Hey mom!
Good to hear from you this week. I always look forward to hearing from you every week and seeing how you and everyone are doing. Thanks for e-mailing me. Hope your week continues to be well. I was really busy P-day yesterday, we helped someone move and went to play basketball but was given permission to e-mail you quickly today because I'm in the library today volunteering for service time.
It's been a good week. My companion and I are continuing to meet with members and just getting to know them. It's been really good. We have really great members and families in the Ward. They are very nice and they feed us a lot. I've been exercising so I don't become fat, haha. We also have been meeting with one of our investigators. Her name is Julia and she is 11 years old. Her mom is a member but her dad isn't, but her dad is okay with her getting baptized into the church so we are reviewing her for her baptism that will take place on the 30th of this month. The sister missionaries before us did a great job in teaching her because she is very smart and she knows a lot of things about the gospel. She is very excited about being baptized. She is a lot like Danielle, always ready to learn about the gospel and very smart about the gospel too. We're looking forward to her baptism.
That's good the weather is becoming good again in San Diego again. The weather here is just ugly. It's either raining or snowy. The ground is all mucky and difficult to walk in. Your shoes will always get wet and messed up due to the bad weather conditions but we deal and just go on with the work. I look at the weather here and it always makes me miss San Diego and the good weather.
Hopefully the year will hold good things for everyone and will just have more memories to hold onto. 13 more months and I'll be home. Can't believe I'm this close to the half way point. It's been so long but it seems like time travels so fast. Can't wait to see what the year holds for me as a missionary. Oh yeah, forgot to tell you that I will be speaking on the 30th of January as well. Just sharing my testimony as the new missionary here and also about my thoughts on prayer and fasting. I have lots to speak about so it should be good. Whenever I prepare a talk now I just jot down some notes and let the spirit help me with what I want to say. It really works well.
I wish I could see the blog that Nicki made. I'm sure she's doing a good job at managing that. Will love to see what it looks like when I come back. I'm doing fine out here and I hope you all at home continue to do well. I will continue to work hard out here mom. Thank you for all your support and kind words each week. They really do keep me going out here. I miss you and love you so much everyone! I will talk to you again next week.
Love always,
Your son Elder Derrick Joseph Castro
Elder Derrrick Castro
Friday, January 21, 2011
Friday, January 14, 2011
January 12, 2011
Hey mom!
Was able to get another opportunity to e-mail you today beacause we still needed to e-mail President our numbers for the week.
Yesterday we were walking around and I was noticing the faces of people here in the Bronx and how sometimes they look very sad and depressed. Now I don't know their situation but it was very saddenening to see that. I was wishing they would have smiles on their faces. I thought to myself I wish people would be more open to hear the gospel message because that will bring them the missing happiness in their lives. Sometimes people see us and immediately brush us off and don't even listen to what we have to say when simply put we just want them to know there is a Heavenly Father out there, He is watching over us and he cares for us and he wants us to return to Him again one day. Just a thought that popped into my mind yesterday. It really got me thinking that what we do as missionaries is a great thing. There are people out there waiting for the message we have to share and we just need to find them.
The English program is great. I was transferred on time. Just had to wait for my companion to come from upstate for a little bit, but all went well with that. My companion's name is Elder Ibisagba. He is from Miami but he was born in India but his parents are from Nigeria. Really interesting. He was telling me how he lived in all kinds of different places. He is a good missionary. I do live in a different place now. It is way nicer compared to the ASL apartment. The ASL apartment is really ghetto but the place I stay now is really nice. All of us in the zone live in the same apartment complex and the sister missionaries live a couple of buildings down so we're a really close zone which is great. We're small in numbers only being 10 but we have lots of missionaries here that are ready to do some hard work. The Ward is great and they were very welcoming of us. This week we've been going around just trying to meet with the members and get to know them a little bit. It's been going good so far. Still lots of snow here but I'm staying warm. I'm used to it now. It gets really cold at night. But other than that things have been really really good. I'm enjoying the English program but hope that President moves me after this cycle maybe upstate so I will get to experience that. Heard it is wayy different from the city and then will also be traveling in a car. I miss traveling in a car. Feels like forever since I rode and drove one.
Well, I think that's all I needed to catch you up on. Thanks for getting back to me mom. I will talk to you again next week. Enjoy the activities this week and tell everyone hello and that I miss them and love them. I love you and I miss you lots mom. Talk to you again next week!
Love always,
Your son Elder Derrick Joseph Castro
January 12, 2011
Hey mom!
This week has been great! Transfers went well and the past week in the English program has been really going well! I can't tell you how much different it is from the ASL program! It's sooo different. We have so many dinner appointments, I get so full! I'm trying to stay healthy and eat well and exercise so I don't become fat, haha. It's been fun though. My companion is really good and he has been teaching me lots about the English program. Elder Ibisagba is his name and we've been doing well here. The other two English missionaries here are Elder Gregerson and Elder Sorensen. They are good guys and we like to hang out with eachother. So far Elder Ibisagba and I have been trying to clean up our area books and we are starting fresh and contacting the investigators the sister missionaries that were here before left for us. Work is still kind of slow because we're new to the area but hopefully soon they will pick up. The new apartment is great! Way nice compared the the ASL pad. It's also good because all the missionaries in our zone live in the same apartment complex. 4 Elders in the top and 4 Elders in the bottom and then the two sister missionaries live a couple of buildings down. It's good because during the down times at night we have a chance to hang out and talk. I have my new address for the apartment so post it for people to see. Don't know how long I will be at this place so also inform people to send things to the mission office as well as that would be safe for me too because I might not be here long. Maybe only 5 more weeks I don't know yet. But here is my address at the new place:
1435 Doris St. Apt. 1R
Bronx, New York 10462
There it is. Remember I don't know how long I will be here. Might be just a short time so maybe just suggest people send mail to me to the mission office. I might only be out 2 cycles which is about 4 months. Anyways, What else is there to say.. At times I still feel very scared and nervous about being here in the English program. Like I said it is very different experience but I know it's one that I need to experience. There is this member, his name is Matt. He's a good kid and has a strong testimony. He wants to go on a mission and that's good. I can see that he was different before and hearing his story about how he read a scripture and that told him everything he needed to know was just great. How people can become converted like that is just amazing. Originally the missionaries that were teaching his family were focused on his mom but later then moved onto teaching Matt and he's been solid ever since and that was really good to hear. There are some really great and kind members here and they help and encourage us any way they can. I'm loving my experience here so far. Don't know why I just moved from one part of the Bronx to another but maybe God has a purpose for me here. Maybe it's to help someone in this area or maybe it is to learn or teach something to one of the Elders here I don't know. But I know that the Lord works in mysterious ways and to find our answer we really have to be in tune with the Spirit.
Another cool thing is the Ward theme this year, introduced last Sunday in sacrament meeting. It is called "Press Forward." It really invovles like taking a step back and looking at where you are in the spiritual journey and taking that next step. Maybe it will be to enter the temple, or maybe it is to advance in the Priesthood for example. Whatever it is, just start to make strides towards that. I made a list of goals I want to accomplish in my last year in the mission. One is to memorize some scriptures and their references so I can refer back to them in the future. Little by little each day during personal study I will work towards that goal. So really I challenge you all at home to focus on a goal that you can achieve to help you grow spiritually. It will make you feel so much better and help you grow closer to God.
Hope all continues to go well with work and with things at home and with the girls and all. I'm taking care of myself here. The weather hasn't been too kind and has been snowing a lot lately but I'm doing well so you don't have to worry about me. You taught me well mom. :) It's only two more months till I hit that one year mark! Hard to believe that time is flying by so fast! I guess losing yourself in the work really does make that time fly fast. I really am starting to understand how people have told me that time flies by fast on the mission. Just have to continue and take advantage of the time I have left.
Can't believe I would think that way if I didn't have the help of you and dad. Thanks mom for everything you have done for me up to this point in my life. You and dad have really taught me well and raised me up so well to really get me into shape for my mission and help me focus on the rest of my life. I feel continuing growth in me with the gospel and I don't think I'd be anywhere without the help of you and dad. So once again as I say every week. Thank you mom, Thanks for everything. I love you and I miss you. I hope to hear from you soon. Talk to you again next week.
Love always,
Your son Elder Derrick Joseph Castro
January 5, 2011
Hey mom!!
It's good to hear from you once again and I'm doing great this week as always. I have some BIG NEWS! I AM BEING TRANSFERRED INTO THE ENGLISH PROGRAM FOR AWHILE. I was really surprised when I received the news that I was being transferred. I knew it would be sooner or later when it would happen. I will probably serve in the English program for about 4-6 months. The area I will be in is named Olmstead. It's a little bit above the Bronx. I think I will still be the District Leader because I was not called and released. I am really nervous about it because it will be a completely different experience than the ASL program. I hope I can adjust to things quickly and get straight to work. My companion there will be Elder Ibisagba. He's from Florida and I know him from him being in our zone before. I'm really nervous and I feel like I did before I entered the MTC and before I arrived in New York. I'll probably be transferred a little more now than usual in my time in the English program. Be sure to inform those on Facebook and also others to send any mail for me to the mission office for now until I can get you my new address. I'll send that next week. Also be sure to remind dad to hold off on sending the grill that he wanted to send me so I just have less stuff to carry around with me. I told him to put off sending it to me until I get back into the ASL program because after I come back I'll probably stay for the rest of my mission. I hope all goes smoothly tomorrow when we go to transfer meeting. I just recently finished packing up and now we're here in the library doing our e-mail. We might go eat later just to have a little good bye thing for me but I don't know yet. I'm nervous and a little scared but I keep praying that all those emotions will go away.
That's the biggest news of the week. Good to see that things went well with the branch new years party. It looked like it was a blast as always. Good to hear that there was a big turn out and that the girls and cousins all got to do their dance. Looked like they had a good time performing it. Thank you for sending me the pictures. Really made me feel like I was there with you all. The last picture was funny with you doing the peace signs, haha. We had a good new years eve. We got in early and we cooked dinner. We had Turkey with gravy and mashed potatoes. It was really good and it was good to just be in early and rest and move into the new year. Just been continuing our hard work here.
The weather recently has been like the weather back home. Really cool and not too cold. It's been really nice and made me think a lot about home. Hopefully it will stay like this and not become too cold again. Maybe it will snow more in the latter end of winter. The apartment stays pretty warm at night because of all the heaters which is good so we don't really need to pack ourselves dressed warm for when we go to bed.
Hope dad and grandpa are able to enjoy their short trip our to Idaho. Good that grandpa got to go and spend time with dad just the two of them. Hope Nicki is doing well and continuing to work hard at her school work. Time to take down the Christmas decor huh? Well, it's just another year passed. Now just one more Christmas and I'll be back! Can you believe it's going that fast?
Well, I think that's all for now. President actually just called and released me as a District Leader so a little pressure taken off of me. He said I will be out for a little and then come back to the ASL Program. Most likely only 4 months. That would be two transfers. Wish me luck mom and again thank you for everything. I miss you all and love you all very much. I will talk to you next week and tell you how my first week is in the English program. Can't wait to see what will happen. Tell Danica and Danielle I said Hi and that I miss them both. Talk to you soon mom!
Love always,
Your son Elder Derrick Joseph Castro
It's good to hear from you once again and I'm doing great this week as always. I have some BIG NEWS! I AM BEING TRANSFERRED INTO THE ENGLISH PROGRAM FOR AWHILE. I was really surprised when I received the news that I was being transferred. I knew it would be sooner or later when it would happen. I will probably serve in the English program for about 4-6 months. The area I will be in is named Olmstead. It's a little bit above the Bronx. I think I will still be the District Leader because I was not called and released. I am really nervous about it because it will be a completely different experience than the ASL program. I hope I can adjust to things quickly and get straight to work. My companion there will be Elder Ibisagba. He's from Florida and I know him from him being in our zone before. I'm really nervous and I feel like I did before I entered the MTC and before I arrived in New York. I'll probably be transferred a little more now than usual in my time in the English program. Be sure to inform those on Facebook and also others to send any mail for me to the mission office for now until I can get you my new address. I'll send that next week. Also be sure to remind dad to hold off on sending the grill that he wanted to send me so I just have less stuff to carry around with me. I told him to put off sending it to me until I get back into the ASL program because after I come back I'll probably stay for the rest of my mission. I hope all goes smoothly tomorrow when we go to transfer meeting. I just recently finished packing up and now we're here in the library doing our e-mail. We might go eat later just to have a little good bye thing for me but I don't know yet. I'm nervous and a little scared but I keep praying that all those emotions will go away.
That's the biggest news of the week. Good to see that things went well with the branch new years party. It looked like it was a blast as always. Good to hear that there was a big turn out and that the girls and cousins all got to do their dance. Looked like they had a good time performing it. Thank you for sending me the pictures. Really made me feel like I was there with you all. The last picture was funny with you doing the peace signs, haha. We had a good new years eve. We got in early and we cooked dinner. We had Turkey with gravy and mashed potatoes. It was really good and it was good to just be in early and rest and move into the new year. Just been continuing our hard work here.
The weather recently has been like the weather back home. Really cool and not too cold. It's been really nice and made me think a lot about home. Hopefully it will stay like this and not become too cold again. Maybe it will snow more in the latter end of winter. The apartment stays pretty warm at night because of all the heaters which is good so we don't really need to pack ourselves dressed warm for when we go to bed.
Hope dad and grandpa are able to enjoy their short trip our to Idaho. Good that grandpa got to go and spend time with dad just the two of them. Hope Nicki is doing well and continuing to work hard at her school work. Time to take down the Christmas decor huh? Well, it's just another year passed. Now just one more Christmas and I'll be back! Can you believe it's going that fast?
Well, I think that's all for now. President actually just called and released me as a District Leader so a little pressure taken off of me. He said I will be out for a little and then come back to the ASL Program. Most likely only 4 months. That would be two transfers. Wish me luck mom and again thank you for everything. I miss you all and love you all very much. I will talk to you next week and tell you how my first week is in the English program. Can't wait to see what will happen. Tell Danica and Danielle I said Hi and that I miss them both. Talk to you soon mom!
Love always,
Your son Elder Derrick Joseph Castro
Thursday, January 6, 2011
December 28, 2010
Hello mom!!
Wow, it was great to hear all your voices back home. Even though it was really early for everyone is was good to talk to you all and see how you were all doing. It was the best Christmas gift for me this year. That was just a good way to start that Christmas dayand the rest of the day ended up going really well. The trip up to Scarsdale was really fun! We had a great Christmas program that went really well. Each zone shared a Christmas song of their choosing and my zone did "Away In a Manger." We have a diverse group of missionaries in our zone so we sang each verse in our respective languages. First Spanish followed by Chinese followed by ASL and finishing off with everyone singing in English. It was fun! President Smith ended the program and shared a story called "The Little Shepard." It was a very touching story that brought tears to everyone's eyes. I have a copy and maybe I'll send it back home to you all so you can read it. After the program we had our early dinner. It was really good! We had ham and potatoes and green beans. It was really filling and I loved the ham because it reminded me of the ham we would always make at home for the holidays. We had Costco cheesecake for dessert. Each missionary was also given a little Christmas packet that included the copy of the story President Smith shared, an official NYNYN Mission t-shirt, a NYNYN key chain and also a Manhattan temple pin. That was really nice of the mission to fix each missionary up with one of those. They are really cool and I will keep them always to remember where I served my mission.
We arrived home in the evening and we all opened our packages. Elder Melkonian opened the one from you guys first. He was very thankful for everything you sent him and really enjoyed the white pretzels saying it was his favorite. He really liked the stocking too and noticed the mispelling but earlier in the day he got the correction so all was well with that. Thank you so much for sending such a wonderful package. I loved everything you sent to me. May take me awhile to eat everything but I will enjoy every bit of it. I love the white chocolate truffles you sent me. Those are my favorites! Also all the shortbread cookies too! I love eating those and am glad you sent so many! I'm definitely thankful for all that you sent me. I will be using the Costco gift card asap! Ahh can't wait to get some goodies from there!
I'm glad the package got you guys alright! I saw the pictures! I'm glad everyone enjoyed their gifts! I just wanted you all the have a little bit of New York and also just feel like I'm still there with gifts for you all. Glad you all enjoyed!
I'm glad the past couple of days have been good for you all at home. Your pictures really show you all having a very good time. I hope you enjoyed all the pictures I sent back home! I tried my best to take pictures and print as much as I could. Lucky for me Rite Aid had a special on printing pictures and I was able to print 10 pictures for only 99 cents so I was able to do a lot!
It has been really crazy and all here the past couple of days with the snow and all. It was at times really harsh to the point where we'd have to retreat back to the apartment and wait for it to slow down outside but it's kind of died down now. The snow is starting to melt now. There is lots of gray slush though that you really have to be careful of. They are deep gray puddles of melted snow that can really just mess up your shoes and socks and stuff. Other than that no really slipping around and stuff. The shoes I bought remember are doing a wonderful job of helping me tread through the snow and keep my feet protected! I like the snow but it's just tough to walk in after awhile. The snow isn't pretty after tons of people have walked through it and cars have driven through it. It just looks gray and dirty looking.
I can't believe a new year is starting. Lots of work to be done in this next year. I know losing myself in the work will speed up time and not make me really think of home. I'm just keeping my focus on that. Hope you were able to get all those letters to who they were supposed to go. Still have a few more people to write to but I'll get that done soon. Thanks again mom and thanks again for the Christmas package. It was great and I loved everything you guys sent! I miss you all and love you all! I'll continue to pray for you all everyday and hope you stay safe during the new year time. I'll talk to you again next week mom! Thanks.
Love always,
Your son Elder Derrick Joseph Castro
Wow, it was great to hear all your voices back home. Even though it was really early for everyone is was good to talk to you all and see how you were all doing. It was the best Christmas gift for me this year. That was just a good way to start that Christmas dayand the rest of the day ended up going really well. The trip up to Scarsdale was really fun! We had a great Christmas program that went really well. Each zone shared a Christmas song of their choosing and my zone did "Away In a Manger." We have a diverse group of missionaries in our zone so we sang each verse in our respective languages. First Spanish followed by Chinese followed by ASL and finishing off with everyone singing in English. It was fun! President Smith ended the program and shared a story called "The Little Shepard." It was a very touching story that brought tears to everyone's eyes. I have a copy and maybe I'll send it back home to you all so you can read it. After the program we had our early dinner. It was really good! We had ham and potatoes and green beans. It was really filling and I loved the ham because it reminded me of the ham we would always make at home for the holidays. We had Costco cheesecake for dessert. Each missionary was also given a little Christmas packet that included the copy of the story President Smith shared, an official NYNYN Mission t-shirt, a NYNYN key chain and also a Manhattan temple pin. That was really nice of the mission to fix each missionary up with one of those. They are really cool and I will keep them always to remember where I served my mission.
We arrived home in the evening and we all opened our packages. Elder Melkonian opened the one from you guys first. He was very thankful for everything you sent him and really enjoyed the white pretzels saying it was his favorite. He really liked the stocking too and noticed the mispelling but earlier in the day he got the correction so all was well with that. Thank you so much for sending such a wonderful package. I loved everything you sent to me. May take me awhile to eat everything but I will enjoy every bit of it. I love the white chocolate truffles you sent me. Those are my favorites! Also all the shortbread cookies too! I love eating those and am glad you sent so many! I'm definitely thankful for all that you sent me. I will be using the Costco gift card asap! Ahh can't wait to get some goodies from there!
I'm glad the package got you guys alright! I saw the pictures! I'm glad everyone enjoyed their gifts! I just wanted you all the have a little bit of New York and also just feel like I'm still there with gifts for you all. Glad you all enjoyed!
I'm glad the past couple of days have been good for you all at home. Your pictures really show you all having a very good time. I hope you enjoyed all the pictures I sent back home! I tried my best to take pictures and print as much as I could. Lucky for me Rite Aid had a special on printing pictures and I was able to print 10 pictures for only 99 cents so I was able to do a lot!
It has been really crazy and all here the past couple of days with the snow and all. It was at times really harsh to the point where we'd have to retreat back to the apartment and wait for it to slow down outside but it's kind of died down now. The snow is starting to melt now. There is lots of gray slush though that you really have to be careful of. They are deep gray puddles of melted snow that can really just mess up your shoes and socks and stuff. Other than that no really slipping around and stuff. The shoes I bought remember are doing a wonderful job of helping me tread through the snow and keep my feet protected! I like the snow but it's just tough to walk in after awhile. The snow isn't pretty after tons of people have walked through it and cars have driven through it. It just looks gray and dirty looking.
I can't believe a new year is starting. Lots of work to be done in this next year. I know losing myself in the work will speed up time and not make me really think of home. I'm just keeping my focus on that. Hope you were able to get all those letters to who they were supposed to go. Still have a few more people to write to but I'll get that done soon. Thanks again mom and thanks again for the Christmas package. It was great and I loved everything you guys sent! I miss you all and love you all! I'll continue to pray for you all everyday and hope you stay safe during the new year time. I'll talk to you again next week mom! Thanks.
Love always,
Your son Elder Derrick Joseph Castro
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