The Field is White: Week 16 -- Honduras is Supposed to be Hot!

HOLA from the coldest week of my life!

The green dress and the black dress (from last week's pictures) I bought here in a little store. It's a store out of someone's house. They have a lot of those here. And it was really just a bunch of donated clothes from the States in boxes that they open and sell. But the two of them only cost 100 lempira together which means they were $2.50 American dollars each! How cheap! And they are super cute. The black one is a little big (it's actually from Target based on the brand) but it's fine with a belt!

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

We played soccer and then we went to lunch with the same family from the ward, familia Miranda: J, B and G. G is 18, B 26 and J...I don't know, 28. They have parents obviously but we don't hang out with them. B is probably the funniest person that I have ever met. And he speaks some English and likes to practice with us so that is nice. J leaves for Tegucigalpa tommorrow which is sad. They made us hot chocolate 2 days this week since it was SO DANG COLD!!! It was 51 degrees. What the crap! I am in Honduras! Its supposed to be HOT! Anyway, we were at their house and now we are here emailing.

2. What was the best thing that happened this week?

Everyone called me this week. I dont know if it is the email I sent to Pres Dester last week or what but on Tuesday Elder M, an AP, called to ask me how I was doing. Nobody ever calls and asks me how I am doing because its Hna A's responsibility to answer the phone and they always just ask her how I am doing. So that was awesome that somebody finally asked ME how I am doing. And he said Pres Deter had asked him to call which means that Pres Dester had to have read my email like Tuesday morning or Monday night which means a lot to me that he really cares how I am doing that he would choose to read mine as one of the first when he has hundreds of emails to read. So yeah, Elder M gave me advice and also asked if I felt safe in the area. I guess Hna A said something like people try to grab me all the time which is not true... anyway. Then Hna B (the mission nurse) called to ask me about Hna A being sick. We stayed in another day this week, but not the usual two days (don't get your hopes up because one of those days we literally had no appointments because Hna A wanted to stay at familia Miranda's house practically all day so it was like being in our house). But Hna B says Hna A calls at least once a week and she has since she arrived here and that Sister Dester came up with a plan to scare her into working. IF she wants to stay in the house another day this week we have to call Hna B who will tell her that she either has to work or come into San Pedro and see a doctor. So I hope that that works. Then Hna McC called and I got to talk to her again about everything that has been going on. Then Elder Y, one of our ZLs called and I got to talk with him, too, about what I can do. He actually had really good advice. Everyone just tells me to have patience and love her and serve her, etc. And I feel like I try to do all of those things. So Elder Y asked if I had specifically asked the Lord what I should do. And I hadn't.... I had done everything else but that. I have prayed for patience and everything else, but not to know what to do. So I did that and after I just kept thinking about what I thought about when I first met Hna A, that she needs a friend. So I took my Personal Study time the next day to study what that means and there are a ton of things that I can work on to be a better friend to her during these next two weeks. Anyway, it was just super nice to know that really everyone is here for me and I'm not alone here. OH, and when we were at familia Miranda's house for hot chocolate the day we didn't go teach anybody, he wanted to see where we lived so I got to look see our old house in Georgia and the town house where you live now on Google Earth:) I didn't realize how much I liked our house Georgia. The lawnmower is in the backyard and the RX-7 is in the driveway with the hood up like Daddy had been working on it. The sale pending sign was up... anyway, it was nice to see home.

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

Hna M loves to make lists. So she was reviewing her list of things that she would have brought on her mission. So she is reading the list and says Gary Coleman grill. And I just looked at her like what?! And she thought I didnt know what that was so she starts explaining it to me....ummmmm, a George Foreman Grill? LOL it was super funny. Also just hanging out with Familiar Miranda. B is seriously hilarious. He said Hna A has a sweet spirit. He choked on a mint today. I don't know...lol....everything that he says and does is pretty much funny.

4. What was the spiritual highlight of your week?

My experience with asking the Lord what I should do. I wasn't sure if that was even an answer, to be her friend, but Elder Y called to verify what I felt I should do and he said he felt really good about that answer. So it was an answer and it is something that I really can work on. It also made me realize again that the Lord does answer our prayers and sometimes we don't recognize the answer or think that it should be something else.

5. How are your investigators doing? Was K able to come to church?

No, she didn't come to church because it was super cold and she didn't want to bring her baby on that long walk. We actually didnt have any investigators at church:( K will still be baptized, the question is just when. We have C and G (the brother and sister Hna M thought were married). C has attendence to church and everything, but she is still really unsure about the church. She has a very tentative date for the 1st and G (since he didn't come to church) now has the 8th. We will see. C's kids are both members so I think that eventually she will be baptized, she just needs time. And those really are the only ones who are progressing.

6. Do you think Hna A will be transferred on the next round of transfers?

Pres Dester said in my email this week that there is no doubt, Hna A has cambios this transfer! I will be finished with my training so my options are: I could train (unlikely but a lot of the other hermanas in the mission started training after their 12 weeks, like Hna P and Hna A, but that's because there was like no one who could train so they had to, now we have them so all of them will be finishing up training their hijas so lots of open spots for others to train and not me), I could get a companion who has the same time in the mission as me, or I could be compañera menor (junior companion) again. But whatever happens I will not be in training anymore!

7. Were you able to teach more lessons this week? Find any new investigators? Do any service?

We didnt have more lessons. We did find new investigators but they aren't promising because one lives really far away and we can only go there with a member who has a car and they just don't seem solid.

8. How is your personal study going? What are you studying, and what stuck out to you this week? What are you going to study after you finish the D&C?

I finished D&C this week and started on the Pearl of Great Price. When I finish that I will read the New Testament. Like I said I studied the scriptures relating to friends. It was really good and helped me see how I can be a better friend to not only Hna A but to the Lord. I read a scripture this morning that I liked: Moses 7:44 (I think, my handwriting is really bad lol) But it talked about Enoch and how he was so sad for the wicked people and the destruction that would come to the earth, etc. and he refused to be comforted but the Lord commands him after to be comforted. I think a lot of times we just sit in our self-pity and sit in our problems and refuse to be comforted although there are tons of ways that the Lord is reaching out to us and trying to help us. We need to be comforted. I think that it really is a decision. Today we ran out of water in our tank again! And so I had to shower with a bucket AGAIN! And I was drying my hair and just started to cry a little bit... but then I realized that I could choose to be comforted or choose to keep crying and be sad. I had hot water. I was able to be clean. It wasn't like I had to bathe in a freezing cold, dirty river. I survived. It wasn't anything new, I just wanted to wallow in my problems. But we need to choose to be comforted and accept the help and the love and the support that the Lord is always showing us.

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

I had pinol and atol. Both are hot drinks and i really dont know how to describe them.... atol is usually out of fruit but its a little strange, and Pinol is like a drink that reminds me of the taste of cream of wheat because at the bottom are pieces of grain that look and taste like Cream of Wheat but I don't know what it is exactly.

10. Did you see anything unusual this week?

Nope, not really. I saw my breath a lot. Oh, I did see a placenta hair repair cream.... ew!

11. What have you learned about yourself this week?

I didn't realize how much I rely on other people to talk to about my problems. I need people. I need people to talk to me and ask me how I am doing. I need people to help me through my trials. I always considered myself a very independent person who didn't need anyone. Well, I was wrong lol. I need people.

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

I really think I learn more patience every week. I think I tried to enjoy myself more this week. Even when we weren't doing work, I tried to enjoy myself and not be super frustrated. It made the week pass a lot faster, too!

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

Always

14. Has Pres Dester had any advice for you lately? Have you had more opportunities to talk with him?

I only got his email today. He just says have patience because changes are coming up.

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

The sun for like 5 seconds, lol. Actually, when we went out with B to visit a menos activo (less active church member) who lives in the really far away part of our area he drove up a mountain to show us where K is going to be moving to (it was actually super scary and sketchy because it was muddy the whole way, really narrow and the higher we climbed up the deeper the fog and I kind of freaked out a little, lol) but on the drive down we could see all of Santa Rosa lit up since it was night time and it was super pretty.

16. How has the weather been this week? When does it usually start to warm up there?

COOOOOOOLD!!! I wear my yoga pants under my skirts, 2 shirts and a tank top and my two jackets and I still freeze. Apparently it gets warm in March.

17. What ways have you found to serve Hna A this week? To serve others?

We cleaned a menos activos house this week. It made me super greatful for our houses in the United States and how our standard of clean is so much higher! But yeah, I always try to do little things for her. We cleaned our bathroom together and I always wash her dishes and stuff like that.

18. Have you been able to be happier this week?

Yes. There were definitely moments in which I was a lot happier.

19. What did you learn in your district meeting or zone meeting this week?

I still can't practice in front of everyone.. but I could in small groups so that was improvement. And we can't watch movies anymore...:( I'm super sad....

20. Have you found it easier not to be judgmental of your district this week?

Yes. I actually played a little bit of soccer today, too! I kicked the ball like 3 times.

21. Do you want me to forward Austin’s weekly e-mails to you?

Sure

22. Has Amy left for her mission yet? How is she doing?

She left and as far as I know she is doing great!

23. How is Melissa doing?

She is training now and she is doing great too!

So I got a letter from Grace Clark this week. Did you send my friend Melissa's package to her yet?

We went to a shoe store last week because Hna A wanted shoes to go with a dress she bought so I bought her red shoes for her birthday. Anyway, it was gross... almost all the shoes are donated from the US and are gently used.. I will never be buying shoes here unless they are clearly new.

Oh yeah, so not only did we run out of water, but for two days the power was in and out... that's always fun.

We made tortillas in a member's house and everyone was suprised that I can make them. They said that I have a good hand! I'm fast and they look pretty hahaha.

Oh, so I was proud of myself this week. We went to pick up a member and Hna A's head hurt so we went 30 minutes early so she could rest in the member's bed.... weird. So there was a movie on and no one was in the room and instead of turning it off, she turned it up! WHAT?! So I practiced my dilligence and started studying and was really proud of myself.

OK, I think that that just about sums up my week. I feel like my emails are so scattered lol. I hope that there is something uplifting in here, lol. I'm still surviving. Pray that the water comes tomorrow and that the sun comes out. I have been freezing!

les amo mucho!

Hermana Gisseman