Welcome
to another week in The Bronx NY!
This week has had
its ups and downs but the ups outweigh the downs a ton! So to start off the week, I went off on a split with our
district leader’s companion into their area (when you leave your area and go to
their area and do work with one of the Elders in their area, while at the same
time one Elder from that companionship comes here with my companion) and it was
an interesting but fun day!
He
only has 4 weeks in the mission so he is rather new! He had the challenge of
taking over the area for a day after only being a missionary for a very short
time. We taught this lady a little bit of English or at least tried to. I say
tried to because she can't read English or Spanish, and can't write, and so
pronunciation was nearly impossible to teach her. It was an experience that
needed patience.
-
RUSSIAN SPIES - so after that, we got a call from a lady who wanted us to come
visit a guy in a hospital. Well, she didn't give us the address, or if she did
we couldn't understand her (she was SUPER Dominican). So we now were left to
find this guy with no address but a knowledge that he is somewhere in The Bronx
in a hospital that apparently is in our area. Well we found this huge
veterans hospital. We walked up to the door, and as we walked in, we had to go
through security (just like the airport). There were guards with guns and we
had to put all of our things into a tray and walk through the metal detector. We
made it through ok, but the guy didn't end up being there. So then we
left, and as we were walking, the cops stopped us and were quite stern with us.
They asked us where we were from and what we were doing there. Turns out they
thought we were Russian spies haha. Now remember, nobody is white here, so when
they see two tall white guys who looked like they just got off the boat from
Europe dressed in big black jackets with scarves around their faces, walking
swiftly together, they are going to think something fishy. Haha. It was cool
though because after a while we told the cop we were missionaries and talked to
him for a few minutes, and after he really tried to help us find this man and
kept thanking us for our service. So that was interesting. We never ended up
finding the guy, but we found where he lived. The other Elders are still
looking for him.
Elder
C - so as I was on my split with Elder C, we had a few conversations that were
great. As we were walking, there was this crazy guy yelling his head off on the
phone about how he's going to get all his guys and kill the guy on the phone.
He was saying stuff like "send anybody at me, and I'll take their life and
put them in the grave no hesitation," but in a way worse way and along
with a big deep bronx accent, which can sometimes be intimidating. The guy was
pacing back and forth, cussing and threatening to kill this guy, and Elder C
was like, "hey let's cross the street because this guy is crazy." We
were walking towards him on the same side of the street, and as he said that,
it totally hit me what it was like to be in his shoes as a new missionary here
dealing mentally with this crazy environment. He told me he was tired of
walking on the streets, feeling like he was going to die or get shot or beat
up. It's weird because now when I am faced with someone crazy like this guy, I
feel nothing anymore. I don't feel scared, nervous, excited, or worried; I
literally feel nothing. You get used to it here and I told him this. Back home
people are usually pretty sane--when you see a person like that it's a big
deal, but here there are so many crazies that you get used to it and realize
that usually it's all talk. Perhaps that's why they are stuck here. Haha.
Almost every person I have talked to who is trying to really be successful and
raise a wholesome family is trying to move away and out of here. This place
would make it so hard to raise a family here. I respect those who have!
Workouts
- workouts are going great! There is nothing better than feeling great
spiritually, mentally and physically. It's crazy how much the mind, spirit and
body are connected. If one of those things isn't healthy, it dulls the other.
You have to feel good yourself before you can help others change your
lives!
Soup
- so I will eat pretty much any food here that the people give us willingly,
but one thing I don't understand is this. When they make us soup, they put
parts of the animal they cooked in the soup. They put the gizzards in the soup
along with bones and even huge chunks of straight fat from the animal. I get so
frustrated when they feed me this because they expect us to eat it. It tastes
horrible and I just don't understand why they can't give us plain meat without
bones or no fat or normal parts of the animal. It's such a lazy way to prepare
the meal. Ahh I just don't understand.
BRANDON:
Had two great lessons with him this week! I am so thankful to be able to still
teach him in my second area! We taught him this week about tithing and fasting,
temples, family history work, the priesthood, and obeying the law. It was
great! So BRANDON works up at a diner in Yonkers and usually he has Sundays off,
so he was planning to go to church this week. Unfortunately he got a call that
morning saying he needed to come in and work that day because it was super bowl
Sunday, so he wasn't able to make it to church (he has already been three
times). His work was going to feed the employees as well and they were feeding
them steak, sandwiches and some seafood. Brandon decided to fast that day and
he stayed strong throughout the whole day! He said everyone kept offering him
food and he wouldn't take any of it. We told him he only needed to fast for two
meals but he ended up fasting for 5 and told us once he starts something he
always finishes it! What a great example!
Missionary
work is very tiring! We are up at 5:30 and go
until 10:30 every day nonstop, it’s crazy! I've never had to work
this consistently hard and long in my life. It's just two years of flat out go
go go go! There are some days where I feel like there is nothing I’d rather do
than take a nap at that time - nothing in the world. Plus when I get tired, I
forget my Spanish and that isn't good! Haha. It's okay though. You have to just
enjoy the work and keep pushing on :)
Today
we are going to go to South Manhattan and go explore the city again! We are
going to go to Madison Square Garden (where the Knicks play), the Empire State
Building, and a few other places. Going to south Manhattan is my favorite! I
would say my favorite thing is seeing all the different people. There are tons
of people and they are all very different. You see people who are homeless to
people who are millionaires walking the street. Last time we were on Wall
Street we say Donald Trump’s son. That was kind of cool.
I
want to share something I shared in our Zone Meeting this week. This was me
talking to the missionaries, but I think it can apply to all of us.
"Because
we strive to live the Lord’s teachings and because we are missionaries, I feel
as sometimes we feel we are greater than others--that others aren't good enough
for us or the way we are living. But imagine if the Savior felt the same way of
those who are not as powerful as him? Who are those people? Us, or anyone who
has walked the earth. Nobody on this earth is as powerful and great as the
savior, so imagine if he felt that way about us? He doesn't. Instead, he came
to this earth, ministered with humility and love among those who were
considered "worthless" by society, and even died a suffering death,
all for us who are far less progressed than the Savior himself. We should be
the same around our fellow men. In fact, because we are closer to the knowledge
of God, we can greater see our weaknesses. It is when we do not judge others
that we can love them for who they are regardless of our standing. It is when
we do this that we free ourselves and can become joyful in all things."
The
Savior never thought he was any better than anyone. No matter who they were and
what they have done, he loved them, and SHOWED them his example by who he was
and the way he loved. Never once did he feel above another because he had more
knowledge than anyone, nor did he ever teach words he did not live himself.
Jesus was usually short of words. He never really spoke unless there was a divine
purpose for it. But, what he always did was act like the son of a loving
Heavenly Father. Humbly strip yourselves from pride and you will free yourself.
I feel like we sometimes become prideful to protect our power, but the Savior
was the most powerful being to ever walk the earth and not a speck of pride
could be found in him. Love everyone, no matter what they have done or who they
have become.
A
good test that I've been using this week is this:" If the savior loves
them, then so should I." It's super
hard for me to apply that with every person in every situation, but I am
trying. I'm still trying to strip the pride away from myself as well :)
Con
muchÃsimo amor por ustedes, Les ama mucho y tenga una buena semana.
Con
Amor,
El
Elder Celaya
