One Way to the Top. . .

Hello everybody.

so the south is a different kind of place to be... and the major reason i'd say that is
 first it feels like it's almost may or june. and it's still only march,
 second. the bugs down here are again coming out, well because it feels like it may or june.
 third. time doesn't seem to change. again it feels like may or june, and it'll continue from now until october, but in the middle is when it get's so hot that no matter what you try to do to keep cool your still always sweating. Ex. every morning now it feels exactly the same as when we go into bed, so it's still really really warm and humid. kinda weird.

well enough about the weather. on to the main event

So this week has been fun and exciting, first and foremost. we have been doing a lot of work with the high priests. mainly finding people who haven't been seen in a long time and we wonder if they are still there... so we have been going out to track down and see if these individuals are still interested in the church and what is going on. now about half of the people we have visited don't live there anymore, and then split that up again and the first half is not interested anymore and the other half are people who are but just don't have the support system to come to church. something this ward has had problems with.

so one lady we were able to visit we got to her door and there were three dogs barking at us through a fence and two of them were little drop kick dogs. and the other was like a pit bull. something i wasn't going to mess with neither were my comps. so she came to let us in and at first it was really kinda awkward, but it turned out to be just fine, she just hadn't had any contact in over a year. not that she isn't interested in hearing more it just that she can't make it out to church, so we asked her to come to church and she said she would consider it, and would try to make an effort, and we found out that her husband may be interested to learning more, so we might have a good little conversation with her husband soon.

another lady, similar to the last, we visited and again it felt awkward at first but as we were outgoing and wanted to learn more about her life and what she wanted to do, we learned that she loves NASCAR and learning more about it and how it works and the different types of races, and she loves to do family history work, but she just doesn't quite see the need for organized religion. she let us teach a little bit and say a prayer with her. and then we left. and we were just kind of saying that when she wants to come back we are always ready for her, because she doesn't want to go back to southern baptist. so it was just interesting.

so those have been most of the meeting we have had this week, but the best one would probably be after visiting trying to find where a member lived and finding out that he wasn't there, we then headed out and turned right, and as we were going down we saw a car coming toward us and honking it's horn at us. and we thought that was really odd. then we saw two more cars coming towards us and low and behold we went down a one way street going the wrong way, so we soon got out of that mess with ourselves still intact just a little bit shaken from the experience. we are all on the lookout now not to get even close to doing that again.

between not dieing and finding old members, we had a great lesson with a less active who always wants us to come over to have bible study with her. so during this little lesson she brings her friends over and we had quite a little experience where we were able to set a BCD with her and starting her down the path we all want to be a part of. it was really exciting and quite cool to see that happen.

The highlight of the week, if we had to choose just one would have been when Bonnie and the Parks came to church, and it was the first time for both of them. in a long time. Bonnie is a member who just hasn't been in a long time. and the parks are Korean and a part member family, so it's was just really cool to have a great time with both of them and explaining more about the gospel, at least that's what I tried to do with the parks, and i think they started to understand more about how this place there is the most joy and happyness than any other place or thing in the world. to try and sum it up, it was full of the spirit and joy, that's what the meeting was about.

that's about all the highlights I can think of for the moment.

I love you all and i hope you keep doing well.

Love Elder Gillespie

Thad, as far as your question, find an activity that you enjoy and find time to do it, the other thing would be covered in President Uctdorf's talk about going back to the basics, and strenghten/rebuild your relationships, but personally i feel the best after a long prayer where i really get to talk about what's going on in my life and the goals that i set afterwards on becoming a better person.

Mom, thank you so much for the support. and i feel the same way as far as the whole ground hogs day feeling. just keep doing it over and over and over again. but like you said try to find the small miracles and the little things that make life worth living.

Dad don't hurt yourself/ over extend yourself. i know you love doing the most you can with your day, so i can't blame you for that, i guess if you can try to just take a nap when you can.

Jethro, What? Seattle that must of been kind of crazy you had just a random art confrence... and finishing your thesis in just a couple of months, and writing a paper that's a small novel? you are ambitious  and going to Italy who set all of these things up? who ever it is don't forget the basics. the CPR for your soul Church Pray and Read the book of mormon.

Robyn. that's really cool a nice little break from the kids and visiting probably the only place in utah that's actually nice this time of year excluding St. George. you'll have to put up some of the pics again.

Ben G.  Don't worry to much about the whole not writing, i'd love to hear from you and know what's going on in your life and what's the big thing for the week, and i think you had a smart move with Adobe. keep being a great dad.

Janben... what's going on i hear rumors about moving somewhere but I still don't know where. what's the EXCITING NEWS!!!

Beetle. Chico state Eh.? sounds a bit crazy and exciting. do you think you'll be staying out there for work and stuff? what's going on in that very smart brain of yours.

 Not quite a Piggly Wiggly

MTC Companion Egbert

I'm a dolphin!

The Parks

Wakulla Springs adventure

Left Foot Right Foot

Hello Everybody!

so this week has been quite a different week than most. so it was transfer week, and we started out a Tuesday with it being the district meeting and just getting a regular tuesday, something we haven't had in almost a month. march was kind of weird, with ZLC to Packer to Mormon.org conferences and then finally back to "normal" so it's been crazy as of late. so tuesday was good then Wednesday, what a day, so we had a big group come in this transfer with 11 missionaries, so it was kind of nuts. and with all those kids we then had to get them on their ways. but with all those kids Sis. Jensen really needed some help because 8 were coming back to go home. and as any good host or hostess knows that you can't have people sleep in the same sheets as somebody else. and you always have to have a good clean bathroom, So... we help her clean up the house and help her with everything just so she wouldn't be super stressed and worried that everything wouldn't be done. which was really cool to get a house back in order, so we had a really good time with her getting to know her more and more. and she is a really neat lady. so again Wednesday was not a normal day

which leads to Thursday, and that was a really stress relieving day, because it was again back in order we did the same thing we normally do, and got a lot of things done that day. so a little overview just like every Thursday we did service at the capitol, met with some less actives and ate dinner with a member. but a little bit of a difference was that we needed to plan for the up coming week, which we would usually do on a Friday but I'll explain later. so that was Thursday

Friday... What a Beautiful day!  except that we were stuck in a car all day. So we decided with the car czar who wants to know more and more about the areas that our in our zone, so he said that he would like to take some days with us and visit all the areas and meet the companionship and get to know each one individually, so about 3 weeks ago we visited about half of the mission and this Friday we finished it off. so we visited 1st ward, Madison, and perry, and as far as perry no one is down there right now so it was interesting to see what it would be like and see if it would be reasonable to send a set down there. and we were quite surprised to see a town that seems bigger than a lot of other places that we have missionaries in. i don't know why they don't have a set but I'm just a missionary who's been out just over a year. so it's been kind of neat to see everything in the zone and not to brag or anything but we have awesome missionaries here in the Tallahassee zone. so we spent most of the day in the car, on Friday, but the coolest thing was the Madison elders had two people ready for baptism and we got to do the interviews. I was happy and excited about that.

So Saturday it sounds like this should be a regular type of a day right, well your right and your wrong. and it's because of the same thing, we had all of our plans fall through so your right because that's what happens on a regular day, and wrong because all of our plans fell through. so we were doing a lot of things on saturday, trying really to get done with the list that the high priests have given us, but i think we only got about a 5th to a 6th of it done. so we still have people to visit. but we did accomplish quite a bit and got to know the area a lot better. so over all not the best but not the worst

SUNDAY!!! i'm just going to say Sundays are the best, not only does it feel different than all the other days, but it's just got so much more relaxation, from everyone else. so i was really happy about that, and being able to just recharge, you might say. so that's just the overall feeling of Sunday for myself. church, working after was good. dinner was good. and studies was fantastic. it was just really good to get to relax a little bit. even though we went tracting and a woman yelled through her door. "GET OFF MY PROPERTY NOW!" it was cute.

overall a good week and a lot of fun. some funny stories

Love you all

Elder Gillespie

A Birthday Celebration!

This week has been pretty darn good and nothing really exciting has happened, so what has happened is this Tuesday we had our big old half mission conference and it was pretty neat we learned how mormon.org started and how it came about and how through getting our name out there we are starting to come more and more out of the woodwork, which is pretty exciting. So with that Mormon.org is really trying to get people to make a profile for it, and what we learned from it, is to be yourself while your writing your profile, and make it your story, which is what is original and neat for every individual. although you might not think you have and original story, well to be blunt you're wrong. Your story is unique and different than anyone else so go out and make your story your own. and if you aren't sure that it's quite right it'll be reviewed to make sure that you aren't going to get tracked down and someone steal you identity. so be original with how you came to be a "Mormon". it's a nice time to reflect on your life and to see what and who you really are.

so that leads us to the next day where we did service again at the McD's house sorting bottle tabs from cans of soda. i know a lot of fun. we get to use a magnet and see which ones are magnetic or metal and leave all the aluminum behind. it's really sad to see how much people drink those beverages. that day was also a really good day we were able to talk to a lady who really needed some help and had already talked to missionaries before just this time she's going to start going somewhere, when later in the week we found out that she's moving somewhere we don't know, and we can't help her. or she won't let us. so that day we also got a referral for a guy who wanted a bible, so we gave him one and also a book of mormon, which he was very thankful for. and we trying to meet up again with him.  than we had a great dinner with one of my favorite families and they were really nice that they even bought me a birthday cake, i felt very honored. so it was a wonderful day with some wonderful messages.

Thursday, a Crazy day at the historic state capitol, this last week the house and senate started their sessions. So, we had a lot of people show up to "talk" to their representatives, and there were quite a few rallies going on. It's kind a weird to see all these people with their ideas of how the government should be run and how they should continue to cut taxes and still pay for their social security, I don't know how that's going to work or how Florida is going to keep up with everything but i think that it'll all be resolved soon. Oh. and we had a great lunch with a member from Dothan who elder Hammond got to know really well and it was really neat to see them interact with each other. and i saw something that's truly southern Shrimp and Grits.  Ummmm Tasty!!! also we are going to have a shrimp boil when I get back, you'll all enjoy it!

So Friday, Friday, Friday, that was a day where we continued to plan for the up coming week and what we needed to do. so overall a really good day, in fact we were able to see a member and then a door or two down a fire truck pulls up, and then a few minutes later cop cars and then an ambulance, so we were just talking and watching while a cops episode unfolded before us. so that was really really weird and quite interesting. and that day everything fell through, so not always the best. we had dinner with a great couple and their friends, we had grilled ribs, now I'll be honest i had never really had ribs before the mission  but since being here I've fell in love with them. so this grilled version of ribs was good, but it could of been better, the rule I've found with ribs is, the slower longer cooking the better they turn out. so anyways a delicious meal of ribs and such.

Saturday, we went and helped out at a family history fair which was held at the church so that was pretty cool, then we did some service for a member it was a lot of fun, I helped clean off the roof of his house. it was really cool, then had a great dinner where we found out one of the young women has a crush on one of us missionaries, which is really really awkward and funny at the same time, especially when it's not you.

Sunday was really cool we're able to teach gospel doctrine class and it was about prophets, and we found out that one of the people in there wasn't a member so we emphasized the importance of the different prophets and what each of their roles are, and help everyone understand Joseph Smith more. so that was really cool and just really relaxed and people felt really comfortable there which is the best and a delicious dinner at the same members who we did service for on Saturday. so far a really good week.

Jethrobyn you are so lucky to do your thesis, and just think your writing a small book, and your going to have to know every page front and back, that really sounds like so much fun.... maybe? but keep up the good work, and keep loving and doing fun things, that's what makes life a lot more fun and memorable.

Mom i do know the Hills at Fort Rucker they are just such a fun family it's so cool that they were able to tell you those funny stories. i had a lot of great memories and fun times there. I'm glad that they enjoyed it too.

Beetle WHAT!?! your going to cali for your last semester at school, that's so cool. learn how to surf and stuff i think that would be epic. one of the missionaries out here told us about underwater rock running, sounds like a lot of fun, try it out. just remember boys are stupid. and i feel the same way when I'm talking to people that after their comment if i were to say anything it would be like pulling out a trump card, so i just stay on the quiet side of life.

Dad. i really like your insight as far as the miracles i think that's a very true statement, which makes me continue to think what i could do. or need to do, to follow and become whole.

thanks to all for reading and please continue to think of interesting experience to share with others.

Love

Elder Matthew Gillespie

Color of Your Energy

Well anyways it is a great week to be alive and that's not a lie, so what was it about this week that made it so memorable.  well Tuesday was about the same except it was p-day rather than a normal working day.... umm... i don't know if we told you but we were told about a part member family who wanted to hear the lessons again, and the cool thing is that they are both from Korea and are here to go school and all that other fun stuff, and she, the wife isn't a member so we are teaching her and she understands some of what we are saying but not everything so it's different to work with but we are excited. she knows what it's like to feel the spirit and that's what she wants, so we are working with that little language barrier. 

we also had a great lesson at sis Simmon's house, she's a "woman of god" and is always trying to get more and more of her friends over to her house to listen to us/ have bible study, which has turned out really well so I'm excited to see what else happens. one of her friends ruby has been there a few times and it's really been spiritual so we'll find out what happens with that, I'll keep you posted.

we also with Elder Packer coming have refocused on what we really should be doing so we now have more of a plan to what to do with what we have, so to put it in a nut shell, we visit less active members who have been given to us by the ward to visit and when we are out there we knock on a few doors around to find more people. so there you go, I'll let you know when we finally find the end of the lists we have been given.

so just an adventure that we have been having, was this last couple of days our new gas card came so we decide to cut it up and throw it away so no one else could use it, well we now have a problem the new gas card doesn't take affect till April and the old one would of expired at the end of march, but we didn't know that at the time so we now have a month were we have to go to the mission office to get a gas card to fill up, so it's been a bit different than most months i guess.

Also we went golfing today, which is the first time I've ever played golf so I'm proud to say that i am not that good, and that there were a few lost balls today. but it was a lot of fun.

other than that it's been kind of a average week, we celebrated Hammond's birthday he's now officially 21 so he can buy alcohol.  and I'll join him in a few hours and such, so that's really neat.

oh this week we are having a conference about mormon.org so that is going to be really fun, and learn a lot from the head guys in SLC. so I'll give some pointer that i will received this week in next weeks email.

I love you guys and keep up the good work, it's spring break here so enjoy out there. the nice 75-80 degree weather, and when summer comes around you'll be enjoying that more than myself.

Love

Elder Gillespie

Jan I'm glad you are still playing that game it really makes a difference i know and I'm glad you can feel it too. that was the best gift to me.

Ben F. it's OK, I'm excited to hear where you are going so feel free to write about that, and all the fun things you want to accomplish there so keep me updated when and where you'll be going, if you can.

Ben G. That party sounds amazing, but i thought that omniture was bought out? so how are they still holding omniture parties? anyways if you can try and get some more of those cool shirts from Omniture i think they really cool.

Beet. you are just a little animal out there! way to get out of your bubble and get going. and i would agree if Thad doesn't agree, don't do it. and I'm a little bit jealous of the temple trip thing. keep up the good work and follow the spirit.

Sophie. thank you for the birthday reminder and i still can't believe your married that's so bizarre to me. we are definitely going to do some catching up later.

Love you all. and new game for next week,

when you write back think of your significant other and try to put a color with their personality and describe why they would be that color. If you don't have a significant other find someone in your family Ex. brother finds a color for a sister and vice versa, just as an example. and write me next week and tell me.

Love

Elder Gillespie

Packer, Packer, Packer

So what did this week contain?

well to find out you'll have to read this message....

so Monday was good like most are, we just got things ready for the rest of the week.

Tuesday we had ZLC so we drove all the way over to Crestview from Tallahassee which is about a 150 miles away. and then drove back like 6 hours later, so we spent a lot of time in the car that day, but what happened at ZLC was we discussed that as a mission we can really get things moving forward in the mission.  Instead of thinking that a baptism is a far off thing that only happens to really special people we broke it down into a lot easier goals and ways to see thing moving forward, so what we kind of discussed was that we all need to read the Book of Mormon and find something that would help an investigator.   We also thought of setting a goal that is personal that everyone needs to work on, and to go through the lessons that we teach investigators prior to baptism every transfer or 6 week period.  So those are the kind of goals that we set for ourselves so we could get this mission moving.  So that was really cool about Tuesday

Wednesday  we kind of took it a little slow and decided to think before we really started moving and we were able to give a Baptismal interview for the Spanish elders and then had a great time with a member as they took us out for dinner at an actual authentic Mexican restaurant, surprisingly there aren't a lot of good Mexican places down here.

Thursday, a usual Thursday with service at the capitol and then meeting a sealer for the Orlando temple, who is an amazing man in my opinion, in fact we're having dinner with him this afternoon which I'm excited for.  We were also able to just meet a lot of interesting people that day, one less active member we just tracted into so that was neat.

Friday, what a day we did service for a member and again I got to play with a forklift/pallet jack. So i was happy about that except that it wasn't from an actual semi, so it would of been very crazy if the fork lift got inside that moving truck. So after that we had a wonderful lesson with a less active member who was going through some really hard times and it was like we were just there at the right time, it was awesome. then after that we had to fly down to Crawfordville to do another Baptismal interview, and it was awesome.  It was for a kid who was 9 and really loves his family, kind of a funny, goofy kid but he's going to do awesome. and then after all that we ate at probably one of the best non chain Italian restaurants in town, so i was happy with that.

Saturday,
we had a child baptism in our ward who we taught and it was really cool, and they filled the font right when the meeting was happening so when it was their time to get in it was only about 2 feet deep maybe. definitely different. but it made it interesting. Overall really cool, then we had a stake conference meeting with the priesthood leadership, where Elder Packer, son to President Packer, taught us and it was really cool and he just knows so much about the gospel it was amazing so i really enjoyed that, and then went to dinner with a less active member who just loves us to death, and it was just really nice to meet and get to know more about her and everything else.

Which leads to SUNDAY!

It was an interesting day compared to most, again it was stake conference and we got to hear from a lot of different people all pretty much talking about the same thing to get our members to not be afraid to talk to others about our religion. Then focusing on the importance of having the spirit with us always. So that was the main part of stake conference.   After all that we had about 15 missionaries coming in for zone conference or a half mission conference with Elder Packer on Monday, so we were arranging where people should go and where they needed to go and who was going to take them there.  We also found out that we we're having a meeting with Elder Packer for 2 hours, the zone leaders for Panama city, Dothan, and Tallahassee. and we discussed what we wanted to change in the mission, and we went over the same thing that we talked about in ZLC which is what he really liked and then gave him some ideas on what to teach us the next day.   So after all that we got everyone situated to where they need to go and head off to home, to get ready for the next day....

So now it's Monday and the sun isn't even out yet and all the missionaries are awake and starting to get to the church in Tallahassee.   We arrive on time even through rush hour. and we just have an amazing meeting with him and we were able to really learn a lot.  For myself i need to keep the spirit more with me.   So i found some things that i needed to change so I'm excited to learn and to grow from this opportunity which Elder Packer helped bring.
So with all of that it's been a great week. and i hope you have the same chance to have so much fun.

Love Elder Gillespie

Dad HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!! and congrats on the purchase.

Mom your awesome and I'm glad you had that experience.

Thad you sound like a very important person i think you should make a little hanging thing off your rear view mirror that says VIP.  keep up the good work and it's awesome to hear that Clint got to bless.  Tell him I'm proud of him.

Jethrobyn. the adventures you have sound epic. keep up the good work. and try to keep them youngin's healthy.