A Witty Title

Hi Everybody (Hi, Dr. Nick!)

alright now that we are all on the same page. lets talk some business. what's the down low in ozark alabama? well from last week not a whole lot, we continue to try to see every investigator that we have and also continue to try to find new investigators. which isn't going too well with everything, but you can't always have what you want. but what i do have i'm very grateful for especially a family, friends and a companions that work, and work together, which has happened.

So....

Miracles since last time. this last week I went on a trade-off with Elder Fox to Andalusia, another tiny town about 60 miles west and a bit south of ozark, but it is a beautiful town with a good-hearted people, which i was able to meet. well anyways during this trade-off i was able to just relax a bit and look at what problems were facing me and what kind of things i could do to change. which i was able to identify and just go full force at it. and since coming back i don't feel nearly as stressed or nearly as worried as i was before. so i'm just going forward with no problem or worries. well there are some but i'm working so this will be good.

as for another miracle.... remember how beetle talked about being a confessional box for people well she couldn't have described it better, but what the amazing thing was that me and my companion Elder Kanis were able to not only give advice but we were both thinking of the same thing to tell her what to do. which again is the small things in life which are really big, for me it represents that not only are we working together but that we both had the spirit which means that we are doing the right thing.

another little miracle and another fact about the gospel is that it is simple and true no matter where you go in the church, so in sacrament meeting we had amazing talks, and they all came across the same thing, or that's what i got out of it. and it's something that President Summerhays taught us. and it's simply "going with the PROS"

P for prayer, sincere prayer, a prayer where you are willing to act.

R is for Reading/ studying the scriptures, to feast upon the words of Christ

O is for Obedience, when obedience ceases to be an irritant and becomes our quest, in that moment god will endow us with power. (President Benson)

S is for Service, going and doing the good things.

and that's what the gospel is when we do these things for ourselves and for others and God, we then access the Atonement of Christ which will not only make everything right in our life, but it will fix the problems we have and heal our broken hearts and hands so we can then help others. so we can all come back to God and live as one family in his presence for the rest of eternity.

well that's one thing that i got this week, again something not new, but still profound. This mission has really been a great boost to my testimony and to actually know what the gospel is and how it works. which i guess the next thing is to share that with the world. and i'll continue to do so all of my life. at least that's what i think i should do.

So all in all life is good. and i'm getting a new companion Elder Crawford and he'll come up to ozark with me for the next 6 weeks of my and his life so far he sounds awesome/legit.

Jan the house sitting job sounds awesome and i bet you can't wait for your kids to be self-sufficient.

Thad I can't believe that curtis got married i didn't even get an announcement so you're going to have to give him a stern look from me.

Beetle thanks for your email. i think i usually fall in the earlier numbers and i'm doing my best to be a solid 4 you're already a 4 i can just tell.

Ben your trip sounded awesome and amazing which i'm very impressed about. and want to do something crazy like that later, not for a while.

Mom for p-day for the last couple of weeks we've gone fishing at someones house, we catch bass and brim, but we throw them back so we don't have to eat them.

Dad you're very ambitious to do the plumbing for the upstairs and i probably would have told you to just wait till you got everything in order. And you are almost ready for the roof in logan that'll be awesome to complete and i bet thad will help you now that he isn't working in the dead of night.

Sara Larson Congrats on graduating i got both letters and i can't believe that your growing up so fast. well anyways you'll do great.

All in All have a good Week.

Love

Elder Gillespie

one of the fishes i caught over the last couple of P-days

many of the church signs in the south

the panama city beach from a members house

Peace Through Hard Times

Hello

Well I guess it's time to talk about the adventures that i've had this past week. so let me think.....

1) I met one of the coolest guys while tracting he has fallen in love with genealogy and has many and many guns. his name is william libby and loves to do all types of things. but mostly guns and genealogy. I thought that most of the world just didn't really care about their ancestors but now i've found that to be wrong, he loves the stories that have happened to his family and how a small town doesn't really ask where you came from because you'll find out you came from the same grandpa or grandma.

2) it's starting to get hot.... while beetle is getting rain, i'm getting sun... and i hear that it only gets hotter. right now it's in the upper 80's to low 90's with 50 -70 percent humidity which really isn't all that bad. but it's supposed to get to the 100's with just about 100% humidity so i think it'll be like the south carolina family reunion trip, where you just step out side and you start dripping.

3) I got a new Boxspring mattress, the one that i was sleeping on before had a lovely depression in the middle, so it felt more like a hammock than a bed. well that might be a bit of a tall tale.

4) People apparently like us missionaries, well the ones that don't just shut the door on our faces, but a few occasions people just let us into their homes and we just have a good old conversation. which has been really nice to have in the AC houses.

5) apparently the oil slick is starting to wash up on some of the beaches, which isn't good. good thing i'm not on the beach right now.

6) honest communications is the answer to most of the problems in most companionships, or relationships in general.

other than that this has been kind of a slow week, as for the things i've learned.

The happiest i'll ever be is when i follow the rules. Not only do i not get into trouble but also i also feel better about what i'm doing, something that i've had to find out the hard way. The other thing is that at times, when nobody else will do anything you have to do it yourself. Again something that has taken a bit of time for me to understand and to put into practice. And finally God is merciful and his mercy applies to those who are meek and lowly, or a heart that is broken and contrite. and He has great power to save and to lift, but we have to go to Him and believe that He will help us. That is what i've truly been enlightened on this week.

Belief and Hope. two things that I Need to work on more. The other thing that i've learned is to always have a goal or an action to work towards. Now I have those so this week will be fun and interesting. One more Doubt not, again something i need to work on doing, Because Doubt is of the Satan he wants us miserable just like him...

so those are just a few thoughts i've had the last little bit of my life.

Love Elder Gillespie

Sis Cranney I'm so glad to hear from you I love you and all that you've done. Thank you so much, and soon enough Spencer and I will be back.

Ben F. thank you for your letter and for the talk that was really what i needed to hear, but I've all ready heard it before. i think i've got a really thick skull. you'll have to check that out when i get back.

Jan I don't know what to do with Dogs, if you were here you could just let him loose in the woods until someone found him, but i don't think you want to do that.

Ben Russia sounds awesome, i was surprised to hear that it's not dirty. but then again you've lived in that area so i think you know what dirty is. i just go into the ghettos around here, but there really aren't any.

Toni way to go on not stressing about the laundry thing. that must of been a shock, but now it's a fun memory. come what may and love it...

Jethro. good luck with set up and take down. it's awesome that you are doing so well with classes, as for the house plan, i like it and it sounds like it's going to work. I love your creativity.

Robyn programs are easy you've got it in the bag. and it wouldn't surprise me if lincoln is 4 and half feet tall when i get back and sophia sounds like a wiggle baby like none other. i can't wait, oh boy oh boy.....

Thad you're a trooper for helping baby sit. I bet that really helped robyn and mom out a lot.

Mom i loved your letter and keep sending them if you want to i love reading those talks, in fact see what each of the kid's favorite talks are and then i'll read them on p-day or you could send them.

Dad I agree with Jethro put in the Tire swing the kids will love it. and it sounds like you and mom are taking over the youth program again. i guess you guys are never going to be released as parents to the youth in the ward.

Mothers Day Declaration

Hello everybody.

This week has been a good week, We had Zone conference this week where I learned that i can't be satisfied with staying in the apartment most of the day, that I need to go out and serve the people, even though it's starting to get hot and muggy.

we also had a great lesson with our investigators this week too. and they are doing much better.

other than that the other highlight was the phone call home, where i received much instruction and guidance. now the sad fact of life is that it's going to be 8 months before we talk again....(sad face) but it should fly by pretty quickly which is going to be really nice and then i'll be over half way, which will be awesome!!! but of course like every missionary I won't want to leave because of how great it'll be, because I'll make it the best that it can be.

so no real news is going on the next transfer is in two weeks and i've got a feeling that i'll be here for a while, which will be very nice. umm...... what else.....

Toni HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! tomorrow. but maybe by the time you read this it'll be your birthday. have fun in the russia. try something new, and i'll do the same here.

Jan You have yourself a deal. and I know that you'll do fine with the other kid while those two take care of each other. Clarky will be a great older Brother who will protect his sister. I can already tell

Jethro. I loved your story, i often find myself looking at sunsets.

Robyn. you can do anything you put your mind to with God on your side.

Mom I hope you had a wonderful mothers day. i know that each one of us kids love you a LOT.

Dad feel better and if needed ask for a blessing.

Ben Gaines, Jet lag sounds awful but just think when you come back it shouldn't be that bad, unless you can't fall asleep on planes.

Ben Francisco. I know that you are quite a man for doing what you're doing so keep up the good work, and i'm sure that you'll do fine in whatever position you choose.

Beetle, Can you believe that it's been a year since you left. i can't believe it it's gone by so fast but at the same time it hasn't well that doesn't matter because all that does is that i love you and your doing so good i could just tell in your voice when we talked. Keep up the good work, i'll do the same

Love Elder Gillespie

May Day! May Day!

Hello Ya'll

this week has been a very fast in my perspective it just feels like I just got here. and I Just finished writing to you guys. well this week what has happened, well first of all we had a Baptism!!! it was super good and definitely had the spirit there, which is something I'm glad to recognize here if it wasn't for the baptisms that happen maybe once a month i think that i would just get used to the Spirit or just have the immunity of it. which i'm glad to have taken away otherwise I would not be the same person i am right now, but then again if i had a different experience i would also then become someone else.

This week I've found out that I am a person who gets addicted to things easily, for example i went on a spell where i would only play warcraft 3 for about 3 months, then i would get bored and then pick up something else to do. I'm really not that good at any of them but something that i like to do. and this week i found out that i got addicted to Sudoku. and once i realized that then i got a new prospective on what it means to leave things behind and focus on the work. now i'm not saying that i'm perfect at it or even close to do that but i'm understanding that God does really ask a little from us at a time and as we can do that then we have to give something else up and then slowly and slowly get rid of all the things that we don't need. or as jethro painted pruning man, we prune ourselves to find the real us.

the other cool news is that zone conference is coming up and that's going to be on friday and then i get to call you guys on Sunday which is really awesome, in fact i get to call at 8pm because i'm in the same area as Janben. so that's going to be awesome. then after that two weeks till transfers Crazy!!! I know, time is really flying which must mean there is a change on the wind. but that could just be gas....

Well what else is new?.... umm.... the army people are pretty darn cool, we had dinner yesterday at the Dyers, one of my faves, and you wouldn't guess what i ate there.... Korean food, bulgogi remember mom when you did that for us like 5 years ago, well just so you know it was good and i would of never guessed that i would have ever eaten Korean food, authentic Korean food in the south, since being close to Post all sorts of people eat all kinds of crazy things. which reminds me I think I'm going to have Raccoon pretty soon. not to mention the other foods i've tried. i'll try to put together a list of such. but things that i want to say i've eaten are squirl and maybe possum or armadillo, and turtle, i've had gator, and dove, and i think pheasant, and deer. and of course the fried stuff.

other crazy things going on is that we had a wedding for a less active and she invited us to it, she's like 60 and married another 60 yr. old person. and had the wedding in a back yard where the owner had squirrels for pets. weird but cool.

We also volunteer at hospice mostly doing office stuff, making copies putting together packets, moving stuff and cleaning, pretty much what they don't want to do or don't have time to do, the simple things that's what we do. but so far the workers there seem like they might be interested in hearing more about what we are trying to teach to everyone. so hopefully we'll get some head way in that aspect.

and finally i ordained somebody to be an elder, which is quite an experience, not a whole lot of pomp or glamor but definitely cool to see.

Well that's about it for the adventures of Elder Gillespie. I love you all so much and can't wait to talk to you in 6 days.

Toni thank you for confirming what i've been thinking for the last little bit, and you are going to have so much fun, explore the world without fear.

Ben your awesome and you NEED a vacation, all work and no play makes ben a dull boy.

Jan i miss you but your only like 20 hours away driving so that's not to bad.... Ben keep on keepin' on.

Jethro I'm excited to hear that brandon might be the next watson at your school, and i'll definitely have to come over when i'm back.

Roybn Kids should not be playing with drugs it's not good for them especially Beans.

Thad.... get some sleep and what's the news with Bret? i've heard some rumblings

Beetle I miss you and you now a year out these last three months have flown by. and i guess it'll keep doing that.

Dad I havn't really been able to see to much about that but i've heard that there going to try to burn it. i've also got some speculation that an earthquake is supposed to happen in italy/hungry in a couple of weeks, weather or not it's true time will only tell.

Mom I LOVE YOU!!! and i'm surprised that you know where Kolob is that must be big distance.

Love you all and keep writing because any news is good news.

Elder Matthew Gillespie