The Field is White: Week 5

To answer questions in the email: I didn´t get up and bear my testimony in Spanish. They don´t actually make you. And we did go to the temple today and they had the new video! So we were able to see both of them in Spanish during our time here at the CCM which is really cool!

1. How has the weather been?

The weather hasn´t been bad. The mornings and nights are cool and the days usually warm up if the sun is out. It hasn´t rained though, but it does look more cloudy today. I wouldn´t be suprised if it rained. It´s way too dry here for my liking. My skin gets dry, but oh well. At least it isn´t snowing.

2. What has been the most inspirational thing that has happened this week?

I don´t know. Tons of inspirational things happen all the time. We had a live devotional with a member of the Seventy this week and he asked us to ask God 5 things: 1) Do you really exist? 2) Do you have a body? 3) Do you know I exist? 4) Do you know me? 5) Do you love me? He promised that if we did this that we would receive an answer we would never forget. So I did. And I just kept thinking, I already know all of this. Then a prompting came that said if I was able to fall asleep and stay asleep without my sleep mask that those things were all true and God was there. And sure enough, even with a streetlight outside our window, I fell asleep without it. Maybe that sounds really silly, but it´s a small miracle only I could understand--or people that know me because I really can´t sleep without my sleep mask.

3. What is the funniest/funnest thing that has happened this week?

Our Elders keep playing this game where they throw an invisible ball to each other and catch it and sometimes they do it in slow motion, but Elder Erickson fell out of his seat the other day catching the ball and then he just stands up and says "Está bien." It was super funny.

4. What do you do during your personal study time? What kinds of things do you study?

I usually read a chapter from Jesus the Christ and they read in my scriptures. Depending on if we are teaching I may study specific topics, but right now I just want to get through the Book of Mormon again for me so I can mark good scriptures and have some basis of knowledge to draw from.

5. How are things going with your investigators? In your last e-mail you said one was about to commit to a baptism date -- did that happen? How is "Amanda"?

I should probably talk about our investigators.

Luis: Luis has lots of questions. His friend is a member of the church and got him interested. He likes to know everything, and didn´t really want to put in the work to gain his own faith. He drinks coffee and smokes sometimes and likes to party. He asks random questions. We taught him the Word of Wisdom and read the scriptures that contain the blessings and he asked if the knowledge of hidden treasures (or whatever it says) was like piratesm lol. He has a baptismal date.

Juana: Juana wants a relationship with God, but she feels like He doesn´t love her and doesn´t answer her prayers. As a child she was sexually abused and prayed that God would protect her. She is always just grumpy and not the funnest to teach. She gives us like 10 minutes, she never wants to answer questions. But we have made slow progress. She prays while we are there now and sometimes on her own. She went to church. We invited her to be baptized but she still needs to work on not being angry with God.

Amanda exists no more. Hermana Valdez stopped being our teacher because she had to go teach another district and now Hno Hernandez teaches us at night. But Hna Valdez comes in during the afternoon for us to teach her as her.

We taught a REAL investigator last night which was super scary. I´m pretty sure we confused her but then our Elders went and taught her after us and cleared it all up. They just didn´t give us any time so it was rough and, yeah...it was rough.

6. Do you know that we love you and are SO proud of you? :-) (I love you mostest.....)

Yes:)

7. Do you want me to send you copies of some of your pictures from the MTC so you can put them in your little photo album?

I would love that! But I might need another photo album, too...I can´t remember if I brought an empty one.

8. What has been your favorite MTC experience this week?

I´ve just really loved being with my district this week. I feel like we are all really close now and it´s just so great!

9. What has been the spiritual highlight of your week?

Getting to go to the temple (probably for the last time on my mission) and getting to see the new video in Spanish.

10. What have you learned about yourself this week?

I am terrible at asking people questions and getting to know them and what they need. I still don´t have enough patience. We went to the book store at the temple today and for our whole time here we were told we couldn´t go until our last time to the temple and then here come ALL the newbies to the store with us and it really bothered me because we waited so long. I was quite irritated for a while. But oh well.

11. Have you done any more silly putty sculpting? I thought your dachshund was quite good.

:-) lol not this week! I need to though. lol

12. What has been the hardest thing to get adjusted to on your mission so far?

Being with a companion all the time. I am such an independent person and it´s weird to have to be with someone else all the time. Like there is always a shadow standing next to me and I don´t really like it. In the field though, I will probably be really grateful for my companion.

13. What are you looking forward to most about Honduras?

The fact that on P-Day I can actually go do things and see things!

14. What foods and snacks do you miss the most?

Chocolate. And normal sandwiches.

15. What kind of exercise routines do you want us to send to you? I'm going to put Brie in charge of being your physical fitness advisor. (Speaking of which, she has basketball tryouts next week so wish her luck!)

GOOD LUCK! I am really fine with whatever. I would like more arms and glutes workouts. I have a lot of abs, but you could send more of those, too. lol

16. Do you know that Sadie and Abby love you and miss you?

aw:( I miss them too!!!!

17. Do you think I should go ahead and get a Christmas tree for the basement this year?

Yes. Unless you think that you will be moving out of that house before next Christmas because then you will have only used it for one year. But I think it would be nice to have a tree downstairs.

18. Do you have any advice for us on being good member missionaries?

Just invite people to do things--come to church, activites, I don't know, whatever--if you don´t invite people to do anything, chances are they will never do it!

20. Which general authority gave your devotional this week and what did they talk about? Richard G Scott on Sunday and I honestly don´t remember... which is terrible. I took notes though, I just don´t remember.

In other news....

You still haven´t told me how much you will take out of my account per month. If you want to send me a sock or a sock bun thing so I can do a sock bun, that would be cool. No rush though.

I was reading and I liked Mosiah 28:6-7 It just made me think about what parents go through when they send their kids out on missions.

(Mosiah 28:6-7 says: 6 And king Mosiah went and ^ainquired of the Lord if he should let his sons go up among the Lamanites to preach the word. 7 And the Lord said unto Mosiah: Let them go up, for many shall believe on their words, and they shall have eternal life; and I will ^adeliver thy sons out of the hands of the Lamanites.)

I don´t know if the package you sent on Monday will get here before I leave... I did get donuts this week:) Thanks Mom! I also got more pictures from the Stylers! I love getting mail!

OH This is important! I will be able to email before I leave, I don't know what day yet though. BUT if I can call from the airport, what number do you want me to call? I will have my flight plans by the time I email you again.

I feel like I am not an inspirational email person. Sorry everybody lol. I love getting emails from you all! You are just so great!

Te quiero mucho!

Hna Gisseman

Our district in the classroom