I got wet!

But not with Rain. Sebastian was baptized to complete the family of members.  Cool stuff.

Today as a Zone we got together and played soccer then dodge ball, it was quite enjoyable. 

We had a English Class on Friday and we had about 15 people show up which the majority of them were kids and so we sang Head Shoulders Knees and Toes. 

On Friday as well during the day we went to a home and they had boxing gloves so Elder Saurez and I boxed some. 

Thursday a Missionary finished his mission and came home here to Copayapu  so he and the both of us spoke on Sunday in Church about missionary work. 

We are entering the last month of President and Sister Bruce which will be a bit of a strange change when it comes but I received some simple but good advise on Sunday evening when we did divisions with a couple of members to not compare the new President with the old because it creates difficulties because are all different and that's the way it should and needs to be. 

So work hard and do what is right

 Have a Wonderful day - because you can choose to

     Elder James O. Gillespie

IT RAINED!

It Rained this week that was something amazing that I haven't seen in a very long time so that was very fun. It was very little but it rained. 

Today we went to a little Zoo they have a lion and the rest is birds and donkeys but the Lion was fun to look at. 

Thursday we did an intercambio and Elder Parker came to work with me for the first time since the MTC it was fun to see how he has grown as a missionary. 

 and it rained. And we are got a basketball so we are going to go start playing in the mornings at the church. 

 Have a Wonderful day - because you can choose to

     Elder James O. Gillespie

Happy May 13th

Well I talked with my family nevertheless I didn't say much about what happened this week. 

 I'm in Copiapo now, with Elder Suaréz from Nicaragua he has 20 months in the mission and comes from Antofagasta, I'm his 15th companion and first gringo companion. so that's a little fun. As we spake yesterday I realized that it has only been a week since I have left the little city of Mejillones. I feel like I've been here a good month already. 

 It's green here. I was shocked coming in that I took some pictures inside the bus.  and there are trees It's pretty exciting. 

 Copayapu: we have 2 investigators that the Sister missionaries left that are progressing Jocelyn and Sebastian so we will continue with them. Although I realized yesterday that they don't know as much as I thought they knew, so we are starting from scratch. 

 Well that's all for now folks. 

 Have a Wonderful day- because you can choose to

     Elder James O. Gillespie

Mother's Day skype call

Stake Conference

Monday April 29, 2013

It was a good experience to have of leadership, searching out investigators, planning, organizing, learning to over come trials and we had a good results. 

This week I will have been here in Mejillones for 5 months, making it be the longest time in one sector with the least amount of companions for that amount of time. Having 3 haircuts during my time here which is more than anyother sector (one being today) and teaching more classes than in any other branch or ward of before...I think I have taught more sunday classes, and given more talks here in Mejillones than in the Northridge 2nd ward. Good times

Anyways back to the week that has passed by already. 

Wednesday in our house the electricity went out...:(...right after we got back from our morning trot, and in the house they got it back for all of the rooms expect ours, the bathroom and the room above us, until Saturday morning are room became more and more messy...we couldn't see our stuff. But we have light again. 

Thursday we were making our way to the church to do our weekly planning session and we saw some youth outside of the church fence messing with the lock and then to my bigger surprise they opened the gate. and moved in, I started to run to stop them because they were not youth of the church here in Mejillones, and then I discovered they were painters that had been highered to paint the outside of the church. So after that little panic attack I discovered all was well. 

Friday we had an activity were we played Disney's "Sinceit" good game for all ages. =) 

Saturday we went to go invite everyone to church for the next day because it was stake conference and we had reserved a bus to take us, and I did not want to see that bus go to Antofagasta empty. Plus it was Daylight savings time so we slept an hour more Saturday night. 

Sunday we filled this bus with 35 members and nonmember of the church to go to Antofagasta and watch the Stake Conference with Elder Herrena (or something similar) Elder Miranda and I did divisions with to Priests of the ward to get everyone there, and it was disappointing at some homes and really exciting at others to have people come out and go. 

Afterwords I was taking with Hno. Novoa who has lived here in Mejillones since the church arrived and he told me they have never had so many people go to stake conference before, he was quite excited. 

Have a Wonderful day- because you can choose to

     Elder James O. Gillespie

Round Two

I looked at the pictures and I remember a couple things I wanted to say:

One: I had Ranch sauce last week and it was sooo good

Two: I also ate crab- didn't enjoy the taste that much but it was fun to open them and break them apart

Three: This is Elder Hales, he is my Zone Leader and an Angel 

Four: These are the Mejillones missionary dogs, they follow us everyday and wait for us...at times they make tracting difficult as they begin to fight with other dogs. I gave the names Rex to the black on and Vaca to the White and Black one, (The names change constanly) 

Five: Zone picture of La Portada minus the Sister missionaries. 

Six: we had a FHE and they wanted to play a game and they didn't know of one so I came up with Nertz (the first time I have played nertz in a very long time) and they all loved it and everytime we are there they want to play again. Good games

Cinco de Mayo

It was a great Cinco de Mayo here in the Stake La Portada we had 9 baptisms and confirmations one here in Mejillones, Ali Chavez Perlata baptized and confirmed which was a bit of a miracle that happened. 

     Saturday we were walking to the church together with Alí and talking about the what was going to happen during the service etc. and she informed us that the Sunday she would have to go to Antofagasta in the morning and will not be able to go to church it just caught me off guard, I knew there would be some kind of opposition because every baptism has them and so I was mentally prepared to take on any challenge for the baptism but the confirmation no....

     So Elder Miranda and I were trying to decided if we baptize her that day and confirm her next week or we wait for a week so she will be baptized and confirmed the next week, in the end we decided to go ahead with the baptizm because everything was already all set and it was a nice small service and of course we tried everything we could to not have her go to Antofagasta the next day. 

     We concluded that the confirmation will have to be next week. In the morning as I was finishing up a few details for Primary I just kept feeling that we would need to go get Alí, (who had supposedly left at 8 in the morning) so we said our prayer to part and as I spoke I asked for a miracle that she would come, and the words of Elder Lucero came back to me, "maybe God is waiting for a miracle from us" so we went to get some investigators and then went to the home of Alí and there she was, her father had to work and so they were not going to go to Antofagasta that day. So she came and was confirmed, and now, because it is also transfers, I will be leaving to Copiapo to open the ward Copayapu with Elder Suarez (I don't know who he is)  but I take off tonight at one and Elder Parker is my Zone leader! Yahoo!

 I feel good about my efforts here in Mejillones, and animated to go to Copiapo. 

 Elder Hewstone and Elder Marthell both are finishing their missiones today and I had the chance to talk with them both a bit by phone, they are both great missionaries who taught me a lot and I am thankful for their service. 

 Have a Wonderful day- because you can choose to

     Elder James O. Gillespie