Year One: At a Glimpse

As of June 2012, Elder Castagno has been on his mission for one year! This video is a tribute to the first half of his journey.

New Area--and a Bolivian Companion!

The following e-mail was received on Monday 5/28/2012:

 Another transfer done, and another has begun. Again many changes have happened. Because of a large decrease of missionaries in this mission, the mission president had to join a few areas together. Mine was effected. So of course, me and my comp had to be changed to different areas. I´m now in the area of Montese. I've heard some pretty good things about [it], so I am hoping for the best. 

 Also my new companion is from Bolivia! So I guess i´ll be learning some Spanish while I'm out here. He is pretty new. Just got out of training. 

It was a little sad though leaving Tancredo Neves. Sure the work was hard, but we did make some good friends there. And we were helping some really special people--one that we were helping get married. Unfortunately, I won´t be able to see the wedding or the baptism. But that is just how it is. It was meant for the other elders to do that part. 

This area is another smaller area...which is good. Keep myself from being too tired from walking. Other than that, not much is new. I´m excited to start in this new area and see what it has to offer. Take care.
 
 Elder Castagno

"Just Two Americans in White Shirts Walking Around in the Sun"

The following e-mail was received on Monday 5/21/2012:

Well, this week was a bit interesting. Not one of the best weeks but also not the worst. We are having some difficulties finding people to teach at the moment. A good amount of our area is already baptized...but most are inactive now. Also everyone we seem to talk to has already talked to us. It´s kinda funny sometimes. We just go up to people and ask them when they were baptized; most of them tell us a date...haha. 

We had zone conference this week. President told us some stats about Fortaleza....only 30% of all the members here are active. Ridiculous! I don´t know what happened. We are really trying to focus on families now. 

On the good side, we are helping two families become...well, families. [This week, we initiated two couples into the marriage process] so [that] they can be baptized in the future. It is a longer process, but they are more sure to stay in the church.

 Also, we had a really great lesson Saturday night. We had a member come with us to teach. She gave a powerful testimony that for sure reached to our investigator's heart. I love it when the members do all of the talking for us...haha! They seem to understand better and also they have the opportunity to hear about the church from a normal person...not just two Americans in white shirts walking around in the sun. 

Elder Godoy

This week we get to hear from Elder Godoy. That should be fun. Well have a good week everyone.


--Elder Castagno
 

Elder Castagno's 20th Birthday

Free Will & a Ghetto-Seeking American

The following e-mail was received on Monday 5/14/12:

Well I´m glad I was able to talk to most of you yesterday! It´s always good to hear the family. 

This week went by alright. Not the best week, but not the worst week. We are trying to really focus on families to help them into the church. Sadly though, we had a few people say that they did not want anything any more. But, at that point there isn't much we can do. It is their choice. Another thing that seems to be difficult is getting people to church. We only had a few come this Sunday. 

But in good news, we are in the process of helping a couple get married. The woman wants to join the church but the man....well, he is lost in iniquity in the moment--as in drinking and stuff. Hopefully he will want to give that up so he can have a happier life. I guess we´ll see! Their children are members of the church, so it helps them out. 

Example of a Brazilian favela (shanty town/ghetto)

The other day we met this American at lunch [who is] here on vacation with his Brazilian wife. He doesn't speak a word of Portuguese but wants to go take pictures in the favelas (the ghetto)! That´s a great idea! NOT. He wanted to go with us for a day...but that would mean we would be babysitting this guy, so we said no. Apparently his in-laws don´t let him leave the house though 'cause it is too dangerous....well, good luck my friend..haha. Seems to be a crazy thing that happens here every week. 

We have zone conference this week, so that should be good. That´s about it for this week. Hope all is well!

Elder Castagno

"This week was a huge smack in the face."

The following e-mail was received on Monday May 7, 2012:

Well, this week was a huge smack in the face. After a great first week, the second week just had to be super tough. Each day just about all of our appointments fell through. We tried working with everyone too: members, non-actives, investigators, contacts....but nothing. The members are not animated [motivated/excited] to do anything. We try and get referrals, but the banks are all dried up. The inactive [members] that we try to visit have either moved, or they don´t want anything to do with the church. And our investigators don´t want to go to church! We had a couple that were way interested [in] the church....but they said they needed permission from their pastor to go to another church--give me a break! 

It´s just ridiculous the things that happen over here. About half of the area is baptized, but about 80% of them are inactive. Things are just kind of a big mess over here. We tried organizing goals and things to help the ward mission leader, but he flaked on our meetings, and nothing is happening. There is so much more, but I'd be here all day writing. 

It´s difficult when no one helps or cares that much. But we have to keep trying. I´m hoping for a better week. The work of the Lord is the hardest thing to do--no matter where you are on the earth, I think. I just wish that people could see what I see, but you can´t take another's agency from them. 

Other than that, all is fine. Me and my [companion] try and make light of things so we don´t get disanimated [discouraged]. With patience and hope, things will get better...eventually.

--Elder Castagno

Gettin' the Job Done & a Very Special Person

The following e-mail was received today:

 Well what a week. This week went by really well. I don´t think I've ever gotten so much done in one week than this one. When I got here, the area didn't really have to much going on. The last elders had foot problems, so they weren't able to do much. Through some people that we knew (and other ways), we were able to talk to a bunch of people, and we had two baptisms this weekend!  

We had to go to the center this week to sign for a wedding. There are two recent converts in our ward that we are helping get married. Also this week I gave a training to our district about church and why the investigators need to attend church. I thought that it went pretty well. 

This week we met a very special person--well at least to us. As we were walking at night trying to find something to do, a member called us and asked us to go with him to his friend's house. We met up with him, and he said that his friend recently got in a bad motorcycle accident...where sadly his wife was killed. His son survived. This man, Kleber, barely got out of the hospital with metal rods coming out of his leg. We went to his house, and we talked to him about the Plan of Salvation, and how it is possible for us to live with our families forever. We explained that his wife was learning the same things that we were teaching him. And we said that it would be possible for him to live with her forever. Just a fact that there was something special about Kleber. He really did need this message. 

 (During the lesson, a crazy drunk guy came over and started to yell at us and wouldn't leave. Finally we were able to get him to leave.)

A few days later, we returned and the metal rods were gone. He was at the hospital, and the doctor said that by a miracle his leg was better. He was going to have to amputate it, but he no longer needed to. [Kleber] also said that he felt that these things were true. We marked [a time to] come back this week, so we´ll see how it goes. 

Really I was able to have even a greater testimony from this situation. Truly God does answer prayers, and He looks after his children and takes care of them....even when it doesn't seem like it. Though Kleber´s story is tragic, he might not have been able to know about the gospel before.  Now he has the chance to live with the ones he loves for all eternity. What a blessing. 

Until next time.
 
With love,
Elder Castagno

Small Town Transfer & New Companion

The following e-mail was received today:

The last week of the transfer has passed, and guess what? I got transferred. I for sure thought I was going to stay, but my time was up there. Kinda glad though because I was a little tired of the place. There were great members though--and great recent converts. I love all of them. For sure I will miss all of them. 

Well my new area is Tancredo Neves. It´s really close to my last area. It´s way smaller though. It takes ten minutes to walk from one end to the other. Glad that I won´t have to do those long walks any more...

My new companion is Elder McNeil from Oregon. I seem to just get American companions...haha. He served for a little while in California until his Visa came; he got here about five months ago. We will be living in a house with two other Elders...don´t know them very well yet. 

This last week was great though. We had a bunch of people to teach and were able to have a baptism. This next transfer for that area should be great. A bunch of people are set up to be baptized. Well, I´m looking forward to this new area. I've heard that it is really great here, so we will see. 

All is good with me, no sickness or injury this week. Until next time.

--Elder Castagno