January 30, 2012: From 0 to 3

 

HOLA FAMILIA!

Wow sounds like you are having spring over there. That really suprises me that you are all talking about how you are really not having to much snow. Over here we have started to get a bit more a breeze here which has been super nice, although I feel like the showers are actually getting colder which scares me. I went on interchanges this week to an area that had lukewarm water and I took like a thirty minute shower. It was wonderful. That is something I can't wait for when I get back to the states.


This week was an amazing week for the work of the Lord. We got blessed in such marvalous ways and I am not sure how it exactly happened. I have to start out saying that when we started last week me and my comp were sitting down planning our goals for the upcoming week. We put down that we wouldn't have to much cause we were going to be on a lot of interchanges and we haven't had a ton of people go to church lately. We put that we wouldn't have any baptisms and that it would be an alright week, but that we would start working for February.

We got out that day and went around talking to people and in the end of the night we found this kid that we have tried to talk to. I guess he has a year and a half of going to church, but has never gotten baptized. We talked to him and he said that he wanted to get baptized. He accepted a date to be baptized that same Sunday. He was super ready and said that the missionaries had never taught him before. He is 15 and his name is Jonathan.

This week like I said we had interchanges and I went with the Assistants of the President for a day and all we did was drive around and get stuff ready for a new Missionary couple that was going to come and we had to put in a hot water heater and it was just a lot of stuff we had to do. Being in a car for so long after not using one for such a long time gave me a headache. It was sweet feeling air conditioning again haha.

The next day we went and talked to this investigator that is the wife of a guy who was inactive, but we reactivated him like a month ago. His name is Neco and her's is Marleny. They are such awesome people and we have about 3 month of teaching them. Marleny in December had a date to be baptized, but canceled out of that and kind of held back for a while. This week when we went to talk to her we talked about the Atonement and all Christ did for us. We talked about the visit of Elder Nelson and how she felt seeing him. She then went on to bare her testimony that this is the true church. It truly was awesome and after we helped her to realize that and the spirit was so strong. We asked her to get baptized that Sunday and she said yes. This family will be such a strong family in the church and they also have 2 kids. Neco will be receiving the Melquisedec Priesthood this Sunday which will be awesome.

There niece named Sophia has gone to church with them many times, but never could get baptized cause her mom wouldn't give permission. This week she got permission and she also got baptized.

We were so blessed this week to see these 3 baptisms on Sunday and the whole ward was there and it was such a great experience. We hope that these miracles keep coming. Me and Elder Hobbs were trying to figure out how all this happened. One thing we learned from Elder Nelson is a lot about the prayer and how powerful it really is. How we should tell God what we will do and if we do it, then he is obligated to do his part. We applied that this week and I testify that prayer really is powerful. God does do his part. I LOVE THE GOSPEL.

Well I love all of you and I hope that you all have a great week. I can't belive I will be completing 17 months soon. IT hit me how fast the mission really is. I love it so much. I love you all too and thank you for all of your support. Have a great week and talk to you  next week.

Elder Gillette

January 23, 2012: Las Conferencias

Hey Fam,

Wow, what a great week this week. I had to work a ton, but it was so worth it in the end. I got to participate in so many wonderful things and some great stories I got too. I think you all remember that this is the week that Elder Nelson came to El Salvador. So did some other General authorities. We had a meeting with the both missions in El Salvador and listened to Elder Clayton from the 70 talk. It was a sweet Conference and I learned a lot. He actually spoke really good spanish. I was surprised. He served in like Argentina on his mission or something. His wife was really smart too.

Our whole week though was so wrapped up in just inviting everyone to the Conference we had this Sunday with Elder Nelson. We invited everyone. It was really sweet seeing all the members getting so excited, because for them it is a lot bigger of a deal. We went and visited a ton of people and met some really interesting people. We met some old guy that when we contacted him he wasn't a member, but the first thing he asked us was, "Is that David O. Mckay still alive?" It was so hilarious. He looks like a skinny Albert Einstein. I will definitely take a picture with him so you can all see how he looks.

So this week I checked something off my bucket list of the mission. We did something I think every missionary wants to do in their mission. Let me tell ya about it.

- ON saturday we were about to get on the bus when we saw how many invitations we still had to give out for the conference. We decided that all though we still had like 100 to give out that we would figure out how to give them all out. We got on the bus and I turned to my comp and was like, "it´s time!" He was a little confused and I started to pass out the invitations to all of the people on the bus. The bus was full and probably had about 60 people on it. He looks and realized what I was wanting to do and he asked, "You are going to talk." I told him that I was passing the invitations and doing my part and that he had to do his. So he went to the front and started preaching on this bus that was like flying super fast and in front of a whole bunch of people. We gave everyone an invitation and when we ended we sat down and we felt a little awkward. Then someone on the bus like 5 row behind me yelled to me, "And where is this going to be?! You never told us" I told him where the chapel is. He then stood up to get off for his stop and looked at me and said, "see ya tomorrow". I was pumped getting off that bus. We got off and we decided that that went really well. Later on when we had to take another bus we got on and this time Elder Hobbs gave the invitations and I spoke in front of everyone. It was only like half full that time, but it was sweet. Hobbs took some pictures and those are what I sent. It was SO SWEET!

So Sunday came and we got there early after trying to bring some investigators. The conference was at 10, but by 8:30 the chapel was already filled. We filled every other room too. They put TV's in the other rooms. IT was crazy. It was amazing though to see Elder Nelson in the chapel though. He talked about all the perfect stuff and touched the points that the People of El Salvador. The whole time him and his wife had a translator and when someone else was talking they had earphones on of someone that was translating all that was being said. I don't think he can speak to much Spanish, but when he was ending his talk he took a pause and turned to the translator and said that he wanted to speak in Spanish. He wanted to talk to the people. He all of the sudden started speaking super good Spanish. I was in awe. It was not only amazing that he was speaking in Spanish, but he was talking about the Atonement of Christ and Really... I can't even explain the spirit that was there. It was one of the most amazing things I have seen and felt.

We left right before it got out to help usher and right as we got to out spot out walked Elder Nelson. He came up to me and my comp and shook our hands and asked our names. It was such an amazing experience. I couldn't even believe it. I was super blessed yesterday. We had 5 investigators go yesterday and all of them said they absolutely loved the conference. I did too.

Well that is my big news for the week. It was a great weekend and we are hoping that we can carry this spirit on in the upcoming weeks and have even more success. I love you all and I too think it is weird you all don't have a lot of snow. I guess I am not missing much.

That sucks that the Patriots and the Giants. I root for the Giants, but either way like I said before, I am not missing much haha.

I love you all and hope you all have a great week. Have fun too and make sure to enjoy the little things in life!

Elder Gillette

January 16, 2012: Entravistas

Hola Familia!!

What a week right! This week we ran around (like always) just going everywhere. Me and my comp practically weren't even comps this week. We were in interchanges or in divisions with members almost every day this week. It has been a fun week though and pretty cool as far as the weather goes too. Has it really snown there yet?

Well the best news of this week is that we got to see the baptism of one of our investigators. Her name is Melissa and she is awesome. She has been doing everything we have asked her to do and keeping all the commitments. She is only 13, but she has now gone about 10 times to church. We had a really good turn out to her baptism and even the bishop came which is really amazing and he was super happy for the ward.

Everyone here is super excited for the big event this next weekend which is that Elder Nelson is coming here. First I will get to see him Friday cause he is going to do a meeting with all the missionaries of El Salvador. So that is going to be a blast, but the best will be on sunday when he comes to my chapel. Everyone here is getting so ready. They say that people will start waiting out at 5 in the morning just to get seats. They expect more that 1,000 people to come to the chapel. It will be a crazy and great event. Yesterday we went with all of the Elders Qourum to hand out invitations to the conference to all the Inactive members. This ward in the system has 600 members but only 140 are active. So all of the ward went out yesterday to visit all of the other 460 people. It was super hard cause the directions here are super super terrible. The houses are not in order at all so you will be walking and it will say house 16,17,42,24,25C. Just random things like that. IT was really hard.

This week was really sweet cause we had our interviews with President Cordon. He is such a smart guy and it was a great interviews. He is super happy with me and Elder Hobbs. He says he really likes having us together and that we are the example missionaries in the mission. It was super awesome and I believe that me and Elder Hobbs will be together for 6 months. I would be totally ok with that.

Other than that not much else. The area is pretty awesome and I am having a lot of fun. Mom, just so you know if a guy named Mario Julio Rivera tries to add you on facebook he isnt a creeper. He is a really good friend and he has a video from our Christmas dinner he wants to send to you. It is hilarious.

Also Gennie I did recieve your package and loved it. I thought I already told you that and that I absolutely loved the photos. I am savoring the candy I recieved from all of these pacakages. Except the rice crispies from debbie. They are long gone haha.
 Love you all and have a great week.

 Elder Gillette

PS The elder I trained Elder Trump is going to train. WOW, that makes me feel like I have been in the mission a LONG time haha. It is sweet though.

January 9, 2012: 16 meses

Hola Familia!

Well, how is everyone doing over on that neck of the woods. I hear you all finally have snow. That is pretty sweet. here it has gotten pretty cold. The other day I got so cold in the night that I had to actually cover myself with my bedsheet that I have haha. I think my version of cold has changed in these past couple months. My comp has been sick lately also from this weather. He has been throwing up and stuff. It is interesting here cause before my mission I had all of the stomach problems and stuff, but I dont think I have had stomach problems in over 6 months. It has been really sweet. My comp though is bad. Last night we were laying in our beds talking and all of the sudden he grabbed a cup and slammed it down. I was super confused, but then I looked in the cup and he captured a scorpian, it was pretty big too. Thats a little taste of El Salvador for you all.

The work here has been pretty awesome. This week we had like a billion meetings. We had a couple with President cordon and a ton with the stake. I feel lucky cause this 22nd of January Elder Russel M. Nelson is going to come to my chapel where I am serving and we are going to have a stake conference. Everyone here is getting super excited cause most people here have never seen an apostle before. Even most of the leaders. Like this is the first time and apostle has come to this building. I feel super blessed to be here at this time. It is fun getting everything ready and being able to work with all these great members. We have a ton of great stuff planned for these next two weeks to get us ready.

This week in one of the meetings I went to we watched a talk from Bruce R. Mcconkie about the Atonement. It was one of the best talks I have ever heard in my whole life. It was April 6th that he gave it, but the year I don't exactly remember. It was like 1993 or something like that. It was his last general conference talk he gave. He is so sincere and the spirit with which he talks is so powerful. You should all look it up.

We have a girl right now, Melissa, who is doing super great. She is super intelligent and reads everything we give her.  She is getting ready to be baptized this next sunday. There is another boy, Jonathan, who will be probably getting baptized too that day. I thought it would be sweet to baptize a kid named Jonathan haha. He is a sweet kid.

I really can't think of what else we did this week. OH, i recieved the package from Jonathan this week. THANKS SO MUCH BRO. The socks you gave me are sweet. I gave a pair to my comp that day and the whole day all we could talk about were how confy those socks are. They really are awesome. Thanks.

My recents converts, the Hasbun Family, had a big party this week and invited a whole bunch of members to there house to eat pupusas to celebrate there marriage and stuff. That was a lot of fun. I am not going to lie I have gotten really good at making pupusas and so I made them for all of the people there and they were super surprised.

I gotta go though, but I love you all and have a great week!

Elder Gillette

January 2, 2012: 2012!!

Happy NEW YEARS FAMILY!!

WOW! How fast has time gone by. I can´t believe we are already starting 2012. It blows my mind that 2011 went so fast. It 2012 is the same I will be home in no time. Scares me, I still have a lot to change.

This week was a really good week though. We actually got a lot of work done and a lot of teaching and we found a lot of sweet new families we are going to start teaching. I hope that they will progress and we can help a lot of people in January and in this year.

Oh YAH! I was going to tell you all that we recieved the transfers this week. Looks Like I will be staying here in Molino another change and the best part is that I will be with Elder hobbs again. It is super crazy that we will have like 4 and a half months together, but it has been a lot of fun and we just recieved news that Elder Russel M. Nielson will be coming to my ward the 22nd of this month. I am so excited to be here for that. It will be an amazing experience.

SO this week we had our ward christmas dinner and they asked me and my comp to do something. So we did something super hilarious. We did a little skit where we play as mini people and we play a day in the life of a missionary. You could see our heads, but the hands are of someone else and my hands were the legs. Everyone absolutely loved it. It was a lot of fun too. Everyone was super stoked about it after. One of the bishopric filmed it and wants to send it to mom through facebook. So if a guy named Mario Julio Rivera adds you on facebook mom don´t be creeped out. He is an awesome guy and has an awesome family.

That really was the highlight. New years was pretty alright. We ate dinner with some lawyers in our ward. The are really great people and it was fun. We went home at 9 and I fell asleep really quick. I didn´t stay up and even the fireworks didn´t wake me up this year. Last year I could barely sleep. We did recieve 2 other cakes though from our neighbors. So our fridge is just filled with cakes.

I thought I would also let you all know that I got Gennie and Dad´s packages. I absolutely LOVED THEM! Debbie my whole zone thanks you for the rice crispie treats they were amazing. And thenk you gennie for the pictures. They are super awesome. I love getting pictures and it was so awesome to see all of those and to recieve a new photo album thing. Everyone loves those.

Today in the morning we went on a hike and climbed up real high and we could see all of Santa Ana. It was awesome. I took some sweet pictures, but my computer doesn´t work, so I can´t really send them this week, but next week I will for sure cause they are awesome.

Well I love you all and I hope you all enjoy the ends of your Winterless vactions. IT is still super hot here though.I would like it to be a little freezing though. That would be nice.

Love you all and talk to you next week.

Elder Gillette