Sunday, February 2, 2014

Every Member a Missionary

Hey everybody! This week has been great in Juarez. Learning new things everyday. A little more on Juarez and how I'm doing. So first off, I've noticed I do the missionary speed walk but sometimes it hurts my feet because the sidewalks are sometimes slanted. Its weird, the sidewalks are either dirt, normal for a little bit, then slanted, or like normal, then it drops off like two feet. It's weird. I love living here. We have awesome neighbors that try to speak English to me. So I got my hair cut and the guy that cut it spoke fluent English so it was nice to explain what I wanted exactly.

It's funny here because they have Walmart which is actually bigger than the one in AF. Also they have Home Depot and Costco and other same restaurants. It's nice in some areas when you're by the big stores like Walmart but other places are like Mexico Mexico. Like dirt poor. I love the people, though. So it's like the US but in some parts it's wayyy different. In the stores they play normal music we have in English like Cold Play and stuff, even like Eminem and Hannah Montana or stuff which is weird because they don't understand it. I'll ask and they're like "It just sounds cool". lol. Or they play way cool Mexican music and no its not the weird Mexican music, it's normal like we have but in Spanish. Anyways...

We found a new family to teach and another man and this girl that came to church yesterday. She's 18. I gave her a Book of Mormon and asked if she would read it and she said she will, and she will come to church again. There are some other young women in the church that are nice and the girl we're gonna start teaching likes those girls in the church so now she has friends. I've been teaching family home evening like every night. Its awesome. Getting better in Spanish. BTW, Suzy, family home evening in Spanish is Noche De Hogar.

Everything is great here. I cook for my companion. He loves my cooking. I'm loosing weight. My pants are big now, lol. I love serving here. I'm safe and working. The work is grand. We had one lesson with this member. She's a tad less active but we taught her the restoration again. She knows it a lot and all the other lessons but I taught the whole thing and after she said she felt like it was the first time she heard it because the spirit was so strong and it reminded her when she heard it the very first time. Another cool story is - we went on the bus, which is crazy sometimes, and it's hard to preach on the bus. It's like hard. Missionaries will be like "Yea, I gave away a passalong card" or something but I prayed before I got on and asked Heavenly Father if I try to give a Book of Mormon on this bus will you put someone in place for me? It's hard to word it in English but something like that. So I get on and I see this teenager and he's listening to music so I tap his shoulder and I introduced myself and he said hi and he was nice and told me his name and how old he was. He's 18 and he was headed to school. I asked what he was listening to and it was some rap in English which was Eminem and I like Eminem so I told him I speak English and love Eminem and he's like "Wow! Cool!" So we talked. Then I told him I was a representative of Jesus Christ. Later on I gave him a Book of Mormon and a passalong card. He said he'd love to read it and he was very happy and kind.

Everybody, I testify as we ask God for help to find someone to share the gospel with He will place someone in our path. I know if we just open our mouths he will put in the words for us to say. I hope this makes sense - it sounds better in Spanish but I have a strong testimony too on the work of salvation. I have a strong testimony on the importance of Members and Missionaries working together. It is crucial. We can't do this alone. Members live in the area. They know more people and can get around faster. Plus missionaries are getting transferred. I testify as we work together and every day we try to find someone to serve or share the gospel with we will be BLESSED. I promise. It is scary, it is hard sometimes but I promise it is possible and they will feel something. If we just open our mouths we can work miracles. We are the light. We have something other people don't have. We need to share it with everyone. With a desire to do it and to LOVE EVERYBODY. We will be blessed forever. We need to set the example here for everybody. Many a time us members think "Oh, I'm a Mormon, I'm fine, I don't need to work or help share the gospel. The missionaries are doing that." This is false. Please share, please. Imagine if each member found 1 person to bring to church or into the church. That's so many! I know this is sooo important. God wants EACH of us to share, not just missionaries or a few members. Start by being someone's friend. Serve them. Love them. If you see someone who needs help, help them. If you go to a restaurant and there's a person with tattoos, go talk to them. You don't know what they might be going through. Everyone can change and needs help. You can changes lives with the help of the Lord. Just act and do it. Their is much work to be done. Much. I can't stress this enough. It is sooo important, like I said, as members we kinda slack at trying hard every day to find people. We don't need to be full time missionaries to share the gospel. We're all missionaries. I saw in Salt Lake that they didn't wanna help spread the gospel, even the English wards. The other elders said it's hard to work with members who don't wanna help. There is much to be done. There are less actives as well. God is hastening his work. Let us all do our part to help bring the gospel to every nation, kindred and tongue. I wanted to share my testimony with you guys. It is hard to say it in English so if it's a little like "Wahh" it's because I was translating from Spanish to English. It takes forever to read in English but in Spanish speaking it is faster hahaha. I am trying to roll my R's. It's hard. IDK why I can't.

Oh, guess what!?!?? They have Glorias here, the candy! The dulce de leche! Ahhh, so yummy! I got to go. Love you all!! Have a great week. Mom or Dad maybe one of you could read my testimony to the church for fast and testimony meeting. Its important. Its something we're teaching down here a lot. Our bishop asked us to teach it to the families but not all. Haha. This is elder C closing my report. Have a grand week ehehehe.



Monday, January 20, 2014

On the Streets of Juarez

Hello everyone! This week have been a good week. I have had lots of great experiences. I will tell you a little bit of how it goes here. So my companion's name is Elder Ayala. He is a good companion. Juarez is different in a lot of ways but it's the same. For instance...houses are different. Streets - some are dirt. Anyways, the area I am in is more safe a little bit and a little bit nicer. There is another area more nice but it's fine here. I love our place and the people. Their are a lot of crazy people. Like, when driving I fear for my life. They are crazy drivers, no joke. The buses are insane. They barely stop and its annoying. Money is fine now. I get how to use Mexican money. (its colorful) There are lots of police and soldiers. The police are crazy. They literally have like turrets on the back of police cars. Or they hold big guns. They always travel in at least 5 pairs. Its crazy. Their are a LOT A LOT of dogs - wild dogs in the street and its scary and ok. So for instance - We saw this gang of dogs tear up this tiny little dog. it was horrible. I won't show you the picture. Some times we will be walking and there will be a street full of dogs and then they all look at us and we stand still and then I'm like elder.....RUN!!! Then we run and they chase us. Its funny cause you can just imagine me running down the street - AYUDAME!!! Help me!!! and yea, it's scary sometimes. But some dogs are like sooooooo vicious. They don't bark, they like do what a wolf does, like the growling but its like ten times scarier! They will run up and literally try to like kill you. Most of the time if you ignore them they won't bug you. But my companion likes to stare them in the eye and I say "don't do that" and the dog gets mad and then chases us and I'm like ELDER WHY!!! POR QUE!! So that's some crazy stuff that happens. 

My Spanish is getting better everyday. I have to teach my companion English. So my English is good still. Also I will say I am quite a ladies man if you ask me. All the girls like missionaries from Utah because to them it's like the promised land. So they're always like "how do you say car or sky or house in English?" and yea its funny. Elder Ayala is jealous, I know it. HAhahaha.  It's fine, I'm not like "ahhhhh I have to come back and marry one of them". I'm like "ah, whatever. Just go to church!!" hahaha. So the work is great. Just barely found a new person to teach tomorrow. The people have so much Faith! Like they're so religious. Sundays are sooo crazy! It's insane. But yea, there are lots of Catholics and Christian people. It's kinda hard to find people cause some people are like crazy strong in the Catholic church. It's competition because there are Jehovah's Witnesses that go around to like every door and its weird but the way we approach is better. And the Jehovah Witnesses are older people and just to see 2 young men doing what we do and being nice and serving the people they respect us a lot. Most of them want to hear what we have to say. Plus we know our Bible and Book of Mormon. Those are my two babies here on my mission. The Bible and Book of Mormon. I am mastering my Bible! I am unstoppable! People say "Well, Jesus and Jehovah are different" or "Jesus and Heavenly Father and the Holy Spirit are one."  I'm like "well, lets look in the Bible BOOM!!!" Then I use my Bible power and they're like "wow, I wanna get baptized!" Anyway, if you don't know your Bible the people here won't listen and their gonna Bible bash you. I know the Book of Mormon really well. The Bible is my backup. Well, anyway, I don't have much time.  We have to pay to use the computer and I am about out of time. I am doing grand and having fun. I am getting stronger and stronger spiritually and physically everyday and my Spanish is increasing. I love you ALL!! Have a grand week!!!


This is a cathedral.

And me. This is how we knock on the "doors" - you have to get like change and hit on the gate that they have. Or yell buenas tardes!!

This is night time in the streets. A little creepy sometimes.

Monday, January 13, 2014

In Juarez at Last

We finally got word from Gabe that he has arrived in Juarez.  Here is what he said:

Hey, so that guy at the airport was from Alpine and he got me lunch.  (Editor's note:  This was the guy who sent us the picture of Gabe at the airport in the previous post.) My trip was fun and guess who I met and gave a passalong card to?! Darrell from "The OFFICE"! The black guy that works in the basement. Tell Graham. He's cool and nice. I haven't seen Elder Vital's mom. Juarez is nice. It's way different. Sometimes its scary. At night it's creepy but we're fine and in a nicer area. The place I live is awesome. My companion is awesome. His name is elder Ayala.  He is from Mexico City.  You can send mail to 700 N. Zaragosa- North 188, El Paso, Texas 79907.  It's safer and better. I'll get everything. Our president goes once a week to El Paso to get the mail. I don't have much time.  Also I have to pay to use the computer and I don't have much with me now so I'll email you guys next week first thing, and bring more pesos. I love it here. It's awesome. Different but awesome. I'm safe and great. I'm with my elders from the MTC. They are doing ok. I got to go but I'll email you next week and send more pictures next week as well. Have a great week. Bye.
Elder Castleton

Gabe also sent a few pictures from his first few days in Juarez.

My apartment

This is my companion. He calls the broom his Nimbus 2000 from Harry Potter haha. He is funny.


A Church

There are lots of dogs everywhere on the streets and even on top of the houses. Some are mean and some aren't.

Wednesday, January 8, 2014

On His Way

Got this pic and note from Gabe on Monday.  Must have had someone in an airport along the way take a cell phone pic of him and IM it to us to let us know he was OK.  It came from a cell number we didn't know. We had hoped to talk to him on the phone from the airport, but it didn't work out.


I'm on my way to Mexico!

We also got a Facebook message from the mother of Elder Vital, Gabe's companion in Salt Lake. She lives in Juarez and said she was ready to help with anything he needed.  So good to know there is someone there to look out for him!

Tuesday, December 24, 2013

Christmas Pictures

Gabe sent us some more pictures.  Here they are.

Some gifts and treats I got

Elder Vital likes to barricade the door at night so people don't break in hahah. I think its funny. He doesn't but i do. So, yea, it makes me laugh every night cause some nights he rushes to the door and like BOOM plops the chair right up against the door. hahahahah it's so funny.


A Christmas party we had last week

Early Christmas Present!!!

Gabe got some great news last week - he finally has his visa to go to Mexico!  For reasons I don't understand, he had to fly to Boise with a bunch of other missionaries and go to the Mexican consulate there to get the visa.  Here is his story:

Hey! So I Got the Visa! I leave to Mexico Jan. 6! I am so excited!!! I flew out there (to Boise) Wednesday and we were supposed to come back in the evening, but our plane had electric issues and they couldn't get it fixed and it was the last flight back so we stayed over night at a hotel with a few other elders and sisters. They paid for us. And gave us money. It was fun. These elders and sisters came from the MTC. They had to go back but they were all excited lol. They tried to preach a lot in the airport. It didn't go well. They need more practice. I'll tell you guys about that later but we woke up, got ready and our flight was scheduled to leave at 1:00 but the Salt Lake Airport was closed. The runways were all ice and lots of snow so we waited forever and eventually made it home at 6:00. So yea, it was crazy but the plane ride was bumpy and scary and it was so hard to land. The man said everyone clapped when we landed cause it was so scary. Also it was all foggy. We couldn't see. But they have all the instrument stuff to help but still it was a bumpy ride. Pretty sketchy. But I made it. We were close to staying another night. But we had fun. I can't wait to call you all at 2! Christmas!

Elder Castleton

Tuesday, December 17, 2013

Visa is Coming!!!

Gabe got some good news about his visa!  Here is his email from yesterday:

I am flying to Idaho Wednesday to see the Mexican consulate. Then I'm positively sure I leave the 5 of January!!! So I'm outta here! Jajaja I'm excited! I return from Idaho in the night time but I'm there all day from 7:15 to night. I'm really busy now. I have to go. We're working sooo hard we had to cut lunch. Love you all.  I'll email you sometime after Idaho! Love you all c'ya!
Elder Castleton