yeah...I talked with Uncle Terry for a minute in Spanish before the call got dropped. Who knows why...I was a little mad I didn't get to talk with him (a lot) or Aunt Ann or Kyle or the Mitchells.

The dinner was good...along with the dessert..s´mores pancakes. It was like a cake mix that we added graham crackers and cinnamon in the dough and you cook it like a pancake. Then you make a syrup out of marshmallows and you put chocolate syrup on it...it's pretty epic..

You guys did family presents at night?...weird We ain't doing that next year. I think I might wake up at like 5 like I used to--my first real Christmas in a long time next year--we are opening presents in the morning!

Anyways...this week...and part of last week was pretty funny..

2 p-days ago we went to Puerto and played volleyball and all that...good times. On the way back to our areas on the same bus in the back with us were 2 drunk people...a guy and a girl...but older. The drunk guy starts singing...idk what song...and when he finishes, we all clapped and cheered. Why? idk But with the cheering it gave him more courage and he started to sing again but he was yelling and was trying to stand up but he was so drunk, he kept falling back into his chair. After we got of the bus, the drunk lady kissed all over the hand of one of the ZLs we have here as he got off the bus.

The branch Christmas party was alright. This was also like 2 weeks ago...very small...but good food. It got ruined by rain.

This last week I had a super fun day with Elder Buckmiller, our ZL (he was the ZL who got his hand kissed by the drunk lady). We were on divisions just walking around and he stops suddenly. I'm like--what's up? He (Elder Buckmiller) said--you see that guy in the dress with the short hair. He's gay and he likes me. He's seen me around and always tries to talk to me. (He also had on heels...cross dresser) We go to the street and walk around him and we get to a park. We see a statue with an arm holding an arm so we start reading it. The gay comes back...but still hasn't seen us. He's bothering someone else so Buck starts backing away and I' m trying to read faster and still keep an eye on the gay. As I'm finishing, I hear ¨jesucristo!¨ and here comes the gay. We start walking and walk faster and you can hear him following thanks to the heels...clop clop clop clop and ¨jesucristo!¨ I hear the heels coming faster so I look back and this freakin' gay is now running after us! We start running through the park and go off to the right and run across the street (luckily there wasn't a lot of traffic) and ran behind some pillars. Safe! The gay stopped and went and bugged other people. We come out and there are some guys there just sitting and laughing their heads off. They just witnessed 2 Americans getting chased by a gay. They were like--you know why he did that? It's cause he likes you... No way...ya think?

After that, we meet a member...from here...but is living and going to school in Colorado. Later this same girl and her family invite us to dinner and bought us limonade in a goblet looking thing and tortas and some weird drink...idk what it was and a bomb dessert. Her parents aren't members but they know a lot of missionaries. They are super nice. I went home full--without spending a cent. The daughter was kind of a snake...nice....but a snake...or as they say here esnake.

And we baptized someone...

Kevin Alexander Vivas Mendoza. His parents are members already and that helped a ton. He's also a little kid, but super smart and he loves us and wants to be a missionary.

That's some fun stories for y'all to get you by...love ya...

Elder Gilreath

Tie from President Glazier

templo

La Playa

Some pics from the beach. Enjoy...






These are just from Puerto. We went last p-day and played volleyball and made burgers...pretty fun. We were at a member's house who lives on the beach...and normally I think the beach just isn't crowded at all!

December 19, 2011

Well...my comp says that he is going to talk with his family at 11 utah time. I think that's like 12 here in El Salvador if I have that time changes figured out. He says he'll talk about an hour...hour and a half the max so I guess around 2:30 in NC, I should be able to call.

As for Skype...idk...if I could do it an hour...maybe But phone calls are fun just cause it's longer and more personal kind of. And if we can skype now we can probably skype mother's day. And I might not care so much because I'll be home in like 2 and a half months like you said. Plus aren't the Keatons and the Mitchells coming over? That's a lot of people for only 30 minutes. Mother's day will just be all like 8 of you...10 with Delainey and Sallie...the fam is kind of big now!!

this is what you get on a mission....2 pancakes with pudding in the middle. yay mission!! (I asked him if he still had a cook. He does, but his companion doesn't eat the food. He's had a harder time transitioning to the food than Darin did so he does a lot of cooking. Darin says that sometimes he joins in...)

I do have some interesting stories but I'll just save them for Sunday. It has to do with the last pday...drunk people and the branch Christmas party None of those are really related...so don't worry--drunk people didn't crash the Christmas party of the branch.

And changes are like the 3rd of january. Thats all I got...talk to y'all sunday!!!

Love,

Elder Gilreath

December 12, 2011

I got some interesting news....we have been approved to use Skype here this year. We can do it on Saturday or Sunday but obviously if we do it Sunday, I have to try and find a member with a computer and web cam and get their number and all that to send to you guys. I will look around this week but...idk...it's a small branch. I wish they had told us earlier.

Anyways...this December is good...it's going by fast.

Seminary...wow...I kind of miss it.

All the Christmas things are happening this week. We have our branch Christmas party this Friday. We are in charge of two games so it should be interesting...

In the branch...things are happening; there is movement. We now have a Ward (Branch) Mission Leader and there is a new president of the Relief Society who is very animated about the work and wants to help us a ton. SO some good changes are happening here.

Well...the phone call, I still don't know and with the Skype news, this makes things interesting. Haha...you will just have to sit on the computer all day next Monday =P But right now I think a 2 pm phone call your time works.

The hunt for the Christmas Nativity is on. Hope I can find one.

Love you

P.S. The scorpion isn't from my house...

December 5, 2011

The creche is already over...weird...it seems so early....

Onto Christmas...our church is at 9 here. Ithink it will only be an hour...I think that's what I heard. But even if it's not, we finish by 12, so I think I should be able to talk at 1 here easily (2pm there). I haven't been able to talk my comp about it but I'll get it sure thing by next Monday hopefully. The stocking works for him...just give me more stuff :P

haha...so...I can't really think of anything else to put on the Christmas list...so I guess that list is done.

Elder Martin is doing good. He is progressing fast. He will be a great missionary here. He obviously has things to improve on but that's normal and honestly there are always things to improve on as missionaries.

The gators are alright. We are having to leave a lot of what we had found...they just don't have the desire to progress. It's just not their time at this time. I hope in the near future it will be.

Haha...fat Kota...put him on a diet...

Anyways...the most exciting thing this week was that we had a Christmas Party with President Glazier. We made cookies and decorated them and played games and ate an awesome lunch and ate brownies and ice cream and read the scriptures and it was just super fun. I felt like I was in the States...we might have to do a game or two that we did with him. It was a fun way to spend a day. He said he had a gift for us but its on its way still so we just have to wait and see. The Glaziers shared the traditions that they normally do with their kids...they did it with their mission kids haha We were the first zone to do it. I liked it....it was a pretty personal experience with President Glazier and Sister Glazier. They have sent us some pics so I'll try to forward those to you.

Anyways...I hope you have a good week...love you

This is from when we went to the temple a few weeks ago...it's 2 zones...not 1