.

.

Tuesday, July 22, 2014

"In Him we find refuge. In Him we find love...In Him we find peace."

Hello!

Welcome to another episode of my life as a missionary! :O crazy, no?

This week was super amazing and filled with miracles!

So we put Angelo on date for this upcoming Saturday. He is doing everything right! He is reading the book of mormon and the bible together and watching all the D&C videos and praying and coming to church ad he's just perfect! haha I a so sure he can make it! He already has a testimony of the truthfulness of the book of mormon and says he can't wait to go out and share with others what he has learned. Ah.!!

Another miracle, we were at the visitor's center with the familia mendoza on saturday and a big family walked in. A sister greeted them and then called e over because they were from Quiché, Guatemala! Mis paisanos! haha but I talked to them and found out they were i our area. The father said he was not a member of the church "yet". ;) so we showed them around and set up to come back sunday. So we went bac and showed them God's plan for family. Everyone was in tears. Heck, I was in tears. We bore testimony of eternal families and what it meant to each of us. It was amazing! we had to leave for sacrament so we left the sisters with them for an hour. But we came back and they were gone :( worst part is we didn't get any of their info :(( so we are really praying they will come back. 

We had a spanish conference yesterday afternoon as well and Elder Wade from the area 70 and our mission president was there and it was just so great. The spirit radiates from Elder Wade! We discussed making our sacrament meetings of a greater quality for investigators and how we can focus on retention. Some things to reflect if you can provide aid in a spanish branch near you. It should be one culture, one people, one family. Be sure the branches are a part of the stake. Make sure the stake auxiliaries are doing their part in attending regularly and providing support. Members should be working WITH the missionaries to fellowship. In teaching, their should be at least one family present - when attending church, EVERYONE should fellowship. They should feel loved the moment they walk through the doors. As soon as they are baptized and receive the gift of the holy ghost increase their learning. Give the RC lessons. Give them a purpose! A sense of belonging; of being needed. A calling should be delegated not long after baptism. Train our members in all these aspects. Turn to preach my gospel for aid. It wasn't given to us to just keep around o.O

Lastly, my temple trip this morning. Wow. I love this gospel. I rejoice in the promises that are made in the sacred temple of the Lord. I am grateful for my family and the fact that we can be together forever as we diligently strive to live true to all of God's commandments. I am grateful for our prophet who leads and guide us in these latter-days. I testify that he is a man called of God to minister unto the entire world the truth. I testify that the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is God's kingdom restored on the Earth today. I testify and bear witness that this restored gospel is true happiness - that through modern revelation we can have the guidance to have Christ-centered homes and return to live in the Heavens with our Heavenly Father and all of our family. I love my Savior! I know that He lives! I know that he knows us each personally, and has suffered every negative moment of our lives. In Him we find refuge. In Him we find love...In Him we find peace. May we always turn to Him and live faithful to the covenants we make or will make in the future. I love you all. You are always in my heart and prayers. Til' next time!

With all my love,

-Elder Castellanos

P.s. I took up soccer. Who knew it'd be fun xP