New Companion - Elder Jensen from Canada

Thanks for putting the money in my account.  Can you ask Bishop Bradshaw what he wants me to talk on for my homecoming talk. If I can choose, I would like to talk on the Atonement of Christ. What time does everyone get out of church on Sunday on Mother's Day so that I can know how we need to do the Skype call. Tell Kylie Happy Birthday this week. I don't know if you got my flight plans yet.  However, I will leave Tuesday, May 29th at 8:40 p.m. at night and get to Georgia at 5:31 a.m. in the morning. Then I leave from there at 8:25 a.m. and get into Salt Lake at 10:29  on Wednesday, June 1. That would be good news if I drew out for moose. Hopefully you know when we Skype.

This week I gave a talk in sacrament meeting. We got a new mission leader. He should do really well so that is exciting. I did get a new companion on transfers last Wednesday. I went to Vina all that day, and we got back to our apartment at like three in the morning. I am still trying to recover!  My companion is good. He has been out 16 months. His name is Elder Jensen and he is from Canada. He is a lot like me. He likes to hunt, snowboard, and all that stuff. He is a little more quiet, but he is a good kid. It should be a good change.

So this week Gloria attended church, so that was cool. She needs two more Sundays in and she should be good to get baptized on the 8th of May. Yesterday a miracle happened. The night before a member asked if I had some goals to finish before I returned home. I said one goal was to baptize a man, because I have baptized all women. Sunday the bishop calls us into his office and says, "Elder, this man wants to be baptized, but the only thing is they need to get married." That will take some time, so I am praying that we can get them married before May ends. That would be really cool.

That is good that Melissa got the new house. That is exciting for her. I met someone related to Jarvis Koeven. I was just talking to a missionary and he asked where I was from. I am like Lyman Wyoming. He said, "Do you know Jarvis Koeven? He is my uncle." So, small world. Other them that, things are good. Have a good week.

Love,

Elder Gillies

Transfer Week - My Last One!

So with the money, I don't need a lot. Just enough for emergencies. I don't think I will buy much more, just a few little things.  About my flight plans, I will get the papers to have my goals and all that this week or next week, but with my flight plans, I think you will know before I do. You will probably get them in three more weeks to tell you the truth, but I am not sure.

This week was good. We were able to set up two baptismal dates. One fell through yesterday because the lady got sick and couldn't come to church, but hopefully she can come to church this week. If they don't start coming to church, they wouldn't be baptized in time for me to see it. I was told that two people that I was teaching in Salamanca got baptized, so that was really cool to hear that they are doing good. I have been emailing Lance. He said his mission president might give him permission to come to the temple with me my last day in Chile, but with the changes, we will know tomorrow. My companion has been here for a really long time in this area. If I had a choice, I would have him stay and just finish the mission with him, but we will find out at transfers tomorrow. So next week I will fill you in on that. We are going to get a new mission leader this week, so that bummed me out. I really liked the other one. He is one of the best people in the ward. Today I will be with my companion and another missionary. His companion is going home after one transfer. He is a convert and couldn't handle it, so he is going home which is sad.

That is cool about the Red Sox. Hopefully they do better this year. Oh yeah, I got a really good compliment yesterday. We had an activity on Friday. We had the spiritual part and a member brought a friend. The member said the things I said really touched her, and she could remember that from the activity. So that made me feel really good. The ward, if it's not careful, will be made a branch. There are no elders. The men need to start coming to church. 

Yesterday I ate one of the biggest lunches I have ever had. I started with a plate of rice, eggs and potatoes. Then they brought out a sandwich that was as big as my hand. Then dessert!  I finished it, but it was a challenge! That was my week. Have a good week. Thanks for everything.

Love,

Elder Gillies

Planning Ward Activity

Today we played basketball for about fifteen minutes after playing soccer for p-day.  The Latins don't have a clue what they are doing with basketball, so we didn't play too long. Tell Mark Happy Birthday this week.  Can you please put a little bit of money on my card. This week was good. The girl that was baptized is named Tiare. She is good, and yes it was her grandpa that baptized her. So today, like I said, we went and played soccer. It's all right. I just run and try to steal it and get some lucky goals. This week I had one of the weirdest lessons in my life. We have a member here who doesn't do anything all day but read. So we visit him a lot, but after this appointment we are never going to visit him again. He was talking about all this apostate stuff in the lesson.  The first time we met him, he wouldn't let us talk and them criticized us after the lesson. He is weird, but I don't know. I guess this isn't the first time that this has happened with other missionaries. 

This week we are going to have an activity with the ward and tonight we are having a family home evening and make sushi. Alicia, the lady we baptized finally got confirmed yesterday. Thank goodness! After like six weeks after her baptism, she finaly got confirmed. 

That is cool that North Carolina lost. Now I don't have to take crap from Travis the whole year! The Lord answers prayers. Ha ha!  This week was a good week. We were able to find a few new families to teach. This is the last week of transfers.   Next Wednesday we will go to Vina or stay here, depending on transfers. I will be in my last transfer this change. It has been really weird with this eight weeks in this transfer, instead of 6. It has been a good change with everything that has gone on. It's a big area and all that, so that is always nice. The house is basically like the same house that I lived in in Los Vilos except the stairs are in the middle of the bottom so you always have to duck your head. I don't know who was the genius that had that idea to put them there. I would never buy that house. That is cool about Mark getting the job in Baggs. That is good that he will get paid more than the Mountain view and Evanston jobs.  Good luck Mark with coaching football. I got my hair cut today. I really needed it. It was getting long. Is Jessica Kunzler pregnant? I didn't know Nathan Jaggi was getting married, so that is good for them. Does Ryan Niederer have a girlfriend? Other then that, that was my week. Have a good week.

Love you.

Elder Gillies

Baptism

O.K. so conference was good. I don't know if President Monson will be there the next time, but my favorite talk was Elder Nelson in the priesthood session. I got to watch conference in English. That was really nice. It was good. It seemed like they talked a lot about the family. The other missionaries were giving me and two other missionaries crap about that,like this one is for you and all that, but it was good. I really enjoyed the weekend of conference. 

This week was really weird. My companion got sick. One day was spent taking him to get shots. Then the baptism was the Friday with General Conference on Saturday and Sunday.  The week went by really fast. Today we went and played soccer in the stake. It was really fun. It was eight of the missionaries, so we were there for a few hours. I hope Mark gets the job in Baggs. Tell Dallas Happy Birthday this week. That is funny about Molly. So spring break is over I am assuming. When are the kids going to get out of school?  

The baptism was good. The mom basically got up in her talk and told her son-in-law that he needs to get baptized too in order to complete his family. It was really funny. I was looking at him and looking at her to see what he would do, but it was a really good experience. We went to visit one of the people that needs to get married. I don't know what they are going to do with their lives. She knows more about the church than he does, and she isn't the member. 

What cuts are you going to have to make this year at the school?  Who do you think is going to win? I hope Villanova. I  don't want to get crap from Travis with Golden State!  Ha ha!  Is anyone going to be able to stop them this year or are they just going to roll over people? Is there still snow up there or is it warming up a little bit? Here, it rains one day, then the next day is sunny, then rain again. It's really weird. We don't really know if we need to leave with a jacket or not. That is sad about Randy Hillstead's son. I was in meetings all week so not much happened. I really enjoyed the conference. Hope you have a good week.

Love,

Elder Gillies

La Serena - 3/28/16

Baptism - 4/1/16

Upcoming Baptism

So the baptism that we will have is all good. It will be this Friday, so we are excited. The other lady that we baptized still hasn't received the Holy Ghost with all the conferences and everything. So that isn't good. Yesterday we had an activity on family history. It was really fun. There were a lot of people that came out for it and everything, so that was really fun.

Tell mark sorry that he didn't get the job and sounds like you are having a good week in St. George with Melissa and Dallas.

We taught a lady that we contacted last week. She has had a really hard life, so hopefully she will progress because the gospel can really help her out. She doesn't want to go to church is the only thing. Tell Grandpa and Grandma Gillies thanks for the money. I don't know if Elder Viana ordered that stuff on Dessert Book on purpose or not, but it he did, he is going to get a lot of stuff for free. If he did, that stinks because we were companions. He couldn't even come out and tell the truth.

This week was good with Easter. We have a lot of people left to teach that just need to get married.  No one is getting married, yet I have always been better at breaking marriages up, then marrying them. But with these families, I can't do that cause they all have kids and everything. It's just their culture that they are lazy, because it's the same thing they are doing now, it's just with the Lord's blessing that could be helping them if they were married and could have the gospel in their lives.

This week I swear all the missionaries were getting sick. With President Kienlien, everyone went out to work basically no matter what and now with President Diaz, he lets us choose if we go when we are sick. It's fine, but I hope the missionaries don't abuse.

That will be nice when everything is done with the basement when everyone comes up. Yes, I am pretty sure I finally got my birthday package. I must have forgotten to tell you that I got it. I am excited for general conference this week. Hopefully I can see it in English. It's just a lot better to hear the real voices of the speakers, then to hear the interpreters. This week we have a lot of stuff to do, o it will go by really quick. I taught English to a member and the bishop. I think it was more of a comedy show, then English class, but it was fun. I hope they leaned something, but I had a good week. It sue went by really fast. Hope you have a great week.

Love,

Elder Gillies

Conference with President Diaz

So Happy Anniversary Melissa and Dallas. Hope you had a good Anniversary. Tell Grandma Gillies Happy Birthday. I hope you have a good birthday this week too, Mom. That is not good that Utah is out so fast. Oh well.

So last week I called my old companion Elder Viana about my debit card to see if he had used my card. He said no. So I honestly dont know what to think becuase the thing is the bill for $116.00 from Deseret Book has his name. So I guess he just will get all that stuff for free and I will pay the $116.00. If someone stole my card, why would they spend money on Deseret Book stuff!

I had a conference this week with President Diaz. It was really good. I learned a lot from him. We walked to the stake center from our house at 7 in the morning to get there. It was at least 4 miles or a little more. It was fun, but I don't think I will ever do that again. 

It sounds like all the little nieces and nephews are growing up really fast. It will be another surprise for me on Mother's Day when we skype.

This week was good. The girl we have the baptism date for keeps moving it back so she will get baptized the first of April now. Yesterday we went to give a blessing. The guy gave us the directions where he lives, but my comp lost the paper so we had to contact every house along the way and finally we saw a guy standing outside so we could find the house and give his mom a blessing. I thought she was going to have her son give the blessing, but she is like, "I am mad at him!" and asked me to give the blessing. It was a really good experience. I had an interchange this week with a new elder from Mexico. He told me his conversion story. It was really interesting. He basically came to the church from the information on the pass along card. So that was cool because we always pass out those cards saying to go to the page of the church and it was nice to know that they work.  Yesterday we talked to a lady. She was very interesting. She was mad and didn't really want to talk to us because her son with down syndrome had died. We continued to talk to her and saw how she changed and she ended up crying. So we have an appointment with her this weekend, so it is going to be a really interesting lesson. This week was good. There are a lot of good people to teach and members too. I have been very blessed to have
this as my last sector. 

That is cool that you got to go golfing with Grandpa. Sounds like you had a busy week. I am glad evertyhing is going good. Have a great week and a Happy Birthday Mom.

Love,

Elder Gillies

Conference with Elder Nelson

That is crazy that Melissa had baby Tanner 3 weeks early.  About the $116.00 taken out of my debit account, well that was my old companion who spent the money. I didn't know how he did or if he even realized he used my account.  I really don't know but not sure what I can do about it because he already went home.  

This week was interesting. We taught one lesson and with one of the ladies. Her mom went in the back and went to get her weed plant out and showed us. We had a fifteen minute lesson about weed. It was honestly quite interesting. I think she loves the plant more then her kids. It was kinda sad.

This week we had a multi-stake conference, and we got to see Elder Nelson and a few other people talk. He talked in Spanish. He spoke very well. He had a English ascent, but talked well, It was really good. The people of Chile were the only ones to see it, so it was pretty good. On Sunday there was a Catholic lady and man. The lady doesn't have a clue. I was talking to her for a while and it was interesting. She was saying all this stuff that doesn't have anything to do with anything. I am like, "That isn't right. Where do you learn that?"  She is like, there is a series about this, and I am like, "You can't rely on that!" and she is like, "How do you know?" and I am like, "Because I have read the bible and I know it doesn't say what you are saying." So that was about it with her. We are getting close with a baptism in the next two weeks. The lady should get baptized.

That is cool that Utah made it that far. That is too bad that they didn't win, but at least they are going to the tournament. It sounds like you had a busy week with going to St. George. Did you get a golf game in? If you did, who won? Tell Gramps when I get back, I haven't played in two years, but I am ready to beat him. 

My time is going really quick here. This week I worked a little in another sector and the two nights I was there, there was music playing all night, so we didn't get much sleep. Then when I got back to my house, it was the same thing with the music playing. So I didn't get much sleep the last three days.  That is nuts about the cheerleaders taking state.  I hope you have a good week.

Love,

Elder Gillies