What
a crazy week here! The weeks are really starting to fly by. So, transfers got
moved to Friday this week instead of today, but we already found out
who is leaving the area and who our new companions will be. I am staying here,
and my companion is staying here too. I have no words. I definitely did not
expect that one to happen, but we are going to try and make the best of it!
Diners
- So this week we had the opportunity to go out and eat at some diners. The
little diners here are SO good! If you are ever in NY, go to a diner, you will
not regret it!
Food
- I'm starting to get tired of the food here. Well, I guess not really the
food, but the amount of grease they put on their food. Last night we had these
mini tostadas and after eating three, the entire plate was covered in this
orange fried oil/fat. It was liquid but after waiting 10 minutes, it got hard,
and was like a jello. Just imagine what that is doing in my body! And I have to
eat it every day. Ahhh. It makes you feel so sick after. Haha.
Brandon
- Brandon is doing great as always! So, we had to switch him to the English
ward here, so he needs to go to church in that ward for three weeks before he
gets baptized. We are helping him get
acquainted with that ward and we are slowly going to turn him over to the
English Elders. We have taught him everything, so we might go over everything
again over these next three weeks before he gets baptized.
Dominican
Family - There is this dominican family that we are teaching that are awesome!
The missionaries have been teaching them for quite a while, but they didn't go
over to their house for a few months for some reason. I love how God works
sometimes. We had our whole day planned out last Thursday, but our last
appointment of the night canceled on us. We had the idea to just go check if
this family still lived in that apartment. So, we went over to their apartment,
knocked on their door, they let us in, and we were able to get to know them
better, share some dominican words and then they asked us to come over
every Tuesday night to start teaching them again! God has been so
good to us with little miracles like this!
Funny
story - So every Tuesday and Friday we go to this Senior Center
and work in the kitchen and serve everyone food. Well, there is this one table
with this really sassy lady who always has something to say to us. So yesterday
Elder Lyons was clearing the finished plates off that table and he went up to
that lady and asked her if he could take her trash (pointing to her cup), and
she was like "NO, this ain't trash!" I heard her say this and I
jokingly said to Elder Lyons "come on you know better than that! What are
you thinking?" and the lady was like "Yeah, he's right, this isn't
trash, but you know what? You're trash!!" Haha it was very funny. As we
were walking out, Elder Lyons had to go to the bathroom so they didn't see him
walk out. As I was walking out they asked
me where he was, and I told her I threw him out in the dumpster in the back and
they started clapping and cheering. Haha. It was so odd and random but it gave
me a good laugh for the day.
Dog
Poop - The sidewalks here are always COVERED in dog poo. You have to look down
the entire time you walk so you don't step in any. Kind of gross, but this
place is so dirty I don't think anyone really cares here.
Fights
- It's crazy how many fights we hear from our apartment. Someone is always
yelling outside or in the apartment building. They are drunk and screaming and
fighting in the middle of the night. It's sad. Sometimes I feel these people
have lost all respect for themselves or others.
Last
week we had the opportunity to go to Roosevelt Island (the small little island
between Manhattan and Brooklyn and Queens). We took a tram over the water. I
will attach some pictures. It was awesome.
We
also went to Nike Town which is the 5 story Nike store in Manhattan. It was
super awesome. Each floor is separated by sport.
I
want to end with something I have learned this week - something I have decided
to try to put in practice in my life. We should only care what God thinks about
in this life. It doesn't matter what anyone else thinks of us, it only matters
what the boss thinks. If you are good with Him, it doesn't matter what else
happens really. It's sad because there are missionaries who feel you have to be
miserable to do the work of the Lord. They feel that if you are having a good
time doing the work, then you aren't doing the work. We should be the happiest
people alive because we are filled with the knowledge that all will be well in
the end! What greater news is that to make someone happy? Be happy. If you
aren't truly happy, make some changes so you can be the happiest person you can
possibly be. With God, your happiness will expand more than you ever could have
imagined.
Just.
Be. Happy. Easier said than done, but you get the point =)
With
much love,
Elder
Austin Celaya
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