Week 4

First off, Happy Halloween! And Happy belated Birthday to Moriah!  And in response to news that Opa's melanoma was successfully and entirely removed, YEAH!!!

1.  Would you like me to send cookies again?  How many people are in your district?  

I would love cookies:) We decorated the cookies that you sent me today and they were just so cute! There are 9 people in my district, and last time there were enought cookies for me to share. I jsut don´t know how long it takes them to be delivered. I think you can also order Krispy Kreme donuts too.  It´s seiously the best feeling in the world to get mail and packages:)

2.  How has the weather been?  I've been watching the weather forecasts and it looks like it's gotten warmer...I hope you're not still getting cold at night... 

It has gotten a lot warmer. Today it´s hot! And it feels sooo good! It hasn´t rained this week which I´m glad about and the nights have been warmer, too. I took off my extra blankets.

3.  Have you gotten to play the piano again?  

Nope and I kind of hope I don´t have to. lol

4.  What are your Sunday church meetings like?  Have you gotten to speak yet?  If so, what did you speak on?  How did it go? 

I have not gotten asked to speak yet. We have a Relief Society meeting and Sister Pratt (the President´s wife) teaches all the sisters at one time. Then we have a district meeting/devotional thing that is supposed to be like Sunday School and Elder Scott teaches something from Preach My Gospel. Then we have sacrament meeting and they divide us up into sectors and each sector has a different topic. They announce those on Sunday for the next week. So everyone prepares a 5 min talk and when we get there they ask 6 people to speak. Everyone gets so nervous when they are about to say the names of the speakers. lol. So far I haven´t had to speak! Lucky me! But apparently everyone has to get up during testimony meeting next week...

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

I had a really good experience with Elder Erikson this week. He was pretending to be an investigator and I was supposed to be teaching him, but he was really difficult and I just couldn´t teach him anything. So being the not-so-confident person that I am, I'm like¨"I´m sorry, I just really don´t know what to teach you." Everyone in my district knows that I really don´t like talking to people and that I would rather just never say anything (lol) so he just gave really good advice and said something to the effect of: "You are a missionary. People can´t judge you as Hermana Gisseman. As long as you are following the Spirit, then they aren´t even your words, but the Lord´s words and people are judging the Lord, not you. People won´t be baptized for Hermana Gisseman, but for the Lord." I just thought that that was really perfect advice for the moment. Too often I doubt myself and don´t trust enough in the Lord and in the authority I have been given.

6.  Who is your favorite person in the scriptures right now?  Mine changes depending on what I'm reading...but right now I'm loving Captain Moroni. 

I still love Abinadi, but I just got to that part in the scriptures. lol

7.  What is the funniest thing that happened this week? 

I actually wrote down funny moments so I would be able to answer this question. Hno Hernandez (who doesn´t speak English) tried to say "love" in class, but it came out as "lub" because in Spanish "v"s and "b"s so then we are like, no it´s "love" and he tries to make the "v" sound and totally spits all over his face. It was really funny. Also one of the days it was cold last week, we went outside because the power went out and Hna Brugman had a coat and I was shivering so she wrapped me up in her coat too and we were like a 2 headed person walking around and that was interesting. lol. I just love her!

8.  How are things going with Hermana Whittle? 

They are going better. A lot better. I think she likes me now... but I don´t really know. lol. But she talks more which I really appreciate. I wish she would jsut tell me whawt she thought of me, but whatever. I am just going to assume that she likes me now. We get along well and laugh and talk but I don´t know. I just know it´s a lot better than it was and I am grateful for that!

 

9.  How is the language coming along?  Is your district speaking Spanish more than 5% of the time now?

Um... yeah, it´s going well. I still haven´t learned anything new, just how to speak I guess. We are trying to do better at speaking. Some days are better than others. lol. It´s going to be a huge shock regardless when I go to Honduras in 11 days! WHAT?!

10.  Besides going to the temple or having a baseball game, what else do you do on your P-Days? 

Today we had haircuts! Hna Hernderson (Anchorage Ak North Stake, used to be 2nd Ward but now it´s called Airport Heights ward in the Maplewood chapel) is a certified beautician and has graduated hair school so she trimmed our hair today. We played a volleyball game as a district. It was so much fun! We decorated cookies. We are going to paint our nails and just sit and talk probably. Temple P-Days there is like no time for anything. Oh and we do laundry.

11.  How are things going with your investigators? 

They are going well. One of them is about to commit to a baptism day. We just got another one--Amanda, who is really Hna Valdez, our night teacher. We teach her tonight and so we don´t know a ton about her yet, but the other companionships that have taught her said she is really nice.

12.  How is your health? 

I am fine!

13.  What can we as a family do to help you, support you, and encourage you? 

I don´t know. but I still haven´t heard from Brie. I need to know how America's Next Top Model is going. I really love getting letters. I got a beautiful picture from Aliscea this week and it made my day!

14.  Do you feel like a missionary yet?  ;-) 

Nope  lol

15.  What is that thing you sent a picture of that has a red frame and red legs....it looks like a mirror, maybe?  (LOVE all the pictures you sent last week, by the way.  Hna Brugman looks like she's SO much fun and the kind of person you will be friends with for life!) 

I love her so much! She´s great! The red thing with the mirror is a fire hydrant believe it or not. Weird, huh?

16.  Do you know that we love you and are SO proud of you? 

Yes:)

17.  What has been your favorite part of your MTC experience so far? 

I don´t know...probably getting to spend time with the best hermanas ever and having the best teachers!

18.  If you could give advice to missionaries getting ready to leave for the MTC, what would it be? 

Use all of your time wisely even if your district doesn´t want to.

19.  What has been the spiritual highlight of your week?  What have you learned about yourself this week? 

I really am terrible at asking questions to get to know/discern people. I really just can´t do it. I need to have more confidence in myself and in the Lord.

20.  Are you still reading Jesus the Christ or have you finished it?  What did you learn/are you learning from it? 

I am still reading it. It´s like 800 pages  and I´m on 550, I think. It´s just all so good! I read an interesting part this week that said Christ never exercized His power for anything unnecessary. Like when he raised Lazarus from the dead He asked that the stone be moved from his tomb and then after he arose, He asked for the wrappings to be taken off of him. He could´ve done all of those things with the power that He had, but He didn´t. I thoguht thtat was really interesting.

I don´t know my plans yet, but my packet said I would be leaving the 11th. What do you want me to do with the Disney pics on my camera? Did you download them all to the computer already?  What about my phone? I would really like to keep the same number.

I see more and more cute clothes from ASOS here like a hot pink skirt with a belt and some pleat things at the tope...so cute.

I had some chocolate here that was so good! It was jsut like Ferrer Rocher (idk how to spell that) the ones that Mom likes a bunch but they were made by Kinder and it came in a bar instead of a ball of chocolate. It was delicious!

I timed my mile with the watch I have now and I ran an 8:30 last week and a 7:45 this week! TERRIBLE lol but what do you do at such high elevation. lol

I have now sewn 2 things and I feel so domestic. I had to fix a pocket that Mom sewed on my skirt and my laundry bag got a hole in it. So far I am not impressed with those bags, but oh well.

I tried ranch dressing on pizza this week. Something I swore I would never do! They served leftoever pizza on Wednesday (every Tuesday we get pizza) and it tasted kind of like soap...so I put ranch on it and it was actually pretty good!

I really can´t believe I have been here for a month! Like what?! Days are long and weeks are short! I´m really nervous about actually going to Honduras.

Coudl you send me color remover? Hna Whittle washed our clothes on the wrong cycle and my dachshund pajama pants got some pink on them. I am really not a happy camper about that but, at least nothing else was ruined.

Sorry my emails are jsut really random. AfterI answer questions I just kind of throw other things I had thought of at the end. lol

te quiero mucho!

Hermana Gisseman

With Hermana B -- I just love her!

Our district playing baseball on P-Day last week.

Hermana B and me

I got in the closet cubbord to try to scare our elders when they came in the room...it kind of failed but was super funny anyway

The girls in my district

Our district at volleyball today

Hermana B and me (hee hee)

I don't know if I sent this pic before but I really like it

The package Mom sent this week

I can totally wear my grey skirt as a dress!  (Note from Alyssa's Mom....yeah, because it's a convertible skirt that is meant to be worn a either a dress or skirt!  LOL)

Hermana W and I always get ready super fast and have like 15 minutes of just sitting around so I decided to use the Silly Putty you sent

Hna B and I wearing each other's name tags for Halloween

Me using the TALL (language learning) computer program

We switched name tags today since it's Halloween.  We're cool.  LOL  In this picture we're pointing to the person who has our name tag.

All of us in our halloween colors... I´m the only one lacking orange... I jsut like to be original.

The icing turned my tongue black!

I just think my face is hilarious in this picture

We decorated the Halloween cookies that Mom sent to us

Week 3

Okay to answer questions that were in the email but not part of 20 questions: There are crocs that I saw a girl wearing that I absolutely loved. They were cream ballet flats with a black cap toe...idk if that makes sense or if they even still make them, but I loved those. I took Pepto Bismol because the hot dogs here are apparently really sketchy and everyone was getting sick so I took some as a precaution. Days here go by slow but weeks go by so fast! I can´t believe I have been here for 3 weeks already!

 

I have gotten packages:) Last Thursday I got 2 packages: one from Andrea and cookies from Mom! I didn´t actually know I got 2 packages becasue they usually give out a slip of paper that says you have a package but Mom´s package notice came on an envelope and I didn´t think about it until Monday. so while I had a package, I didn´t pick it up til Monday because I didn´t know I had it. Thanks so much for the package, Andrea! It really made my day! I especially liked all of the cards inside written in Spanish! And I loved the chocolate:) I got my other package from Mom on..I don´t remember but it was a few days ago with my jacket! I am so grateful that came because it has been really cold this week because of a hurricane or something and I wore 2 jackets and slept with 3 blankets. I also got pictures from Aliscea and Alexa which were just so dang cute! I showed everyone in my district and they were jealous! I´m like the only one who gets mail. heehee I also have a package that is in Mexico City right now that I will get tomorrow. Apparently some packages go to the post office there... idk.

1.  Where are the people in your district from? Hermana C. (has the looong hair) is from Wisconsin--her dad is the missino president there. Hermana H. (the red head) is from Anchorage. Hermana W. (my companion with blondish hair) is from Snowflake Arizona. Hermana B. (dark hair) is from Phoenix. Elder S. is from California. Elder J. is from Utah (I don´t remember where) and so is Elder B. Elder E. is from Idaho.

2.  What have you been doing during your exercise time?  Do you need more exercise routines to be sent to you? We have been going to the small work out room that they have here. There are ellipticals and bikes and a few weights. There is a track here but it´s gravel and really not pleasant. Plus someone said we are at like 7000 feet elevation and running is just not fun. I´m more used to it now, but the first time we ran I felt  like I was going to die on a mile! And the air is really dry. A lot of people play volleyball, but I´m not really a team sports kind of person. I would love it if you sent me more workouts! If you could get ones that aren´t off of my Pinterest page that would be good and if you could print them and cut them out. We have access to a printer here, but you have to pay for paper and I dón´t have scissors anyway.

3.  Have you worn your dachshund necklace yet?  I have worn my dachshund necklace and it´s just so cute! I have a pic of me in my dachshund pjs for you too lol.

4.  Have more hermanas moved into your casa?  (And are you impressed that I used two Spanish words in the same sentence?  LOL)  We didn´t get anymore hermanas in our casa--THANK GOODNESS! It´s so nice and quiet and we can get ready at the same time in different bathrooms which is nice!

5.  Have you sung any hymns from the Spanish hymnal that aren't in the English hymnal?  Have you had a chance to play the piano? I actually had to play the piano on Sunday... and that was interesting. One was "Ï´ll Go Where You Want Me to Go". I don´t remember the other two, but I had never played any of those for people and I messed up A TON! But I made it through which is really what counts. I just was really wishing I had taken more piano...but oh well. We haven´t sung any Spanish only hymns yet.

6.  Are you going/did you go to the temple this P-Day?  If so, how was it? We went to the temple today and it was really good. I understood more which was great. It was cold though so we didn´t take many pictures. I hate the bus rides though....they´re pretty rough. Drivers here are crazy and the roads aren´t very good and I didn´t want to take Dramamine because last time I almost fell asleep during the session anyway without it because it was so hot in there!

7.  How is the language coming along? It´s coming. I know so much grammar and I just don´t know how to use it, but at least I know it and can understand. Each day is better. We realized though that our district only speaks 5% in Spanish so we really need to start speaking more...

8.  What is the most inspirational thing that has happened this week? We had an activity where everyone was given a question or a doubt. We were paired up and 1 person was a missionary teaching about the doctrine of Christ and the other would be the investigator with that question. Our teacher wanted us to focus on teaching by the Spirit to be able to focus on and teach to that person´s question. So while I was teaching I remembered a verse I had read during personal study about the Holy Ghost and just went with it and it was totally what Elder S. as an investigator needed. His question was how can I strengthen my family and answer on his paper was the Holy Ghost. I just thought that was really neat. Also we had a live devotional this week. Elder Lester Johnson from the Seventy spoke to us and that was neat.

9.  How are things going with your "investigators"? Pretty good. Juana prayed for the first time in our lesson yesterday and she hasn´t prayed for anyone else so that´s progress. Luis just has a lot of questions..and we are still working on being able to get through a lesson with him.

10.  What is the funniest/funnest thing that happened this week?  The most enlightening thing?  Idk... Hermano H., our teacher who doesn´t speak English, is just really funny and makes faces all the time or just laughs to himself and it´s just funny. He raced our other teacher last night because he said his way was faster and it was just so funny. Idk

11.  Who was your devotional by this week and what was it about?  What did you learn from it? Hey I just answered that sort of. He talked about how as missinoaries we should always be happy and cheerful. And also that we should really work to strengthen wards and to work with them.

12.  Are you able to sleep well? Eh...apparently there is some festival going on and there are always canons going off which is really loud and annoying but I have earplugs and my sleep mask so I'm fine. It was really cold the past 2 nights and I didn´t sleep that well, but whatever.

13.  How are you feeling in terms of your health?  Do you have enough medicine or access to medicine? I´m fine! They gave me a refill on my Ampicillin, but they only gave me 10 pills which was lame. Apparently they don´t like giving to people either.

14.  What has the weather been like this week? COLD and RAINY! Two of my least favorite things.

15.  What is your favorite scripture that you've read this week? I don´t know... there are too many good ones. And I don´t have my scriptures in front of me to pick one.

16.  What other TV shows am I supposed to be updating you on? lol You don´t have to update me on all of them, then I will have some surprises when I get home.

17.  Did you know that Honey Boo Boo moved to Warner Robins this week?  She's living in Stathams Landing.  True story -- really! That´s crazy! That´s where Morgan lives! Warner Robins is getting more famous all the time.

18.  Do you know that we love you and are incredibly proud of you? Yes:)

19.  What have you learned about yourself that you maybe didn't know/realize before? I really need external motivation. During language study after I finish my homework I jsut don´t even know what to do with myself because I don´t know what to study. lol

20.  What advice do you have for us as we try to be better member missionaries? No idea. I will let you know when I actually feel like missionary. lol

In other news, If you could send me my black and white striped Ann Tayloy shirt or my navy striped Old Navy t-shirt I would greatly appreciate it. I need more patterned shirts that I can wear with everything. Things you can send me for Christmas: nail polish, Neosporin, a case for my planner if you can find one--I saw a teacher that had one--pencils with a twisty eraser becasue I use the erasers really fast and dry shampoo...maybe idk if it will do me any good anyway lol.

It´s really neat to be here at the CCM. It doesn´t feel like Mexico until we leave the campus, but it´s still really neat. Sorry I don´t ahve time to email everyone. I love getting mail though and I always have time to read that.

te amo,

Hermana Gisseman

 She's just a little partial to dachshunds.....cute pajamas!

 Alyssa loves getting mail -- keep it coming!

 Yeah, it rained a little....

 A Mickey Mouse rice krispy treat makes any day a great day!

 Cookies!

These last two pictures are for Daddy and Mr. K:  So... we played baseball today and I was a pinch runner for Hermana B. since she sprained her ankle yesterday and I got a little competitive and stole 3rd and slid... They should be proud.

Week 2

<This is Alyssa's Mom.  Once again, I sent her a list of questions to answer and so that's what she started her e-mail with this week.  Also, please note that there may be information or details in her letters that I omit on the blog for privacy reasons.>

1.  How are things going with your "investigator"? We finished things up with our other investigator and now they are our night teachers. We got 2 more and one of them is our day teacher and the other is one of our night teachers again. Our day teacher--Hermana Thomas--is playing a really mean investigator and it´s really hard to teach her. She doesn´t wnat to pray and she won´t keep her commitments. It´s hard to help someone's faith grow if they aren´t willing to put in any effort. Faith requires action. We haven´t taught the other one yet. Lessons are alright. 

2.  How are your classes going?  Are you still in beginning Spanish?  Classes are fine. I need so much patience to be able to deal with all of these beginner folk, but whatever. They never moved me up to intermediate and now it´s too late. I will just have to be more patient. I guess it´s good for me though since I don´t speak very well. I can just read.

3.  If I were to send you some clothes from ASOS, what do you want/need? I just want clothes lol. I think a patterned shirts or skirts and maybe a dress idk some more socks too...only like 2 pairs

4.  What is the funniest thing that has happened this week? Again, any moment that I spend with Hermana Brugman is just hilarious. I can´t even describe how funny she is, but she makes the CCM so much better

5.  What has been the best thing that has happened this week? I really enjoy the devotionals here. We watched a REALLY good one from Elder Holland last week and one from Elder Oaks this week. They are just such good speakers and all of us walk away wanting to be better missionaries.

6.  When you spend time planning, what exactly does that entail?  What are you planning? We write down our schedule for the next day and our homework. We can use that time to prep and plan lessons for our investigators too.

7.  Is the food still ok? Food is still good. Really different and weird but it´s good most days. Tuesday is pizza day and that´s my favorite lol

8.  How are your teachers?  How many teachers do you have? I have 3 teachers. In the morning is Hermana Thomas. In the evening is Hermano Hernandez and Hermana Valdez. Hermano Hernandez only speaks Spanish and not that much English so that is interesting. But Hermana Valdez is super amazing!

9.  What have you learned this week that you didn't know or understand before? I don´t really know... I´ve been reading Jesus the Christ as part of personal study and there is just so much more to understand and learn about the Savior. One of my goals is to have more charity for others and so I´m trying to learn how to develop that characteristic.

10.  Have you decided on a scripture for your mission plaque? Nope lol you can just pick one

11.  How has the weather been? Weather is still the same. It´s cold in the mornings but once the sun comes out, it is nice and warm and it feel so good! It´s dry here though which I really don´t like.

12.  Other than going to the temple, do you ever leave the MTC grounds? Never

13.  Have you thought of anything that you would like me to send in your Christmas package? Yes--more Crocs, watches, another nice journal becasue I will probably need a new one sometime, pens or pencils, chapsitck, grippie rubber bands..idk none of that is very exciting lol

15.  I know the MTC in Provo has weekly devotionals -- do you guys do that, too?  What are those like? Yeah, we actually watched their devotional live or we watch the same ones that have been recorded. Those are on Tuesday and as I mentioned are really awesome.

16.  Are you getting more acclimated to the elevation when you run?  We kind of stopped running...we go to the gym and work out instead.

17.  Do you know I love you? Yes:)

18.  Do you know how awesome you are? Sometimes

19.  What is the MTC store like? It´s really small but has lots of good Mexican food. Everything looks really expensive becasue it´s in pesos, but stuff is cheap. They pretty much have anything I would need, but not necessarily the brands that I would want.

Teaching is kind of hard. It would be so much easier in English. I  understand how to teach and what to teach, but I can´t teach in Spanish! Hopefully that will come though. I feel like I still rely too much on notes and I really need to focus moreon being guided by the Spirit.

I need to learn to be more patient and Christ-like. I jsut can´t put up with crap though.

The Latinas left our casa and as of right now my companion and I are all alone in our room. I can´t decide if that´s good or not... good I guess becasue we can just do out own thing.

I just love Hermana Valdez. We had a one-on-one meeting with her the other day and she just told me how I speak with so much power and how I will be such a good missionary. Since we had taught her, that made me feel really good! Obviously I still have lots to learn, but it´s reassuring to knwo that I at least have one thing going for me.

We had something called TRC yersterday. I don´t know what it stands for, but we taught a real person from Mexico! She was a memebr and didn´t need us to teach her anything becasue she was pretty much perfect. She was so cute and I understood most of what she said which is good. My companion and I and the trio taught her all together so that was interesting... but it was a really neat experience.

I´ve been trying to just work hard this week and it really went by soooo fast! I still can´t wait to leave! I wish that we could go see Mexico, but I understand that it is dangerous and they probably don´t want us roaming the city.

I got a card from Erin, Mom and a letter from Elder Poaletti. It looks like it takes exactly 2 weeks to get here. Still no packages. I would say just send those to Honduras so I might get them when I get there. I love getting mail here though and I actually have time to read it! Unlike emails which I have no time to read and answer. Sorry my answers today were short and my comments are really random. I can´t think of anything exciting to report.

Oh, my tongue turned black this week from Pepto Bismol and I forgot to take a picture. but it was really weird. lol!

Keep me updated on Opa.

Te amo,

Hermana Gisseman

-----And some pictures...again, I have no idea what these are of since she didn't send details!-----

Week One

We were so excited to get Alyssa's first "real" e-mail today.  We were sure it would come today or tomorrow so I (Stephanie) kept checking my e-mail about every 20-30 minutes.  I was so happy when the e-mail showed up!  :-)  It did my heart a world of good.  Alyssa responded to a couple of e-mails I sent, and one of those e-mails included a list of questions for her to answer; thus the numbered paragraphs in her response.  I'll add the questions she was responding too...pictures at the end.

Week 1: 

I can´t believe I have already missed so much and I have only been gone a week! I will definitely be praying for Opa and Victoria. Let me know how Opa´s surgery went. 

1.  What is your room like at the MTC?  I understand they have dorms -- do you have separate bedrooms?  Roommates?  Community bathrooms or individual bathrooms?

I am in a casa in the CCM. It´s like a house with living room/sitting area and a laundry room and several different bedrooms (5 I think). My room is set up for 2 companionships. It has 2 bunk beds and 4 closets that are kind of like lockers and one bathroom so we only have 4 hermanas to a bathroom. The bathroom is really gross. Our shower always overflows and the floor is always wet and the sink is always wet and the mirror is always fogged up and we can hear the hermanas from the room across the hall when they are in their bathroom because there is a separation between the wall and the window and it´s really annoying. There are two really, really small tables that are supposed to be desks but they are not big enough so we never use them--not that we have that much time in our rooms anyway. Everyone in our casa is native and my companion and I are the only ones who speak English... Not everyone follows the mission rules on going to bed on time and waking up on time. They ALL stay up past 11 which kills me because I can´t fall asleep. They just leave all the lights on and their door open like it´s a bug slumber party. The 2 hermanas in our room like to move their suitcases around while I´m trying to sleep but I can´t even ask them to go to bed because I don´t remember how...and plus I think they leave in a few days. One of the hermanas in my room even has a phone. What´s up with that?

 

2.  What is the food like?  What kinds of things are they feeding you?

The food is...interesting. Mostly good, but not very American. They had pizza and spaghetti one day, though, which was really nice. I usually don´t know what the food is, but I just try to get chicken and it´s pretty good. Lunch is the best meal of the day here. They always have a dessert and pastries and those are really hit or miss. The bread is so dry which is disappointing because I love bread. They have juice with every meal and it´s always delicious, the only one I didn´t like was piña colada water...it was weird. Usually meals are some kind of meat and there are vegetables, salad bar, always fresh fruit. So there´s at least something I will eat.

 

3.  What is your daily schedule like?

My daily schedule is as follows: wake up at 6:30, breakfast 7:15 to 7:45, personal study until 8:45 and then we have class until 11:45. We then have additional study until lunch at 12:15. After lunch is TALL (a computer program to help us learn Spanish, but it´s really boring.) Then from 2:15 to 3:45 we have more study time and then gym until 4:45. We have time after that to get ready and do our daily planning. Dinner is at 5:45 and then after that we have been teaching our investigator...yeah, that´s right! They already have us teaching! In Spanish! They are teachers pretending to be investigators, but still! Next week we will have more lessons and language class instead of having so much time to prep and teach our investigator.

 

4.  How many missionaries are in your district?  Are you all going to be leaving for Honduras at the same time?

There are 9 of us in District 6A. Elders Scott (our District leader), Erikson, Jenness, and Butler. And Hermanas Gisseman (that would be me), Whittle (my companion), Cutler (who was in my tap class at BYU!!!!), Brugman, and Henderson (who is from Anchorage). The other hermanas are in a trio. Only Hmna Whittle and Elders Scott and Erikson and I are going to Honduras San Pedro Sula West. And we are all leaving together, I assume on November 11--that´s what the front of the packet of info they gave us said anyway.

 

5.  How is the weather?

The weather is nice. It´s cold in the mornings and then warms up. It feels dry to me and when I went running the air felt thin...or I am just out of shape. It has rained twice but both times we could see the clouds come in so it wasn´t a surprise. We didn´t have umbrellas on us, though, so thankfully our elders lent us an umbrella. I haven´t been too cold--not cold enough to need to wear a jacket.

 

6.  Is it pretty there?

It is pretty in a weird way. There are mountains around us and you can see all these houses or buildings built on the mountainside and literally just house after house. They look like they just sit on top of each other. They remind me of some complicated mosaic. Some of them are gray and others are all sorts of colors. And on the top of the mountain is a big B for Benimerica of something like that which is what the school used to be called? I don´t really remember. When we drove in, I could tell how poor the city is and it´s definitely not like America at all.

 

7.  When is your P-Day?  (Preparation Day, for those of you unfamiliar with missions -- this is the day she gets to e-mail and they do their laundry, errands, etc.)

P-day is on Thursdays. We went to the temple today and we went through in Spanish! Crazy, right! It was so cool though. My teacher, Hna Thomas, was actually the one that helped me through and that was really neat. My teacher is so cute. She´s really short. She´s from Nebraska. She´s a runner and it´s weird for us to hear her talk in English because she is always speaking to us in Spanish.

 

8.  How are your language classes going?

They are okay. I got put in a beginner class which really throws me off. There were originally 2 more elders in our district--which makes up our whole class--but they got bumped up to intermediate. I´m just stuck in beginner and I´m trying to make the most of it. Maybe it´s just so I can help other people out or so I won´t feel stupid and actually speak Spanish.  I don't know. It´s just been so slow since I know everything they're teaching.

9.  What has been the most interesting thing that has happened so far?  How about the funniest thing that has happened so far?

Um, I don't know...being with Hmna Brugman is always interesting and funny. She is one of the funniest people ever! Like seriously everything she does is hilarious. She just walks around and sings to people and makes funny faces and is just funny.

10.  Do you get along with your companion(s)?

I get along with my companion, Hmna Whittle. We have the same birthday and got our calls on the same day and we are going to the same mission. She is like me, though, and quiet. I don´t really know anything about her because she doesn´t talk about herself or her family. She is sweet but indecisive like me to and since I know the most Spanish it´s like I am automatically in charge of decision making. I plan our lessons and write down the plans, I answer the questions when we teach our investigator.  She´s cute and not weird.

 

11.  How many companions do you have?

Just one companion.

 

12.  Any idea when you'll leave to go to Honduras?  I'm thinking it will be the middle of November...?

Our packet says Nov. 11 

 

13.  Are there things that you wish you had taken with you that you don't have?  

 

YES I need a mirror since the one in the bathroom is always foggy and the other hmnas are not considerate with sharing the bathroom, an SD card reader because I can´t upload any pictures with out one--the computers don´t have slots--a sharpie, a paperclip, my running watch (which might be in the basement on an end table but I don´t really know), and my stickers and Plan of Salvation card that I bought at the bookstore in Orlando (I think) because I couldn´t find them.  

Other things, I can understand Spanish really well and for the most part have been able to communicate my ideas when I talk which is a huge blessing. The hmnas in my district got cute clothes from ASOS.com if anyone wants to get me clothes:)  I´m running out of time so fast! I don´t know what else to say. But it has been a good experience here. Conference was in English and idk which was my favorite talk because there were lots of good ones. Love you all! I love getting your emails, even if I don´t have time to write back! I never understood that missionaries really didn´t have time until now lol. Keep me posted on my shows!! I miss them!

Te amo, 

Hermana Gisseman 

 I'm sure you can guess which bed is Alyssa's -- just look for pink!

Not much closet space!!!

 I have no idea who this is in the picture with her -- just notice that they are wearing the same skirt but in different colors.