October 29th, 2010

Hey fam,

So this week was a pretty sweet week. I liked it a lot better than last week although you could say last week was a good "humbling" experience. Everyone in my district has started to realize we have not left like a mile radius a lot lately. Like our sense of humor I think is getting a lot worse haha. But it has been fun. This past week has been our last week of classes, cause next week we just teach a lot.

I recieved my travel plans yesterday which was super exciting! but before anybody gets excited about me going anywhere they said it probably will mean nothing and I will stay here. But whether or not they get my visa in the next week will decide. There is a small chance I will leave monday the 8th of november at 8:35. It is just the 4 elders in my district who are going to El Salvador which is crazy because most have like 20 in there groups. I will get into dallas at 12 their time, so like 11 ours. And if this all happens I will be there till about 2 and will be able to call you within that time. We are being really hopeful right now that everything will work out and I really hope it does. I just know it is out of my hands. It is really wierd cause we are the next ones to go in our district.

But everything is going good. It is cool cause our last 2 devotionals have been apostles. The first was Russel M. Nelson and his was super short, but really good. He talked about listening to the spirit. Next was Richard G. Scott and his was a power house. He made this sheet of all the things he has learned as an apostle and gave them out to everyone. He talked about a whole bunch of stuff. I made copies of the paper and am gonna send some home so you can see. That night it snowed and we took pictures and it was like the best night. We were all in such great moods and I ended up going around and passing out my Utah truffles to everyone. I had only eaten like 3 while being here and thought everyone would like one. They all came back and asked who they need to write to get more haha. It was cool.

We taught this past week the plan of salvation and word of wisdom in spanish. It was super fun. Spanish is getting a lot easier. We now speak only spanish all day. We have learned all the grammar principles and are just trying to get it down. Memorizing vocab and all of that has been getting easier and now I can read most everything in El Libro de Mormon which is so cool.

Sounds like everything is going great at home though. Thank you mom for that package, everyone wanted some dill pickle chips. Thank you also mom for getting in my visa. I was really really excited to hear that. Now it is in the lords hands.
Dad I have read tom sawyer before and loved it. Krick isn't that one of your favorite books also. it was a good book. Yes I am not DL anymore and I am loving not being it. It was fun but I like it not being it also. I have been just reading. I am just starting mosiah which I love.

PS it is really funny to be reading then turn the page and someone has written on the side or there are some letter circled with a number. I haven't gotten the time to figure out what the encoded message is yet, but I want to.

But everything is going pretty smoothly. Not any cool stories cause it is pretty much always the same here at the MTC. not to much change. I hopefully will write a couple letters today. It is good to hear from you all and I wish I could write everyone back seperately but it is definitely hard. Just know I read them and think about what I want to write you. Then get on email and see that I don't have much time and forget everything haha.

Well once again love you all and talk to you next week. Hopefully with good news.

Elder Gillette

October 22, 2010

Hey Family,

Sorry but I have had a hard time getting letters out to everyone with
the little time I have had. So I am writing one big one and you can
send it to others.

Dad- Sounds like everything went smooth with the camping trip which is
awesome. Basil sounds like he had a great time and that is good. Sorry
about the Cougs though. I don't think my jags are doing to hot right
now either. It is a good time for me to be out here haha.

Family- Well this week was a little more difficult. As the time goes
on the more I get excited to get out to the field and really have an
effect on peoples lives. I get my flight plans next week which is
gonna be like christmas. But on monday I got called to the travel
office and they told me my police clearance letter was rejected,
because I had P. in my middle name instead of the whole name. It was a
real set back. I was pretty down all day. They told me their are two
options. 1 is that I will get reassigned somewhere if they think the
visa will take over a month. 2 they will keep me here till my visa
comes if it is under 3 weeks. Which I think I would prefer getting out
of here. 9 weeks is definitely enough.

But my teacher told me something that really helped. That God only
gives us trials when He knows we can take it. It really helped me get
a better prospective on everything. Later that night we were reading
stuff on how the Holy Ghost helps us. For some reason that whole day I
kept thinking about the time about 2 weeks before i left and we were
camping with debbies family and I went out for a sec and decided out
their that I was going to put everything I can into this mission.
Then, in my class we read D&C 6: its somewhere like 20-24. somewhere
in there and it talks about how god talks to you. It was pretty
awesome.

Other than that not much. The usual routine of the MTC. Having fun
with my District, well some of them. My comp is the best and more so
is my family. Thank you for all the support and I can't wait till I am
in the field and get to share great stories for everyone. Love you all
and talk to you next week. Hopefully with better news. Don't get me
wrong here though I am still having a blast and learning a ton.

Well love you all and talk to you later.

Elder Gillette