November 10, 2010

Hey mom!

 

Wow! Big update this week. Lots to read but I enjoyed reading it all! It's cool to see that you all have been busy and having fun recently. Makes me miss the fun but that's not to say that I'm not having fun out here because I'm loving things out here. Times may be tough at times but we get it together and still enjoy it all. The work is great and the city is amazing. I couldn't think of any better place to be serving the Lord.

 

This past week has been pretty eventful for me as well! Lots has gone on. Elder Melkonian and myself were able to achieve a new high in lessons taught the past week with 16!! That's a rare high for us in the ASL program. Just really never a lot of people to teach but we were able to work hard and achieve and goal we had set for the week. It feels good to know that we can set up goals and if we put our heart to it we can succeed! Also, along with the lessons we taught we also were able to extend and baptism invitation to our investigator Joseph Sabatel!! HE WILL BE BAPTIZED ON NOVEMBER 28th and confimed the following Sunday!! BIG NEWS!! FIRST BAPTISM!! I really had felt the strong spirit through this whole teaching process with Joseph. He's excited about the gospel and he loves church. He's made numbers of friends now and I know he's ready to be baptized. It was just a perfect cap to an amazing week. We're working hard this week to beat the success of the past week. I taught a cool lesson to an active member family Monday night. We went there and they even surprised us with dinner! Wow, it was great and a big surprise! Good thing we went there hungry! Haha! But afterwards we began the lesson. I used an object lesson. I had a chocolate bar and I had one of the kids hide it while the other one would then later try to find it. The chocolate represented the gospel and the person trying to find it was a person trying to discover the truth. Once the kid found he we had her taste it and tell us how it tasted. She said "sweet" and "good!" We then asked her to share it with everyone else and everyone also had a similar response to the chocolate. I explained that it is important that we share the gospel with our friends. It's just instinct when you experience something good you want to share it with others, you want to tell them about the "sweet" message the gospel holds. It was a great lesson and the Feliz family really enjoyed it. They are a great family with a strong spirit felt within their home.

 

I love that picture with dad and Danica! They're cute, haha. Danica looks good with the braces. They probably hurt for the first while. I know mine did, but they will do her good. Now all your kids will have nice straight, taken care of teeth, haha. The weather here has been really cold lately. I think it's finally starting to transition into the colder times here in New York. Will be an interesting experience to have a white Christmas hopefully. It will be cool! I really do love the holidays and am sad that I won't be there with you all to celebrate but I keep you all in my mind and will surely do so during the holiday times. I miss decorating the house as well and am glad to see that you will keep up strong traditions of decorating for the holidays. Always my favorite time of year.

 

Good to see that Grandma's birthday went well! I know you worked hard to be a good host to everyone that came and visited your mom on her birthday. I hope it was just another good time as always. I see from the pictures everyone looked happy so I'm assuming it went great! Did you have your famous palabok there as well? I miss eating Filipino food believe or not! :D But I really miss your palabok the most!!

   

Thanks again mom for e-mailing me this week. This big update was really great and it's good to see that things are still good there at home. I miss home but I love being here. The work is great and it's really starting to pick up as of late. It's really good and I'm enjoying it. I miss you and I love you mom! Thank you for all your support and for sending all the pictures to me to make me feel like I'm at home. I know you and dad are really caring for me. I love you both.

 

Just to inform you I did take $40 from my account this week for things that I need at home. I also have a request that I also asked dad about too. My shoes are wearing out and I don't want to use my other pair just yet. With the weather changing I will need something more sturdy to withstand the harsh weather. I was looking at these boots/shoes the other day that look like they can do the job. They cost around $100 so I'm asking if I can have that money to purchase those. They would really be good specially since the shoes I wear now aren't rain resistant and my socks get drenched in the rain. These boots/shoes would really help. They are a nice brand "Timberland" and are comfortable. Don't know when or if you can help me out but just tell me if you'll be able to. You know how I am about spending money. I always feel bad when I ask for money. But I think these could really help me out here.

 

Thanks again mom! I miss you and I love you lots!!

 

Love always,

Your son Elder Derrick Joseph Castro