Back up and running

After a large part of the week in bed we are back up and running, well I´m back up- Elder Marín never had any problems.

Last Monday, as I noted, I went to a doctors and with my headache it became very difficult to communicate and he had to repeat his questions several times before I could interpret the significance of the question. However after two shoots, receiving a prescription for several different medicines, and lots of rest the amazing body overcomes the bacterias. :)

Tuesday we had a Zone Conference with President Bruce and Elder/Doctor Welch, the area doctor for the Chile missions, speaking about maintaining health, (I know now) and President speaking about contacting. The two zones from Arica came down as well bringing Elder Parker (MTC companion) wonderful to speak with him again.

While speaking with my family Mother´s day I realized nobody really know much about Pozo Almonte because when I cam here and described what is here I really had no idea about the town, so now that I know a lot more let me describe: 

     Pozo Almonte sits about one hour East from Alto Hospicio, where the next closest missionaries live, and about four hours south from Arica. It is flat as a pancake, the biggest change in elevation is from the street to the sidewalk. Natural green does not exist, pretty sure cactus would be thirsty. Weather it is winter here in Chile and for being the driest desert in the world the temperature at night drops amazingly low, and the wind comes ripping through the town taking any of the heat you had around your body away into the dead dry desert. (Kind of like Idaho in the winter with the wind [However not quite that cold]) I learned to carry a jacket in my backpack, and carry until evening because during the day the sun pounds down and it feels like summer and an ice cream treat would seem perfect. With all of this one might ask, ¨why would anyone begin to build there? or even in general in the north of Chile, there´s no water? the answer: Mines. From what I understand the main ore is copper, however others such as gold and silver exist. About 89% of the people in Pozo Almonte work in the mine working 12 hours a day for 7 days and then having 7 days off. That is the most common work here.

Well that´s all for now.

Have a Wonderful day- because you can choose to.

Elder James O. Gillespie