Week 13: Fireworks and bottle rockets and racket, oh my!

Hola! 

First off, Christmas was great! I loved getting to talk  to you guys:) I think I got the most time out of everybody. Hna A just let me talk and talk so that was great! We went back to our house after Skyping and we watched Monsters University and then started Arthur Saves Christmas or whatever the name is. But we didn't finish because at midnight we went up on our roof--there are stairs, don't worry! That is where our laundry line is--and there were fireworks and bottle rockets and all sorts of racket! It was like New Year's Eve but for Christmas. The whole street and all the air was just smoke! It was way fun! There were literally fireworks right above my head! So the Central American custom is to open presents at midnight on Christmas so after fireworks we opened all of our gifts. I had the most:) But really, Christmas isn't about gifts... So Hna A loves the scarf and the American pens and she eats the Disney mints all the time now. She was just grateful to have gotten presents. She really liked the box from Grandma and Papa with all the pens and notepads and stuff. All of my clothes fit perfectly! And I love them all! My journal is super cute! Everything was just perfect! I am just super grateful this year, more than ever before, for the gifts that I received. The package from the Swansons was perfect, too! I waitd until Christmas morning to open it so I would have something to open Christmas morning. I got some chocolate protein bars and candy, a Clemson shirt and mug (smile), a purple watch that is super cute, athletic shirts and 2 tank tops that match skirts I have perfectly! And other stuff, too.  It was just perfect!!!! So on Christmas Day we went out as all four of us hermanas. We shared a Christmas message and then visited a member in the ward and she gave me my first tamales in Honduras! They were a lot better than the ones in the CCM. Anyway, that was my Christmas! 

On Christmas Eve and Christmas morning I just couldn't stop smiling because  I was just so happy. President D called us and I was just  so happy.  :) Even though I was away from home it was a Christmas  that I will never forget. 

This week has been hard for Hna M and I.  (NOTE:  Hna M is the other American sister missionary in their house)  On the plus side, Hna A was only sick like one day this week. And we had one lesson this week that we actually taught together! We shared the time well and it was short and to the point.  It's a struggle but I am going to just continue to do the best that I can do and follow the rules that I can follow and try to help her do the same. I just don't know where the line is where I just let her do her thing and when I need to say something. 

1.  Is New Year’s a big deal there?  Do you have any plans? 

I think New Year is a big deal and will be like Christmas. We have to be in early at 6 again tomorrow night so yeah... We will probably watch movies. If everyone doesn't want to watch, at least Hna M and I will!  She's really awesome and I am so grateful to have her in my house! She's another one of those people who I will always be friends with! 

2.  How has the weather been?  

Cold. It is like a roller coaster here. One day it is cold and cloudy and cold and the next day its sunny and sort of hot. It's crazy!!!  I really don't like the weather at all... but I won't be here forever. 

3.  What was the best part of your week? 

I really loved Christmas!  It was neat to be able to experience it in a way that I never would have had the opportunity to do before. 

4.  What was the funnest/funniest thing that happened this week? So Hna C and Hna M went running one day and when they came home and Hna C was taking off her jacket I saw that she wore a trash bag underneath her jacket so that she would sweat more and it was just super funny! And I found a gum wrapper of Mom's in her coat pocket and it made me laugh.

5.  What was the spiritual highlight of your week? 

I really liked a quote from the Liahona (NOTE:  The Liahona is a church magazine) that talked about how Christ is both the Good shephard and the Lamb of God. I never really thought about comparing both of those titles. I also thought about how great faith the prophets and people before Christ must have had. As people today we have two records of scripture. We have two evidences that Christ is and that He was born and that He preached. Before His coming the people only had the prophesy, but we have the evidence. I just  think that that is amazing. If that makes any sense.

6.  Were you able to teach more lessons this week?  Find any new investigators? 

NOPE

7.  How was the branch dinner Thursday night?  What food did they have?  What did they do at the dinner? 

It was good. It started an hour late... We had rice, puree of potatoes kind of like mashed potatoes, chicken and tortillas and a veggie salad. It was actually really good, but I was also really hungry! We watched the really old Christmas movie with Kris Krinlgle and the "one foot in front of the other" song. I don't know what it is actually called because it was in Spanish.

8.  How is your personal study going?  What are you studying, and what stuck out to you this week?  

I kept studying Doctrine and Covenants and it's just neat to read all of the prefaces to the sections because each one was different revelation but all of it is so good and applies to us today! I find a ton of references that say preach repentance unto this people so a lot of what I am finding is about missionary work. 

9.  What has been the strangest food you’ve eaten this week?  Have you found more things you can cook in the microwave? 

We had weird fried pork at a Chinese restaurant... I don't know what it was, LOL. And no, I have just been making the same kinds of things. 

10.  What has been the most unusual thing you’ve seen this week?  

There was an animal jaw laying in the road this week... but that's about it lol

11.  What have you learned about yourself this week? 

I definitely have more patience than I used to...but I still have a long way to go. But I have really realized how diligent I am. Rules are black and white to me. Things are right or they are wrong. I am either following them or I am not. There is no gray area. Unfortunately, many missionaries do not see them that way. 

12.  In what area do you think you’ve improved this week? 

Just trying to be happy in the moment. There are a lot of times where I can just be frustrated and tired and hungry. There was one day we walked for an hour and a half around the city and we got to the top of the mountain and I was just done and I looked out over the valley and realized that this is an awesome opportunity and I need to be happy for every second and grateful that I am here because one day I will wake up and be back in the states and not get to enjoy all of my adventures here. 

13.  Do you know that I love you SO much?   

Always)

14. How many lessons did you teach this week?  

We taught like 15 lessons and had 11 visits with members... but we had divisions and apparently those count twice so we add our numbers together for that day and so we really had maybe 10.

15.  How do you think your relationships with Jesus Christ and with Heavenly Father have grown since you've been on your mission? 

I feel like I already answered this last week. Just learning to rely on Him and not my own strength. I have always been an independent person and the kind of person that thinks I can do it alone and I really can't. I just can't do it and everyday I find new strength to do things and to be more than I am. 

16.  What did you do for P-Day this week? 

We went to play soccer and it sucked. I hate soccer and I still refuse to play. And I wanted to just go run up and down the road but our District Leader said no. Then we went for Chinese food and now we are here! 

17.  Do you hear much Latin music down there? 

All the time. 

18.  What has been the most beautiful thing you’ve seen this week?  

Our Christmas tree with presents underneath. 

19.  Are you going to set any New Year’s Resolutions?  Any you want to share? Any suggestions for us for New Year’s Resolutions we could set?  

I never set New Year's resolutions. I just want to keep trying to be a better missionary than I am the day before. You guys should do Family Home Evenming, always invite the missionaries over for dinner, look for references for them, read the scriptures as a family. 

20.  What can we do to help support and encourage you? 

Keep writing.

21.  How can we be better member missionaries? 

Always look for opportunities to share the gospel and don't be shy.

22.  What was your favorite scripture from the 12 Days of Christmas? 

I don't remember them, to be honest.  It was 12 days worth of scriptures and I can't just pull one out of the air. But I did like the ones that talked about Mary. 

I love you all!

Hna Gisseman

Our Christmas tree and gifts

I used the silly putty to make our own little Nativity

Christmas Eve fireworks

Hna A with the shirt I bought her for Christmas

Christmas stockings!

Thanks Grandma and Papa -- I love my Mickey and Minnie and my new Minnie watch!

Hna A gave me this -- it's so cute!

Thanks for the gifts, family!

The Swansons are SO sweet!  Thank you for the gifts -- I love them all!

This top from the Swansons matches the skirt Mom gave me!

I made a cover for my planner

We saw this at the top of some stairs today....

And here is a sign that tells you, in Spanish, what it is.

Week 12 -- Feliz Navidad!!

Feliz Navidad! 

This week went by super fast! I think is was because we had a meeting like every day! As you saw on the Johns' blog, we had a Christmas get together for our zone. We took an hour bus ride to Entrada and a lady threw up right in front of me! It was pretty gross, but the bus ride is spectacular!!! We watched "It's a Wonderful Life" and had bbq sandwiches! I have never looked forward more to eating a bbq sandwich! I ate one and a half...I was the only hermana to get seconds...I swear I eat like a man now! But it was nice and we sang all of the Christmas songs in the hymn book and I got to lead them all which was really fun. Then the other day my district and our Zone Leaders went to a public square and caroled and contacted. We passed out at least 20 Books of Mormon and like 100 pamphlets. We were even on Honduran TV according to our District Leader, Elder P. People kept taking pictures of us and taking vides. It was really funny. Then one of our Zone Leaders, Elder Y, made me hand out 2 pamphlets all by myself to contact since I have never done that before here in Honduras. We don't do it much from what I have heard. But that was actually not as bad as I thought it would be. This morning we had a zone gift exchange! I got flower stickers, candy, a bouncy ball and 2 suckers for my 2 street contacts all from Elder Y and he wrote a nice note, too. I have a video...I hope I can send it. But yeah! A very busy week!

1.  How has the weather been?  

 

The weather has been a lot better!!! The sun finally came out! So yeah, I'm not cold anymore. But it is a lot less humid here than it was in Campana. 

2.  Since Santa Rosa is bigger than Compana, are there more American restaurants there like Wendy's, etc.?  What about stores -- are there bigger stores, or still the little stores in people's homes?

 

I haven't seen any American stores or restaurants but there are a lot of Honduran stores and restaurants. I think because its so remote...we are in the mountains and it's hard to get to. I think the American stores and stuff are in places that are easy to get to and have more traffic like Puerto Cortes or San Pedro. 

3.  What was the best part of your week?

 

Christmas caroling in the park and our Christmas meeting! I just love getting together with other missionaries and it's Christmas! 

  

4.  What was the funnest/funniest thing that happened this week?

 

I keep trying to repeat words that Hna A says that I don't know...but I need to see words to be able to understand them so I keep saying the wrong things and it's super funny. She just starts cracking up and then she tells me what I said or sometimes it's just nonsense. I tried to say jealous but I said cells instead. I said we were going to eat ourselves.  I don't know.  Just lots of funny moments with the language that I am able to laugh at which is a huge blessing that I am not getting frustrated! 

 

5.  What was the spiritual highlight of your week?

 

I got to have a mini interview with Pres D this week. He came to Santa Rosa yesterday for something but he got here early to have an interview with Hna A. He said he had been worrying about her.  But I got to have a 5 ish minute interview with him and he was just super supportive and said the things I needed to hear. He said that this time that I have to learn the language is time that I am learning how other people must feel when they can't accomplish things or do them as well as they would like. Since my whole life I have been able to do things easily without a problem, now I can learn how to help others because I am going through the same thing myself. Also I feel that being here with Hna A is my opportunity to learn to have the desire to go out and teach lessons. Not that I don't want to be here on the mission, that's not it at all. I just get really anxious and would rather other people talk instead of me because I still feel so inadequate but this is my time to foster (I don't know if that is the right word) my desire to go out and talk to people! All this time in the house makes me want to work! And in our Christmas meeting Pres D read from a talk that everyone should read: O Divine Redeemer from Neal A. Maxwell. Also I had an epiphany about the Doctrine of Christ. We as missionaries talk about it and teach it as 5 steps:  faith, baptism, repentance, the Holy Ghost, and endure to the end. While they are steps, it is a cycle! Enduring to the end includes always strengthening our faith, repenting, participating in the Sacrament each week like a mini baptism and doing these things helps us to feel the Spirit more. I don't know why I never realized that before. But all of us should be living the doctrine of Christ all the time. It's not a checklist until endure to the end and then we all just stay on step 5. We are constantly living these principles. If that makes sense...

 

6.  Were you able to teach more lessons this week?  Find any new investigators?

 

No and only one... we went to go teach him yesterday though and he wasn't home. But we stayed in the house 2 days again this week because Hna A was sick again.

 

7.  Did your branch do a special Christmas Sacrament Meeting today?  If so, how was it?

 

Nope. We will have a branch dinner on Thursday though. 

8.  How is your personal study going?  What are you studying, and what stuck out to you this week?

 

I am studying the Doctrine and Covenants. But for one of the days that we were in the house this week, I took like 4 hours to study. It was awesome! I got the idea...probably inspiration...to write down all the patterns I find in the Book of Mormon so I did that. Becuse in my scriptures I write next to the verses some of the patterns I see but I organized them. So I went through every page and organized all of the same patterns together so I have all of the references together which is really cool! 

 

9.  What has been the strangest food you’ve eaten this week?

 

Nothing unusual...sorry

 

10.  What has been the most unusual thing you’ve seen this week?

 

Again.. nothing unusual...okay, wow, that's weird! Everything here is pretty unusual, LOL. I am just used to things now.  Hahaha.

11.  Do you mostly walk in Santa Rosa, or do you take the bus to go places?  Is it a safe city?  

 

We mostly walk or take a taxi. There are tons of taxis here. Becaue it is so hilly people never want to walk places.  We usually we walk to our appointments and take a taxi to go home at night.

 

12.  What have you learned about yourself this week?  

 

I am a visual learner when it comes to words in Spanish. I have to see the word written or I have to know how it is spelled and then write it in the air before I can remember.

 13.  In what area do you think you’ve improved this week?

 

Being patient and more selfless. I try and focus more and more on how Hna A is feeling and what she needs than what I need. I try and give more input in planning and stuff like that and, I don't know, the more I do this the more comfortable I feel with her and the stronger I feel like we are getting. For real, though, she is like my best friend! I have realized, too, how important it is to love your companion. I could be so frustrated that she can't do much or that she does this or that but because I love her first, all of that goes away and it makes it so I really don't notice the bad things.
 

14.  Do you know that I love you SO much?  

 

Yes:)

15.  Do you have any new investigators this week?  How many lessons did you teach this week?  

 

We only had 20...maybe only like 15, which is sad....I hope we can work harder.

 

16.  How do you think your relationship with Jesus Christ and with Heavenly Father have grown since you've been on your mission?

 

I have just realized that I really am nothing. I am talented, yes, but it isn't due to my intelligence or anything. All of it is from the Lord. I find that I am trusting more in Him and being humbled each day as I participate in His work. 

17.  What did you do for P-Day this week?  

 

We had our gift exchange this morning and went to Jireth for lunch and now I am here! 

18.  Have you done anything different or special for Christmas?  Do you hear any American Christmas music down there?  Are there traditional Spanish Christmas carols?

 

I hear a few but there isn't a lot of Christmas music. Hna M played The Forgotten Carols cd this morning and I didn't realize how much I liked it or how much it put me in the spirit of Christmas until this morning. 

19.  What has been the most beautiful thing you’ve seen this week?

 

We walked out in the jungle this week along the edge of the mountain and there was a gorgeous view of the valley!
 

20.  What can we do to help support and encourage you?

 

Keep writing me!!!! 

In other news...I got a package from the Swansons for Christmas, a letter from Sis Peacock, and 3 from the Stylers! I love my missionary plaque!!! Thanks so much for the 12 days of Christmas and the book:) I have loved waking up everyday to get to open a new one. 

Love you all! 

Feliz Navidad! 

Hermana Gisseman

 

A few other tidbits from Alyssa's e-mails to us today......  Some of the people in Honduras call her "Barbie" because she's a blonde from the US.  There are some zones in their mission that only have elders serving in them -- and one with only Hispanic elders.  Those are the more dangerous areas.  She also said that many people in Honduras open their Christmas gifts at midnight on Christmas Eve. 

 

Hna A and me

 

Mail!!!!!

 

At the wedding of a couple from church

 

Santa Rosa

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our cute girl!

 

 

Christmas caroling in the park

 

 

 

Santa Rosa

 

Isn't she lovely????

 

 

 

 

She created the bow...such talent!

 

 

With Hna A.

Week 11

(AN EDITORIAL NOTE FROM ALYSSA'S MOM:  You know what missionaries love?  Mail!  E-mail and snail mail -- any kind works!  Even just a short line or two is enough to brighten their day.  Alyssa has a couple of hours of e-mail time on Monday and would love, love, love to hear from you -- her e-mail address and mailing address are located on the right side of the blog.  So hurry up and write, would ya?  LOL)

Hola! First off... GUESS WHO IS IN COPAN?!!!! Yeah, so I got transferred to Santa Rosa Copan. So we got a text in the afternoon that said Hna B and another Hna were the only ones with cambios (transfers). So figured I was staying with Hna P.  She and I had a really  good talk about how we can work better for the next two months. We figured out that I need teach the doctrinal points since that's what they teach you to do in the CCM and she can be there to support me and to add on to what I say. So I felt a lot better about things and we hugged for the first time since she picked me up in my first cambios meeting. So then I go to make my dinner and we get a text from the Zone Leaders... Sorpresa! Gisseman tiene cambios!  (Surprise!  Gisseman has changes!)  So yeah...I got a strange text in the weird hours of the night saying I was being transferred, too... The next day we had district and zone meetings and the zone leaders said that one of the assistants to the president called them to say there was another change and I was being transferred which meant that it wasn't part of the original changes... it was super weird. So then Tuesday when we taught a lesson together, Hna P and I taught exactly how we had planned and I taught the doctrinal points and she was there to support me and it was perfect. It was how I pictured being a missionary to be. Then I got transferred... 

But now I am in Santa Rosa, Copan! It was a 3 hour bus ride from San Pedro. My new companion is Hna A. She is from Panama. She is super funny and fits me really well. I feel super comfortable around her. We laugh all the time together. She holds my hand or takes my arm when we walk down and up the streets together. She has been here the same amount of time as Hna P. Hna H who was in the CCM and came in with me is now with Hna P and I am with Hna A so we just switched trainers. But Hna G was put into a trio with Hna P and Hna H which is really interesting since none of them are Latina.  They have so many people to see. Hna P and I taught 50 somehting lessons last week and I'm sure Hna B and Hna G taught at least 35 and now that area of Campana is up to one companionship instead of 2... 

Our area is super far away from our house. Hna A likes to talk to people. I don't know...it's a lot different that Hna P. We dont  have investigators and didnt know who we were going to go teach. She got sick 2 days and so I have only taught 2 real lessons with her and the rest have been visits with members. I got to go out in a trio with the other hermanas in our casa on the second day she was sick though. Hna C is from Guatemala and Hna M just got here from the CCM and is from Idaho and I feel like I can be to her what Hna B was to me. Anyway... I hope Hna A and I  can get investigators. They have been here for four months with no baptisms and no one is even close and it worries me. 

ANYWAY Santa Rosa is gorgeous! But it's really cold. I bought a blanket. We have hot showers, though, which is fantastic! Our house is actually really big. It has 3 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms. Life here is a lot different than Campana. This is a city. There are stores, people actually have floors instead of dirt! Most people have cars or motorcycles. The streets are paved. People don't have yards. I kind of prefer Campana right now because Santa Rosa is so  huge! Its VERY hilly, though, and not just small hills like straight up inclines. Its just very different. But yeah...I'm in Copan! 

Dad really should make toe socks for Opa. We don't have any more info on skyping for Christmas... I think I will be using my skype account if you want to create an account and friend me. I should hopefully have more info for you next P-Day  but we have no idea right now.

Hna B got transferred, too, and she is now with Hna W, my CCM companion!

1.  What do the Honduran people in Campana think of Americans?  Do the people seem friendly toward Americans? 

People here think that people in America don't have problems and that everyone is rich. They think that our lives are just perfect, which totally isn't true. People in America have problems, and there is poverty.

2.  Have you noticed any changes or anything different as a result of the elections? 

Nope. Not a single thing.

3.  What was the best part of your week? 

I don't know... I really liked teaching Tuesday with Hna P but I also really enjoy getting to see Copan. We will go to the ruins in January and I can't wait! I am just really grateful for the opportunity to learn Spanish now.

4.  What was the funnest/funniest thing that happened this week? 

I really don't know. We went to real restaurants here becasue its a city (LOL) and Hna A just talked the whole time. Really, she is super funny and really sweet. She's really sassy so she has an opinion about everything which always keeps things interesting.

5.  What was the spiritual highlight of your week? 

I finished the Book of Mormon this morning. But also there was a baptism for the other hermanas that I went to with them as a part of a trio and I just felt so happy the whole time. I don't know...it was weird, but in a good way. I couldn't stop smiling and I didnt even know the kid. I just realized that it doesn't have to be my investigator or anything, any time somebody is taking a step in their lives to come closer to our Heavenly Father is something that we should all rejoice in and take joy from. Oh, and yesterday we were in a lesson and a scripture popped in my head, for me -- not for the people we were teaching. I was frustrated about not being able to speak the language as well as I want again and Hna A was saying how my Spanish really is good.  but I got home and read the scripture and it was Alma 32:27 and Its the scripture about exercizing a particle of faith ("But behold, if ye will awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words.")  But I read it in a new light -- the Lord will always be there saying that we can do it. I am sitting here saying that I can't. But if I exercize my faith, even to just have the desire to believe the Lord and everyone else that my Spanish is enough, then I will be able to accept my Spanish the way it is and believe in myself. I think I sit in self pity sometimes about the language but I need to just have confidence in the Lord and believe Him because He obviously thinks that I can do this or I wouldn't have been sent here.

6.  How are things going with your investigators?  

I don't know because I got transferred.  LOL

7.  How did you like the Christmas Devotional?  Did you watch in Spanish or English? 

Spanish but they put on the English subtitles for us. It was really weird to not be able to hear their voices. What a blessing it is to really be able to hear the prophet's voice and hear his words from his own mouth.

8.  How is your personal study going?  What are you studying, and what stuck out to you? 

I just finished the Book of Mormon so now I will start reading the Doctrine and Covenants. But I started reading the Book of Mormon in Spanish during my language study and I was suprised that I notcied different things as I was reading in Spanish. Right now I am just focusing on building my knowledge of the scriptures so that I can have a well to draw from. And since we don't have investigators I don't really know what to study specifically for them.

9.  Take a picture of your district and your zone at your next meetings so I can put them in your scrapbook.  How big, geographically, is your zone? 

We took a zone picture and the zone leaders are supposed to send it to us... but I still don't have it. Copan is the biggest zone and Campana was pretty big. It extends all the way northward in the country. I don't know where the boudaries are.

10.  What has been the strangest food you’ve eaten this week? 

Nothing strange, actually. I had a giant calzone and banana juice. Ok, that was weird. Banana Juice...

11.  What has been the most unusual thing you’ve seen this week?  

There was a drunk man laying in the street yesterday...  but yeah, that's all.

12.  What have you learned about yourself this week? 

I really can't interrupt people. Hna A talks a lot during our lessons and I just cant inerrupt her even though she tells me to if I have something to say. I am just really timid.  And I really do know more Spanish than I think. I have a Latina companion and I have survived almost a week now speaking only Spanish to her!

13.  In what area do you think you’ve improved this week? 

My Spanish and just speaking it. I find myself a few times slipping into English and then I have to remember that Hna A doesn't speak a word of English... so yeah, I can't default to English anymore.

14.  Do you know that I love you SO much?  J  And we are proud of you? 

Always:)

15.  Do you have any new investigators this week?  How many lessons did you teach this week?  

Yeah.... like 2. Not really. I taught like 8-10 with Hna P on Tuesday and 4 with the trio and about 4 with Hna A this week which is still like nothing compared to Campana. Here citas (appointments) are every hour and in Campana they are every half hour because people live so close and because we teach a lot. But here, I guess because people live so far away, there are a lot less slots to fill in our planners.

16.  What is your favorite thing about Honduras?  About being a missionary? 

I wake up everyday in HONDURAS! Really though, who gets to say that? ITt feels real now that I don't live in America anymore, probably because I am in a house with Latinas now. But its just so beautiful and I love that I get to experience a way of life that is so different from anything I have ever done or will probably do again. I really like having a schedule all the time, which probably shouldn't be my favorite part of being a missionary but right now thats what I cling to is that we always have a plan.

17.  What did you do for P-Day this week?  How much money do you want me to put in your account for Christmas so you can buy Nutella or little gifts for Hna P and the other hermanas? 

Well, since I'm not in Campana with them anymore I don't know what I will buy them for gifts so don't worry about it. For P-Day I cleaned the bathroom because it's gross. Here they don't flush the toilet, they pour water from the street like tap water water down the toilet because it saves the water in our heated tank. The problem is that there often isn't tap water. So the bathroom and the house smell disgusting! So today I cleaned the shower and the bathroom. We did grocery shopping and a little laundry. Hna A and I went to a Honduran restaurant and it was super good! It reminded me of Ohana. I had BBQ chicken and chorizo. It was WAY good!

18.  Do you think you’ll have tamales for Christmas?  

I don't know what we will be doing for Christmas... In Campana I would have gotten tamales, but here we don't have plans for Christmas or anything so I have no idea.

19.  What has been the most beautiful thing you’ve seen this week? 

The view from the mountain of Santa Rosa

20.  What can we do to help support and encourage you? 

Keep writing me!!!!

In other things, my striped Ann Taylor shirt bled, too... UGH! If you could send a CTR ring, the cursive ones in a size 5 and a size 7, Hna C and Hna A want them and they want the English one and they don't know where else to get one so they asked if I would ask you. So if you could pick those up for them and, oh yeah, that could be their Christmas present...even though it will get here super late.

HAPPY (early) BIRTHDAY to Papa!

Oh and I had to give a talk. It was on missionary work and Hna C corrected it and it actually had a lot less errors than I thought it would!

Love you all!

Hermana Gisseman

The clouds in Campana between the mountains.  Isn't it beautiful?

Flowers

Eating topos. Its a Honduran popsicle..put whatever into a bag and freeze it and then eat it 

Hna A and I made the ornaments and gingerbread houses Mom sent! She loves things like that so we just made them.

Food at one restaurant. Chocolate cake and a huge strawberry smoothie! 

Me with the HUGE strawberry smoothie

This was my meal -- a calzone -- the biggest thing I've ever seen come out on a plate.  The picture doesn't do it justice!

Santa Rosa.  It's very hilly here.

Our house.  My desk is the one on the right

We even have sofas!!!

My desk.  I love getting things in the mail to hang on my wall (hint, hint)

Our kitchen.  There are no cabinets and no counter space so we have to store things on the floor.

A cat came in our house and got on my bed. We have to leave the back door open whenever we are outside or else we get locked out and I was doing laundry outside and the cat came in while I was out....

Our Christmas tree. (Thank you, Donna Ashwood!)  It was good that I couldn't find it before because I would have puit it up in Campana and then had to leave it! 

O Christmas Tree.....

The pink bag that I bought here to go around my waist to carry the weight better. SUPER glad I got it right before I came to Santa Rosa because with all the hills I would die with just a shoulder bag. 

Hna A and me

Our closet -- it's so big!

Our bedroom

Our bathroom.  The tub is filled with the water we use to flush the toilet because if we didn't do that it would use water from our heated tank so we use street water and flush with the water from the tub

Who needs a shower curtain?  SOOOOO weird!  Obviously only one person can be in the bathroom at a time since there's no privacy at all!

My lunch today.  The flat round things are either fried bananas or fried plantains.

Hna A bought me a lollipop today