A Bit of an Upswing

                                                            Lost and Found by Greg Olsen

The following e-mail was received today:

This week seemed to go by a bit better than the last one. It was still full of disappointment, and many didn't want to hear us, but you just learn to accept it and move on. There are more people that need the message. Thank you again for all of you that wrote me! It´s good to hear from you, and it makes the load a little easier. 

 

So one of the days this week I went on a half day division so I could go with a missionary for a wedding. We got to the downtown area around nine in the morning...but then found out the wedding wasn't until two. So we walked around for a long time with the couple until the time came. It was a civil wedding. And it lasted about thirty seconds. We just walked in and the judge pronounced them married. Strange. But they seemed happy and it was a good thing for them. 

 

We taught numerous people as usual, but only a few accepted it. Earlier this week we went to a lady's house that we were teaching, but she stopped progressing for a while so we didn't see her for about a month. Me and my companion had an impression to go there. We talked to her for a little, and she said that she wanted to be baptized! She just had a personal problem that she had to resolve on her own. So this next week we should hopefully have two baptisms. 

 

I know that all our efforts will pay off. At times I have thought about what I am  doing here. But I am reminded every time, that I´m here to bring people the invitation to Eternal Life. What greater gift could be given? Nothing. I realize now that we are in a constant war with Satan and the influences of the world. A literal war. There´s nothing more that Satan wants then to have us be miserable like him. All we can do is fight back with truth and the Lord´s hand. I know He is at my side every step of the way. There could be nothing greater than living with our families forever, and every single person has an opportunity to receive it if they choose. 

 

Love you all and hope to hear from you soon.

 

-Elder Castagno

Tough Week of Adversity

The following e-mail was received today:

 

Well another week here in Fortaleza. This week was tough. Real tough. My companion said this is the hardest area he´s been in his whole mission. We talked to lots and lots of people. Many of them rejected us right off the bat. We said one sentence to people and they´d just close they door. The ones that we taught were never home the next time around. Eleven people committed to coming to church, and they seemed pretty firm. But only one went, and she left part way through. 

 

I know that my companion and I are working hard. We do our best to help people understand the importance of these things, but they don´t care. The Lord must be working on my faith and my patience. Elder Pili got mad at the devil, haha. He went off for a couple minutes talking about how he was working especially hard in our area so the people here wouldn't go to church or accept us. We´ll keep working hard though. The blessings are just around the bend. 

 

Last Preparation Day we went to the Centro, or basically downtown Fortaleza. It was really cool down there. Basically the Manhattan of Fortaleza. There were a bunch of people and all types of shops. We visited a cathedral down there, and it was cool. 

 

We are working with that same girl that I was talking about last time. Her name is Erislania. She went to church. She said that she had dreams about the things we were talking about. We hope that this works out and that she will listen to the promptings of the Lord. 

 

Love all of you and hope that you are well!

 

-Elder Castagno

Teaching, dreams, bugs, & a hammock

The following e-mail was received today:

Well another week has gone by here in Fortaleza. Did I ever say it was really hot here? Yeah it´s pretty hot...but all is well. We spent most of our days this week making tons of contacts and teaching to the people. Some accept it and some do not. 

 

A few interesting things happened this week. Last week we taught a lesson to a girl, but we didn´t really follow up on that. Then a few nights ago she called and said that she had three dreams about what we had talked about, and she was really interested in what we had to say; she might actually come to church next Sunday. We are going back there this week, and hopefully she will be baptized. 

 

This week I went on a transfer. I went to a different area for a day and switched companions. We were walking down a road looking for a certain house that had a recent convert. We were just going to go there to see how he was doing. We couldn´t find the house. We stood there for about five minutes trying to figure out what to do. A lady then came up to us and asked us if we were the missionaries of that area. She was a member, and she asked if we could give a blessing to her daughter. She had been sick for ten days and the doctors didn´t know what was wrong with her. We gave the child a blessing. A friend of the family happened to be there. It was a 16-year-old girl. She was Catholic but had many lessons with the missionaries. She hadn´t been contacted for a while, and she was searching for the Book of Mormon for some time. We taught her about the book and gave it to her. She was very accepting. We invited her to baptism, and she said yes. The Lord really works in mysterious ways, and I saw Him work right in front of my eyes. We came back later to the house to see if the younger girl was feeling better. She was eating well and had a lot of energy. She was feeling much better, but  aleady knew that before we got there. 

 

At times it can be really difficult being out here, but at times it can be very rewarding. I know that these things are true and that this is the Lord´s church here on the earth, and I couldn´t be happier to be a part of it. 

 

And to end this letter, I will end with a fun fact of the week. Fun fact: there are many bugs here that are as big as my head that run around our house and the streets. These include cockroaches, moths, and tarantulas; therefore, I now sleep in a hammock and dare not to sleep in a bed....for two years. Hope everything is going well back at home!

 

With love, 

Elder Alex Castagno

Hittin' the Streets

The following e-mail was received today:

I´m here! I´ve been working for about a week now in the field. Thank you everyone who wrote me from this last letter! It´s good to hear from you guys. My P-day is now Monday. 

 

When I first flew in I wasn´t quite sure what to expect. The mission president, his wife, and some of the office missionaries came to pick us up. We first went to the president's home to eat lunch, we took some pictures, and then went to the mission office. It´s in a really nice area that stays close to the ocean! After that, we got our companions and went to our areas. My companion is Elder Pili; he is really cool! He´s been out for a little over a year. He was born in Hawaii but lives in California. He really knows what he is doing, and he is helping me out a bunch.

 

 My area is called Mundubim. It´s outside of the city of Fortaleza. We live in a small house/apartment with two other missionaries. It´s definitely a lot different than what I am used to. The first day of working and teaching was a little hard for me. When we taught people, my mind would go blank. Haha, but with time, and day by day, I am geting a little better. I have a lot to learn. I thought that I learned a lot at the M.T.C., but I have so much more to work on;  I´m sure I´ll get there in time. 

It is very very hot here and very humid. We walk everywhere we go, and it definitely isn´t easy. I´m usually pretty worn out by night time. It´s all worth it though when I am able to teach a person or a family and I can see a smile on their face. The people here live mostly in poverty; the houses have concrete floors mixed with dirt; the roads are just rocks, but the people are still happy. It is a humbling experience, and it makes me appreciate what I have back at home. The people here are very accepting to hear our message, but not so much to accept it. We taught many people this week but no one ended up coming to church that said they would. We´ll just keep on working though. Hope that all of you guys are doing well at home! Thanks for all of your support!

 

With love,

Elder Castagno

Just arrived in Fortaleza!

The following e-mail was received today:

 

Hey! So I am here in Fortaleza! I got here about one, and we went over to the president's house to eat lunch; it was really good. The president and his wife are really cool and sweet! So now I am at the mission office writing you guys. It overviews the city, and I can see the ocean in the distance. It´s been raining on and off for most of the day. It´s pretty hot and very humid here. I´ll be finding out who my companion is and where my area will be sometime today. My P-day is on Monday, so you won´t hear from me 'til then. And I can only write you guys for today. So hope that everything is going well there! . . . Talk to you guys soon. 

With love,
Elder Castagno

Get out your stamps...

Elder Castagno will be out of the training center and in Fortaleza this coming week. This means that he can now receive "snail mail" (example pictured.) Here are some tips/hints: 1) Don't send anything that is heat-sensitive (e.g. chocolate); 2. If sending goodies, send enough for his companion (Alex is greedy...[I'm kidding]); 3. He likes Swedish Fish candy! 


His mailing address is in the sidebar.

Final week in the MTC

                                                                                                                    (Not sure if he's flying, actually.)

The following e-mail was received today:

So this is it! By this time next week I´ll be in Fortaleza! I´m really excited! So this last week went by pretty good for the most part. Sadly my district all left before me. I´m here for this last week because my mission president is changing. It was really hard to say bye to them. They were like family to me. I learned so much from each one of them, and we all looked out for each other. I´m now in another group that leaves the same day I do. I don´t have a companion, so I just float around with the group. They are all a bunch of great people too. 

So the day before my district left we had a small testimony meeting with our group. I decided to stand up and tell them my experience on how I was completely different a year ago and that because of the Lord, I changed so much and decided to serve a mission. One of the sister missionaries in my group then told her experience on how she got sick right before she had to go to the MTC, and she always wondered why the Lord had her wait so long to come to her mission because of her sickness. She said that my testimony answered her question. She needed to know that other people went through difficult times in their lives before their mission. It was a real testimony builder to me. It says in my patriarichal blessing that my testimony will impact many people. This is proof once again that the Lord lives and that He knows us well. Have faith in Him. 

Until next week, in Fortaleza Brasil. 
Elder Alexander Castagno