Six months this week

and it flies by. 

Today for a muilt-zone activity we played soccer in a full field. Starting with the Zone Iquique vs. Zone Alto Hospicio, minus a few from our zone playing for Iquique because we have more missionaries, with Elder Gillespie playing in the Goal, and I impressed myself with how well I did. I blocked a lot of shots. However in the second have of the game after we switched sides I don´t know what happened I couldn´t stop a thing. 

     So as a conclusion as to what happened, I became prideful the first half with my abilities to block the ball, and the need of humility became necessary. 

Anyways that´s my short story to stay humble. 

Have a Wonderful day- Because you can choose to

     Elder Gillespie

Cool Story 04/23/12

Entering week 5

     This last Wednesday I worked with Elder Sorenson, my Zone Leader in his sector, Los Condores, and Thursday morning we went to a members home to help them paint an empanadad stand. As we spoke about Hno. Eduardo Rutia he informed us that an Hna. Anderson baptized them in Santiago in 1980. Now many of you know the Heiss family, and if you don´t, I´m sorry, and for those who do probably not so many of you know that Sis. Heiss served a mission in North Chile 1979-80, which this mission ranged form Santiago to Arica. (it is a good 30+ bus ride) So after a few more questions we concluded that is definitely the same Hna. Anderson Heiss who I know. So to Sis. Heiss, The family Rutia is doing really well, they have attended the temple and are still serving actively in the church living in Alto Hospicio. 

     Now to make things even more awesome, and to recognize the hand of the Lord in all things. 

Originally the plan was to do the exchange on Tuesday, however because of different appointments we decided to do it on Wednesday returning to our proper sectors Thursday morning early. However because of rides and taxis things worked out for travels in Thursday midday. So it ended up that I would be going to this appointment. To top everything all off, that morning Elder Sorenson and I spoke about family and friends who have served missions and where and when and only because of that I looked in my book of random things to remember to see when Sis. Heiss served and her maiden name. Otherwise I would not have remembered. 

So remember the Lord knows what´s going on and He will take you where you need to go. This family was so happy to hear of the missionary who baptized them. 

and that´s my story

Have a Wonderful day- Because you can choose to.

     Elder James O. Gillespie

Elder Gillespie Letter 04/16/12

What a week, starting out with a companion exchange. 

I worked in Alto Hospicio, the closest city to Pozo Almonte with missionaries, with Elder Howard on Monday, who has less time than I here in Chile so we had a lot of fun teaching, and about at 8 all the lights cut out in all of Alto Hospicio and in Iquique (down the hill and a big city) so we finished for the night. Tuesday I worked with the other district leader of our zone Elder Pulispher. As my district leader, Elder Deck, was with Elder Rojas in Pozo. That was the start of the adventures of this week. 

      So we have a couple people with baptismal dates, Hernan and Christan, father and son, their wife and mother, Rosa Elvida is a member and Hernan has come a long ways stopping drinking and smoking so we are looking for the 12th of May. However as well with Christan looking for work and most of the jobs here are 7 por 7 meaning you work 7 days and then have 7 days off we will have to see what we finds. 

     Also Elizabeth, she more found us than we found her. Hna. Claudia a member from Peru is good friends with Elizabeth and invited her to come have a lesson and so Elder Deck and Elder Rojas taught her in Hna. Claudia´s house. Which from what I understood it went very well, and then she came to our English Class which we had for the first time this week. Saturday´s at 7:00 in the chapel. (Everyone is invited [and I´ve gained a lot of respect for teachers teaching different languages]) Then she came to all three hours of church. Hope things will keep working out with her. 

     So a few new things this week. First the class of English 6 people came and we practiced introducing ourselves to one another. I had such a blast teaching. 

I also gave a talk this Sunday, speaking about charity and service how they go hand in hand. It was a little rough- I practiced before however when I got up there on the stand stage fright just got me. However afterwords there is good news. Asking a few members they said they at least understood what I was saying. (Which reminds me, a investigator we taught mentioned to me that right now I have a gift and a curse because I struggle speaking Spanish it makes people focus more on what I´m saying because they have to listen more intently to understand [So I guess the point is...it is ok to struggle in languages]) As I asked people if they understood I learned who really focused in church and who didn´t. 

Right after sacrament meeting ended up needing a Gospel Principles class, so I taught it, again had such a blast things went so much smoother than in my talk which is crazy how sometimes we wing things better than we prepare. I had a lot of fun teaching classes and look forward to it in the future. 

Well thank you for all

Have a Wonderful day- Because you can choose to

     Elder James O. Gillespie

Easter Email

Happy after Easter! 

Hope you enjoyed the season and didn´t eat to much chocolate. 

Fall has come and it is surprisingly cold for being in the driest desert in the world, lots of wind which also when it picks up the sand and throws it into your face it can blind you for a moment.

We had a strong turn up this week to church, the most people I´ve seen in the chapel, a good 45 people. 

Easter came at me pretty rapiddly however, learned more about the Atonement and how the Lord really has felt everything, form a tooth ache to someone lying to you. He will stand with us at all times. 

I like these

D. y C. 76: 22, 41-42

Have a Wonderful day- Because you can Choose to

Elder Gillespie

General Conference

The time difference between Chile and Utah is 5 hours so conference started at 1:00. To listen to the words of the prophets in Spanish helped me to realize how little I really know, and I´m excited to receive the Liahona next month in English. 

The start of this week I worked with Elder Mikesell in the ward Lynch (I think that´s how it´s spelled) as we waited for our companions to arrive. He and I have the same amount of time in the mission so we had a blast talking to people, and I was grateful as how great his Spanish is. 

Elder Rojas arrived Tuesday morning, and we went to work. It has been an interesting feeling to know where the people live and their names and my companion not knowing. However we are doing great- I´ve practiced Spanish a lot more this week as Elder Rojas doesn´t know any English and Elder Hewstone does. (I didn´t realize how much we talked in English,(a lot)) 

Elder Rojas comes from Paraguay has 6 months in the mission in total. He is just a little shorter than I am- which means that he is a lot taller than most of the people in Chile. 

Well sleep is a treat enjoy it throughly

Thank you Mom for keeping the blog updated

Thank you all for your prayers, testimonies, and scripture study (which we´re all doing right? Right =) )

Hope you enjoyed conference

and last of all

Have a Wonderful day - Because you can choose to =)

Elder James O. Gillespie 

5 months already whoa.

Time is flying, and it is transfers this week. I´m staying in Pozo Almonte and Elder Hewstone is taking off to Antofagasta. I will be with Elder Rojas, who I don´t know but he´ll be here tomorrow morning. We also have a new Zone Leader, Elder Harding, who was my Zone Leader in Arica and it was fantastic to see him again, and I have a lot of animo to work with him again. 

     We had a baptism yesterday, Sebastian, 9 years old baptized by his older brother Nicolas, who was just barely ordained as a Priest. We had a nice turn up of people and ate cake afterwords. However before the baptism we had to prepare the font and so on Saturday Elder Hewstone and I went to open and fill the font and create the program. We tried our key to open and it didn´t work...we tried all the keys in the office (about 40) and none worked. Lame. So we prayed that we would be able to open this door, so we open the font from the other side, where people watch, (that side doesn´t have/need a key) and I slip in. Now also this door is locked with handle and deadbolt. From the inside you can just twist the handle and the handle unlocks but the deadbolt is keyed on both sides however the inside cover is gone. After several minutes of playing with it and using a pen to poke at different parts, I figured out how to unlock the door. it was good

Well got to run

Have a Wonderful day- because you can choose too. 

Elder James O. Gillespie