Bad News and Good News

Hey Mom, Dad, how are you guys?  So I got some news for ya. First I'll tell ya the bad news...

So my companion and I were in the store Monday and when we enter we have to leave our backpacks in this area where they guard it.  So we left our backpacks there like always and we go in.  So we came out and we asked for our backpacks and their like "No, it's not here", so we talked to them and other employees and they think that someone took them. We went back the next day because they told us to, and so they said no, and they say that yea, it's gone. Someone took it, but they took the both of our backpacks, so basically, we got our backpacks stolen!!!!!  So that’s the bad news and they can't do anything, either.  It's some dumb rule they have.  So now I have no backpack, no scriptures, no camera or other important papers I had.  And just some other stuff I had from the mission. So thats the bad news I got.  I am alone with out my preaching stuff. The thing is the mission can't pay for every thing that got lost.....sooo I am gonna have to get new scriptures, and I can buy a backpack here.

Also the good news, though, is awesome!!!!  This is the best good news............so we actually have transfers in 1 more week but, President moved me to be ZONE LEADER!!!  So now I'm a zone leader and I AM WITH!!............Elder Webster from the MTC.  He was there in the same apartment with me.  He was my best friend in the MTC.  He's so cool.  He's my companion!!!!  So we've got the same time left,  we're already friends and were kicking it together.  Zone leaders in the area called Fronterra.  We have 36 missionaries in our zone.  It's big.  So yea!!!! Oh, also, our house - oh man, don’t get me started!!!  It's sooo legit!!  It's so nice, so nice.  It's I think the nicest or one of the nicest houses for missionaries in all of the mission, or Juarez, idk.  It's sooo cool.  I would take pictures but i ain't got no camera.  So yea,  sorry.  But that’s the good news.

I feel better in this position.  It's actually easier than being a district leader.  But I am also in a rich area again, like in Nogales.  Nogales is in my zone.  So yea, it's awesome!!  The area is awesome, rich people and awesome food.  I like it here.  But yea, I've been so busy we didn’t have time this week really to write, so sorry but now we have some time.  But yea, at least I am safe and I had my money in my pocket, not my backpack. Well, I got to go again, but I love you so much, you two. I will talk to you soon. Thanks very much.

Work, Work, Work and a Little More Work

Hello Everybody!! how goes it? Everything is good here.  We're getting ready for the "Because He Lives" thing, idk how to say it in English. So were getting that ready. How are you guys doing?  I hear some things aren’t that good.  I know God gives us a lot of trials and hardships but don’t give up hope.  There is always hope, and keep reading and studying the scriptures.  The stories of other people had hard times and even worse.   Learn to be 100% obedient and not just with the commandments. Study, don’t read. Understand and things will work out for the best. Love everyone but love God first and you won't have to worry if you're keeping the commandments. This life is hard, not easy, but salvation isn’t cheap, so its work, work, work and a little more work.  I love you all.  Read Alma 5 and study it.  Ask yourselves those questions that it has. I will talk to you all next week. Love you all. 

Prayers Are Answered!

Hey everybody, how are you doing? Well, this week went very good. We had a prayer answered. The hermana Valeria that I was talking about a while back, well, her husband wouldn't let her come to church for a long time. He got mad and stuff at her. So this Sunday in the morning while my companion was showering, I kneeled down to pray and I was just asking, pleading for help and guidance and that our investigatores would be able to come to church. I got to church and, oh, also, we found a new investigator.  Her name is Magdalena.  She's like 28 and loves our church.  She came as well.  But, the hermana Valeria called me and said "Hey, I'm coming to church, my husband let me" and so she came!!  I felt sooo happy!  She came and just loved it.  Everyone greeted her and welcomed her and we took her to meet some of the other ladies there. In the gospel principles class she was like on fire testifying, like "I just know this is the truth. God has answered my prayers to come here."  And she's like "I know Joseph Smith was a prophet", and all that good stuff.  She's ready to be baptized, only she has 2 Sundays left to come and then she can be baptized.  Also, we had 2 other younger girls that always come, they're dry Mormons, haha, but their dad says he doesn't want them baptized. And we had this other guy, he looks like idk, just a motorcycle guy, with his hair in a ponytail, cool guy that has come 2 times now to church.  He's cool.  He brings his daughter.  She loves it. So we had 6 people in the church with us and it was just a blessing.  I know the prayers are from you guys as well, so finally we have been blessed. So that's what's going on now. We still keep getting references so we've got a lot of work to do, and yea, it's fun.  My friend from the MTC told me that from the 19th of this month we have 5 months left in the mission. :(  Yea, it's passin so fast.  I'm scared, haha.  But there's a lot of work, so I haven't thought about that.  So I'm all good.  If you guys have any questions just throw 'em.  I hope you guys have a great week. I will talk to you guys next week! 

Elder Castleton

Hey, Quiubole!!

Hey, Quiubole!! Como estan??!!! This week was pretty good, pretty chill.  Umm, we have a lot of work finding people and contacting the references that we have. There are transfers tomorrow...... I didn’t get transferred, haha.  It's all good. I like my area.  But we are getting an elder from my generation.  He's cool. I also have some fotos I wanna show you guys.

The elders in my district

 

 

​I might just have diabetes..... but it's worth it, hahaha. jk jk jk. No, I'll tell you this story with the food when I'm home, haha.

This is what the money is like here, for those of you that wanna know.

Spartans

Hey everybody, how are you guys?  It's goin good here, slow but good. One elder in my district is about to leave for home next week. He's all done, haha.   It's weird cause I remember him like a year  ago, and now he's leavin.  I am just training and training and training here, helping the other elders progress and become my little Spartans. Every district meeting we do a like, idk how you call it, shout like Spartans.  It's kinda weird but the other elders like it, haha. It gives us a smile.

We also found another family to teach and I asked her again the first visit to be baptized, and she said yes.  She also came to church with us and her little girls, haha, they were so funny.  They're really white.  They look American but no, they're from here, haha.  So we're teaching them.

We're really working with the youth to come with us and help us, and they're actually working.  They gave us more references and introduced some of their friends to us.  We taught them and they liked it.  They also came to church as well, and we're in the process of teaching them.  So that's that,  hahaha.  So Is it cold there right now in Utah?  Well, I got to go but I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Hasta luego!

Hey!

Hey, everybody!  Sorry I haven’t written.  It's been crazy busy here. I didn’t have any time yesterday, either.  I don’t have much time now, either, but just wanted to say hi and see how everybody’s doing.  I would write in Spanish but the translate does it a little wrong.  Also, mom, hahahaha, viejo is kinda bad here, haha, just a heads up, hahaha.  But it's all good.  I got a good laugh.  Elder is just Elder here. (Note from Chuck - Kathy tried to write to Gabe in Spanish using the Google translator.  Apparently it was an amusing translation.)

Were having some problems with Valeria and her baptism date.  She didn't come Sunday to church.  She told us she was ready but her husband took her to the mass of the Catholic church.  She really wants to go and continue, but her husband doesn’t give her support.  He likes the Catholic church better.  We haven’t talked to him.  He's always busy and he's never there when we're there, just her sons. 

We're working better with the youth as well here, helping them get a testimony of Joseph Smith.  Also so they can help us and teach and invite their friends to church as well.  Any ideas of activities for youth?  I know it's hard cause it's a big difference between here and there of what youth do.  They don't like to do anything here.  There's not a relationship between them.  It's like "OK, whatever".  We brought a boy with us yesterday to teach and he hated it.  He was like "I wanna go home, I'm tired" and complaining the whole time.  I just felt like aww, man, bummer.  We talked to him and stuff, what he likes to do and stuff, but nope, he just wanted to go play video games.  He shook the hand of our investigator but like pulled away fast, and she said  "Are you angry or something?" and he didn’t respond so I just said ''Oh, nah, he's just a little shy''.  But he didn’t even care (the boy).  I was like "OK, you can go home, but you're walkin home alone, or you can come with us to a few more visits and we will take you home."  But no, he wanted out, so I'm like "OK, your salvation", haha.  I was like wowww...... dang, our future generation.......we need help with things to do cause the youth don’t like anything with church.  ideas?.....

Well, I love you all, and thanks for the brownies and cookies.  My district about died, haha.  One new elder, he's brand new, loved them.  He's from South Carolina and he's like "Ahhh, the United States", haha.  It felt good  to eat real brownies from home. Here they don’t exist, just in packaged stuff, but they're gross. Haha, well I hope you all have a great week!  Love you all!

 

Bye! 

 

Elder Castleton

Bien Occupado No Pudimos Escribir...

Hola!  Como estan?  I was thinking about writing in Spanish but you won't understand.  Yesterday we didn't have any time to write, haha, sorry.  Our p-day is just soo full. So how are you guys doing? 

This week we found a lady named Valeria.  She's about your age and the missionaries passed her by a lot but we went with her and got to know her.  She said the elders rushed her to be baptized and she didn't like that.  She said "I want to make sure I'm in the right church."  I thought back for a moment and thought to my self..." Well, I don't think she knows lesson 1."  I asked her "Sister, did the other missionaries explain why there are lots of churches?"  She said no, and I was like, what?  Oh, man!  She told us that they talked about the plan of salvation and all the other lessons, but they did not explain L1.  I said to her "Well, we're gonna tell you what happened".  So we taught part of L1 and after, she loved it and said "That explains why", and then we talked about goals and baptism.  I asked her about if setting a goal for baptism would be good, and a lot of other things, like we're her to help you all the way and achieve your goal and it's a time to prepare and God will answer your prayer and, ya, so she said...............YES!  So we put a baptism date for the 28th of Feb.  It was awesome.  I felt pretty happy that we were there to help her and her need. That was the spiritual experience this week. I have lots for every week but some are more special and others are too special that I will tell you guys when I'm home.

Well, I hope you all enjoy your week.  I love you all.  Thanks for your support and prayers.  Keep holdin' strong to that lil' bar of iron.

Love you All!
Elder Castleton