Regaining Strength & Ready to March Ahead

The following e-mail was received Monday June, 25 2012:

Well this week I stayed in the office with the secretaries of the mission. It´s been a good week with them. I've been able to regain my strength and learn about the mission. It has also helped out my faith with the work here; I feel like I'm ready to go back out and do even better than before. Tomorrow I go back to my area. 

Earlier this week we had a rare opportunity to have lunch with [the] president [of the mission]. This never happens. It was just me, my comp, president, and his wife. 

During the week, I spent my time in the office studying and helping the other elders with random tasks in the office. At night, we´d go out to teach a few lessons. Their area is really rich...but surprisingly, they have a bunch of people to teach. I learned a lot from them. 

These last few weeks have been crazy....and I'll be happy to be back in my area being a normal missionary. 

Glad to be out of the hospital.

Until then,

Elder Castagno

Hospitalizion: "If it doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger."

The following e-mail was received today:

There´s not a better way to celebrate your one year mark than in the hospital! I´m sure you all know the scare I had earlier this week. I got a thing called pneumothorax [A.K.A. collapsed lung]. It´s when you have a small hole in your lung where air escapes. This makes your lung unglue from your chest and can be very dangerous--as in my case it was. They had to put a tube in me and keep me in the hospital for a few days. Luckily everything worked out and now I´m just resting for a little bit. Soon enough I´ll be able to continue the work. For sure it was one of the biggest scares I went through in my life. Going through surgery out here without anyone I know. One of the Elders was with me, who really helped me out a bunch. But there is nothing like family. I had to really rely on the Lord--there was no other way. I felt that I really grew closer to the Lord from this. Although it sucked. "If it doesn't kill you, it makes you stronger"...it´s true. 

This week I´ll be staying here at the mission home until I'm good enough to go back to my area. 

 Elder Castagno suffered through the process without anesthesia.

Feeling much better. His dad & step mom flew in to lend support during recovery.

Until then,
Elder Castagno

"Being Sick is No Fun..."

The following e-mail was received today:

He is one sick puppy.

Being sick is no fun on the mission. Being stuck inside for days without nothing to do is tough. I had to spend most of my time just laying in my hammock taking drugs. Towards the end of the week, I started feeling better. The cough is basically gone, but not all. I´m going back to the doctors to have another check up. But all should be well. 

Towards the end of the week I started going back out at night just so I could talk to some of our important investigators. There is a man named Paulo that we are trying to help out at the moment. He is willing to be married to the woman he lives with...and he wants to be baptized. It´s just that she doesn't see things the same way. Of course they've being living together for over twenty years, but she still has her doubts. It´s tough, but we really are trying to help them out. There always seems to be a problem. But that´s just the way it is. 

Sunday was the dedication of the Manaus Temple. Going to church was basically like going to the temple. It was awesome; I could really feel a different spirit in there. It makes me miss the temple a whole bunch, and it showed me the huge sacrifices all these people have to [make] to go to the temple. It´s a huge blessing to have so many [temples] right next door in Utah. 

Hopefully I'll have more success this week. Until next time.

Elder Castagno

Success Right Out of the Gate...and then Bronchitis

The following e-mail was received on Monday June 4, 2012:

Well, it's my first week here in Montese, and it has started off good...and bad. We have a good group of people we are working with at the moment--all families--and this week we helped a couple get married and then baptized: Leonardo and Gardenia. Leonardo was already a member but fell away a while ago. The missionaries have been working with him to reactivate him, and in the process his wife was taught and felt that this was all true. 

So the bad part of this week is that I have a bad case of bronchitis. I went to the doctor's [office] for a cough, and they did an x-ray and blood work. So I´m out of the game for the next week. I have to stay home and take a bunch of medications. So the next e-mail will probably not be too exciting. Maybe I'll do a deep study about something and let you know what I learned. 

Half of this journey is complete.

We´re in June! I've made it to my year mark. It is pretty nuts. I've learned so much up to this point....and for sure still have much to go in the next year. Thanks to all for all of your support, letters, messages, pictures, everything. It really helps. I truly am grateful for all of my friends and family. Hope you all have a better week than I will!

Elder Castagno

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