Not enough time

Hello Everybody!!!

So guess what? it's another day where we can come closer together and listen to the stories we all have.

So i'll start off.

This week has been pretty good and recently we have been going over the roster that we have and we have started finding people who are part members and have started to work with them and get them interested again in the gospel.  We've found a few people who seem like they would be pretty interested. Along with that we have also been going down through the roster and trying to meet everyone we can, and lo and behold a lot of people have been moving and just don't live there anymore, but it's still on the roster, which means that this area just needs some help with their home teaching, as soon as they home teach the people they will start coming.

Well anyways. Tuesday was a great day we had zone conference and I realized that i finally am coming close to the end of my mission which was a weird thought and something i'm trying to get out of my head, because i don't want to focus on the fact that I only have "this much time left" i just want to put my head down and keep working and get everything i can out of this experience. So that's a little inside bit of my head. Anyway, that day we had trade offs with the district leader and had a really good time with him and got to meet quite a few people. One man who we ran into was just sitting on his porch and we came up to him and just started talking to him and getting to know him a little bit and then we were able to give him a Book of Mormon and directions to church, and he said he was going to be there so we were really excited.  That same night we were able to find a couple of less active people who just need a little help coming to church, and that blended into Wednesday which was another good day, where we were able to walk pretty much all day and get to know the town a lot better and again try to find people who either don't exist or we just don't know where they lived.

Thursday agin jus a good old day where we just tried to do as much as we could along with all the other days.

Times getting short and i've got to get going, but i'm loving it here and i'm excited to be alive and working for the Lord, i'm doing my best with what i've got and trying to get a better understanding of how we can help.

Love
Elder Gillespie

False Doctrine!

Hello Everybody!

So what's new on this side of the world, well it's still probably one of the hottest years that has been on record in Georgia and I'm sure feeling it. not like it wasn't bad last year, it's just as hot.

So this week, finally starting to get a grasp of what's going on here in Pearson. and where everyone lives and who is who.  Most of this week has been following up with people that we saw the last week and now see, where they really want to go, and that's what we've been doing here in Pearson.

Monday we were invited to have FHE at a members home which was really fun and answered a couple of questions that just dealt with the Book of Mormon and it was really interesting and fun.

Tuesday was a day we decided to go out and walk around town to go visit people and also knock on a couple of doors which was another really hot day so not so much fun in the sun. then again seeing members and it was just really fun to go and meet a couple of the members, it was interesting to see how timing worked out that day, and who we were able to see and get more information, so we can help them come to Christ.

Wednesday, it was a projects day and what do you know, everyone was gone... well most of the people were gone, we were able to get a few people to talk to and then set up some appointments for later in the week, after all that we went with a member on splits and he took us to an area where we have no map for and we are trying to get to know the area but we couldn't just go out there for the fun of it and try to figure it out for ourselves because we then wouldn't have any miles for the rest of the month. because Georgia is really really spread out. so we got in a few members homes and got to talkin about life and general and all that goodness. and then had dinner out there. which was pretty good southern style cookin.

Thursday another great day where we had an appointment and got teach a good first lesson.  and then had a good little time just sitting on the porch, and of course i was sweating like i was in a steam room, because it's the middle of the afternoon. in 100+ degree weather. Then did some other things around town where we could until our dinner appointment/splits and then had a really good time again trying to get to know members who are just a little too far for us to go visit on a random day.

Friday we had a good district meeting, and we almost got lost on our way up to Alma Georgia which i didn't think would be hard to find but who would of guessed that. so after that we came back down and then had a fun time in Axson which we've been told is one of the first LDS church that was built in the south and they called it little Utah. There's a little memorial built to it. so that was pretty neat to just be a little part of history, well anyways we did a lot of member visits down in that part of our area. than came home after we had tried to visit all the people in that area. and then came home for dinner and then we went back out and we able to clean up some errors on the roster that we have which will really help out the ward and next set of missionaries.

Saturday we decided again to go walking and didn't get back till it was about 2 pm in again 100+ degree weather. so that was interesting again sweating so much that i could actually taste a difference in my salt level from the beginning of the day to then. Also our toilet handle broke so that was a little project that was fixed that day. and then back into a car where we could get to some of the places that we needed to go, and we had a little discussion with a investigator family and got to know them better, and then started answering some of their questions. which is always a good way to enter, in my opinion. and then more driving around gettin lost trying to find people that their addresses have changed.

Sunday just a relaxing day where we were able to just enjoy fast Sunday and it was really cool to see all the people just come to church who we invited actually show up. and it was cool also on a personal note to have a great fast Sunday where i wasn't doubled over in pain for the lack of food. and then had a great dinner with a member and the entire extended family showed up and a great little discussion about things that people try to add to the bible, which aren't even in there. so clearing that up. After that going on another goose chase finding people on the roster and discovering that a lot of people are part members, so some people to work with.

that's a week in a wrap.

it didn't seem like it was all of that but as time goes on life gets smushed together.

As for things I've learned it's that sometimes when we try to force things to be a certain way we may miss out on opportunities that could only happen by waiting. and when we over look those opportunities that do come our way we miss out on the miracle that happened for that to happen. or in simpler words being in the right spot at the right time.

I love you all no matter what else is going on in this life.

Love
Elder Matt Gillespie

Thad my advice is to do something random everyday, ex. eat something new, do something new, go somewhere new,  or try out life in a different way.

Beetle broken foot sucks. but soon enough you'll be back on your feet and that's cool you got a RM room mate. that makes life so much easier. and you'll have to take me on a tour next summer.

Jethrobyn congrats on a successful birthday, and getting ready for the school year and you had some pretty cool pics of your trips, i love the one with Lincoln on Jethro's shoulders.

Toniben. sounds like quite an adventure. and Toni your going to be the best drive the north east has ever seen. and i hope you can feed the missionaries when all this is settled down. and I'm looking forward to a trip out there.

Janben you are two really hard workers and i hope that they let you sleep enough. both the kids and the hospital. and i can't believe that Myra is almost walking. that's so cool.

mom you are awesome and i love your letters they always make me happy. keep up the good work

Dad we have some good time coming up soon that much i do know. 

Sophie Lee. your letter was a good help to me and yes I'm enjoying my mission but i never thought that it would be like it was and is, but i wouldn't trade it for the world. and it's good that your keeping up with your school work, because that's important, and quit graduating. but really do graduate. (maybe by the time i graduate learn how to spell...)

A destroyed trailer

The bunch that came out with me.

Elder Kennington

Logging trailer

Our house

MUNNS!

Hello Everybody!

What is it like in Pearson? well to tell you the truth... it's pretty sweet. the members are really nice to us and are excited for us to be here in the area. and the other cool thing is that the roads are mostly just dirt roads. so it makes life interesting as we get the average rain fall for the day and we are heading down those places. well anyways the highlights of the week:

So this past week we have been able to make a map of where all the members live, which helped us out to understand what we could do to use our time wisely. which is interesting.  The other thing that's interesting is that the more and more we get to know the members we start to see that the members are all related some how to each other. and we are starting to get to know the jist of most of the members. so that's another cool thing that we are doing.

This last Friday we actually had an area 70 come and teach us what we could do to make the mission grow and how we can help others receive the gospel.  It's really funny because all the teachings were right out of Preach my Gospel which is what this mission's big goal right now is to become. and it's getting there and things are starting to work in all the areas and the people we are working with in the mission are getting more and more excited about the work. I'd say that we are going to easily make the goals that we are setting as far as this mission. So the area 70 was Elder Munns of the 6th quorum of 70's and we were told by him that the areas we are working in need the gospel and that people are ready for the gospel, and as we work hard and smart that we will find them and help them receive the gospel and get baptized. and it's really by doing the small things and being obedient not only to the rules but also to do the inspired things that we have received or what the leaders of the church have received. and as we do that we'll start to have more and more revelation of what can and should happen and also the teachings of the church and it's doctrines.  so that something i learned this week.

Then the very next day we had a pioneer day where we had a celebration on the church grounds and a whole lot of people showed up and we had food of course and then decided to get a big old water slide as well for this thing. and it was just so fun to see so many people who just wanted to have fun and get together. big fun.

than it's Sunday and we had the opportunity to speak this Sunday about forgiveness. which was fun... I at least learned a lot about what is forgiveness. and elder Kennington did a really good job and just to tell a little bit about him, he's from San Diego, California. and was serving in the Macon Georgia mission until they dissolved the mission. and he's been out about a year. so a little bit about him. that was a lot of fun and we got to get to help out where we could in the third hour about doing missionary work and what are the new rules and such... and all that goodness.

that's pretty much the highlights of the week. it's been kind of a blur and I'm excited to keep working and love the people.


Love
Elder Gillespie


Mom your awesome and it does sound like it's been a mad house over the last couple of weeks send dad my best at Schofield.

Robyn you're one busy lady and it's sad to see people go but we'll all have fun during reunions.

Jethro I'm willing to debate and I'll throw in some southern reasoning into our discussion.

Thad instead of sending google invites could you at least send something personal...?

Happy birthday to all the in laws too!

Love you all