Week 52 - "We have more and more Hermanas coming to realize the importance of their roles in the mision work and that want to come with us to visits."

July 28, 2014

This week was drawn out into the eternities. I think every day we lived at least 3 times. Three times Monday, three times Tuesday, etcetera. It is interesting how the cold can effect your attitude. Very interesting.

Aside from the eternal week, we have had progress in the ward. We have more and more Hermanas coming to realize the importance of their roles in the mision work and that want to come with us to visits. We had another week of great lessons and we completed our goals for the week again, which is always a satisfying feeling. I don't remember if I have told you all of Norma. She is a menos activa. She doesn't go to Church and essentially all of her family is member. She is a little old lady of 70 years, she embroiders table clothes for her work. Her story is a bit more complicated than just the surface details. She and her husband didn't have a home and decided to build their home between two homes and behind a huge soccer field that belongs to the government. It is part of the street. Their home is made of wood planks and sheets of metal. There live 15 people, if I'm not mistaken. When it rains, all the water floods between the cracks in their home and from both ends of the street. It all gathers beneath her home. In fin, she has lots of coldness in her house and there are two little infants of 2 years and 9 months that live there as well with their mother. The Municipalidad (sorry, dad, I am not sure how to say that in English) [government] has threatened to take them from their home. Because they live right against the soccer stadium, they are blocking a section of ground that they happen to want to occupy. To do what? I suppose to make another parking lot. I am sure they just don't want their ugly little lean-to of a house there in front of their stadium. Pride, basically. They don't have money to pay the Muni to keep them from kicking them out, and on top of that, because of the stress she has as mother and wife and grandmother, she keeps falling sick. She has stomach problems. She can't eat because she just throws it up or her body can't maintain it. But she is losing weight because she needs to eat. To top it off, her husband isn't there and is off drunk in the streets. When we sit in her house, I feel the Spirit radiating from her little being. She is the sweetest little old lady. It gives me so much pain when she says things like 'I pray that Heavenly Father keeps me warm'. She has no other care in the world but that her family goes back to Church and that she can make it to church to take the Sacrament.

Every visit we make, I can't help feeling very selfish and guilty. I have a family that is active in the church, I have a warm home, I have my mision that my family sacrifices for daily for me to be able to be here. I have food to eat and don't need to worry about if I am going to eat in the week. When we taught her the Plan of Salvacion, I couldn't help realizing the perfectness of it. Every detail of the Plan is perfect. I have come to realize that more and more, the more time I have on the mision, the more I read of the scriptures. We literally lived with God. He counselled us before we came to earth, He gave us all the instruction we would need, He trusted us enough to send us here and give us a body. We are completely responsible for our acts here on the earth. I was reading yesterday in Alma chapter 4. I totally saw the chapter from God's perspective. He knows we're imperfect and we're going to make mistakes. But He never gives us up. He sees the same process of us falling into pride and selfishness, gives us the captivity we need to realize and recognize the blessings we had really were from Him, just so we can come back to Him to live in  humility, which is where we start to go bad again. We are a very weak people, but He loves us for trying. He gives us a thousand and 7 chances to change to and to be better. He knows we aren't going to live straight and by the rules 100% every moment, but He expects us to do our best. For that, we have the Atonement. He does expect perfection, but never asked us to do it alone. It isn't possible to get to perfection when we are fallen creatures. But I testify of the reality of the Atonement. Throughout this week, I have seen it become reality.

I have learned a lot about gratitude this week as well. It is incredible the miracles we can work when we have a heart of gratitude. It changes lives. It changes the perspective almost instantaneously. I love this work, it is the hardest thing I will have ever accomplished. But I am so grateful for this time I have to devote completely to the Lord. He has blessed me bountiously in my last year, He has helped my hermanitos realize the importance of misionery work, He has given me the strength necesary to be able to work here. Those He calls, he certainly prepares. Testifico de aquel. Testifico de que Jesucristo es mi Salvador, Él me hace feliz y estoy aqui gracias a Su misericordia. Le amo a él y sé que tengo Su presencia aqui. Espero que ustedes se den cuenta de la realidad de Cristo en sus vidas y que ocupen el evangelio y la Expiación en todo momento. Cuando estén cargados, felices o en necesidad de un amigo, siempre Él está. No se olviden de su papel como amigo fiel y hermano mayor de todos nosotros. Les amo y espero que su semana sea llena de amor y que busquen oportunidades de servir y amar a sus vecinos. Todo esto testifico en el nombre de Jesucristo. Amén. 

[I testify of that. I testify that Jesus Christ is my Savior, He makes me happy and I am here because of His mercy. I love him and I know I have his presence here. I hope you realize the reality of Christ in their lives and occupying the gospel and Atonement at all times. When loaded, happy or in need of a friend, he always is. Do not forget his role as a faithful friend and brother of us all. I love you and I hope your week is full of love and looking for opportunities to serve and love their neighbors. All this I testify in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.]

Hermana Castleton

Whitney's and My conversation:

Mamasita: 

"...I hope you have a fantastic week this week. I hope you're feeling better and you're healthy! You are amazing and you're influencing these children, your siblings, more than you realize. I asked Courtney if she will serve a mission and she said she probably will because of your influence. Yesterday as I was driving with Michael he mentioned "his mission". You are having a great influence on these children and on all of us. Thank you!!!..."

Hermana Castleton: 

"Mom, you have no idea what that means to know that Michael and Courtney have referred to their misiones. I cannot tell you what that means to me. That is one of the major reasons I came on the mision. I knew that the family wasn't too family or church-oriented and I needed to set the example to get everyone on board. I knew that was one of the misiones I have in this life as well. I am here to be the oldest, to direct those younglings on the right path, to correct them in their mistakes and to help them in their trials through the experiences I have here, mine and others. I am so excited for them. I cannot believe that incredible miracle with Michael and his back and feet problems. I am so glad he is all right because I have been praying specifically for every one of you at home. I hope they continue in this attitude of gratitude and service and outwardness. I love them all so so much."

Mamasita: 

"You're so amazing Whitney! Thank you for your prayers. They are helping! I feel like we are able to help Michael with his problems so that he will be able to serve a mission in a few years (can you believe it can be that close?) 

How are you and Hermana Jerez feeling? How are your feet and back and body? Any concerns?"

Hermana Castleton:

"Nope, I am all good here. It's just interesting how tired we are. Always. The cold really effects your body when you are constantly outside and walking in the cold air. I have fallen down a few times this last week and have felt the same arms that lifted me before. I know that there are those Nephite warriors all around me, and more around the two of us because together we have a lot of bad luck and seem to provoke random attacks from Satan. But those warriors surely are there, I have felt their help and guidance."

Mamasita:

"Sorry, I didn't get back to you right away, I had to take a phone call. 

That's so amazing! I LOVE to hear that you are so protected (even from yourself). I am so grateful for those Nephite warriors!!"

Hermana Castleton:

"Shall I tell you of an experience we had today? We went to Lider to buy our things for the week and when we returned, we realized we had left the keys in the pension. Agh! We wanted to die. I wanted to sulk and cry and yell at the heavens. We called the Elders involved with the pensions and they told us they are recently entering a reunion. Well, we decided to wait outside in the hall. Heh. We looked like lost puppies. I felt very frustrated. I decided to brake a bobby pin to try picklocking the doorknob. It didn't work. I kept questioning my faith. If faith can move mountains, why can't I open a freaking door? I started to get really negative with my thoughts. But as I questioned God, after he gave me some heavy talking to, I decided to put my faith a bit further. We asked the neighbors for a hanger and found a bit of wire out in a closet. We put our keys on a little table just beside the door, to our luck, and I decided to try to use the hanger and wire to pull the legs of the table to shake the keys onto the ground. Heh, after three hours of waiting outside our apartment, we entered after the keys finally fell from the table. Agh!! Por fin. I wanted to cry and rejoice. I couldn't help thinking of how grateful I was that God had allowed my faith to be tried and I acted like Nephi instead of Laman and Lemuel. I went into the woods to build another bow instead of waiting for God to make the solucion. Cool experience. I am very much humbled."

Mamasita

:

"That's an awesome experience Whit! I love how you learn and grow from all these simple daily experiences. I love how you express yourself! You're so expressive.

Will you please tell me more about Hermana Jerez? I would love to get to know her more through you. She has such a smiley sweet face and I can her tell personality is the same. She seems fun and energetic. What is she like? Her family? Etc, etc..."

Hermana Castleton:

"She is just... I don't know how to describe her. She is very smiley and energetic. We are very much alike in many ways. She is very devoted to the work and she knows the importance of her calling. She is an incredible example for me. She says things that just make me laugh, out of the blue, she just says things that I never expect to hear. I am learning a lot from her. she treats everybody like family. The ward loves her. I think they tire of me because I can't be myself. I try, but I just doubt myself and my Spanish. I wish I was fluent or that I could be in a mision where I would need to speak my language, Because people don't really know me because I can't express myself like I can in my language. But I believe that is a challenge as well. That is one of the things I need to learn is patience and humility. I love Hermanita Jerez. I believe she is tired of me. Her family is four. She is the younger of two girls. Her mom and sister are members, but her papa not yet. We all have faith that he will be one day,  he just needs his time. Jerez is absolutely one of my best friends. I don't know if that is how she feels about me, but that is how I love her. She is like my other half. She is so hilarious. Her sense of humor, I love her. I don't know how to describe her. If you have specific questions, I can answer them ,but it is difficult to just describe her."

Mamasita:

"That is a great description of her. Just what I was thinking. 

And I think you are WAY too hard on yourself. I do relate in that way to you though because I don't express myself very well in English (I don't even have another language just my native tongue) and so sometimes I hold back and people don't know me very well either. You on the other hand are so wonderful and I KNOW they LOVE you and your precious spirit. You just radiate sweetness and happiness. And I absolutely KNOW that Hermanita Jerez adores you because you are so lovable. Please - LOVE yourself more, like you love the members and your companions :) I will take the same advice."