No matter what

Whew! Hello! A little bit exhausted over here but doing great! 

This week was a little bit rough. Almost every day we had the same story...NOBODY HOME. We were very low on lessons and high on walking up the streets and down the streets from empty house to empty house. But that's how it is sometimes. And I've noticed that times like these are fun because they usually mean something awesome is about to happen and we're being tested to see if we really believe that. And guess what, we do. So we keep walking, smiling and contacting and buying delicious "pan" from the panederia and cheap bags of ice cream substance to keep us happy. Works beautifully.

So many investigators who have been progressing so well, and many of them this week made the wrong decisions. Like not to come to church and go to the beach instead. Things like that. But let's talk about some people who made some great decisions instead.

So Fabiola is a less active member of about 4 years who, before those 4 years, was super active, had gone through the temple and had a strong strong testimony. We didn't even know about her before we ran into her in the street one day a couple months ago and she was really happy to see us and said we could come visit her, but that she lived behind her aunt who, when anyone from the church asked, said she wasn't home even if she was. So it was almost impossible to find her, as her phone wasn't working. Well, this past week we ran into her a second time in the street and once again she was really happy to see us. She told us her little girl had had a dream that they'd returned to the church and she wanted to do it so badly but didn't know how. So we set an appointment that day at the church and they showed up! We started talking to her and setting goals. Turns out her obstacles to coming to church are little and easily manageable, things like it being the only time she can do laundry and she helps her aunt. She didn't have problems with any members or any commandment, she had simply slipped into worldly things and started putting her work first and was fullly aware that she wasn't as happy as before, that the gospel was true, and that she needed to get back over here and get to the temple.

It was so amazing to me that such little things can keep a willing member from renewing her covenants and serving, but I guess when we start slipping and allow small unimportant things begin to come before the really important, it becomes really really hard to get back. Well, we'd already invited her to come to church and activities many times and she said she wanted to but wasn't sure if she could and yada yada. Finally one day we made it into her house by sending Alma, who helps Fabiola with her little girl some mornings, to ask for her. Her uncle let her in and she told Fabi that we were outside and we were able to get in. Sneaky sneaky. Well we had a great lesson and suddenly I was about to ask if she could make it to church this week when suddenly the spirit was just speaking for me and I found myself asking, "Pase lo que pase, will you come to church this Sunday?" And she said "Sí." And then we were both like, woah what just happened and she started to get this big smile on her face. It's like neither of us had spoken our own words, but she'd needed someone to ask her that question, of NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS, will you do it? So that she could put aside all her excuses and make the decision she had been wanting to make all along. We made plans and kept sending her messages to follow up all week long and Sunday, she arrived really late but we kept communicating and in she came with a bright smile and the members were all ready to welcome her. We also had another less active member with a little girl come in who we hadn't been able to find in weeks and sat with us. GO FABIOLA! 

Almost none of our investigators who were going to come Sunday could make it. But I just looked at our returning members and thought, You know what Satan, you're NOT WINNING. We aren't falling for it! Because all of them are going to come next week along with who knows who else! We are still seeing amazing things and my faith is growing stronger than ever!

Annnnnnd after a long week we just happened to have the best P-day ever! Every six months there's an activity with President and his wife, and it's hard to believe that 6 months have already passed since that first one!

I am one of the few who are still here in the area and we went to see the same ruins again, but this time we had a tour guide, games in the morning and afternoon, and pizza! And one of the perks of being here so long is that we're really good friends with the others who've been here and we just had a party all day. It was super hot and the sun is much more direct up there but my companion and I discovered where they sold "bolis" or frozen ice cream things for 5 pesos and we went for those. We were soon joined by 50 other missionaries and President George and his wife and the owners of the stand were pretty happy.

I understood a little bit better what the ruins were this time, it no longer being my first week in Mexico. It's called The rock of Lehi's dream or something like that, and it's an ancient carving that was found that depicts exactly Lehi's dream! It's so cool! For others it's just a cool carving with Mayan symbols of water, trees, blind people, etc. but for us it's awesome since we know what those things mean. We had a tour guide from the stake who was able to tell us a ton about the area and we got cool maps that showed us where they estimate are all the cities in the Book of Mormon in Mexico and its roundabouts. I'm currently living in Zarahemla.

After[wards] we went to a stake center and an elder who had found out I could play the Jon Schmidt song "All of Me" and has been bugging me for weeks to play finally got his way. He's completely crazy and loud and hilarious and made everyone be quiet and listen and almost went crazy when another elder was about to play the piano. "No, HERMANA WIIILSON." I gave it a try for the first time in a couple months and found out it was still there and afterward everyone was like AHHH PLAY IT AGAIN and I laughed and left the piano only to find they were serious and I had to play it again. And then they made me do the elbow part once more. And now Elder Acosta refers to me as her majesty, great one, etc. Locos. It was fun to play again. And then we played volleyball for an hour where I am not the queen, but it was really fun and now we're tired and sweaty and happy and ready for success okay love you all bye! 

Hermana Wilson :)

This is a subject that goes in the subject line that has nothing to do with the letter you're about to read

(Kind of like the Veggie Tales song "This is the Song that Goes Under the Credits.")

We're happy over here! People are progressing and the ward is beginning to explode action!

Iván continues to do great, although he does stress me out. Haha not really. Our lessons consist of me asking about or giving more homework, his attention span of a puppy, me pulling back his attention and his quick hilarious comments throughout the lesson (he talks faster than anyone I know) that I usually ignore until finally I just start laughing and then everyone else does as well. One day as he was leaving and we were arguing about whether he would bring his daughter to the activity that night, he left and I was like "Ayyye I feel like I have a 30 year old son" and my companion and the members with us all started laughing and told me that I did. But he'll always be so special to me and it makes me so happy to see him continue to progress like never before. This week he relapsed one day and felt awful and we happened to pass by right afterward without having planned to do so and that helped him a ton. Angeles got him to lift himself back up and show up at his appointment with us that evening and he was back at it that fast. He's thrown himself into attending a daily class the church offers, something about self-dependence, and is doing all his homework and coming every day and that has helped him to focus in positive things. Overcoming an addiction is SO HARD and it's impossible alone, but we're seeing lots of miracles.

I forget if I mentioned Damián before, he's the brother of the neighbor of our investigator Greisi. We started teaching Greisi and her next-door neighbor Janís outside of their houses in the evenings and one night Janís's brother came home and asked us if we were from the mormon church and that he had a friend in another city from our church. We asked if we could teach him one day and the following Saturday taught Janís and him and he accepted the baptismal invitation. Well he's hard to find because he works a lot but one night we were passing and suddenly homeward he comes bounding (?) with two friends. Upon talking with them we found that they had both been baptized before but for one reason or another had lost touch with the church and we talked with all of them about what they remembered, about baptism and the spirit was so cool. They talked about how they had been childhood friends but had lost touch and only recently had been brought back together and then one of them brought up how cool it would be if they all went on missions together. We started guessing where they would go and I can't even describe what a cool night it was. Such humble great kids, all about 20 years old, and we invited them to come to church together THIS Sunday. One by one they looked at each other and said "Yo sí puedo...tú?" until they'd all committed to come. Then we set a baptismal date for Damián and the other two were like "Aaaah, te vas a bautizar!" [Ah! You're getting baptized!] It was a beautiful thing. 

Sunday Violeta accompanied us to pass for all the investigators and when we got to Damián's house he recognized her from school, and asked if she was new as well. She humbly said yes, and he said it was his first day, all proud and nervous, it was beautiful. And then we entered the chapel and all the priests who were already there greeted him and asked where his brother was, and turns out everyone already knows Damián and once again I'm left with the question WHERE WAS OUR REFERRAL? Aw well. 

Well I ran out of time today, but I've been learning about Jesus this week in Jesus the Christ. Such cool stuff. How because he was mortal he had the capacity to die but because he was a God he didn't have to. He could have lived forever and ever on the cross, but because he CHOSE to give up his life in the moment he did so and nothing forced him to die, death was conquered. I wish I could go more into that but it'll have to wait. 

Love you all!!!

One Step

So this was a happy week once again. We'll just go miracle by miracle here. First of all I'll just say that Ricardo makes me so happy, he's the one we baptized a couple months back and he has been flying. He moved recently after his baptism but has been traveling far to come to church every week and all the activities, and sometimes other days just to visit the less active youth. We had one young man who has had a ton of problems with the old bishop, rumors, and started going off the path into tobacco and not-so-great friends, and Ricardo was like what are you doing, and got him to come back to church and go to EFY where they all had an amazing experience. Yesterday we went to visit Josue, the young man, and his mom only to find that Josue was gone visiting other less active youth with Ricardo. When we taught Ricardo about Family History and asked for questions, his only question was "when can we start?" and it just always fills my heart up to see his good decisions. It just goes to show what good friends can do. First Jenny invited her friend Ricardo to go to EFY with her, and now he's inviting everyone to live better lives, and they're all starting on the same track. GO RICARDO!

V. is already basically a member and is always right there at church on time and ready to help us with our other investigators, helping them to feel at home and participating in the gospel principles class. Last week we invited her to be interviewed for her baptism and invite her mom, in hopes to see some realization that her daughter is ready and she agreed but her mother was another question. However, we are seeing step-by-step progress. The other night I felt we should see V. even though I knew she was probably asleep because she always goes to bed early, but I couldn't think of anyone else and just felt the need to go. So we went, sure enough she was asleep and we left. But as we were leaving we ran into her mom and ended up talking forever and I just listened to the spirit as we talked. She ended up bringing up baptism on her own and once again we talked about V. and I invited her to the interview so she could see for herself if V. was ready. Well, she didn't quite agree but she's coming closer and once again we accomplished something though I'm not sure what. One thing I can say that I couldn't a couple months ago is that Z. R. is my friend, and we've become pretty close over these past months. She always tells us how special we are to her daughter and how they're going to follow me when I have to leave, and told us she loved us as we left that night. THIS IS HUGE. When I first arrived she would just short of shut the door in our faces.  They even named their cat after us! Okay, so we did that, but they let the name stick and Wilson Castillo is now a favorite. Anyway, Mama V. is breaking under the spirit, and we'll see this eternal family shortly! Go V.!

Third miracle is a surprise: Miracle I.! This week we asked a less active for a reference, she sent us to her neighbor and we went to talk to her. While there we saw Iván across the street for the first time in weeks, and he waited for us. We went to talk to him and he ended up opening up and telling us he'd drunk for 12 days straight and was hospitalized recently and went through some really dark moments and finally had enough. He´d decided it was time to change. We were a little unsure if this was true since we'd been through all of this a couple of times and had heard stories of his behavior recently, but we let him know that if he would show up when he said he would, do what he said he'd do and come to church we could help him. If not, there was nothing we could do. Well, I am here to tell you that this man is fulfilling EVERY commitment, waiting for us outside when we come, leaving notes when there's a chance we'll miss him, and doing all of his homework. He really seems to want to change and we're now looking at August 29th for his baptism. I think he'll really make it this time. I know that the Lord works in his own time and can truly change hearts and I remember all the weeks we prayed and prayed for him and he wasn't holding up his end and know God was listening. I'm so glad he wasn't baptized before when he wasn't truly meaning it and I'm hoping August 29th will be the most special birthday of his life! GO I.! 

I was studying today about repentance and thinking a lot about these people and the changes we must make. In Jesus the Christ it talks of how He provided the Conditions of repentance, and that ONLY through these conditions can we be saved. However, these conditions are in the means to even the weakest of us and the only ones who can't be saved are those who WON'T be saved. Repentance is a bridge that Christ has constructed from us over a lake of brimstone that will lead us from our quickly-crumbling natural-man-land to a safe Eternal heaven where He awaits us, but we've GOT TO STEP ONTO THE BRIDGE! That first step is so vital and those who take it find help - angels are always waiting to keep us going. It reminded me of the EFY song "Let it Begin" (we'll see if my dad can do a fancy link or something) that says, "Just have the courage to take one step, Someone's gonna be there to help with the rest. To start is the hardest but it's something that ONLY you can do." I know that as we learn to take that step and let Him in, we will see miracles in our lives, and it's something so beautiful!

I love you all and hope you have a fantastic week full of the spirit!

Wilson Castillo

Let's all go to church!

WOOO! Transfers today and I'm staying in Tapachula! So happy! Because we are seeing heaps of miracles and opportunities and I also just remain in love with this place. 

First: Baptism this past week! Of course the night before M.J. was doubting as was her mother and wondering if she was really ready but we invited her to come to her interview and she would be able to know from there. They came, felt the spirit and decided to go for it and Saturday was a crazy day! All of our speakers got sick, including the replacement ones we asked five minutes before the baptism and in those five minutes suddenly had to vomit. I don't know what was going on but finally the elders spoke. We also had to redo the cedula like five times and run home for the CD to our musical number in the middle of the baptismal service, but we were glad we did because it ended up being a perfect ending. There is a spirit SO strong in every baptism. Although we were stressing about this and that before the baptism and ended up starting it late, in the moment before she was baptized the spirit entered the room like this huge power and everything negative sort of just floated away. We watched a movie about Jesus being baptized and it was beautiful, and then Hermana Castillo and I sang "Hija de un Rey" by Jenny Phillips and everyone afterward said the spirit was so strong, including M.J.'s father. It was great to have V. there as well so she could feel the spirit and fortify her desire to be baptized. Still looking for our miracle there.

Well Sunday was also beautiful. Everyone decided to come to church. We passed for one little girl we found this past week, whose grandmother is a member from years and years ago and wants to return but has become a little confused from going to the Catholic church for 40 years. The grandma said she couldn't come to church because her head hurt and that C., her granddaughter, was asleep so probably next week. We asked her to ask C. if she wanted to come with us but she was convinced that she wouldn't want to go without her. But then her little brother ran into the other room and shouted "C., DO YOU WANT TO GO TO THE MORMON CHURCH?" and then came back in saying that yes she did so we sent little Almita to bring her over once she was ready. E. was all ready once again, I forget if I already talked about her. But she used to say she'd never come to church and now wants to go every week and is always ready with her little girl. M.J. was confirmed and her mom came to see her (her dad had to work). And then in came G. all by herself! Let me tell you about her. G. is 13 years old and is a friend of Jenny and Ricardo and basically all the youth and I'm not sure what excuse any of them have for not giving her to us as a referral because we found her in the street, invited her into Jenny's house for a lesson and she accepted everything and said yes to the baptismal invitation before we even finished it, then made arrangements with her work so she'd be able to come to church! Such an amazing girl. 

I feel like I'm just learning everything out here and I have the sweetest purest companion in the world who just loves me no matter what I do....Really I have learned so much from her and from these 6 weeks and have felt the spirit more than ever before. Here's to another 6 weeks of even more success! Love you all!