New Years

Time is just flying but at the same time it seems to drag. Christmas already seems like it´s been over a month sense I made the phone call home to everyone. I learned it is important to write things down, questions, and comments you wish to speak about because comes the moment and it´s just great to see everyone you don´t know what to say, because the night before your mind races with things you want to say but in the moment it´s gone. 

     So I suppose you can apply that to gospel study and talks as well, because when you need it seems to leave, but it´s ok as well because if you have the spirit God will fill your mouth with what you need to say in the moment right? Yes. 

 In the end the point of everything that I´m doing here is to say that the Gospel has been restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith Jr. and that the Priesthood is on the earth and that Christ leads his church. 

 Saturday Elder Smith and I went to go and clean the church and as I was sweeping outside I looked over at a tree that had a bunch of weeds growing the dirt square that belongs to the tree, and I looked and looked and said to myself it´s ok because at least it´s green. Then the thoughts of "Temple Standards" by a seventy this last conference and I felt that the weeds weren´t Chapel standards. So now that tree is growing solo in the dirt square by itself. So I hope it´s a happier tree now. 

 Change of subject: I´m rather tall and much taller than the majority of the people here in Chile and I seem to crash into many objects with my head, and it has happened quite a bit these last days, the good thing of that is that people see it and say, "Pobrecito" and then you can say I´m ok, don´t worry about it and push a smile back on through the pain and then contact them and ask them when can we come over and share a message. Haven´t had much success in this form but, just got to keep trying new things to find new people. 

 Mejillones is a little little branch much smaller than Pozo, Sunday we had 11 people in church. The good news is that we had a primary teacher called so I don´t have to take charge of the class anymore. :) Nonetheless we still need a lot of people, and a lot of more callings to be filled, so if anyone wants to come feel free. =) We live with the Branch President which is a little weird but at the same time convenient. Saturday in the night we arrived at the same time home and so we had a nice talk about the branch and then just started sharing different missionary/priesthood expriences which are nice to hear and remember what we are doing here is the right thing. 

 Well Wednesday I complete a year here in Chile and it just keeps flying, today we played basketball together as a Zone and Elder Van Pelt is here in the zone with me and we spoke and remembered together when we first got here I had just completed 9 months and now I´m at 14. Ahh I´m old. 

 Thanks for reading and your prayers

 Have a Wonderful day- because you can choose to

     Elder James O. Gillespie

Christmas Skype

 So nice to talk with James on Christmas










and meet his companion Elder Smith

We enjoyed a great talk.  And even had him in our traditional stair picture. 

Two weeks, special transfers, Christmas in Chile

Well after tomorrow I can begin to sing, "I'll be home for Christmas" I'm starting to have zeros events left in my mission, Zero Thanksgivings, zero 23rd of Decembers, zero...well that's really it, but I'm beginning to feel older and older in the mission, I'm starting to realize that it will end some day. That's not a bad thought right? 

Well Christmas in on the horizon and I don't feel like it at all. It's quite a different atmosphere being here in the Sun on the beach being sun burned, talking Spanish just kind of all just like another week of work, but I'm quite excited to make a phone call home, as it will be amazing. 

 Anyways, what's happened Gillespie? Why was your email so short last week? You didn't say anything. Well, first I need to thank Elder Tuttle for writing an email home last week for me because there was no time for us. 

Saturday night we receive a phone call to tell Elder Marthell and I that both of us are leaving Calama, with a special transfer. I'm going to Mejillones, which is another little city outside of Antofagasta, a little smaller than Pozo Almonte, and Elder Marthell is going to Iquique. So Sunday we left with Elder Tuttle and Elder Rivas to show them were people live that we've been visiting etc, and Monday was spent packing everything up and going to the bus station and traveling. 

 Mejillones is super clean, Calama is dirty and very dusty, lots of dirt however Mejillones is clean I just enjoy breathing there, and it is much more green. Which still is nothing but it exists just a little. 

My companion is Elder Smith from Mexico who is an amazing teacher, I'm very thankful for this change to be with him, and in my district Elder Jensen is here. =) We meet again. 

Mejillones is a tiny branch a huge change from Oasis with 120 people attending church and going to 15 people attending, but it's good

 Merry Christmas for Chile

 Have a Wonderful day- because you can choose to

     Elder James O. Gillespie

And a picture from a Zone conference

 

Hey Mom

so today i got transferred to Antofagasta i have no time. Love ya tell a more next week

First week of transfers

It was a little strange that there was no companionship change that we just kept going, however; with one change within the apartment it has been fun. 

   Elder Tuttle (picture included, not a very good on but included) He has been just a fun bundle of happiness. From the land of Fillmore Utah he grew up on a farm and wrestled all of his life. He was the companion of Elder Jensen in the MTC and came from being with Elder Rojas. I'm super glad he has come to join with us, and he and Elder Rivas have been working hard, they almost had a baptism this weekend however some problems came up on Saturday so it did not go through. Which was heart breaking, and super rough for the four of us. Nonetheless the work will continue on, the Lord is at the helm, and it's true. 

    Friday we went to Antofagasta for a mini Zone conference which was enjoyable to reunite with many excompanions. 6 out of my 9 companions I've had were present there in Antofagasta. The point was to gain a motivation to find to invite and to baptize. (Last letter I was mistaken with how many we needed for 1000) We as a mission need 86 baptisms. 

     With being in Antofagasta means that we received pouch/letters and it was nice to hear of where people are going on missions- On the bus ride back from Antofagasta was probably one of the worse bus rides ever. It was super hot and no AC at all. We were dying all together. Ended up playing tic tac toe, but the bigger version and more fun version, with Elder Hunsaker all the way home, and we were sweating bullets the whole way home. 

I sometimes randomly remember it is December right now and it definitely does not feel like it at all here. 

Sorry this isn't that long we have had quite a long day with trying to find some missionaries whose phone had died, but the zone leaders need to talk to them urgently everyone was involved in the search, but we found them and all is well now. 

 Have a Wonderful day- because you can choose to. 

     Elder James O. Gillespie

Stake Conference and Transfers

     Well we just had our stake conference and it pleased me, all the speakers were well selected. Everyone had a wonderful talk. President and Sister Bruce came as well and spoke which it's always nice to listen to them. The second counselor of the Stake spoke about lambs and how we are all different kinds of lambs in the...redil...(fold? is that right word) and how we should and need to work together to help the Shepperd. 

      Well it is the first transfer that nothing happened, no changes, I'm sticking it out with Elder Marthell here in Calama for Christmas. Elder Rivas will stay as well and Elder Herbert runs off to Arica for the last two weeks of his mission. (Which surprised us all) Of the 14 missionaries here in Calama only 4 missionaries are changing out which is a pretty small change. As a mission to reach our goal of a 1000 baptisms we need to get 117 baptisms this month as a mission. 

   Change of subject on Friday in the afternoon Elder Marthell and I were walking and someone was selling empandas (which are kind of like Hotpockets, it's where I believe hotpocket got it's idea) Exists empandas of all kinds and this kind happened to be of cheese just a type of bread tortilla stuff that has cheese on the inside and is fried. Elder Marthell bought one and gave it to me as a gift to eat and along with that he gave me a long uncomfortable night. So I ate it, it had a bit of a strange taste but it's okay, "There's no bad type of food it just tastes a little different" (A quote form Stake Conference) however; by the night I was hurting, and would have not minded to throw up and clean out my stomach but it never came. All night I was tossing and turning with this pain and the alarm went off. Rolled out of bed and began. Lunch came around and on Saturday and Sunday we eat with members and this member gave up a huge plate of food, I couldn't even put a dent in it. By this time the pain had passed just that my stomach was quite tender and small. Just couldn't handle much. Sunday it was the same. Now I'm back up and eating normal but still Elder Marthell got me sick, and it's been the joke for the last couple days. 

 Anyways, hope all is well. 

 Have a Wonderful day- because you can choose to

     Elder James O. Gillespie