Smoke from the Fires

This week the lady who was supposed to be baptized went off the deep end. She won't answer her phone or answer the door so that fell down the hole quick. So we went from having two baptisms to nothing in two quick weeks.  The thing with Jessenia is she didn't come to church yesterday, but I was sitting there waiting after church and I get a call and it's Jessenia and she is crying.  She asked if we could come over because Carlos broke up with her because she didn't want to drink with him. We have seen the power of the atonement with her and it's incredible. Like she has changed so much so we got that and now she knows that this is it, but I don't know, I don't want to say she will get baptized this week because every time I think she will, something bad happens. Jessenia has learned that what the church says about the law of chastity is right and that God knows what he is talking about. She is way good now and hopefully in the next few weeks I will be able to send a picture of her baptism.

This week we had a conference with President Kahnlein.  It was good.  We got to watch the movie "Meet the Mormons". it was really good. I liked it and President K showed a scripture where it says "Jesus smiles." I think iI needed to hear that because I need to smile more.

There was a bad fire here so the air was filled with smoke and it was hard to work.  You couldn't really see and it was hard to breath, but its all good now. The fire was aways away, but the smoke just filled the sky, but Valpo was clear and I got a sweet pic of it because the fire had a good sunset. Then that is good that Utah made the tournament. I want to know when was the last time Utah made the tournament. Other then that, not much has happened. Have a good week.

Love,

Elder Gillies

Con Con's beautiful sunset from the fires

Tyson & Elder Garcia - 3/13/15

No Baptisms

So it sounds like Grandpa is not doing very well. That is not good. That sounds like him saying he will go home instead of go into the nursing home, but hopefully it will all work out. I got my debit card this week, but what do I do with my old one now? Is it like trash or what? And yes, the Vina mission is tough, but I am pretty sure that is why I got sent here because I don't know if I would have learned the things I have in another mission, so it's all good. This week was a whirlwind. First, we didn't have water in the apartment for two days because the owners hadn't been paying for it, so they turned it off so the owners would pay. We had jugs of water, but we couldn't shower and that was terrible. It's back on now, and it's all good this week.

With our investigators with their baptism was rough on Saturday. We were going to fill the font after lunch for Angelica, but then we get a call during lunch that she had to leave for Santiago because her nephew was in the hospital, who took a turn for the worse, so hopefully her family won't influence her to do anything bad so she can be baptized this week. With Carlos and Jessenia, they have fell off a little bit. Jessenia has the date and everything, but she is short of a interview but now that she is with Carlos again, she doesn't want to be baptized right now. She has gotten a little cold because of the law of chastity, so that really was a bummer because now because of one commandment, she is doubting a lot of things. If we can get to Carlos and get him converted, she will come back, but it was just like a complete turn around. It is dumb. Satan plays super dirty. I don't know. We fast every week and pray, doing everything we can for them, but now it's like they aren't answering our calls as much and there is like a wall between us now that wasn't there before. If we bring up anything, she just gets mad. Then we were teaching her and her kid fell and cracked his lip and wouldn't stop crying, so that didn't help. They are like should we take him to the hospital. I am thinking why the heck would you do that when he has a cracked lip? They always say the americans are a little cold I can see it a little, but I don't know. I would not call the hospital for that. Your kid would never toughen up if you always do that.

That is nuts the girls won state champion in basketball. That is great. I have one question about 3 Nephi 16:1-4 when Jesus says he has other sheep. It just means different continents not  different worlds in this part, right?  When my companion explains it, it's like this is for the people not of this world, but when I read it, I don't get that.  So what do you think Dad? Have a good week.

Love,

Elder Gillies

Working hard with Elder Garcia

My ward is the biggest that I have had in my mission.  It's a good ward. My bishop used to be in the Seventy, so he is cool. I don't really know him very much, but the ward is fine. I have a member wash my clothes. She is cool. She does it all for free, so I save about twenty to thirty bucks a change, but that is like a week of food, so that helps a lot. My companion is Elder Garcia.

With writing things in a notebook, I don't really have time to write one every day, because every free moment I have, I am reading because I need to study the scriptures because I can never remember where they are at, so I am working on that.

No one got baptized this week. The lady drank some coffee, so she couldn't baptize her, but she will be in Saturday. The other people are going through some struggles because Carlos wants to get married first and then baptized and Jess wants to be baptized first and she wants to wait on the marriage. So it's super complicated there, but we are trying to get it all worked out. Can you get me Chris Sorenson's email. I tried to email him, but I think I spelled his name wrong so it didn't go through. It's kinda funny he is in Wyoming, but that is good. And what is it? Spring is in the air so everyone is getting married? I don't feel like I am old enough for those people to be getting married that are my age. It's still weird and what temple is Lizzy Wray getting married in. That is cool about Ashlee Quinney.  Hope she can make it through it all. That is really cool about Utah the year. They are doing really good in sports. I can't watch, but hopefully they are building up.

Yesterday we had a harder day, and I don't know if my comp knew how to deal with it. I am like, man this is my whole mission. So I probably didn't have much compassion, but it's one day, and we have baptisms coming up, so I am super happy. I can't complain about nothing now this week.  It is a tougher week. because it's always the last week of the month that goes wrong, but everything should be good. Um that's about it on my end.  Have a good week.

Love,

Elder Gillies

Elder Gillies & Elder Garcia from Peru

Getting to Know my New Area in Con Con

My new area will probably be colder that a lot of areas because it's by the ocean, but this winter will be a lot different because my body will be adjusted. I won't go from Summer to Winter in a day, so it really shouldn't be that cold.  So I won't regret sending my boots home.

My new companion just got done with his training, but he is not a greenie. To tell you the truth, Elder Fotheringham is more of a greenie, then this new companion. Sometimes I think he is training me, but no, its all good. I have been the senior companion for a while, but i don't know. To me it doesn't make a difference.

This new area is definitely a tourism place.  You have the beach everywhere and it's not that far form Viña. It should start cooling down in the next little bit, so that will help us a ton. Now the Festival of Vina is here and the the Cup of South of America will be here in July, so there will be a lot of things going on that will make it a little harder to teach people. If everything goes the way it should, I should have two baptisms this Sunday. Hopefully everything goes good, but I am not sure.  Both the investigators have some things they need to change, but they can do it. The things in my zone will be a little different. One of the zone leaders is going home Friday in the middle of the change. He got a call and said he was going home. He didn't know for the study. Now I don't know what President is going to do so about him.  That will be interesting. We are in the same ward as the zone leaders, so I will  know for sure on Sunday and probably after if we have lunch with them. 

That is fun you could do all that stuff with Boston and Trey. I bet they were fun to tend. Do you think the Lyman boys can take state? Have you talked to Lueck much lately? Other then that, not much has happened.  I always forget everything that happened when I sit down to write.  Have a good week.

Love,

Elder Gillies 

Transferred to Con Con

I did get transferred. I am in Con Con. It is one of the richest parts of the mission. I think my apartment is way nice. Probably going to be the nicest one I have. We should have a couple of baptisms in a few weeks. I am with a comp who just finished his training. I couldn't believe he just finished his training because he is so much further ahead than my last companion. It's like he and Elder Fotheringham switched places. It's like he is in his last change, not his first. I like my new area.

For my birthday, I didn't do anything. It was the first day in my new area. I didn't know anyone and I didn't tell my companion. So it was a normal day of contacts. This week was way good. A lot of miracles happened that was way cool. My comp is from Peru. He speaks good Spanish, so hopefully I can get the language down better with him. I don't know how long he will be here. We will have two changes at the max, but I wouldn't be surprised if he leaves next change. I am excited. It's the first time in the mission where I came into an area and we had some investigators. So that was nice.

I don't know why the bank said my debit card is bad because Dad and I changed it before I left. So the one I have is good through 2017.  My old card wasn't, so that is why we switched it, but that's fine to get a new one If the bank wants to do that.

That is nuts that Jessica Kunzler is getting married. I knew it was going to happen, but I didn't think that fast. Hey, tell her to send me an announcement. I want to see it.  Tell her and Wade congratulations for me. They are going to have a kid before I get off my mission. Oh my goodness!  What does Nicole and Mike think? That is really weird that she is getting married. I don't feel like I am at the age for people in my grade to be getting married. 

I am glad you had a good week. It's warm here. It should start cooling down this next month and getting in to Fall in March. I don't know. Con Con might be cold. There are parts of Con Con where we have to have the dates to go from the President, because we have to walk on the beach to get there. If we don't have an investigator, we can't go there. We are super close to the beach. 

I got my package and all that. Thanks a ton. Other then that, not much happened. Have a good week.

Love,

Elder Gillies

City of Con Con

Birthday Week

O.K., so you can put your mind at rest, Mom.  I should get my package tomorrow because we will have the thing for the zone tomorrow and not Friday because of the changes this week. Transfers are Wednesday. My companion thinks I will stay here, but I am not sure. I think I will go because if I don't, I am going to be here for a really long time. I don't mind it here, but I don't know. This week with Serigo, he attended church again. He has the lessons for baptisms, but will just have to change a little more. Then we can get him baptized. He is talking with more people in the ward, so that is good. I went on exchanges this week. We did a day of contacts. I was with a different elder and it made the world of difference. We had fun and all that. I think my comp thinks that if he has fun while we work that the people will think he is like getting trunky or something. So he is super serious.

This week we found some new people to teach. They are an older couple. They have a lot of doubts, but they let us teach them. So if they will just read and pray, I know they will receive an answer.

That is funny that Peyton and Eric are in the same class. She said something about it, but she didn't know for sure if was Eric or not.  She is like, Do you have a brother in Laramie because there is a guy in my class that looks a lot like you. I told her yes.  So that is funny.   

This week the sisters needed a thing for the baptisms that we had and they were waiting for like five minutes. We come walking there and they are eating ice cream. I am like, "Where did you get that ice cream? And they are like, "Right there." I have been here four months and never knew this place existed! Took then like five minutes to find ice cream. Go figure! 

Then there was a kid in the ward who came home from the mission for health reasons.  He can go back in like four months if he wants, but I don't think he is coming back. Hopefully he surprises me and comes back. He had the same time that I have in the mission, so I don't know.

How were your meetings in Cheyenne? How are things going in Lyman? Do you think the boys can compete at state basketball?  I know Coach Lueck will have them ready. It's just if they come out to play. I bet it has been nice for them to go down to 2A. That probably made a huge difference. Other then that, not much else has happened.  It's weird that I will be 20 years old this week and out of the teen years, but it's all good. Have a good week.

Love,

Elder Gillies 

Just another Week

O.K. this week was like a kick in the head to tell you the truth. We had the a baptismal date with a lady and all she needed to do was come to church one more time and for us to teach her a few more lessons. But then she told us she didn't want us to come back. She had depression because her husband died, and now she has a new thing for life. But now she said she has love feelings for my comp. So we had to call the president and ask what to do. He said we could still go to teach her, but to always have a member with us which we did. But then she said she didn't want us to come back. We can't really tell our district leader why we aren't going back and he has been on our back the whole week, like what happened? He just won't give it up. So I don't know. We are probably going to have to drop our contacts because no one is really progressing. 

Transfers are next week a day before my birthday. I don't know but I think I will get changed, but every time I think I will, I don't and every time I don't think I will get transferred, I do. If I don't get transferred this time, I will probably be here three more months because the next transfer is my comps last one, so I would have to stay another transfer so I can teach the other missionary and that would mean I would be here for almost seven months. Like I like the members and all, but it's just a long time to be in an area so I think I will be changed. 

This week we were contacting at a door and the lady answered. We were talking to her and a guy walks across the hall and he was butt naked. It was so hard not to laugh during the contact, but oh the things you see in this place! I wanted to yell out, "It's not that cold buddy!  Just kidding. 

Today we have a activity of the district thanks to the other missionaries. We are basically having a testimony meeting with food. I don't know. I would rather just stay in the apartment. I can't say much cause I didn't help with the baptisms, so I just have to go with it, 

The package you sent for my birthday should come at the conference of the zone which will be in a few weeks. It's probably here, but I won't get it until then. Other then that, not much has happened that is interesting. Hope you have a good week.

Love,

Elder Gillies

Elder Gillies & Elder Montano with Investigator on 12/30/14

Chile Sunset