The Field is White: Week 30 -- Jorge's Baptism!!!

Well, the only rain we got was yesterday and it wasnt a lot but yes, rainy season is coming up!

My haircut really isn't bad. It's just not what I would usually have. It's maybe an inch shorter, but probably less. So not really different.

I have no idea what will happen for Mother's Day.... especially since we have changes this week and I probably won't be here....

I don't need bug spray..to be honest, I haven't used it here in Santa Rosa, not even once, and it's free through the ruta.

Mom, GO TO THE DENTIST: Dr Grimmer is really nice and I really didn't even feel his shots...and that's coming from ME.

STORYTIME: I will refer to this story as JORGE'S BAPTISM for the rest of the email, lol.

Okay, so yes, Jorge did get baptized this week, but not how we expected. This whole time Jorge has said that he was going to get baptized on the 26th, not a day sooner and not a day later. So we put his interview on the Tuesday before that. Wellm Hna V broke her permanent retainer and so we had to go to San Pedro and she chose to go on Tuesday... so we had to reschedule his interview. So we put it on Wednesday. Well, that was his birthday, and we told him that we could do it a different day, but he insisted. So we waited at the church for him with the elders and he didn't show up...which is unlike him because he is possibly the only punctual person in all of Honduras! So we called him and he was like...yeah, it's my birthday and I have visitors so we have to do it on Friday. Fine. So we reschedule the interview for Friday and show up then. He shows up and the elders are 20 minutes late. Jorge almost left because he doesn't do late and he hates waiting around. But luckily they came. He was in his interview for an hour and a half because he had a ton of questions. Luckily our District Leader, Elder C, is Latino and can actually understand and answer Jorge's questions. So he comes out of the interview and we ask how it went. Good, he says, but I won't get baptized tomorrow (the 26th), but next Saturday. WHAT?!!!! We were freaking out! Our whole change together has practically revolved around and built up to this moment, this baptism. So we were crushed. We asked him why and he just said because his interview was so late in the week he didn't have time to invite people.... we had told him all along to ask people to come and he told us he didn't want to! So I was super sad. We told him that one of us would be gone and I don't know if he really understood but he just said vaya (okay) and left... We had already planned to go to the river and planned the refreshments for the next day and we had everything planned out and nope, he didn't want to get baptized Saturday the 26th.... I was really sad. I cried after he left. So we had a correlacion misional (missionary correlation meeting) Friday night and our mission leader suggested that we fast for everyone who was supposed to get baptized on Saturday but decided not to (the other hermanas had 4 baptisms planned for Saturday and all of them fell through). So we fasted Saturday to Sunday (lunch to lunch). And Hna V and I were talking and neither one of us really had an experience to tie to fasting. Like we teach it, right, but neither of us has really seen the blessings from it. So we prayed that we would see miracles. And we did. So instead of having Jorge's baptism on Saturday we went to visit him instead and we took a member with us, Olvin. The lesson was great. Olvin taught and used passages from the Bible which Jorge just loves. Then we got to the end and we asked him about Saturday for his baptism and he sai he would be baptized next Saturday. Then Olvin intervened and said, "Look hermano, one of these hermanas will most likely not be here next week. I know that is has been something that Hna Gisseman has been looking forward to for a long time. She has been waiting to see this day and to be there for you and she will probably not be here next week, and I know that she would love to be at your baptism." And then it was like it hit Jorge that one of us really wouldn't be there. He said, "Well, we can't have that,. can we?! BOTH of them taught me, so BOTH of them have to be there." Then we had to explain a little more about changes and how we really can't come back to an area so I wouldn't be able to travel back even just for Saturday. Olvin said Jorge could get baptized Tuesday. Jorge thought for a long time... Olvin said, "well really you could be baptized any day between now and Wednesday, tomorrow if you wanted!" So Jorge said, "well, tomorrow at 4 then." WHAT?!!! So we had to plan everything AGAIN really fast. We had nothing really planned at all until during church on Sunday. And then we couldn't do the baptism in a river like Jorge wanted to but it was okay with him as long as both Hna V and I were there. So at 4 pm on Sunday (yesterday) Jorge got baptized! I played the piano and we even sang a hymn. There was a lot of branch support.... the whole room was full which was good because no one in his family was there to support him. I was asked to share my testimony. It was a really beautiful experience. It was a miracle and I see why the Lord gives us these trials. I have a testimony of fasting now and I wouldn't have before. It was truly beautiful to see the hand of the Lord in this work even if it was frustrating and exhausting. I feel like my testimony has grown a lot this week! And I have had my first convert (well, they are all the Lord's converts but I had the chance to find him, and teach him and everything.)

1. How was church this week? What was your lesson on in Relief Society? What were the talks about?

It was a little stressful.... We had to plan Jorge's baptism last minute. But really great because he did get baptized! But it rained after the baptism so that was kind of lame. Really, Sundays are hard because we are so physically asnd spiritually drained! I don't remember what they taught in Relief Society.... or in sacrament meeting...

2. How did the missionary work go this week? Did you do any contacting? Find any new investigators? Who did you meet with and what did you teach about?

We still haven't found anybody new....we try to contact people but, yeah, it's not going too well either. We met with the part member family again--familia de Baldemar. We taught the plan of salvation...We meet with lots of people.

3. What miracles and/or tender mercies have you seen this week? Answers to your prayers?

Jorge's baptism!

4. How was your English class this week? Did familiar de Baldemar come to class again? Did you meet with them more this week?

It was alright. We taught "I Am a child of God" (an LDS song) in English but it was really hard actually because people don't have very good pronunciation and they didn't remember very welll but such is life.

5. How has someone else blessed your life this week?

Olvin was a huge help to us this week. He came with us to visit Jorge and without him I don't know that Jorge would have been baptized this week. And he helped set up the baptism. It was pretty rough making the arrangements. But thanks to Olvin it all worked out and was okay. He is just one of those people that works so hard and doesn't get nearly the credit he deserves.

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

We played soccer and it was not fun today. Hna M didn't come until we had finished so that was sad. And the members that came today played really competitively so I really jsut ran around doing nothing the whole time. But then we all went to lunch at a place that's SUPER good. :) Then we printed out pictures and we are here. Oh, this morning I washed my sheets and blanket....yeah, that sucked. My arms are so tired and I don't know that I ever want to wash my pink blanket again, hahaha,

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

Jorge's baptism!

8. How are your less active members doing?

Mario is doing GREAT! He is doing to be called as a counselor in the elder's quorum! Sandra made us lunch this week as a going away thing and it was way good--pollo y tajadas. One of our less active members has a son in the hospital right now so she's not been doing the best naturally but we are hoping that she can come back to church when he's better....

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

So we had a super awkward moment. We have been teaching this investigator named C for 2 months now....and she came to church last week which was awesome. But she left early. :( Anyway, she is a large lady... just overall a very large person. So went to visit her this week and we talked to her about baptism (again) and we had talked about her getting baptized in May. So she tells us, "Look really May won't be good for me." And we are like...why not? And she says, "Well, I'm pregnant!" And we had no idea the whole time...then she tells us that she is due the first week of May! WHAT? This whole time we have been teaching her the thought never even crossed our minds...so it was super awkward and she was like, didn't you guys know? Well, to be honest, no, we didn't, but is was way awkward and then we were laughing like the whole day. How did we not know someone was 9 months pregnant?

10. What was the spiritual highlight of your week?

Jorge's Baptism!

11. Were you able to do any service this week? Go out with any members this week?

No. We tried but everyone says no which is sad because service is a nice break from just teaching lessons.

12. What are you on in your personal study right now, and what stood out to you this week?

I am in 2 Samuel now. One thing that I noticed was in 1 Samuel (I think, I don't remember the reference) there was a priest named Eli and his sons were wicked and the Lord cursed Eli becasue he didn't do anything about his sons (or so it says in the footnotes). Anyway, it just made me think a little bit. Eli worked his whole life in the temple in the service of the Lord. But in his personal life, his family life, he let his sons do whatever they wanted and that wasn't okay with the Lord. It doesn't matter how much good we do outside our familes if we ignore what is most important, our families. We all need to make sure that serving the Lord in our families is our first priority. I dont' know if that makes sense.

13. What have you learned about yourself this week?

I have really good Spanish. :) The sister training leaders had divisions with the other hermanas in Santa Rosa this week and Hna Morales told Hna M that she has been really impressed with 3 gringas in terms of their Spanish and I was one of those three, and Hna Miller, too! :) It make me feel really really good, because I know my Spanish isnt perfect, but I realized that when I gave my capacitacion (training) last week that I can just speak it. I don't have to think about the words, I can just speak it! Oh yeah, and I gave capacitacion (training) in our district meeting this week and I'm not going to lie, it was super legit. :) Everyone said that they really liked it! it was sooo good.... In the Book of Mormon there are patterns and one of the patterns my BYU teacher pointed out is the pattern of people who know and do (like Nephi...I will go and do because I know, 1 Nephi 3:7) and there are other people (the majority of folks) who have to do something to know, do and know. So I compared that to investigators and how we can help these people who need to do in order to know since not all already know and do (like Jorge!!!!). So I used two passages of scripture: 1 Nephi 4:1-8 (I think) where Sariah is murmuring to Lehi about how her sons are going to die, but when her sons come home she knows that it was the Lord who protected them. So to look at what Lehi did to help her, he showed her love, bore his testimony, and addressed her doubts with respect. Then we loked at 3 Nephi 11 where Christ comes and lets the people see and feel His wounds so that they would know with a surety that he was the Christ. So for them to know, He gave them an invitation, or a commitment to come unto Him and feel and see. And then He gave them an individual expereince so that they would be converted. And with investigators we have to do these things, have love for them so our testimony is sincere. Teach to their doubts and commit them to act to help them have an individual experience in the gospel. It was more than that but I don't have ton of time and maybe I can teach it for a Family Home Evening one day.

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

I think at being able to accept the Lord's will and to recognize His hand in this work.

15. What was your happiest moment this week?

Jorge's baptism

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

Always:)

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

Jorge's baptism

18. Did anything unusual happen this week?

Jorge's baptism!

19. Did you go into San Pedro Sula to get Hna V's retainer fixed? Did you do anything else while you were there?

Yes, we did, but that's all we did in San Pedro Sula.

20. Tell me about a time you felt the Spirit this week.

Jorge's baptism! And gaining a testimony of fasting.

21. What kinds of food have you eaten this week?

Tortillas, beans, chicken and veggie soup Honduran style, oatmeal....nothing too exciting or weird.

22. What will you miss most about Santa Rosa?

I think that I will miss the view. The mountains really do suck to walk up sometimes, la cuesta cuesta as they say here. But once we get up there it really is beautiful so I think I will miss that a lot. And it's also jsut a very pretty city and its really tranquilo, tranquill, here.

23. Tell me about a typical day this week.

We study in the morning and eat lunch at noon.... ten we study again. We leave at 2 pm to preach and we generally didn't have appointments until 5 pm this week so we walked around trying to find people who, for the most part, weren't home.... and then finally at 5 pm we could stop walking around and we had lessons with people....we literally have nobody to teach really....especially since Jorge got baptized....we have no investigators! If I stay here it will be another really hard 6 weeks....

Sorry my answers aren't too exciting this week because of Jorge's awesomeness.

But I will hit 7 months this week! Crazym right! I don't feel like I have been gone for that long. It's so weird!

Our shower broke this week which turned out to be a blessing because we got a new one that is even better!!! The sad part is I will probably leave and won't get to enjoy it for very long.

I really liked something that Olvin shared with us the other day. In Alma 44:12-15 it talks about a soldier. Olvin compared this story to the fact that there are so many unnamed heroes in the Book of Mormon. It just goes to show that there are very valiant people who don't get the credit that they often deserve, but they still play a large role, have a big impact on others. It just made me think that that is so true.... we may not get the recognition we deserve, or that we think we deserve, from men, but our Heavenly Father knows our good works and we will be given the proper recompense in the life to come. I just encourage everyone to pay a little more attention to those who may do lots of work behind the scenes and try to thank them for it.

Anyway, love you all

Hermana Gisseman

My Silly Putty Easter Basket