The Field is White: Week 18 -- Happy Four Months to Me!

Happy 4 months to me!!!!

I got letters fron Tania, Jan Speroni, the stake christmas letter, Martha and Wandal, and the Ogdens!!! Thank you all!

I think that signing Brie up for EFY is a great idea! I meant to write that in my email from last week because a ton of the youth went to EFY (it's called SOY here).

I have been sick this week.... Hna C caught a cold and then passed it on to the rest of us. Don't worry, though, because I am fine. I have been taking my Sudafed and Ibuprofen and for the most part it's almost gone. My voice just sounds really weird right now.

1. How did the FHE go with Bayron?

It went better than I thought. Bayron is just great so the parts I said, he made sound so much better. And he gave me the time to talk instead of just dominating the whole time. I think that the family was really receptive but we will see.... they are all a little stubborn so I doubt they will continue FHE on their own.

2. Last week you said you helped Hna A pack – why was she packing so much in advance of transfers?

She wanted to pack up so she wouldnt have to worry about doing it this week...every day this week we have stopped somewhere so she could give out her photo with her info on it people. We have visited and revisited people so she can say bye. But lots of people want to feed us before she leaves so that's a plus.

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

We played futbol since its Hna A's last P-Day and that's what she wanted to do... I scored two goals! Then we had lunch with familia M. Bayron taught Hna M and I Spanish grammar and I loved it! Now we are here.

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

In our reunion de distrito (District Meeting) we all had to do a practice. We had to practice como comenzar a enseñar (how to begin teaching) when we knock on doors...which we don't do, but that was the practice. And I have not yet done a practice in our reuniones...and the Zone Leaders were there and they were pretending to be the investigators and I did it. Well, more like we did it since both of us had to participate. The goal was to say like one sentence each so one person wasn't monopolizing the time. But I did it and it wasn't terrible. I just hate everyone watching me and judging me... but oh well. It wasn't the best thing that happened this week...I don't know what was the best, but it was my major accomplishment.

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

I found out that Hna M has seen the YouTube video "ghost in the stalls" (haha) so we were quoting it to each other... don't watch it Mom, you wn't like it (haha) but it's hilarious.

6. What was the spiritual highlight of your week?

We went to have lunch at Hna Veronica's house (the Relief Society president) and before lunch she gave us all a sheet of pink paper and asked us to write a letter to Christ. It was a little weird at first and I am sure before my mission I would have just though it was ridiculous and I wouldn't have done it but I did and it was actually a really good experience. As I wrote more I felt like He was really there listening to me. I kept wanting the words to be just perfect, being the writer/editor kind of person that I am, but they weren't. It's not about the words we have to say, it's about what we feel. While writing didn't allow me to adequately express what I feel it helped me ponder about how exactly I feel about my Savior. I didn't know how to end the letter and it just felt incomplete, but Hna Veronica asked us to share a little bit of what we each experienced and the other missionaries talked about how they wrote how much they love Him and I realized that not once in my letter did I write that or express that and then I felt really bad, but it was a great opportunity to learn. I think that a lot of us can say that we love Him or that we follow Him, but they are just words. How do we really feel about the Savior? I obviously love Him or I wouldn't be here, but it's not something I was focusing on, but it really should be the focus and the drive of everything we do. So it really opened my eyes to the fact that while I may know about Him and think a lot about Him in my head, heck, I talk about Him all day! I really need to focus on what I feel in my heart and how I am showing and developing my love for Him. I encourage everyone to sit down and write a letter to Christ. It was a great experience, really. It is so different to try to just write to talk to Him just to talk. I don't know if that made any sense.

7. How are your investigators doing? Was K able to come to church? How are C and G doing?

G's brother and his family were baptized on Friday but they are the investigators of the elders so they aren't in our branch but we got to go to the baptism since G went. C wouldn't go and we don't know why yet. But G seemed to enjoy it and we encouraged him to ask his brother why they all got baptized (it was like 6 people!) so hopefully he will talk to his brother and will be able to progress more. Nobody came to church even though they said they would and the weather was nice! They had ne excuses, but nobody came which is really frustrating to to be waiting for people who never show up. :(

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

We did have higher numbers for lessons this week but we didnt really teach more... we cleaned a little in the houses of a few members so we ended up with a lot more other lessons since service counts. But we still didn't meet our goals... We did find one new investigator in the house of one of our investigators so we will see what happens with her. It is just frustrating because we teach the same people and none of them are progressing...

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

I studied more in Matthew and read Jesus the Christ at the same time to compare. I realized that I like to read the Book of Mormon more because it really is like a story with lots of details and cool stuff and the New T Testament (at least in the first four gospels) is super short and concise. So I liked reading the larger narration in Jesus the Christ and then the account in the scriptures. I can't think of anything in particular that stood out to me though... for my 12 weeks of training we had to watch "The District" videos again that I had to watch before my mission and I loved them now whereas before I thought they were dumb... lol... but on the mission with nothing to watch anymore I loved them and I just want to be an awesome missionary like they were.

10. What kinds of new foods have you cooked or eaten this week? How much money do you get for food every two weeks, and how much do you usually spend of that? What happens with the money you don’t spend?

I tried lots of new food this week, actually. I had watermelon juice which was way good, I ate leftover fries which were not... I had atol de piña which is like apple cider made out of pineapple and a little thicker and it was way good. Someone gave us arroz con leche and pinol and there was tree bark in it!!! Just kidding -- it was cinnamon bark. I tried a filipina which is something related to the banana, and I ate lime with salt and pepper on it. Apparently the people of Central America LOVE IT! It's like candy to them. I almost gagged and I couldn't swallow for like a minute, lol, and it was so sour and it hurt my jaw, lol. We get around 2200 lempira every 2 weeks which is like 100 dollars. We take out all of the money we can so we always have cash since not many places accept cards. I usually spend 500 to 700 lempiras on groceries. The rest is usually on taxis, internet, when we play soccer, snacks, if we have to take a bus to San Pedro or to entranda for zone stuff, etc and at the end of the 2 weeks I usually have 500 lempira leftover. We are supposed to give the extra money back through the ruta but nobody does because most of the missionaries spend most, if not all, they have. I keep the leftoever and then I can buy more expensive groceries when I need to but at the end of my mission I assume it will have accumulated so I will give it back at the end.

11. Did you see anything unusual this week?

I saw a horse eating tortillas in the street, lol.

12. What have you learned about yourself this week?

I really love to decorate things. We decorated the elder's building for the wedding and baptism of G's family and it was so fun. I ended up blowing up almost all the balloons by myself.

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

I don't know this week... I really don't. I did realize that I could tell a story in Spanish for the most part without help and it made sense. I remember when I was with Hna P and she asked me to tell a story I couldn't even find the words. So that was good since I have been wanting to see progress.

14. Have you found it easier to enjoy yourself and be happy this week? What was your happiest moment this week?

Yeah... it hasn't been too hard since everybody is giving us food, lol. I think when G showed up to the baptism was the happiest moment.

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

Always

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

I remembered one from last week. When we went to San Pedro Sula we drove through the mountains and the clouds were just sitting in the valleys and it was so pretty and I wish I had a picture but I dont.

17. How has the weather been this week?

Warm and sunny and perfect!

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

We have cleaned some houses. We always try to wash dishes. With her I have tried to be patient since she is leaving and it's really hard for her.

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

That I can practice!

20. What other families in your branch are helpful to the missionaries besides the RS President (sorry, can’t remember her name) and familia Miranda?

Um.... well lots help the other hermanas because they ask for help. No one else really helps us because Hna A doesn't ask anyone. There is one hermana who always comes with us to visit her friend, Hna Amanda.

21. How can we better support and encourage you?

Always write me letters and such, but other than that nothing else that I can think of.

SO we went to a menos activos (less active member's) house and they had Grandma's kitchen rug in there! We are going back today and I will take a picture with it, heehee.

Also I got a new mattress this week!!!! My old mattress sucked and I realized that it smelled super bad! But now I have a brand new one that is great and smells nice. :)

So that reminds me...while i was in San Pedro we stopped to use the bathroom at a gas station... we had to pay 3 lempiras to use the bathroom but that price apparently didn't include toilet paper...and there was none in the bathroom.... until one hermana found a roll under the sink. It was a little damp and a little pinkish...but you use what you have. So that was interesting...LOL, oh Honduras.

Oh and a dog kind of bit me. It didn't draw any blood, I just have a bruise, but yeah, that wasn't fun. That's about all, folks.

I love you all!

Hermana Gisseman

I made a new cover for my next planner....