August 25, 2014

You asked me about the 6.4 earthquake that happened yesterday in Chile.  I didn't even know there was one.  Valasapiro is south and I am up north.  

Transfers are this Wednesday.  Knowing President Kahnlein, I wouldn't be surprised if he did transfer my companion, but I don't mind.  I've got to learn the language quick and be able to rely on myself more with being a missionary.  So if he does get transferred, it will be hard but a good experience for me too.  Thanks for sending the package. It's ok if it's little.  I will just be so happy for the package. I am in Viña today because my companion has a doctor appointment. I really like Viña.  It is a lot different from Los Vilos. Los Vilos is pretty rough sometimes.  I saw Elder Horton here.  That was way cool.  i never realized how much we got a long in the CCM.  It was way cool to see him and talk with him.  He was struggling with the language too, so that is nice to know I am not the only one . The language is improving, but it depends who talks.  Some people I can understand a lot and others I can't understand at all. But it's all good.  

Yesterday i taught a pastor.  It was a women.  We tried to teach her about Joseph Smith, but she wouldn't really let us.  She wouldn't let me read a scripture in the Book of Mormon.  I think because she knows she would get proved wrong. Then she said, "Can I give you a blessing señor?  I want to ask her "Where do you get your authority?  The internet?" Anyone can do that and say things. i was frustrated, but i didn't say anything.

I wanted to ask dad a question. Is fasting for more then one thing bad? Because my district leader wanted to fast for several things this week and my companion said its not great to fast for a lot of things.  So he told me to fast for something else.  We were fasting for diligence.  Kinda ironic, huh?  Then he had a meeting. So we could have broken the fast without him knowing. The other two missionaries wanted to. They asked me what I thought and I said no.  I don't want to break it without my companion knowing.  It doesn't seem like a lot, but at the time it was.  I had those two have a lot more experience and pressuring you.  I was starving, but I held through and felt a lot better.  I have fasted every week but one since I have been down here.  That's kinda crazy.  Then the next day we are still fasting.  The sisters had a baptism.  We go in to get the water ready and it's ice cold.  The warm water won't work, which for other people is no big deal, but for this guy, he is 82 and doesn't have any oxygen. So it would have killed him. So we tried everything to get the water to work. Then after a while I remembered in Eric's homecoming talk when he talked about the water in his font not working, so they prayed and after the water came on so they could fill the font and have their baptism.  So I went in the corner by myself and prayed.  Then the others saw me praying, and they went and prayed too. After we had prayed, the fire started working and we filled the whole font in less them two hours for the baptism.  So thanks for the example Eric.  Other then that, I am not sure.  Not much is really happening.  Sounds like you guys are busy.  Yesterday I gave three more blessings.  I think by the end of tonight, I will be up to eight this week.  Have a good week.

Love,

Elder Gillies