio puts like rice, beans, meat, more meat, salad and all this stuff - Vital's like "WHA???.. What is this?"  hahah Its funny. People are like "Hey, so you're from Mexico?" and he's like "ya". They're like "Oh, yea, Juarez, cool, so do you guys eat tacos all the time?" He's like "No, I like pizza and hamburgers and other food."  The other person is like "Wow, you guys have American food?" hahahahhaah Also people ask him stuff like "Do you guys have bowling? and movies and restaurants?" It's like "What the.... we don't live in a third world country!" haha. Its funny, but kinda racist. People tell ME that I'm gonna eat lots of tacos and my companion is like "No, no, your not." hahaha. They all just assume that. He says there's lots of normal food but the Mexican food is better and not like Taco Bell and Cafe Rio. Oh, also, people say I'm gonna die still but he says it's not bad. He says people pay people and they make the internet stuff look like Juarez is all about death but it's not.  It is really dangerous but it's not like they run around killing people hah. Its like they have their own buisness, ya know? So I'm fine. 

I am getting too attached to Salt Lake. I love the people here. They're so fun and cool! They do everything as a ward. Like everything!! We have had soo many birthday parties at the church with everyone. Its definitely not like our little American parties. They get the whole ward and music and big speakers and the light things and tons of food and they go wild. hahaha Same with baptisms.  They party hard after baptisms. haha Oh, also the music is not like what everyone thinks. Its just normal music like our music, but in Spanish. Most of it is actually cooler than the bands I know. haha  The ward knows me and they love talking to us and it is so fun here. I don't wanna leave hahah but I do. We played x box kinnect last night at a member's house. The games where you use your body to like play the games. They made us dinner, too. It is fun teaching the people too. 

Well, I hope you guys have a great week! my Spanish is improving a lot. I am making probably lots of mistakes cause when we speak English it's Spanglish so yea. I committed to only speak English when it's American people I talk to or come in contact with. I speak Spanish 24/7 -pray, sleep and everything is Spanish. When my companions speak English it's like idk they say it backwards, kinda, so I'm starting to do the same. It's a habit now, hahaha. I can't help it, but when you hear it so much you just do it too. haha. Well I am leaving now. Love you all! Have a good week! 

Elder Castleton/Po

Happy Birthday!

Gabe celebrated his 19th birthday on November 5 in the mission field.  Here's the letter we got from him the week after his birthday.

Ok Hello! This is ELDER CASTLETON reporting live.... It is NOV 11 2013. It is approximately 12:10 that I am starting this report. The weather forecast today is sunny with a chance of  some gospel preaching. Hey family and friends... probably because I know what I post goes to the gabeinjuarez thingie haha. So hello everyone! This past week has been good! I had a great birthday! I went to this member's house and they had a surprise birthday thing fiesta. So we had cake and goodies. It was fun. We took some pictures of us and they had haha some cervesa corona haha. It was a joke for my 19th birthday. It was a funny JOKE. So I will upload those fotos asap. I am having a blast out here. The work is awesome and the people are so nice and they feed us really good.

My companions are awesome and chill. So idk if you guys know them all. It goes - Me, my companion Elder Vital, then Elder Andino, then Elder Contreras. So here for some reason I am known as Elder Po like Kung Fu Panda Po. So on that cake the family gave me it said Happy Birthday Elder Po. Everyone calls me that now.  It's funny.  So like the movie "Best Two Years" - that's basically what it's like out here. but better. and a better apartment. I feel like I'm the nerd that's like "C'mon elder lets go place some Books of Mormons!" hehe. I like it out here. It is really fun to be a missionary and feel the spirit all the time.

Thanks, guys, for all the gifts and things you have sent me. It makes me feel better. Thanks for the other cake, too. I still have it. There's so much cake! How are you all doing? Thanks everyone for sending me letters and nice things to me. My testimony out here has grown so much. I know how much you need to rely on the Lord for help. I know this is the best thing I need to be doing right now with my life. It helps to just be yourself and not pretend to be someone else. With my humor it helps to get along with people and to just be me. The missionaries say I'm super chill and funny so they say they love being with me. They say it makes them all wanna be with me and it makes their mission more exciting and fun. I am glad and grateful to be here. Well, I got to go. We're going to play soccer. I love you all. Have a wonderful week! This is Elder Castleton signing out!
Peace!

First Report from Salt Lake City

Finally got an email from Gabe after his arrival in Salt Lake City.  He's so happy and busy and loves the work.Here's what he said:

Hey so I am here in Salt Lake City doing the work till I go to Mexico!! So we left the MTC so good and we sang "Til We Meet"- that song in Spanish - its a tradition. So we got our companions the first day and guess what!!!!!!!!!!! My companion is FROM Mexico Cuidad Juarez! It is such a blessing. I think I came here so he can help me! He is a great teacher. His name is Elder Vital and he's soooo glad I'm going to his city. He leaves in four months back to Cuidad Juarez. WE get a long great. He's awesome. I love serving with him. I have taught some people and it's all real life now. haha So I gave a woman today a blessing of comfort. Also we had a baptism Saturday and it was so nice and very spiritual. These people like party after their baptisms haha. They have a big party - it's crazy. Also every day we eat with people and its hard to stay fit but this other elder from Honduras is helping me and I'm loosing weight. I love being with these guys. I love being with everyone. The Mexican babies are so cute. haha Going to church is fun with them. Its weird here cause the parents don't know much English but the kids do so its like Spanglish. Well I don't have much time.. We had p-day today but we had dinner appointments and service we did. So I can't say everything I wanna say - I am summing it all up. This is awesome work. Well I got to go. Tell everyone I love them. Bye I love you guys! This is the Lord's work. Nos vemos!

Leaving the MTC for Salt Lake City

Yesterday I got a text from a neighbor saying he had seen Gabe with a group of missionaries on the FrontRunner train.  Last night we got this email and photos from the Salt Lake East mission president:

Dear Parents

Your missionary arrived safe and sound in the Utah Salt Lake City East Mission.  They take the Front Runner in from the MTC.  We welcome them, photograph them and get their luggage.  After breakfast and orientation we had a wonderful transfer meeting and training.  Please know that we will take care of your child as if they were our own.  We are excited for this new adventure in their lives and want it to be positive for them.  Please write to them weekly and encourage them to be obedient.

Thank you

President and Sister Eberhardt

Good luck in Salt Lake, Gabe! You are so close but so far.  I hope your few weeks in the Salt Lake East Mission will be a great learning experience.

The Frontrunner train arriving in Salt Lake

The new arrivals - Gabe is right behind the mission mom on the right

Gabe and His Mom

Gabe and His Mom

Gabe and Kathy Castleton

Gabe sent us a letter and I wanted to share it with you all.

Familia, 

"Hey, how is everyone? I am so happy here. I am doing so good. Lots of Spanish! I pray in Spanish and bear my testimony in Spanish. I have felt the spirit more than I've ever felt in my entire life. I feel the Gift of Tongues and it helps. I pray like 20 times a day. It's weird. Also wearing church shirts is so normal. Wearing my p-day clothes is weird. 

Family... I have a testimony that Joseph Smith saw God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. I testify of it. He did translate the Book of Mormon. He went through so much. I'm so grateful for what he did. This is truly the true church. I can never deny. I will take the truth and preach unto every soul. I feel the Savior's love for me. I LOVE all you guys!!! Jesus loves you!

Take care. The church is true! I testify of it. I am a representative of Jesus Christ. I am so blessed and proud.

My belt broke. I'll buy a new one. Love you all!!!!!!!!!

Elder Castleton

He sent this letter in a box with his broken belt and his cell phone.

Hello!

       Yes estoy recibiendo todos. It is hard to mail all the time cause im busy. I get them and they make me feel better. Dane??!!!! if you see dane soon tell him to email me and give him my email address. No one emails me.....:( only you and dad and suzy and eva. It is quite sad actually. People say ill write you and stuff but no one has. I like get pumped to email on friday and I love it but I wish I new how my friends are doing. ya know? its kinda sad. But mom I miss you! I will write to graham and eva. I hope you are all doing well. I know you will be blessed because I am here. I have wanted to come home a few times but I am staying strong. I am learning so much spanish. like I am forgetting how to say some words. They tell us to like take out english words and replace it with spanish. also like out side of class we speak spanish. We speak spanish all day 24/7. I am understanding the gospel so well. when my companion and i teach we dont use books or anything we just practice and we learn how to say it. we pray in spanish and testify in spanish. Also tell jed if you see him that his cousin I think its his cousin is here and hes a stud. we have talked. Also I have seen russell and I have talked to him a lot before he left. It was so good to talk to him again before he left. It really feels wierd here like this is all a dream or something. i dont know. Its a wierd feeling. I am learning so much and I am ready to go. I have been assigned to be leader of the trip thing leader where like when we leave and we head to mexico I am in charge of a few districts and help them and make sure everything is ok. no one knows anything about the air ports and their scared of them haha I told them I new how it all works and their like yay good! haha. So we bus to salt lake and then fly to phenix arizona and then ALL THE WAY DOWN TO Guadalajara!!!!!!! hahaha its crazy why we are going all the way down their then from their we go to Cuidad Juarez. My birth grandma is in guadalajara. haha :) awesome. well I got to go. I love you mom!

Last week Gabe sent us some worried letters. He found out he will be serving in Salt Lake instead of Juarez for a little while. He was afraid he'd done something wrong. Not so. He just didn't get his visa in time. Since he won't be going to Juarez he needed a coat. We didn't know when he would be transferred so we grabbed his coat and a sweater and a new tie and put them in a box and dropped it off at the MTC.

Mom and Dad the people here said I do not have my visa yet. and even though I am a duel citizen I had to have a passport from Mexico. So i guess we turned the passport I have here in a little late, but they didnt tell me anything. I didn't know what to do so one day they called me and took it and didn't say what they were doing with it. I went in again and asked hey whats up and they said it won't be in on time. So NOW I have been assigned to serve in the Salt Lake City East mission UNTIL that comes through. and also incase I need to be there with the Mexican consul it I have to be there in person and sign stuff and all the fun stuff. They said i will be here in SL for a transfer. I am just notifying you. Soon I will be in Mexico. Other than that I feel nervous and scared. I feel ready and happy but It is hard teaching people and stuff. This is pretty hard work. I am excited though. I also saw keith and his two daughters at the Provo temple. It was nice to see them and some one of my family I miss you guys. i was happy. I dont know when I can email you next I think our p-day is gonna be different but Idk. I will be sure to email you when I can. Also I am in need of winter cloths. I have nothing to put over my suit. it is getting cold too. I only have warm cloths. I have one sweater but its like what I wear on p-day and I have a rain coat but it doesnt fit over my suit. ill figure something out. If I need to buy some warm things could you put money on my card? I love you guys and miss everyone. It is a strange feeling being aways this long. The lord is taking care of me. Thanks for everything. Love you Mom and Dad 

Visa Troubles

Gabe got some bad news today - his Mexican visa hasn't come through and he will be assigned to the Salt Lake North Mission until it arrives.  But he also got some good news - he ran into Keith and his daughters at the Provo Temple this morning.  Here is some of his email:

Mom and Dad,

The people here said I do not have my visa yet. So I guess we turned the passport I have here in a little late, but they didn't tell me anything. I didn't know what to do so one day they called me and took it and didn't say what they were doing with it. I went in again and asked "Hey, whats up?" and they said it won't be in on time. So NOW I have been assigned to serve in the Salt Lake City East mission UNTIL that comes through. and also in case I need to be there with the Mexican consul if I have to be there in person and sign stuff and all the fun stuff. They said I will be here in SL for a transfer. I am just notifying you. Soon I will be in Mexico. Other than that I feel nervous and scared. I feel ready and happy but It is hard teaching people and stuff. This is pretty hard work. I am excited though. I also saw Keith and his two daughters at the Provo temple. It was nice to see them and some one of my family. I miss you guys.. I was happy. I don't know when I can email you next. I think our p-day is gonna be different but Idk. I will be sure to email you when I can.. I love you guys and miss everyone. It is a strange feeling being away this long. The Lord is taking care of me. Thanks for everything. Love you, Mom and Dad

(Note from Chuck: I called the missionary travel department.  They said there are no problems with Gabe's passport and paperwork.  There were several missionaries in his group who just didn't get their invitation letters from the Mexican government in time.  Apparently they are just a little slow sometimes.  So they will be temporarily assigned to stateside missions until their visas are completed.)