Transfers

Elder Jensen takes off to the South and I'm still here in Diego Portales- not a lot of change in the zone compared my last transfer in Alto Hospicio when everyone got a new companion- however I'm getting a new companion all I know is that he is Latino- when the assistants called I was sleeping and didn't remember much of what they told me. The good thing is that I will be practicing my Spanish a lot more again it is surprising how much I lost in a transfer, this makes what Preach My Gospel says about continuing to practice and master the languages you learn in your mission because it will serve you and the church in the future. Therefore to all you exmissionaries- (Jacob) don't stop practicing. 

     This past week we had the chance to work with Elder Harding and Elder Hall and they helped me realize more the importance of the message that we have- that we can't take no for an answer because if they don't accept this message here they can't make it to the Celestial Kingdom. Sometimes we lose the vision of the importance of what we have already and what we are suppose to do with it. We are here in the Kingdom of God on the earth already, and when we lose that vision, people perish. Whether it is ourselves or those around us- because of us. 

     Reading in the Conference talks I just read about a Scott who realizes this- and acts accordingly. 

Thank you for your examples, prayers, letters, wishes, and testimonies.

Have a Wonderful day- because it's your choice

     Elder James O. Gillespie

Time Just Keeps Flying

This past week we had a couple what we call sector attacks, and that is where all the missionaries in the zone come to one sector and work there for one morning to cover a lot of area in one day. We had the blessing that the zone attacked our sector, and through this we found several people new people that we will begin to teach more fully these up coming week. 

Transfers are coming up already and it has been the fastest transfer yet. Elder Jensen and I have definitely come a long ways both with our Spanish and our teachings. We have come to recognize the importance of the Book of Mormon and that we need to drink from it daily. 

Change of subject many people...okay 2...have been asking about how pouch mail works. This is what I understand. Write a letter send it to somewhere in Salt Lake and that in turn is sent to the Mission Office which is the address below (you can also send letters straight there) From there once a week the Office sends a package with all the letters and packages to the Zone Leaders and after district meeting generally is when the letters are given out.  So that´s how it goes in Chile Antofagasta mission. =) 

Hope everyone is enjoying their Summer. It´s Chilly in the evenings here with the wind but winter is Arica is quite nice. Elder Jensen loves it. 

Have a Wonderful day- Because you can choose to

     Elder James O. Gillespie

Elder Gillespie

Misión Chile Antofagasta

Casilla de Correo 70
Antofagasta, Chile

Happy Birthday Mom on Sunday

     Today we help take a old wall out and put a new wall in. I love remodeling.
     Last Monday we were walking to Lider to do our shopping and a boy on his bike called out to us saying, "¡Tio!" or in English "Uncle!" Why they call everyone that I don´t know, it´s a Chile thing. However I figured that not everyone calls us that so we stopped him and talked to Alfonso age 10 and asked him how he knows us. We create an appointment for the evening and stop by. Come to find out this family was Investigating the church a few months ago, and she has had all the lessons. Paola, her two daughters Alejandra,(7) Paola(5) and Alfonso. It was a loud house. So it took us a while to find this information out. So we set an appointment for later in the week.
     Thursday rolls around and President comes and we have mini zone conference, and then in the evening we have a fireside with him so we invite Paola and her family to come and she really enjoyed it and had the chance to talk with President Bruce one on one for a minute which is a good thing, because he is an inspired man, and can talk with people.
     We have high hopes for her and her family.

Our stake went to Bolivia to go to the temple this past week which is a 12 hour drive, great experience for those who got to go, the ward was just pretty quite until Saturday.

Sunday there was a ward baptism and the Spirit was amazing there.

The other picture is a truck from Uta, which is a little valley or town near Arica but when I tell people I´m from Utah, they think of Uta. The End

Have a Wonderful day- because you can choose to
     Elder James O. Gillespie

Oh and also included is a couple pictures from the Fourth of July. 

One more quick story. I dreamed that I was teaching and so in my sleep I sat up and woke up Elder Jensen and started teaching him and then I realized what time it was and I laid back down to sleep.

 

Happy 4th of July

Little late but still. As well happy wedding to Jen and Jared on the 7th. 

Love hearing about different engagements and missionaries heading out into the field. Everyone is growing up so much. Brings a tear to my eye. 

Exciting stories of the week: Google street view, 4th of July, and contacting

1 Google street views: You know when you go and Google maps you can put that little yellow man on the map and then drive around the cities. (if you don´t that´s okay I spent way to much time playing with it) Google right now is doing that here in Arica, Chile and the Google car has passed us twice: 1a) was a P-day and we were playing soccer at the church. and if you look past all the soccer players and sitting on the ground against the wall you can possibly see me. 1b) Elder Valle, my zone leader, and I should be standing on the corner and if we aren´t....lame. 

   1a) Simon Bolivar with Magallanes, Arica Chile  Dated 25th of June

   1b) San José with Livilcal, Arica Chile               Dated 4th of July

Anyways I imagine the photos aren´t up yet but those are the addresses and hopefully one day I will be famous in Google Maps. 

2 It was the 4th of July! We didn´t remember until lunch time, I began to write in my study journal and wrote the date again and realized what it said. So Elder Jensen and I searched out my American flag that a member gave me in Alborada my first cambio put it up on our wall in the living room. Then searched out his English hymn book and called all of the American gringos (We have one from Canada [Happy Canada on the 1st]) in the zone and sang "The Star Spangled Banner" and wished them a happy 4th of July. It boosted my spirit and attitude immensely. Proud to be an American. Elder Jensen and I sang all of American hymns in the hymn book together. During the entire day it seemed that everyone had shirts on from the states with the flag on it. =)

3 This past week Elder Jensen and I received many blessings with our contacts. Of all of the key indicators the one we normally have the biggest problem with is New Investigators. (Defined as someone who you teach a lesson for the first time and accept a date to come back and teach again) Just one of the harder key indicators to achieve, and Friday, we continue with our contacts and with some miracles we just keep getting let in doors. We had a hard time achieving the goal for our contacts because the doors kept opening up. We were blessed and pray that it continues to do so. 

Thanks for reading. 

Have a Wonderful day- because you can choose to

     Elder James O. Gillespie

I had some photos I wanted to send however this computer´s card reader doesn´t works so next week. 

Elder Gillespie

Misión Chile Antofagasta

Casilla de Correo 70
Antofagasta, Chile

Today I complete 8 months in the mission

6 months in Chile. 8 Months which is 1/3 of my mission, that is so crazy. As well reminds me that I need to work harder everyday because it flies by.

     Still trying to figure out everything that is happening. Yesterday they had a Stake Conference/meeting and changed all the boundaries of the wards. I believe ours is the same but our stake now has a brand new ward which came from Alborada, where I began my mission, and now is one of the smallest wards in Arica. The 2 branches we had are as well now wards. (I believe...) It jumped on all the missionaries as a suprise. 
      Saturday we did a, "Sector attack" in Alborada and all the missionaries in our zone went to Alborada and worked the moring there. I had the chance to visit Génesis and to be again in that house felt extermelly strange because as well I could understant what the people were saying, (very nice change) and again saw the distance I had come. 
     We have been using our ward list to locate members less actives again in the ward and we came to one family and we spoke and I noticed what I thought was a small piano sticking up at the end of the couch, so I asked who played the piano and they informed me that I was mistaken. It´s not a piano. However I had the chance to play. :) (See photos)

Tenga un diá Maravilloso- porque usted puede elegirlo
     Elder James O. Gillespie

Misión Chile Antofagasta
Casilla de Correo 70

Antofagasta, Chile