World-wide, missionaries are expected to be teaching
a minimum of 20 lessons a week. (yes, for some missions its harder than
others, but the standard of excellence for all missionary team is 20 a
week)
Not to toot my own horn or anything, but this week, we
finally had 22! Never before in my mission have I hit 20. Earlier in
Victoriaville, we hit 18. But they weren't the best of lessons.
I can honestly say, 90% of the lessons we taught this week were
powerful and meaningful. Teaching-wise, this has been the best week of
my whole mission. With some new training we received at Zone Conference,
my companion Elder Rock and I applied the things we were taught to do
by The Mission. We have been time-managing well, and using all the tools
given to us to be successful missionaries. We're going back to the
basics, and doing what preach my gospel simply states. See, when you
grow older in the mission, you start to naturally forget the
fundamentals that The Lord has set out for his work. You start to gain
confidence and trust in yourself and sometimes forget what got you to
that point. Well, I feel like I started to become that way, and I'm
super happy I was reminded of how to really do it right.
I now feel like I'm getting the hang of things. I feel like, I
get it. Like, things just make sense and to always remember as we do
things The Lord's way... we can not fail. My companion has been here for
5 transfers, and its his greenie area, so he will probably be
transferred next week. Elder Rock is kind of sad because he thinks I'm
going to baptize like 523487 people once he leaves. But needless to say,
we have been preparing a lot of people to receive the blessings of
baptism and its awesome!
Hey, if y'all get an email next Monday that says I'm training
again, don't be surprised... all the missionaries out here keep casting
curses on me that I'm going to train another greenie. Training is so
fun... but so energy consuming. I don't know how I feel about that whole
idea. And to be honest, I don't know if I'd want that right now haha. I
guess we'll keep that suspense until next week where we will have our
transfer calls! :)
Singles ward is awesome. Teaching people who are finding their
personal testimonies is awesome. We teach young people who are trying to
find themselves in life, who want real testimony not something they
were born into. We teach people with abstract ideas, and high level of
intelligence. We are challenged by theological, and religious students.
We come across people who simply meet with us to just make a statement.
It's awesome!!!!!
You all know me pretty well, and I'm a person that enjoys logical
conversion. I love making "A Loving Heavenly Father" become logical to
the common atheist, or college student. There is nothing more rewarding
than bringing the gospel into these young lives. And there is nothing
more fun than cracking jokes with people my age and hearing about the
grammy's and justin bieber getting arrested. As you can see, The Lord knows where to put his missionaries. Lol.
Just the other day I taught a less active, who we're
trying to have quit smoking weed. Its funny, because he happens to be a
rapper. I asked him: "why and when do you smoke?" he replied: "Not
often, only when I'm going to rap. It helps me thing freely, and more
words come to my head faster." and I said: "hey, well I can rap pretty
fast, and I don't need that crap".
I don't know, I thought that was funny.
Things are
going well, just trying to work well with the ward council and kicking
things into shape over here in Dows Lake. Just feeling nervous about a
new companion, and a little stress from responsibilities... but other
than that, I'M DOING AWESOME. Thank you for praying for me, I do feel
them help me and my companion.
Until next time,
Elder Castrejon
ps. We're having a WHOLE mission conference March 22, with a
member of the quorum of the 12 presiding, a member of the
presiding bishopric, and a 70.
(When we heard this news... we pooped our pants.)
