Monday, January 28, 2013

January coming to a close



Means that Christmas is closer right?  
     So we had a good week, although more and more the weeks are just blending together. Weekends I can tell you a little more about what happened but in the middle of the week I'm not sure if it was last week or two weeks ago etc, but as I was thinking during the week about what I should write home, I realized that here in the mission I have learned quite a few fun skills that I had not learned before hand. For example, during my time here in Chile I have become a magician I have learned about 8 or so card tricks that has become a wonderful tool to build confidence and break the ice with people, and hopefully one day I can have a little show for you all and you can all be impressed by my skills. I've also learned in Pozo Almonte how to make some balloon flowers, swords, and dogs. (Although I haven't practiced that much) I've learned how to make Pizza in Calama with the help of Elder Parker. (Not the best pizza but it is better than Telepizza, which is the biggest pizza place here) Learning how to cook many things with Elder Smith, a wonderful chef he is. 

 Really quick this weekend. (Photos included)Ivan was baptized and confirmed. We cleaned the chapel this week and found a really big spider which scared me quite badly.(Jodie don't look at the photo) and Elder Smith and I found Jimmy who is very interested in learning English and so Elder Smith taught an English class. It was fun to watch him go. =) 
 Have a Wonderful week- because you can  choose to
     Elder James O. Gillespie
 

Monday, January 21, 2013

This Week



Well as a few people noticed that I failed to send a letter last week and it was due to a cause of loss of internet, therefore I apologize.
      Well this transfer we had a change up of districts and so now I'm with Elder Moltò and Elder Condori from Argentina and I don't remember. It's a little harder to get to know your district/zone when you live an hour away but that's ok. We still have until the end of February to know one another, and with the change I'm alone with Latinos, so there goes Spanlish classes. 
     So Sunday, was a bit of a struggle for me, our primary teachers didn't show up so I ended up back in primary without a plan and more kids than I have been use to, but I made it through. We had back down to 22 people in church but Nicolas Peña now is a teacher in the Arronic priesthood. 
     Today for the zone activity we played basketball and I have not gained any skills here, I will return and have to relearn how to play because my ball handling skills have fallen through the floor. Nonetheless the last time I played Phil I won so everything is ok. Back to the activity...well first to learn a bit about mission lingo, when a missionary trains another missionary here they call them their kid/child, and in turn the kid/child calls his trainer his dad/father. To demonstrate Elder Baker is my papito and Elder Hewstone is my padrastro(step-father) because he finished my training and I'm the padrastro de Elder Jensen because I finished his training. So back to the activity Elder Congleton has a kid now and he graduated in 2012 and I realized these people are now in the mission, and again I recongized that I'm older than I like to think. Another lingo is that you are born in the mission, for example I was born in Alborada, Arica, and you die in your last sector, Elder Baker died in Alborada Arica, and I killed him because I was his last companion. Missionaries are weird, but good times. 
 Have a Wonderful day- because you can choose to
     Elder James O. Gillespie

Last Week



     Well things keep on going throwing more surprises and adventures in the life.  In church on Sunday we were close to 40 people in church which again is an almost double. It was incredible, we were all kind of put into shock not knowing what to do, and where we should put the people, but all in all the classes were taught, people learned something hopefully, and the convents were renewed. Ah! and the best news is that the primary president came back from the temple on Saturday and so now we have another sealed family in the branch and a primary president. Yeahoo! 
     We had our interviews with President Bruce, and then after I had a baptismal interview that I did and I learned a lot about the importance of listening very carefully to the spirit and that the questions really are inspired questions. 
     Transfers are happening this week but hardly anyone has been changed up. We went bowling today and it was very enjoyable and frustrating Elder Storts beat us with 101, none of us could get it going. 
   Well it appears that the Internet has cut out so I don't believe that I will be able to send this letter, but we will see. =)
 Have a Wonderful day- because you can choose to.
     Elder James O. Gillespie

Monday, January 7, 2013

One year in Chile, 14 months in total



      It has been quite a thought to realize I´m over half way done with my mission, as a kid growing up one always knows that this point will come but now it has pasted already and one looks back and says where did it go?
      2013, new year, new rules. In Mejillones we have been trying very hard to find all the people that are members and get them to come to church again, and we doubled our number from last week, 22 people in church. Yeah! Plus Nicolas Peña was baptized on Friday. Which I would say was the smoothest going baptismal program I have had in my mission. Great amount of people came and the font worked nicely, there was hot water, it filled up quickly. We had videos to watch while they waited for Nicolas and I to change our cloths. I made brownies, some less actives came that we tried found came and it was just a happy experience. So that was Friday night we had the baptism. 
     Saturday morning Elder Smith and I go to clean up the chapel every week and so this week it was time to mow the law. So we went and bought a gallon of gas which cost about 4000 pesos which is about 8 or 9 dollars, and I hope that in the states it´s not that high right now. Then I mowed the law, for the first time in 14 months I mowed a law and it was quite a joyful experience just to feel the rumble in your hands again, and saying this is very familiar. 
     Again to Sunday, Sunday in church we start with our classes. Which right now I´m in charge of the Primary which only has 2 kids for the first class, Flor and Adrina but still it´s rough to keep their attention and teach something. But made it through the first hour, then the second hour we went out into the newly cut grass to have a picnic that of snacks that their mother prepared for them before and we turned into a picnic which then we began to pick up the flowers that had fallen from the tree and throw them into the trash, so we did a little service project and I tried to help them see that it was a good thing and that they should be feeling good. I don´t know if it worked as well as I hoped but still I tried. Then 4 year old Angel shows up...and he is quite the Angel (that is dripping with sarcasm) however, never fear because we have crayons, I printed out very quickly those crowns that you print and color then cut and make your hat and we...well I read a scripture to them telling them that they are princes and princesses because they are children of God. and we made crowns. =) It was entertaining nonetheless I'm very grateful for primary teachers and I´m sorry for all the trouble I´ve giving you. 
 The church is true, go to it because Christ made it for you. 
  Have a Wonderful day - because you can choose to
     Elder James O. Gillespie