Chachapoyas.

Dear Family,

So this week was awesome. We had everything planned for Presidents arrival and all went well. Interviews were great. The Worldwide mission broadcast went well and President was very grateful for our preparation. Success.

So we were just happy with how things turned out and working as normal when we got a call from President on Friday morning. He let us know that he wanted us to go to a town 3 hours away from Jaen called Chachapoyas. There are no missionaries there so he wanted us to go to do interviews. And he wanted us to leave the next morning. So we instantly changed all plans, and ended up spending Saturday, Sunday, and this morning in Chachapyas.

Chacha is so nice. It is an incredible mountain village that gets cold. Cold. I felt cold for the first time in like 2 and a half years. It was magnificent. The branch up there is doing well. They are like the morrope branch just a little bigger. We had success with two of the interviews and gave a training to about 20 members about how to do missionary work without missionaries. So it was a fun success.

And now my companion and I are exhausted. And so very happy. But exhausted.

I hope you all enjoy a great week. Stay Happy. Stay Cold.

Loves.

Elder Kasteler

Clean Room.

Dear Family,

This week was marvelous. I think I may have set a record of lessons for my entire mission. It was fantastic. And we feel very good about the results. We are making great progress and staying busy.

So tomorrow President Williams and his wife are going to be in Jaen. Which means that my companion and I have some fun preparations to make. One of those being a clean room to avoid the incident of what happened last time President paid us a vist. So our room has been cleaned and even reorganized in a different format to make it look even cleaner. The floor has been waxed, and the mirrors are clean. Hopefully things work out.

I often find my companion and I talking about so many random subjects. This morning we talked about family jet-ski trips. Yesterday we talked about senior trips. We talk about all sorts of things. And I just love how happy I get talking about the family. Its nothing trunky, but it is just fun to remember all the awesome times we have experienced. What a cool experience to have a companion from Utah.

I hope you all have a great week. Study hard. Work hard. And Pray that all goes well for the zone leaders of Jaen. We sure pray for you guys.

We love you all. My companion cant wait to get to meet jackson.

Stay busy.

Elder Kasteler

Hace Calor no?

Dear Family,

So this week, we had some killer results. Some great baptism invites. Some great trainings. Some great moments. And it was hotter than you could ever imagine. Almost every single conversation with everyone we talked to began with “Hace calor no?” Its hot isnt it. Well of course it is.

But you get used to it. You drink cold water. You use a fan. And you get over it.

Things went really well in Chiclayo. We had a grand time. My package showed up as soon as I got on the bus, which means I will have it next week. President and the Assistants are coming up to Jaen to do interviews. And there is going to be a worldwide broadcast that President wants to watch here in Jaen. And it just so happens that we are in charge of making sure nothing goes wrong. You best believe that something is going to go wrong. It always does.

Things are going well. This morning I read two great talks from Jeffery Holland. One was about the High Priest of Good things to Come. There are always good things around the corner. Things always work out. And the other was about the importance of members in missionary work. So if you have any friends that need and or want this gospel, Please share it. Please.

Do good work. Stay Strong. Smile on.

Love you all.

Elder Kasteler

New Year.

Dear Family,

Here in Peru it is a tradition to say Feliz Año to everyone you meet. Even if it is four days past the new year. So yesterday at church everyone was going around hugging each other saying happy year. I love Peru.

To bring in the new year, I enjoyed a great nights sleep. Literally I was out. What a great way to celebrate. Not waking up at all. Awesome.

This week was a good week for our area and for the zone. Our results were very close to what our goals were. We are working with many new missionaries to the zone and they seem to be doing great. We have been finding new people to work with and keep moving along with the same ones we have been working with. Things are going well.

The weather is somewhat varied daily. We wake up and it is downpouring, then we go out to work and then it is hot as a Big Mac and then we feel somewhat cool at night. I dont get it. It doesnt make sense. But it works.

Today, in about an hour, we will be going down to Chiclayo again. Yay. 6 hours. We think the conference of zone leaders is going to be about the Book of Mormon. So it should be sweet.

I hope you all have a great week. Enjoy the cold. Learn to be content with what the Lord gives you, and everything will work out. Stay Happy. Stay Healthy. Enjoy some Cheerios for me.

I love you all.

Elder Kasteler

Cool Clouds.

Dear Family,

This week was not hot. I dont know how. I dont know why. But there has been a whole lot of rain everyday this past week and lots of awesome clouds. So we are not dying, and when it drops to 80 degrees or so, my companion and I sometimes feel cold. That should not make sense.

So Felipe was baptized this past week. That was awesome. His baptism literally was the most spiritual experience I may have had on my mission. The best part was watching his families reaction to the church. I know there is no way they can deny what they felt.

Today was not Pday again. And this friday we wont be able to write. But yesterday and today have been loco for us, due to changes. My companion and I live on to see another 6 weeks together. But we sent down 4 great missionaries and now within a short minute we will go to the bus station to recieve 6 new wonderful missionaries. We have been running mattresses and room keys and all sorts of other preparations to make sure everything goes smoothly. Last night, I ran probably the fastest I have ever run in my life, just because my companion and I couldnt find a moto taxi, so we had to run from one room to another to open up the door. It was an adventure.

Things are going very well. And when this new year comes, things are going to go even better. Thats just the way things work. This work is awesome. This work is cool. I want to do this forever.

I love you all. Keep your chin up.

Elder Kasteler

Baptism. Christmas. Perfect.

Dear Family,

So this week was perfect. Seriously incredibly golden.

We had an awesome time singing in the central park of Jaen as a zone. Then on tuseday we had a golden baptism. Literally the most spiritual baptism I have ever seen on the mission. It was perfect. And then Wednesday we threw together a district class because we have no district leader. So that was fun. And then at night we had a ward party. Thursday we spent the night with a family from the ward. That was wonderful. Then we went to sleep at 10pm. And then we woke up christmas morning and had a nice bowl of cereal. And Then we have been chilling in the stake center all day helping missionaries. And then we chatted. So that was awesome.

So this week was just wondeful. I am just so happy.

Have a great week. I will be chatting with you on Monday or Friday.

I love you all.

Elder Kasteler

The Oranges

Dear Family,

So this week we were in Chiclayo for 3 days. So for not having a ton of time to work, we did great work. I feel alright about it.

We are continuing to work with many great families and are planning to bring many people back to the church. The zone is doing well as well. So things are going awesome here in Jaen. Its just really hot.

Today we went to a place called Las Naranjas. It is a tiny town of 300 people that President told us to go visit to check it out to see if it is a good Pday spot. It is just a trail that leads up to some mountains, nonetheless, it is awesome for a missionary to just be able to go into the jungle sometimes. We just walked around and took some pictures and then headed right back down. Nothing to exoctic but still enjoyable.

Next week is Christmas. That is awesome.

All is well. I am learning tons every single day. The mission is just the place I need to be right now. And I dont even want to think about college.

Keep doing whats right. I love you all

Elder Kasteler