Wednesday, November 26, 2014
Thursday, November 20, 2014
The Refiner's Fire (19 November 2014)
Hello
my wonderful family and friends :)
This
has been a very interesting week to say the least. I feel as if the weeks tend
to get more and more interesting as I go throughout my mission. On
Thursday we had Zone Conference in Kings Bridge in the Bronx. Basically
zone conference is when all the missionaries in the surrounding areas come
together for a day, and we are spiritually uplifted throughout the day. There
are close to around 60 missionaries there as well as the assistants to the
president and president and his wife. It was absolutely great. It was the first
one I have been to. It was all day. We had to be in Scarsdale by 7 in the
morning which is about 20 minutes away. We then got home around 6 at night. It
was a great day and I was able to learn a lot.
The
temperature has been dropping here a lot. It's currently 22 degrees right now
and I'm in shorts and a t-shirt freezing. Haha. This morning we ran to the
store and I wore shorts and a tee. Meanwhile everyone else is dressed in heavy
ski coats and their faces are wrapped with scarves, and there I am in my
shorts. Haha. Everyone gave me weird looks. I have clothes don't worry.
Although I have clothes I wasn't that smart about washing my clothes the other
day. I dried my clothes for 200 minutes because it was a big load and because
of that my jeans shrunk. They shrunk so much I can't even fit my legs in the
pant legs. (Mom do you want to send me my grey pants? Haha). Things we
learn on missions. -__- oh but mom, don't send them until I email you next week
(transfers). I am still waiting for it to snow here. I'm sure it will happen
soon though!
I
love my zone here (the 20-30 Elders and Sisters I serve with in and around our
area). We are all like best friends doing the Lords work. I love every one of
these missionaries. They are the cream of the crop kind of people. I will
attach a picture of our zone. This week was the first time I have had to say
goodbye to a missionary I consider a friend. His name is Elder Garibay and he
is from Texas. He has been my zone leader for the entire time I have been here
and he finishes his two years of service this Monday. I am going to miss
him. I think it’s crazy looking back on my life 6 months to a year ago, and
realizing that the life I am living now is completely different -- meaning the
friendships I have been able to make here are ones I cherish and I will be
great friends with all these people here, but 6 months ago, I had no idea any
of these people existed. A mission is awesome for that reason!
We
have been having some extreme issues with our ward and the leadership, but I am
not going to say much. It got so bad that the sisters set up a meeting with
president to take care of the issue. We had a meeting the other day with
president and he said he would help take care of the issue. Just be grateful
for the church we have back home. Maybe one day when I am off my mission, I
will explain some of the things that have been going on. Nothing too serious,
but things that are questionable. All is well though. One thing president
told us is the first thing to do in life always is to be the example. We can
all be the example and the change we want to see in the world. That got me
thinking about my life. There are tons of things that I see people do that
frustrate me, but this week I have realized I truly need to fix the things in
myself that I want to improve on before I worry about anyone else's issues.
Most people know they have things that they can improve on, but often times
they are too busy looking at the faults of others. If everyone is always
focusing on the faults of others, nobody will ever truly look within and
improve. I have learned in order for me to grow and change, I have to humble
myself, realize my weaknesses and improve and overcome them, and be the example
to others. It is only when we look within that we truly can change ourselves
and others. Leading by example is the greatest thing each of us have. This is
just something I have been pondering about this week.
Brandon:
Brandon is doing great! He lives in the Bronx, but we get to meet with him
because his girlfriend lives in our ward in Yonkers. I love teaching him
because he is a mature 19 year old guy who has a very open mind but a heart that's
pointed to the goodness of God.
That
is another thing I have been thinking about this week. I have often seen people
who say they want to have an open mind, and because of this, they want to try things
out in the world. Oftentimes when people have told me this, they use having an
open mind as a way to toss out what they truly feel is right or wrong in their
heart and they go do what they want, and that's sad to see because it never
leads to lasting happiness. All of us start out in life having three things:
1st
-- a knowledge of what's right. 2nd -- a knowledge of what's
wrong. And 3rd, we have our
desires.
Oftentimes
our desires conflict with what we know is right, and we feel that conflict
within. It is only when we turn to Christ that we can completely align our
desires to what we feel is right in our heart. Christ has done this
perfectly. He perfectly aligned His will to His father’s (God) and this is
exactly what God wants of us. To become perfect even as He is. Follow the
example of Christ and do as he did. This is why I love teaching Brandon because
he has an open mind, but he compares every "open minded" decision to
the feeling of right or wrong in his heart. Think about that. That is key!
First his heart is pointed to God, which means he listens to his heart. When he
knows something is wrong deep down in his heart, he doesn't engage in it. When
he knows deep down in his heart that something is right, he follows it and acts
on that feeling with all his heart. Because he first has his heart pointed to
God, he is able to accurately open his mind to the things of life and truly
discover what is true in life and what is not. It's because of this that he is
able to get closer to happiness, truth and God. When someone truly has these
two things, mixed with the desire to find truth, one will always find what is
true. God cannot lie to us. His Spirit is in each of us to let us know what is
right and what is wrong. He will never fail us. This is something I have had to
learn slowly - how to have an open mind but a heart pointed to God. One could
say that if my heart is already pointed to God, then I truly don't have a clear
open mind because my mind is already connected to God. But then a problem
arises. Whether we believe in God or not, each one of us all has the meter
within our hearts to know if something is right, or if it is wrong. But where
does that come from? All have felt it. If you think you have not, think of a
time that you have felt guilt and why. Also think of a time you have felt
heavenly peace and why. Both have been caused because of an action you
performed. Those feelings of knowing what is right or wrong deep within our
heart is from our creator. If we did not have those feelings within, we would
have no way of direction. Even if we had an open mind, would we still not be
haunted by the very feelings of guilt and peace, right and wrong? There is no
other choice but to turn your heart to God.
Another
issue sometimes arises here. I think many people know deep down what is right
in their heart, but because we are human and have the "natural man"
within us, we want to do our will instead of God's (we can know his will by the
feelings of right and wrong within us), and this leads us to a conflicting
problem. If we have and open mind, and put off the feelings of right and wrong
that God places in each and every one of us, we eventually become numb to those
feelings and we lose our way chasing after our own desires. We no longer feel
what is right or wrong. We can't because we openly deny those feelings and the
Spirit of God. Once this happens, His spirit withdraws from us and we can no
longer feel the peace that is felt when we have His Spirit.
This
is why I choose to follow the promptings of the Spirit and point my heart to
God. I'm happy! I feel alive. The emotions and feelings and experiences I have
when I have the Spirit with me are far greater than any amount of feelings of happiness
I could feel without it. I have never been happier than when I have lived my
life so I could have the Spirit dwell with me. Open your mind and point
your heart to God.
Anyways,
about Brandon. We showed him the Restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ
video. He is very receptive to it. He had a great point. He said, why would
Joseph Smith go through so much in his life, including murder, to lie about a
book he wrote? He would be insane. He simply wouldn't have gone through all the
horrible things he had to endure, nor would he let the thousands of saints go
through the things they went through, unless he knew he had a mission from God
to restore the Gospel of Jesus Christ back on the earth in its fullness as God’s
eternal truth. He said Joseph was either, insane and cruel, or he is a
prophet of God. It was a very true thing to hear. It was a great lesson. We
teach him about the plan of salvation on Monday. Brandon is awesome.
Roy:
I don't think I have ever met anyone who has fallen so far off the deep end and
then truly has wanted to change his life with all his being. We met with Roy
last night and he told us about his family. Apparently he has 16 brothers and
sisters but from all different men and women. Apparently his dad had kids with
4 or 5 people and so did his mom. He told us he made a promise to himself when
he was a kid that he never wanted to be like his father. Turns out he got
a call this week from a girl he dated a long time ago who told him he had a 6
year old daughter. He was extremely surprised, but last night he was getting
frustrated because he felt like he was turning into his dad. To get a picture
of what Roy looks like, he's about 6 foot, 5 inches, he's from Honduras, speaks
great English, slicks his hair back, and is a pretty big guy. Last night we taught
him about how he can change his life through the Gospel of Jesus Christ (Faith,
Repentance, Baptism, the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the End), and
he was extremely receptive to it. He honestly wants to change his life
completely around 360 degrees and he is just waiting for us to help him. He has
a greater desire than anyone I have ever seen. That is key - a key to life. I
think humility allows us to be honest with our circumstances and with
ourselves, and allows us to then truly have a desire to get better and improve
ourselves. He has this because of the things he has gone through. He was
telling us last night that he felt like he messed up in life with his job, his
ex-wife, his kids, and overall his life. He didn't understand why he had to go
through all the crazy things he has gone through. We were able to share with
him that God allows things to happen to us so we can grow and learn. I asked
him if he thought he would be at the point where he is at now (wanting to
completely change his life around, with a humble heart filled with a vision) if
he had not gone through the hard things he had to endure. He sat and thought
for a while and then he said, "Wow you are right, I have never thought
about that". We challenged him to be baptized and he said YES! His
date is December 21st. Please pray for him that he will stay strong
until that day. This truly was a miracle from God because he randomly just
walked into our church one day, and now he is going to completely change his
life, not just here on this earth, but for the eternities.
Anyways,
this whole time we had with Roy reminded me of something I hold close to my
heart. I am sure MANY of you remember our dear friend and fellow Elder, Elder
Fagan who served in our church ward back in California. Well, before my
mission, he and Elder Bartholomew were able to teach me about being a
missionary, but truly how to be a follower of Christ. One thing he shared with
me has stuck with me since. Elder Fagan wrote this to me on my mission. He
said: "Welcome to the work! This is going to be the absolute BEST two
years of your entire life. But, though they may be the best, they will also be
some of the hardest days you'll ever have. This qualifies us for His work, and
being qualified is a lot like a refiner’s fire. We are qualified and refined
just like a piece of metal. We get put in the hottest parts of the flame and
are held there in intense amounts of heat to burn off impurities. It takes a
long time and seems tedious, but in the end the metal is stronger. It is
shaped. The refiner holding the metal keeps a close eye on it so it doesn't get
destroyed. And the way the refiner knows it's ready to pull it out is when he
can see his image reflected in it. This applies to all of us. The Lord will
refine you Elder, be sure of it. But in the end, you will reflect His
countenance and I know that the Lord will qualify you." I have felt this more on my mission, more
than I have anywhere else on my entire life (going through the things I had to
go through the first month and a half out here in New York), and every
missionary who has served or is serving knows exactly how this feels. I have
seen it within myself and within the people who go through hard things in life
like Roy, but because of it begin to change - people who come close to Christ
no matter how hard it is. We all will have moments where we ask ourselves how
we can press on and if it's honestly even worth it.
Christ
let's things happen to us to point us to him. But not just to come unto to Him,
but so in a sense, we can become "little Christ's" as C.S. Lewis puts
it. We go through the depths of life, so God can shape us into something
greater than we could ever shape ourselves to be. With that being said, enjoy
this video – The Refiner’s Fire
I
love you all. Have a wide open mind, and make sure it keeps widening, but
as you widen your mind, reduce the space between your heart and God. You will
never be happier in your life.
Sincerely,
-
Elder Austin Celaya
Quote
of the week: "Go in the name of the
Lord, trust in the name of the Lord, lean upon the Lord, and call upon the Lord
fervently and without ceasing, and pay no attention to the world. You will see
plenty of the world--it will be before you all the time--but if you live so as
to possess the Holy Ghost you will be able to understand more in relation to it
in one day than you could in a dozen days without it, and you will at once see
the difference between the wisdom of men and the wisdom of God, and you can
weigh things in the balance and estimate them at their true worth" -
Brigham Young
Pictures (19 November 2014)
My first zone in Yonkers!
We found turkeys running across the street too!
Wednesday, November 12, 2014
Be Happy (November 12, 2014)
It's
been a great week here in the New York New York North mission.
This
week we had stake conference in Kingsbridge in the Bronx. It was difficult
getting there because it is out of our area so we either had to take the
subway, the train, the bus, or catch a ride with one of the members. We were
able to catch a ride with one of the members in our Ward (the area of our
church) and he happened to be the best English speaker in the entire ward! All
the leadership positions had to go early on Saturday for the adult session,
so we got there at 3, when the actual meeting actually started at 7. It was
awesome because this was my first time that I actually got to go walking
through the Bronx. I have been through it before just on the subways, but I
have never actually got to walk through and experience it yet. The place called
Kings Bridge in the Bronx is so awesome compared to Yonkers. It seems so much
more live. There is much more going on, and I actually saw a white person
there! Haha. There are some bad places in the Bronx, but it seems way more like
a city than a third world country like it does here in the part of Yonkers that
we do most of our work. It was awesome. I most likely will get a chance to
serve there because I am Spanish speaking. As we were walking, Elder Nelson (the
companion in my apartment) and I were talking about how most of these people
didn't finish high school, and how they are stuck here mentally, and they
really don't know that there is much more out there. That makes it hard knowing
that, going to a place that feels like a compound, living here and now being
apart of this life, when I know there is so much more out there. In that sense,
I really can't wait to leave New York, but I need to learn to like it while I
am here. There are projects everywhere here, and it's crazy how all these
people live in these massive buildings, and they pack them full of people in
these tiny little spaces. It's like they are storing them away so they don't escape.
It literally feels like the Bronx and these cities around downtown NY were
meant to be a place to keep all the crazy people out. I don't think I have seen
a building that has been built here within the last 50-100 years. Everything is
super old here and looks run down & ghetto. I learned this week that
Yonkers was founded in the 1600's so it is EXTREMELY old! I am still waiting to
get to the point where I feel like there is nothing I’d rather be doing in the
world than be here on this mission. I am not there yet, and my companion tells
me just to wait until I get out of my first area and then I will begin to love
it. We have transfers coming up here in a couple weeks, and Elder Paiz will probably
be leaving here because he has been here for 5 cycles (1 cycle is 6 weeks), and
I will probably be staying here in Yonkers, so I most likely will be getting a
new companion. He has some big shoes to fill. Elder Paiz is awesome. He is my brother. No one
will understand the things we have gone through together here in Yonkers, but
only him.
Ruiz
(Roy) - First off, we have been teaching Ruiz, and he randomly told us that his
name was actually Roy. Haha. So we have taught Roy twice since we last talked. On
Friday, we were able to show him The Restoration Movie. It was amazing. Elder Paiz
and I were both able to testify of the truthfulness of The Restoration of the
Gospel of Jesus Christ restored back on the earth again by His prophet Joseph
Smith. We then invited him to pray about the things we were teaching him. We
taught him how to pray, and he gave the closing prayer. In the prayer, he asked
God if the things were true that we were teaching him, and if they were, to
open his mind and his heart to learn and except more, enough to completely
change his life. As he did this, I felt the spirit so strong, and after the
prayer, he said he did as well. It was such a great lesson. He truly dropped
from heaven into our hands, just randomly walking into church one day asking if
we could help change his life. He is so ready for the Gospel of Jesus Christ in
his life. That's one thing I have learned here on my mission. The people who
are truly ready to receive the Gospel are the ones who are truly humbled - who
have intensely gone through life without God, to where the things in life bring
them so far down that they have nowhere else to go but to God. But one day isn’t
that all we will have? All of us? Like I said last week in my email, we are all
alone with God, and one day He will be all we have. Why prolong the hope and
joy the Gospel brings because one is comfortable, or doesn't want to believe in
something. Roy is ready and it is such a blessing we have been able to get to
know him.
Last
night, we were able to teach him about the plan of salvation. He was very
receptive to it, and again we told him to pray about the things we were
teaching him, and we also taught him how the Holy Spirit guides us in our life,
but how it's through gentle thoughts, feelings and impressions (because God
can't force us, he still has to give us our free will). He shared an experience
about when his ex-wife was pregnant, that his son was supposed to pass away. He
shared how for two weeks his ex-wife would go to church and pray all day long
for God to spare his son, and so did he. She began to be depressed and stopped
eating, which was a problem because the baby needed all the nutrients to
survive. They could not afford a C section so the doctor said to wait it out. (They
actually have hospitals for homeless people here -- that should explain the
kind of place this is). Turns out, the security guard who talked to them while
they were walking out of the hospital talked to the doctor, and got them in,
and she had a C section which saved his son’s life. He testified to us of the
power of prayer, and how God is really there, listening to us at this very
moment, more than anyone else or anything and how he knows that God will give
him an answer about the things we are teaching him. He said that God is there
literally waiting to help us, but we must first reach out to him. Roy really
gets it and it excites me every time we teach him. We will be teaching him on
Friday.
Brandon
- You just can't get ANY better than Brandon. Even my companion who has been
out for over a year says he has never met someone so ready for the Gospel of
Jesus Christ, and someone who truly gets it. We taught him the Restoration also
and he was extremely receptive to it. The Spirit felt during the lesson was stronger
than I have ever felt it in any lesson. He had great questions. He thought it
was truly amazing that Joseph Smith without any schooling was able to translate
The Book of Mormon (Another Testament of Jesus Christ) from a language that no
longer was in existence on the earth. He truly saw that the only way he could
have was with the power and help from God. We asked him to give the closing
prayer, but he did not want to. So I asked him if it would be ok if we taught
him how to pray, and then if we could pray to kind of show him how to do it. We
did that and then he agreed to give the closing prayer. As he did this, he
asked if the things we were teaching him were true, and as he did this, he
paused in the prayer, and there was a silence for a while, and then when he
resumed in the prayer he was crying and tearing up in the prayer. The Spirit
was extremely strong. After the prayer, he apologized for tearing up and I then
asked him what it was he was feeling. He said he felt light. He felt like all
the troubles that have ever weighed on his soul were leaving, and that he was
becoming lighter. We testified to him that that was the Holy Ghost confirming
to him that the things we were teaching him are true. He also told us that He
has to figure it out for himself if these things are true. He said that he has
to go in prayer and pray to God and wait for the conformation in his heart to
know if these things are true. HE GOT IT! He completely understands. He
understands that he has to go to God and work for his answer. He is Golden. He
wants nothing more than to go to the temple and be married and sealed to his
future family for all time and eternity. It's truly amazing to see someone's
life change. When he walked into our lesson, he was super down about some
things that had been happening in his life, and as time moved on within the
lesson, you could literally see his countenance change as the Spirit filled the
room. He became happier, more thoughtful and brighter. He walked out of the
lesson like he had been completely rejuvenated. That got me thinking. God wants
all his children on the earth to have the chance to accept or reject the
gospel. As I was sitting there, I was thinking about my responsibility. I have
the responsibility to present that choice to them, and God has trusted me to
give that chance to his children. It really makes me want to give it all I
have to be able to have the Spirit with me, and really become as close to God
as possible so that I can really give them a sound opportunity. We teach
Brandon next on Monday. I can't wait!
There
is so much I could go on and talk about. Sometimes I wish I could just film my
day....as a matter of fact, I think I will film a time laps so you can see what
it kind of looks like here in the nicer parts as we drive. I want to leave you with
a thought and a scripture that I have been pondering on that I heard in a song
this week:
2
Nephi 2:22 - "And Adam and Eve would have no children; wherefore
they would have remained in a state of innocence, having no joy, for they knew
no misery; doing no good, for they knew no sin.”
The
song said, " You know how far North is from the South when God hands you
the other." I won't say anything about this simply because I want you to
apply it and ponder it in your life in the most organic way according to your
circumstances.
I
love you all and have a GREAT week. Have fun and do what is right. You will
feel it in your heart. That feeling comes from God.
Love,
Elder Celaya
P.S.
The subject of this message has nothing to do with anything I talked about but
I thought it was amigos message.
Sunday, November 9, 2014
Gaga Boy!!! (November 5, 2014)
Don't worry. He's got me!
Greetings from New York. Haha, I
laugh at this because I have realized New York is nothing like "what it
seems." When people think of New York, they think of Downtown New York
South Manhattan, and they think it is the dream land. Almost none of this state
actually looks like down town Manhattan and it is completely different living
here than it is to visit here. I would never live here in the future.
Ironically, I say this as I am living here. -__-
Anyways, first of all I want to
start with thanking all of you for the amazing birthday notes! Thank you mom
for putting them all together! It was such a surprise! I got my package a day
before, and then on my birthday I opened it up, and then there were cards and
notes from all the people I love, so thank you so much! I wish I had time to
individually write you all back, but just know that I truly appreciate it and
you all are awesome! Thank you for all of those who wrote me cards and sent me
packages! I will be writing you all back soon. :)
Gaga Boy: So, I am not really sure
where to start with this topic, but I guess I will start with explaining who
exactly "Gaga Boy" is...aahhhh haha. Well there is this 19-year-old
"young man" (lol) in our church here who loves to sing, dance, dress
up, and who is obsessed with Lady Gaga. He's not exactly typical, meaning he
flirts with me at church, which is very uncomfortable for me, but I find it
funny. Haha. So the first time I met him he told me that in the day he is
"a good Mormon boy who follows the commandments," but then at night
he "comes alive" and is heavily influenced by "drugs and alcohol
and he becomes an ‘art monster.’" We had a talent show here in our church,
and he told me a few weeks before that he was planning on singing, dancing, and
dressing up in a dragon costume and that he wanted to be put at the end of the
program because he wanted to bring the "wow factor" to the show. BOY
did he bring the wow factor but in a totally horrific way. Gaga boy is kind of
a legend in our apartment and in our zone (the 30 plus missionaries in our
area) so some of the missionaries came to the show. I will attach a picture of
all of us at the talent show.
All us elders at the talent show.
(The two elders next to my companion are my roommates. Elder Palmer is on the far left.)
- Our Church in Yonkers/Noche De
Talentos –
We had our "Noche De
Talentos" here in our church (funny fact about that is us missionaries had
to help set up, and because people don't know correct Spanish here, the man who
picked up the letters to hang up on the wall thought Noche De Talentos was
spelled like this "Noche De Talento"...with no S...completely
Dominican style...and he's not even Dominican. Right when I saw that, I just
looked at my companion and slapped my forehead in frustration. Haha). And it
was far from anything I hoped it to be. It was scary in every way. haha. So
first of all, something to know is that the Spanish program NEVER starts on
time for anything. So the show started an hour and a half late. When the talent
show actually started, nobody was actually listening to those who were
performing. They were too busy talking to everyone and being loud. The acts
were completely horrible. Gaga Boy was completely scary. He performed a super
hard screemo song that talked about condemning people to the grave, and he sung
this in the chapel of the church - something that should never be allowed to be
performed anywhere on the earth, especially not in the chapel. I felt violated,
it was so scary. Haha. I will send a picture of his performance. Seriously the
worst "performance" and the most scary thing I have ever seen. Haha.
Then, there was this act, where this girl came out and started dancing with
very little clothing on, and in a not-the-most-appropriate way. It was so
awkward because all the men in the ward were perked up in their chairs videoing
her performance, and all the wives and ladies were super angry and then
everyone else was looking at us. It was so extremely awkward and both things
should have never been going on in the church.
Gaga Boy!!!
On Sundays in church all they do is
argue. For example, a couple of Sundays ago, a couple of new people came to
church, but complained to the bishop because the church wasn't reverent enough
and the Spirit of the Lord could not be felt there. Well, the next week,
everyone gave lessons on being reverent and respectful in the church. Turns out
everyone started blaming everyone for being noisy and everyone got in big arguments,
and then last week, one of the ladies said those new people were of the devil
because they said our church was not reverent enough. I guess the whole point
is we have tons of work to do in the ward here. The only problem is, when we
try to help, they are extremely prideful and think they know everything
(reading this, I'm sure my parents are thinking "now you know exactly how
we felt about you growing up!" haha) so they won't listen to us or anyone
for that matter. Our church is going apostate haha. Our problem is, why would
we help bring people into the church if they are just going to be gobbled up by
everyone in the ward? The church is crazy here. It doesn't feel like it's
right....simply because it's not. The Spirit isn't there. We need to figure out
how to show them how Jesus actually set up his church. ahhhh.
Manhattan Experience - Two weeks
ago, we all took the subway down to South Manhattan. It was perfect because
Elder Nelson (the newer missionary we live with) last served in Downtown Manhattan,
so he knew the city like the back of his hand. He knew every street, shop,
etc...and he also knew better than anyone I saw how to walk in the city.
Walking and crossing streets in the city is insane, but he does it so well.
Basically, you have to time when to cross the street so you don't get hit, but
there are tons of cars, so you have to really think fast and then go. It felt
like Mario cart. haha. He would dart out into the street and barely miss a car
going 40 miles per hour. In fact, he would skim his fingers across the cars
going that fast as he walked behind them as they passed by. So he taught us how
to walk in the city. I feel like now I can cross any street with traffic. It
took a lot of practice until I could do it safely but now it's awesome. Anyway,
we took the subway down to Wall Street. We got to see the NY stock exchange
building, and it was amazing because everyone in the city is dressed so nice,
and high street fashion is huge there so I was loving it! We then went and saw
ground zero (where the trade centers were). They are building some big
architectural thing in its place, but it was just cool going there remembering
all that has happened there. It's crazy to think that the entire world has
changed because of that experience. We then went to China Town. That was very
interesting. I learned something quite interesting too about China Town in NYC.
Gangs run china town. They tell the people who work for them in the shops or
restaurants there that they have to work for dirt cheap, and if they leave,
they will murder their families and also them. So in a sense, they are
completely being forced to work for nothing and can't leave or do anything
about it, or they and their entire family will die. It's a very interesting
place because it's basically a black market in hiding. It's sad for those
people, but it was cool visiting there. I still like the China Town better in
LA. We then went to Times Square (which is crazy). They have nude people
"painted" (that's what makes it legal) and then we saw a naked cowboy
in the streets singing with his guitar (something I wish I didn't see) haha.
But Time Square was amazing because someone stopped us in the middle of Time Square.
It was a man and his wife, and turns out they were both from the church and
they live in Las Vegas. They flew in
that night and were checking out the city before they were going to go on a cruise
for a week. We talked to them for a while, and they had two sons that had
served missions. They were awesome and so loving. They asked us if we ate
already, and he pulled out his wallet and pulled out a hundred and gave it to
us and told us to go feed ourselves. We tried to not accept it, but he insisted
and then we said goodbye and that was it. What a great example he was. It's
times like these that I truly feel humble to have the opportunity to be a
missionary, and I love meeting people that are so much closer to Christ when it
comes to possessing the same attributes than most of the people in the world.
After that, we went to Juilliard. We
walked into the building and checked it out a little bit. We couldn't see a
whole lot because we weren't students there, but it was awesome. So across the
street is the temple/church in Manhattan, and we went upstairs in the church
and they were having auditions for some movie or play and they were auditioning
Opera singers from Juilliard. It was absolutely unreal the talent that some of
these people have. There was a famous composer doing the auditions, but
apparently a lot of those people auditioning are also in the ward there. It was
so amazing to be around the cream of the crop kind of people in the world. That
feeling is infectious. It really makes you want to do something with your life.
After that, we headed to the Empire State Building. What's crazy about NYC is
that all the buildings are so tall -- you could be one building away from the
Empire State Building, but you would never know it because another building
would be in the way, so you could see nothing. It's crazy how small you feel in
the city. Definitely a place to visit, but I would not want to live
there.
New York City with Elder Paize
Bishop: So, this week we got a new
bishop, but before I talk about that, I want to share an experience. My companion and I were setting up chairs for
the talent show and a member of the church came up to me and asked me in his
TERRIBLE dominican Spanish (worst Spanish speaker I have heard here on the
mission) where sister Gonzalez was. I was so confused because there is no
Sister Gonzalez in the entire mission. So I told him I had no idea who he was
talking about and to go ask Elder Paiz (my companion) because he may know. So
he went over to Elder Paiz and chewed him out and said he was failing as a
trainer because I didn't understand Spanish and that we weren't listening to
what he says (he tells us how to improve our Spanish, which is ironic because
his Spanish is horrible). He really offended my companion, and that got me
pretty angry. He then told my companion that he asked where "Sister Smith
was" and that I had no idea how to respond to him. So he basically lied
straight to my companions face, or he's just dumb...or both. Haha. I'm horrible
I know. He's very prideful. Well anyways, this guy is now our bishop -__-.
Great right? I have no idea how this is all going to work out, but it's going
to be interesting. He is the one who argues every Sunday too. I think
the best way to get along with him is just to suck up to him and then he will
do whatever for you. He chastised the church here because not enough people were
helping us missionaries, so that's really good. As long as we keep him on our
good side, I think he can really help us with the work, and whipping the people
into shape here. Our ward needs someone to put them in their place, and he will
do it alright. Maybe it's what we need - Only time will tell.
Ruiz: Ruiz is the guy who just
randomly walked in the church. We taught him for the first time last week, and
the lesson was amazing. He was very receptive to it and the Spirit was very
strong within the lesson. All was good and as we were wrapping up we asked him
if he had any questions and he said yes. He said the reason he came to meet
with us was to get help. He said he has been having visions and didn't know
what to do about it. He said he was hit by a bike when he was 3 and he walked
away with no scratches. He claims this is the reason he has visions. He claims
that he had a vision, and he told his aunt about it, and she told him to go
read in Revelations, and the dream was exactly what was in the chapter of
revelations. He has also had a vision where Jesus woke him up and they climbed
to the top of a mountain and Jesus apparently asked him if he had faith, and
said if he did, to jump, so he jumped off the mountain with Jesus, and the next
thing he knew he was falling and then he was floating in mid air. He also
claims to have a vision where he was in a room with two young girls, one was
extremely scared, looking and pointing at the window, and he asked what was
wrong, and she wouldn't talk and just kept pointing at the window, and then the
vision ended. Well turns out the next day, his co-worker didn't come to work
because someone raped her two daughters. She called Ruiz to tell him what
happened, and she said he came through the window, and Ruiz stopped her and
described exactly what her daughters looked like, even though he never has seen
them. He claims to have visions of the future as well. What's hard is he
doesn't carry himself to be crazy at all. I think it's a Hispanic culture
thing, so my companion believes him (he's Hispanic), but I think it's garbage.
The reason I also say I don't believe it is because when we were teaching the
lesson, the Spirit was so strong and there was such a good feeling in the room,
and right as he was talking about his visions, the Spirit was gone and there
was a dark unsure feeling in the room. The Spirit testifies of truth, and I
don't believe anything he saw was actually true. He told our now previous
bishop everything, but he still wants us to meet with him. So we are meeting
with him tonight and we will see how it goes. I personally absolutely
hate dealing with people who talk of these crazy visions and seeing Jesus, and
all these people on the streets who claim they are prophets. There are so many
crazy people here. There are a couple of elders in our zone who are teaching
this one guy who was baptized at one point, but now he claims that he is Jesus.
Ahhh, there are so many whack people here. Haha.
Splits: So yesterday I was able to
go on splits again. I went to Scarsdale again (the same place I went to last
time I went on splits when I was really sick) and I got to go on a split with
my district leader named, Elder Palmer. Elder Palmer goes home in January, so
he has pretty much been on his mission for two years. He reminds me exactly of
my two friends, Caden Morgan and Jordan Pace, in one person. Out of anyone I
have met here on the mission, we get along the best. He is such a cool guy and
I was truly able to learn a lot from him yesterday. I picked his brain about things
pertaining to learning Spanish, the gospel, things he has learned on the
mission, and it was over all such a great day. We were able to visit some
amazing people as well and it was just a great time. I asked him too about the
gangs here. He has served in Harlem and the Bronx, so he has had his fair share
of crazy people. He said here it's more people coming in from poor countries
that are drug addicts, who mooch off the government. He said not to really
worry about gangs here, even though there are some, not to worry about it
because it's not the same as it is back in LA. It's more domestic violence or
domestic gangs instead of large groups of gangs that we have in LA. I don't
believe it though because where there are drugs, there are gangs. Yonkers has
gangs though, but still they are smaller and all split. Everyone wants to be
the king of Yonkers. The blacks want to be the kings and so do the Mexicans and
the Puerto Ricans and just about everyone. So they all fight against each other.
There is this member in the English
ward who used to be one of the head gang members here in Yonkers. He has
completely flipped his life around. He talks all the time about some of the
things he has done and the people he has killed. It's crazy to see someone who
has completely changed his life 1000 percent. His wife even stabbed a knife
through his hand and he claims it was at that moment when he knew he wanted to
marry her. He was telling us this story where one day, he and his brother were
drinking and they walked out on the front porch where a group of 15 people in a
gang stopped and looked at him, and he was like "Oh! Okkkkkkayyyy"
and then he walked back in, chugged a beer, walked out and they were still
there. He did this four times. When he was drunk he said he would always flip
into his animal mode and go crazy. So he and his brother were extremely drunk
-- he walked down his porch and knocked out one of the guys in the gang. They
both knocked out 10 of the 15 guys. This guy is huge too. He is 6 foot, 6, 270
pounds. He then got in his car, took off and started chasing after the other 5
people. He caught them and told them if they didn't want to die that they
needed to meet them at Ghetty Square (we call it ghetto square lol) tomorrow
and they would fight it off. So the next day he pulls up in his car with his
brother and there are about 20 guys all with metal bats ready to kill him. He
stood up out of the car, everyone realized that it was him and they dropped
their bats and ran away. Haha this guy is crazy. The ghetto life here is
starting to become normal to me, for now. For example, the other day we pulled
up to the church right after a shooting took place. I took a picture of the
view from the car. It's ok though, apparently Yonkers isn't as bad as Newburgh
which has the highest murder rates in the enter country (which is in our
mission), or Olmstead, or some parts of Harlem.) I'm finally becoming happy now
though and learning to be happy around very unhappy people. Thank you for all
those who have prayed for my physical and mental health. I have truly felt
them!
The shooting outside our church. Sunday morning getting out of the car at church.
Brandon: Brandon is the guy we met
on the street and who is the boyfriend of Veronica (the girl in our church who
is going on her mission to Argentina). We had our first lesson with him last
Monday. He is one of the most awesome people I have met. I believe he is the
golden one. He is 19, so it's very easy to relate to him and him to us. He
lives in The Bronx, in Kings Bridge, and it's amazing that someone who grew up
in an environment where gangs were heavily present that he was able to keep his
head on straight and grow up to be an amazing guy. He has been practicing
karate since he was a child, and people know not too mess with him here he
said. He has all these amazing goals in life and he truly wants out of NY. He
has seen a lot of bad things growing up that he told us about. He is so
receptive to the truths of the gospel. He wants to get baptized (we committed
him to baptism) and he wants to have the blessings of going to the temple to be
sealed to his family and his future wife for all time and eternity, so he can
be with his family in the next life. He truly listens to the Holy Spirit and is
not afraid to go and act upon what is being revealed to him. I wish more people
were like him. He is such a great guy and he is honestly someone I would hang
out with outside of the mission. He is the one we were supposed to find. He
doesn't tell his girlfriend that he meets with us because he says this is
something HE wants.
HE wants to find the eternal truth
of the gospel and not do it for his girlfriend, which is key. We taught him and
the spirit was so incredibly strong. He said that he felt a very warm feeling and
it felt like all his troubles were being lifted, and like he was in heaven. We
testified to him what he was feeling was the Holy Spirit testifying to him that
the things we were teaching him were true. That brings me to a good point that
I have been thinking about over the last year.
Brandon is willing to act on the impression
that he gets from the spirit. I think a lot of times people may get impressions
from the spirit, or they may get the answer from the spirit that the gospel
contains the full truth of God, and because God gives us our agency we are free
to choose to accept it or decline it, and I have seen so many people who know
in their heart that the gospel is true, and they have felt the spirit testify
of it, but because of earthly circumstances or mixed desires, they choose to
decline it. This I find to be a tragedy. People who experience a type of
heavenly happiness that they have never truly felt before, once you go back to
your old life, you will never be the same or as happy, because you are no
longer ignorant to the truth and the deep happiness that’s out there that the
gospel brings. At this point, because they have chosen to deny it, they go on with
their life, searching for ways to constantly temporarily make them happy, and
one day they will realize that they were just ignoring what they truly felt
inside. They were searching for that happiness elsewhere other than looking to
God, and that's one thing we will all realize, whether we choose to except the
gospel of Jesus Christ or we choose to decline it, or whether we are good or
bad people. Our fate is that one day we will die and meet God. And at that
point everything good that we have done and everything bad will come to our
remembrance. God made us to rely on him. There is no other way. Human existence
has constantly searched for something to "run on," or for the
happiness that only God can truly bring (and that's where we get wars, power,
money, prostitution, drugs, etc...). He made us to run on Him, and only him,
the same as a car can only run on Petrol and not water. We can only run
from God for so long. We will all one day fall into his arms when we meet in
the other side, and depending on how we lived our lives, it will be the most
beautiful thing we will ever experience, or the most terrible dark day of our
life. Because God is loving, he gives us a choice to choose. He gives us a way
to know what is true (through the Holy Spirit), and he gives us this life to
prove to Him that we will become better people by following the example of
Christ, becoming like Christ, and slowly becoming perfect, as is God.
C.S. Lewis describes this fate
perfectly:
He says, "What can you ever
really know of other people's souls - of their temptations, their
opportunities, their struggles? One soul in the whole creation you do know: and
it is the only one whose fate is placed in your hands. If there is a god, you
are, in a sense, alone with Him. You cannot put Him off with speculations about
your next door neighbors or memories of what you have read in books. What will
all that chatter and hearsay count (will you even be able to remember it?) when
the anesthetic fog which we call 'nature' or 'the real world' fades away and
the Presence in which you have always stood becomes palpable, immediate, and unavoidable?"
If you know the gospel is true, if
you have felt the Spirit in your life, don't wait. Follow its promptings and it
will lead you to a happiness that you have never experienced before. There is
no other way. It's the only way. I testify of it and I know that the gospel
brings more happiness than anything in or out of this world. Don't be afraid to
follow the Spirit - to follow what you know to be true. Just please don't
be afraid. Follow your heart because you're the only one who can.
I love you all so much.
With much love,
- Elder Austin Celaya
- Elder Austin Celaya
My companion and I on Halloween. Thank you Stolpers for the tie!
Look mom I can cook! Haha
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