Being a Fire Fighter

No, you don't need to send me any of that stuff you asked about because I am at the point where it wouldn't matter much. There is a thing in the mission office where the missionaries leave stuff and I got permission to take shoes out from there, so that should hold me out for the rest of my mission. So don't worry about it. This week I learned something. First missionaries are a lot of things.  They are disciples, doctors, friends and all that stuff. This week we got to be fire fighters. So I can add fire fighters to the list. We were doing a service project and the brother's chimney started up and started the roof on fire. We almost had it out by the time the fire fighters got there. It was an interesting experience. Latins don't keep their calm with stuff like that.  However, I got an unforgettable moment to remember from it.  

That is way cool about Elder Oaks coming to Lyman. This week we get Elder  Vinas from the Seventies who will talk to us on Wednesday, so that will be neat. This week we found some new people to teach, but no one showed up for church which was a shame because it was a very good meeting. We have a few dates for baptism, but we will see if we can get them through the all the lessons and to church. Even if they do all that, I might be transferred by then because next week is transfers. I will just have to see what happens. Who knows, I might stay here for another transfer and be here for nine months. That would be nuts! 

This past three days, I don't know what happened because August is supposed to be the coldest mouth, but it got really hot and i didn't even have to wear a sweater or anything. It was kinda nice. We had a lesson with Tamara and she told me she was sorry for kinda giving us the cold shoulder and she started crying and all that. On Friday, Jessenia officially got engaged. They are going to get married in January or February and then sealed in March. I was nervous because I didn't want to be like, "Well can I come?" But then they told me that I have to come, so that made me feel better. So the next  interview I have with President Diaz, I will have to ask permission so that I can go. It would be so cool to get to see them sealed. That is like one of the best ways to retain her. Get her sealed to a return missionary! They will be one of the strongest families in the ward. It was a good week. I hope you have a good week too.

Love,

Elder Gillies

Judge at the Ward Activity

Sounds like you had a good busy week this week, so that's good. That is nuts that McKade Batt & Marty Rollins are home from their missions, because when Marty left for his mission, that is when it hit me that I was the next missionary to leave.

This week I went on exchanges with the other missionaries and I  asked a sister how she knew the church was true and she said it took her nine years to become a member, but she can still remember the first elder that passed by her house and everything. So that was really cool. Her conversion was amazing. She was crying by the end of her tellings us, and she is like thanks for helping me remember of these important thing. So that was cool. I learned a lot in that moment and the spirt was super strong with her. Then the English class was funny this week. We had a thing with a rule that there is no such thing as there re right ?? because elder Horton said he used that, and Elder Dunn and I are like that doesn't exist. So I think that is why the Lord sent me to speak Spanish, so I could learn how to talk better in English too, if that makes any sense. Then with Carlos and Naomi, they got sick so we couldn't find then all week.  We will have to try again this week. In a week, Elder Vina from the Seventy is coming to talk to us, so we will see how that goes. I am kinda jealous that you get Elder Oaks coming to your regional conference. 

My comp and I are doing good. Like there are no problems or anything. Saturday we had an activity and it was of judging the desserts that people brought. The missionaries were the judges, so that was interesting. It was funny because Elder Dunn was sick with a cold, so he gets up there and said, "Well I tried them all the desserts, but I can't taste anything so they all tasted the same." It was funny. Then Sunday it was like a cutting of the members. They are getting a little bit lazy working with the investigators.  Now it's like trying to get people to come to church. We were talking about the converts too. Almost all of them are inactive, but a few. Jessenia, the girl I baptized, is the strongest one, so I was so proud of her. I may not have a lot of converts, but the ones i do still have a testimony of the work. It was a good week.  Well have a good week.

Love,

Elder Gillies

Missionaries judge the desserts at the ward activity - 8/22/15

Finished the Old Testament - 8/21/15

Elder Gillies - Dessert Judge- 8/22/15

Sick on Sunday

That is really sad about the Taits. I sure feel bad. I got your package. Thanks a ton. These last few weeks we have been out in the street pretty much all the time. Saturday night I got sick. I threw up eight times and was really bad. I couldn't even go to church. I called the mission nurse and she asked if I could go to sacrament meeting. I got up to try to go and threw up again so I didn't make it. So we were stuck in the house all day. My companion was probably bored out of his mind. I pretty much slept all day. I got up once for about five minutes and then went back to bed. It was weird. I haven't thrown up since my freshman year in high school, so it's been a really long time. I am doing better today. The only good thing is maybe I will lose some of my appetite so I can lose some weight.

Yesterday we had people come to church even though we didn't go. Carlos and Naomi came. I  don't know what they were thinking when we weren't there. I am assuming that it was a shock. Then we had our zone conference last week. It was really good. In a few weeks, Elder Vina of the seventy is coming to talk so we will see how that goes. All I hear is that he is really tough, so we will see. 

Today we have to go to Vina for my companion to do some things, so the day should go really fast. It hasn't rained again since last week. It has had time to get everything nice and dry. 

That is funny about Ashlyn with the missionaries.  When will they be done with the sprinklers and all that? This week I learned something. I always thought like with the changes of areas and all that, okay, like new comp, new area that I will learn something new and all that, but last week I learned that once you have been in an area so long, you also learn new things too, because you don't have a choice. You have to do different things that maybe will work with teaching, so I think that is why I have stayed here so long so that I could learn that. I am glad that I got to learn these lessons. Hope you have a good week.

Love,

Elder Gillies

Wild Weather

Okay, so President Diaz's kids are older and out of the house. That is a change too, cause President Kahlelin had 4 kids with him.  I met some of President Diaz's family when I was in there for the interview with Eider Amezqitua.  My new companion doesn't speak any English. I am going to have to help him a lot to see what we can do. This week was a hard week. It rained for over half the week .No one wanted to receive us, so we had a couple days out in the rain all day. But I learned a lot in that time, so that was good I guess. I don't know, we have had a hard time finding good people. If we do contact anyone, we can never find then again, so that has been interesting. I don't know if i will stay here after the transfer. if i do, I don't know I would like to have a change. Ii have been here a long time. i never thought I would be in a area this long, but I have to make the best of it while I am here. Tomorrow we have the thing with the zone, so that should be good. We haven't had one of these zone conferences in like 4 months because of all the changes with the new Mission President's. So with my companion, Elder Valeso, there isn't any problems, but like it's the same thing that happened with Elder Fotheringham. There wasn't any problems. but your just kinda there. He doesn't communicate a lot. He wants to work hard, so that is good. I will get to learn more stuff about Chile with him. He is like 5 foot, so everyone gives him a hard time. Everyone calls everyone uncle here, so they tell him that I am his uncle and that I need to watch after him. I don't know how he feels about that, but we will see.

Yesterday we had a few people come to church so that was good. Angelica came again and Maria Christina said my friend wants to be baptized. Elder Valeso doesn't know her so, he is like good. When can we come over?  She made up all these excuses, so it is interesting with her.

This week in La Serena there was terrible storms with huge waves that were getting up in the street, so that was really cool to see. Like the waves from the ocean were huge with all the wind that was going on. My umbrella didn't do much for ya with the wind, so it was crazy. It was a good week though and a good humbling experience for me.  Other then that, not much is going on. It's crazy that everyone is getting married.  Tell Tawna & Dirk congratulations.  Have a good week.

Love,

Elder Gillies

Still in Con Con - New Companion is Elder Veloso

O.k. so I think they changed the mission web site. It's www.vamosvina.blogspot.com.  So you should be able to find it now. The last week with Elder Amezquita it dragged on and it was stressful because he would be stressed out and that would make me stressed out. It was just am interesting week. I have my new companion now. He has six months in the mission and is from Chile. His name is Elder Veloso. He kinda reminds me of Josh Taylor to tell you the truth. He hits me at about my chest, so that has to be a little funny seeing us walking down the street. I think I will only be here this transfer and then I think I will leave. If I don't, I don't know what I will do. I have been here for quite a while, but everything is good. If I had to choose a place to stay this long it would be here in Con Con. We had a few people show up to church yesterday. One was Angelica and I have no idea what to do with her. We had just dropped her, but there is a something wrong with her.  I have to see if she can truly repent. I will have to ask the Bishop or the President Diaz. 

 I like President Diaz a lot. You can just feel like he is worried for us and wants the best for us which is something I didn't really feel with President Kahnlein. We are more into looking for new people to teach because the people that we have, like they are fine, but it;s complicated.  There are some situations, so we will see this week. It's been pretty crazy with all the changes and everything that has happened, but it should be good. The weather is good. Some days are cold and some days are so hot that you are sweating. It's just hard to choose which one it will end up being. It actually rained a few days ago really pretty hard. It rained for like three hours and we were out in it. It was kinda funny. We were heading back to the house just as it stopped, so that was interesting. I saw Elder Ramirez, my trainer, on Monday. He went going home too. I was o.k. with that. Other then that, not much happened this week. I hope everything goes good for you guys.  

Love,

Elder Gillies