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 

Elder Amezquita Two Years is Over

So I took my companion to Vina today so he can go home.  It was hard to say good-bye. He is the companion I have been with the longest. I am now with Elder Isabelle from Mexico for two days and then transfers will be Wednesday. I still don't know what will happen. I have been here a really long time, but I don't know that they will sent both me and my companion out of the area.  So I will probably be here for six more weeks. This last week was long. It felt like the time of three transfers put together. So, if I had a choice, I wouldn't want to be with another missionary that finishes his mission. It wasn't too fun of a week, but we had a good time together before that, and he helped me lot with my Spanish. I still don't speak well, but I got a lot better. 

This week we had six people come to church. I think for some of the reason it was to say good-bye to my companion, but what ever starts the seed I guess. This week we found a less active lady. She has been going through a lot. She has been robbed six times in the last year. It was like the perfect time for us to come. It is funny how it all worked out to tell you the truth. It's cool how the Lord works. She has had a rough time, and she kept calling us the angels that the Lord sent, so that made me feel pretty good. Then yesterday we had to go to Vina for Elder Amezquita's last interview. It was interesting. We ate lunch at like four or five in the afternoon.

Sounds like you had a busy week with everyone there. I bet that was fun. Every Monday I forget what I am going to say. Oh yeah, yesterday we had a meeting with the leaders of the ward and our leader, Brother Missinal was worried about no baptisms, but the bishop was cool. He and the Elder's Quorums leader said, "We have four excellent missionaries here. Sometimes the hearts of the people change." Other than that, I don't really know what else happened. This week was kind of a blur.

Oh, I forgot to tell you that when we went to the Mission President's house yesterday, we walked in and his wife is wearing a Bart Simpson's apron. I never thought I would see that for a Mission Presidents wife.  But they are Chilean, so it made me laugh.  Have a good week.

Love,

Elder Gillies

Last Week with Elder Amezquita

That was good to see almost everyone in the photo.  You were  missing Dallas, but that was good to see everyone.  Glad Peyton's blessing went good. Sorry if you can't understand this email.  The keys aren't working very good on this computer. 

So last p-day we went to Quintero. That was fun. I took some pictures that I will send to you. Now  today we are going to go to Vina to get the plaque for my companion. This is my last week with him. So I will get a new comp this next week for sure. The question is if I will stay here or get transferred. I have been here for almost eight months.

Can you do me  a favor.  A member wants to know how to make cinnamon rolls and the trial mix you make at Christmas. Can you please send me those two recipes in next week letter if you have time. If not, it's fine. There was an activity of dancing in the church this week. We couldn't dance, but it was still pretty funny to watch. The guy with the microphone was good. There are some sisters in the ward that are pregnant so he wanted to get everyone to dance.  He said, "If you are pregnant get out there and dance too! There is no excuse. It's not a sickness, but a blessing from God." It was super funny. He made comments like that the whole night, so I was laughing pretty hard.  It was fun.

No one is really progressing at this moment. We had a few come to church, but they are not that interested. I was also going to ask Bryan if he works with someone that knows what I could do with my stomach problem. Like if I could eat something that would help because I am still having problems.

We had exchanges this week.  Then a lady saw some stuff about polygamy on the TV and she said she was ashamed that our church did that.  She said, "How could she face her friends?" I about said, "I am ashamed of you for thinking that." We haven't got any more rain for their crops, so for the summer everything is going to be really expensive or they aren't going to have it. We will see what happens. So we have got to head out to Vina.

Love,

Elder Gillies

Quintero - 7/12/15

Wall in Quintero - 7/12/15

Wall in Quintero - 7/12/15

Interviews with President DIaz

This week there was more rain on Sunday and half the ward showed up and when I mean half, it was 76 people and usually it's like 150. So that was bad. I guess the people at church are the ones with the testimonies that are a little stronger, but we can all work on something. I don't know, the last couple of weeks have been a little harder to teach and find people. With the new mission president, I like him a lot.  He teaches a lot different from President Kahnlein. He teaches more like a seminary teacher, and there is a lot of participation. President Diaz had to do all the interviews too, but he leaves some stuff up to us and I like that. I don't feel like I am in the military anyone. It's more like being a missionary and I like that a lot.

That is fun that everyone is coming up for Peyton's blessing. Hopefully the guys do good in the 3-d archery shoot. That sounds fun. I don't have any muscle anymore because you don't really use your arms, so I don't think I could even pull a bow back right now.

I have just a few weeks left with my companion before he goes home.  It will be interesting. I  have never been with a companion who has ended the mission, so I am interested in how it will end. With the changes, I have been here quite a while, but with the new president and all, we will see what happens. If I had to stay in an area this long, I am glad it's in Con Con.

Sounds like that was fun to take the youth to the temple for baptisms for the dead.  I can't believe all those kids are twelve years old now.  At least now the ward has some deacons again. That will be good so they can pass the sacrament. I had to do that yesterday in our ward since there were just a few people at church. Our investigators....well, I don't know. We have a few that we are teaching, but I don't know if we are fulfilling all their needs or if they are just afraid to commit or what. Other then that, not much happened this week. Have a good week.  

Love,

Elder Gillies

President Diaz Takes Over

Wow, it was good to hear about all the kids from Lyman going on their missions. That is crazy. There should also be a whole heap of them coming home of the kids in the grade before me. So the Cup of America ended and Chile won.  It is the first time they have ever won anything, so it was crazy.  I can't imagine how it was in Valisapro or Santiago.  In Con Con, it was like crazy, but it was fun. The game went in overtime and then there was a penalty. Then Chile beat Argentina, so that is always good to beat them.

I think my mission will be a little different with President Diaz.  He is a lot more relaxed so I am super happy about that.  Now we just have to get the zone leaders to relax. President Diaz was going to let us have activities in the zone every change and then he changed his mind after the zone leaders said a bunch of stuff. I was kinda ticked, but its o.k.  He did change some of the rules, so that was good. Then Sunday we had about 110 people attend church.  It has never been that low, since I got here,  I guess everyone was partying from the world cup win and couldn't make it to church. Then we did a fast for Chile because they needed the rain so bad.  Before we even left the church, it started to rain.  It was cool to see the mercy of the Lord. It just shows you how powerful fasting is.

I hope Tate and Brady have a Happy Birthday this week. I will have a zone conference with President Diaz so it should be good. I am excited to see him and meet him. I think he will teach more like a seminary teacher, so I am ready to learn a lot from him during this year. 

That is cool about the Cody rodeo and the bears you saw in Yellowstone.  Sounds like Mark saw elk too, so that was fun.  The only thing I have seen lately is sea lions. Other then that, it is dogs and cats. I don't want to see any more dogs! There are dogs everywhere. It was weird yesterday when it was raining. It didn't have that fresh rain smell. It had the wet dog smell!  We are still looking for investigators. What happened to Elder Packer?  I heard he passed away yesterday. We asked the bishop what we could do about the cousin thing of the couple that we are teaching. He said there was no law against it in Chile, but he had never actually heard of a case of it. I was surprised, but he just kept saying it was weird and we are like, we know! It wasn't too bad of a week this week. I hope you have a good week.

Love,

Elder Gillies

Chile wins the World Cup - 7/4/15

Elder Amezquita & Elder Gillies

Hats - 7/5/15

Let the Games Begin - 6/29/15

Pilot Gillies - 7/5/15