Didn't Get Transferred

So who is Coach Lueck still coaching the boy's basketball and is Coach Bradshaw still coaching the JV boys with Coach Hill the freshman coach. I did not get transferred and I still have the same companion, so not much has changed. I will be here for six more weeks and then I will have to see what happens after that. I don't think I will stay here another transfer, but you never know. I will be here in Salmanca all summer. It is one of the hottest areas in the mission, but it's ok. This week I have zone conference and then a mission thing on Wednesday, so we will be on the bus traveling a lot this week. Then yesterday I gave a talk in sacrament meeting. I prepared a little on Saturday night. The first speaker I thought would talk longer, but he left me twenty minutes, but I made the twenty minutes. The second counselor conducted for the first time, until he had a little melt down and then I had to finish it up for him. However, he did a little bit, so that was nice. We have been busy with audits and all of that stuff. I can't wait to get that over with. So next month I will get my wish. I will be able to see an apostle. All of the presidency of the wards and branches get to go to a meeting in Vina on February 20th to see Elder Bednar. So that is pretty exciting! He is probably going to have to straighten us all out, but it will be cool to see him. I will be one of the few missionaries that gets to go to this, so I am pretty excited.

Is Utah ranked or not? That is good about the Patriots. They better beat Denver. Sorry Kylie!

We are finding people to teach, but it's hard getting them to come to church. We had an activity this week in the branch and it was like a singing thing. One sister came all dressed up and danced and the whole works. It was pretty funny.

So do you think that I will draw out for moose this year? Or do you think it will be one more year, because I have ten points now or is it only nine? That would be nice to draw out. Oh, yeah, I wanted to ask if you know if Laramie has guitar classes? Also could you please send me the recipe for the cinnamon rolls and frosting. Other then that, not much has happened, Have a good week.

Love, 

Elder Gillies

Transfers on Wednesday

Bishop Huntsman was in as bishop for 4 1/2 years.  It sure didn't feel like that long. They basically took almost all my young men's leaders that I had when I left and put them in the bishopric. That is cool. That will be interesting when I get home. That is cool that the Chiefs won.  That would be cool if they won a super bowl.  I hope Clemson wins too.  I don't want Alabama to win.  

I had taught Ilamilett since I got to this area. She has heard the  discussions for a year, and we were the missionaries that took our time and didn't pressure her like the missionaries had in the past. So she got baptized.  With Nicole, her mom and sister are members but her dad is not.  However Nicole's parents are separated now. I don't know how the dad is. I have never met him, but it's better that they are separated. He didn't sound like a good guy when he would start to drink. 

This week we found a lot of new people and that was really cool. I will know about transfers tomorrow. To be honest, I really don't know if I will get transferred or not. I would like to go to another sector, but take three families from here with me, but we will just have to see. This could be the last time I change sectors. I still don't like the stress of transfers after all this time. The waiting and wondering if you are staying or going is hard.

That is good about the basement getting finished. That will be nice when everyone comes home. Now you guys won't get kicked out in the garage, and I can still have a bed. We are having a lot of activities to try to get the branch going and they are working really well. Almost every day we have something going on in the church. Today we asked some people to let us use their bikes, so we are going to see what we can go find this week. I learned a lot in the scriptures and in the conference talks, so that was really cool. This month we should have a seventy come, but we will have to see. Did you go to the wedding reception of Hazen Dickerson? Did he meet her down at UW or what. You asked about the Cokeville Miracle movie that we watched on New Years. The movie was in English with subtitles in Spanish. It was a good movie. The intestines that I ate weren't that bad. They just needed a little ranch dressing! Ranch dressing makes everything better. Other then that, not much has happened. Have a great week.

Love,

Elder Gillies

Nicole & Ilamilett's Baptisms

So Bishop Huntsman is getting released?  Let me know who the new bishop is. Bishop Huntsman wasn't in there very long was he? This week was great. We had both the baptisms and the confirmations without any problems. The baptismal font worked and everything. I think it was first time in the history that everything worked out. It was an emotional weekend for these two families. They have both waited a really long time for this day. I got to baptize them both so that was really cool. This week we were the only missionaries who baptized in the mission, so that was a shock. Yesterday we went out to Chanlinga and we got in a house about ready to teach.  We thought we found two new people. But then the guy kicked us out of his house. I have never been kicked out like that before. It was weird.  Other than that, it was a good week.
  
I hope Clemson wins. I don't want Alabama to win. 

This week was the new year. We got to eat dinner with a family. I ate some intestine that they had. It wasn't too bad. Then we were waiting for the fireworks at midnight. They didn't start, so we kept waiting.  Then we finally gave up and went to bed. Then when we laid down, they finally started. It was a crazy night. Then the next day President Diaz let us have another activity. I was so surprised. It was so fun. We got to watch the Cokeville Miracle movie. It was interesting. I was the only one who knew the story. It was cool to see parts of Wyoming and all that. 

You will have to send the pictures of the basement when it is finished. Also do you know when BYU starts and when you have to have the papers filled out? It's not for me, but for my companion.  Also President Diaz gave us permission to use bikes here, so we just have to find some. Transfers are next week, so we will see what happens whether I stay again or if I go. It should be interesting. How was your New Years holiday? Other then that, not much else happened. Have a good week.

Love,

Elder Gillies

Ilamilett's Baptism with Me and Elder Viana
January 2, 2016

Nicole's Baptism
January 2, 2016

Nicole's - 11 years old

Christmas in Salamanca, Chile

Okay, so when the basement gets down you will have to send some pictures of it. Everything should be good with the baptisms. They are both getting baptized this Saturday. One at 5 and one at seven. That is good that you could go down to Riverton and hear Elder Hansen talk. That is really cool. The time on the skype call went by so fast! Time has never gone faster, but it was good to see you. The next skype call will be better. The connection in Salamanca isn't a good connection. I forgot if my American degree got to you guys or not. You asked about the package for my birthday. I would rather just have the money in saving for after. Don't sent the package, unless you have already sent it, but if you haven't don't worry, I don't need anything. I think Nicole and the llamilett are getting excited for their baptisms. That should be really good. I am excited for them. It should be a really good day. On Christmas, after the skype call, we went singing at the hospital, and then we sang in the town square. It was nuts, but a girl said that it was the best Christmas she ever had and that was even with me singing! So that is good.  My comp is teaching me how to play the guitar too so I know a few notes.

The ladies that you saw on skype, one is going to be baptized. The little dark girl, that was Nicole. Then her mom, Alejandra, and Camila and Kenita. They are fun. It was a good time . So we got the branch activity over with. It was really fun and good to be over with . We had 62 people come to church yesterday, so that was cool. Then yesterday, I had to do the tithing and say if people were full tithe payers or not. It was really long. Good thing it's only a branch! There was still like 400 names. Other then that, it was good to see you on skype.  Have a good week and a good new year.

Love,

Elder Gillies

Christmas Day with Santa & Elder Viana

12/25/15

Branch Activity

So I am glad that you went out for your anniversary. Sounds like fun and sounds like Utah about gave it up, but at least they won, so that is good. I will try to call you about 4:30 or 5:00 here, but it will probably be a crazy day so just be patient, I will call you. Thanks for sending the pictures. The thing is no one knows where Wyoming is at. They think of Miami, so I thought I would show them pictures to show them what it looks like there.

This week was nuts with everything. I gave interviews yesterday and all I did was run around like a crazy man. But it's all good. A member asked if he could go inactive for a little bit, then come back. I didn't know what to think about that. It's a good thing he didn't ask me. He wouldn't have liked my answer. Tomorrow we have the activity for the zone, so that will be really fun. Ilamilett should get baptized this week, if everything goes good. After Christmas, everything should calm down a little bit. I am excited to talk to you guys.

Yesterday we get a call at 9:30 saying that a sister that lives out of town didn't make it home from church yet and it had been over eight hours. We were at a devotional at the church. This morning she called us and everything was ok. No idea where she went, but it was kinda of a scary moment. The thing is, she is nuts and that isn't a joke. I didn't know what to expect, when I got that  call.

So on our p-day, my comp is teaching me how to play the guitar a little bit, so maybe I will be able to play the one that I made a little. I can almost play "Nearer My God to Thee," but it's a little rough, but good. The mission will probably have pictures of a concert they did in Vina if you want to see that on the mission website. We couldn't go, so you might see it before i get to. They said the first night 400 people showed up and it was a three night thing, so sounded like it was a lot of success. Tell Grandpa Gillies Happy Birthday this week. I hope you have a good week.  Talk to you this Friday.

Love,

Elder Gillies

Elder Viana and I  - 12/20/15

Branch Activity - 12/20/15

Just Trying to Hold Things Together

So first thing, Happy Anniversary! Hopefully you get to do something fun. Can you do me a favor? Can you send a picture of us in front of the San Diego temple, and one in Yellowstone that you guys took in the summer in the mountains. If you can send them by email, then I can print then off here. Thanks a ton. About the call on Christmas, I don't know what time yet. I don't even know how many hours that I am ahead of you. Also, next week if you don't get the email on Monday, you will get it on Tuesday, so don't worry. P-day might be changed next week, but i still don't know.

This week was good. We are finding a lot of new people to teach, so that is good. Now they just need to come to church. They are good people. With the mom of llamilett, the dad went to hit her and she finally defended herself. Then the next day he came to church. So that is good that, she defended herself. I think that llamilett might break up with her boyfriend, so maybe we can baptize her.  She just needs to get baptized.  The with Rita, we hit a breaking point with her.  She is an older lady that doesn't like to change, but I don't know. We are going to have to see. The guy who had a stroke that we gave the blessing to is not doing good.

The president of the branch is leaving again this week,  so we have the activity of the branch to do, and we might have a funeral to do when he is gone, so that will be interesting. We talked some with the branch president,  but i feel like we went backwards. The sad thing is, the branch can never progress if the president is only here five days out of two weeks. He works in Antofagasta, 18 hours in the north, so it is hard. It has been a good learning experience for me, but a whole lot of stress too. We are organizing more activities, but we will see who shows up. This week I have to talk in church,so we will see how that goes. Other then that, have a good week.

Love,

Elder Gillies

New Companion from Brazil - Elder Viana

So I got some news that the MTC changed that all missionaries are going back to the MTC for three weeks instead of two.  So that changes our release dates. So that means that I will have two more weeks in the mission. My release date will be now be June 1st instead of May 18.  So I just wanted to let you know.

This week I was in Los Vilos again. I saw a lot of people, so that was really cool. Elder Hansen went home to Utah. My new comp is from Brazil. His name is Elder Viana. He has 14 months in the mission. He works really hard, so there shouldn't be any problems. This month is going to be a little stressful. I feel like the president of the branch hasn't been here forever, so it just makes it hard and since I just got a new companion, I feel like everything is on me to do everything, at least for a few weeks until my companion learns how to do everything in the branch.

This week we gave a guy who had a stroke a blessing. I don't know how he is doing now ,but it was like 9:30 at night when they called us. It has been a long time since I have been in a hospital, so that was really weird. It is getting really, really hot here.

It sounds like you had a crazy week with everything, but sounds like it was a good one. Utah better win. They can't lose to BYU. That would be embarrassing!  How is the Utah basketball team doing? Other then that, I really don't have much to say. You should start making a list of questions for the Christmas call in a few weeks. Hope you have a good week.

Love,

Elder Gillies

11/28/15

11/29/15 - Santa's Reindeers