The Field is White: Week 32 - The One Where She Cleans the Pila and Makes Tortillas

I feel like I said everything yesterday! I meant to say happy birthday to Uncle Bryan last week. So happy birthday!

This week I got a package from Grandma and Papa (a really neat headlamp that I used when I cleaned out the pila, some jewelry from the Stylers, and some chicken) and from the Winns this week (some fun toys, a Hello Kitty headband, and some snacks). And letters from Oma, the Stylers (like 4 letters), Ashley Henderson, Aunt Holli and Jan Speroni. Thank you, everyone! The Ruta (mail delivery from the mission office) was pretty much all for me this week. I feel loved!

So we cleaned the pila (outdoor concrete wash basin for laundry) this week. Let's just say there was a good amount of algae and other unknown matter growing in it. So we drained it and the drain got cloged several times in the process because of all the junk in the water. The water was literally brown. We could not see the bottom of the pila even when there was only an inch of water left in it. So then I had to get in the pila and scrub it down because my companion didn't want to. It smelled like straight up dead fish. It was gross. But living in a third world country helps you man up and do things you wouldn't do otherwise. So I got in the pila and cleaned it out! The headlamp from Grandma came in really handy! And we refilled it but you can't even tell because the water is murky because it's dirty just coming out of the pipes (which is why we never, ever drink it or use it to prepare food or anything like that). Oh, third world problems....

And our bathrooms...the shower is in one bathroom (cold water, a bucket, and a hose thing for the shower), but the toilet in that bathroom can't be flushed but the toilet in the other bathroom can. And you can only use the sink in one of the bathrooms but not the other. Third world problems....

1. How was church yesterday? When do Hondurans celebrate Mother's Day? What do they do for Mother's Day?

It was alright. I felt bad because they made a lady speak on Mother's Day who lost her baby this week.... so that was really sad. They didn't have talks that were too Mother's Day-ish. We don't really have investigators right now, but we did have some kids of menos activos (less active members) who came to church so that was good. They have a date to be baptized on the 24th so I might actually get to see baptisms here! They celebrate Mother's Day like the states do. They gave us cake and a cute flower basket full of candy. The young women in the ward made the little baskets.

2. Who are some of the less actives you're working with right now? What are the names of your two investigators?

K and A are the kids of the familia C who we are working with. I will be honest, I still don't know the people really well.... we also have a Hermana G who is coming back to church and her son turned 12 and he got the Aaronic priesthood!

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

Last night after you talked about people not giving us food we went to a cita (apointment) and they gave us tamales and cake. So that was funny and it was really yummy....

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

I just feel blessed when people share what they have with us. People here don't have much at all and so when they do give what they have it's really humbling. And I feel like people are always looking out for the missionaries here, even if we don't have dinner appointments....

5. What did you end up doing for P-Day this week?

We just went around and window shopped because apparently nobody had money so they didn't want to do anything. So Hna C wanted to look for shirts but we didn't find any cute ones. We did Insanity workout this morning and cleaned! And now we are here....so exciting.

6. What was the best thing that happened this week? (Besides Skyping with me, of course!!!)

Well, duh, it was skyping! I did finish the Book of Mormon in Spanish this week! I had set that goal to finish it and now I have and I feel quite accomplished and I realized how much it really did help me to better my Spanish. And I learned a lot from it and was forced to read a little bit slower and to pay attention to the details.

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

I think right now sitting by Elder B in the internet place is pretty dang funny....he's just telling crazy stories and just being ridiculous.

8. What was the spiritual highlight of your week?

We were going to leave a cita and it was POURING rain! The streets were flooded and Hna C didn't have an umbrella so we waited for a mototaxi for like 20 minutes and the time just came that we had to leave because we were going to be late. So we stepped outside and the rain almost immediately stopped. It was just sprinkling so we were able to get back to our huose without getting soaked. But after we got home it started pouring again....it just goes to show that the Lord cares about the little things.

9. Were you able to do any service this week?

I teach a piano lesson....and it's quite interesting because I don't really know the vocabulary in Spanish...

10. What did you learn from your personal study this week?

I finished reading about David and Solomon. It's interesting to see how even the great ones fell into temptation. We are never safe! I am also reading the Sunday School manuals -- the George Albert Smith one -- and I really liked something that he said -- we can't force people to chose the right but through our love for them, we motivate them to choose the right, or something like that. I'm reading it in Spanish. I'm also almost done reading Jesus the Christ again.

11. What have you learned about yourself this week?

This is strange, but I can share spiritual things better with Latinas than I can with gringas and I don't know why, lol.

12. How has your relationship with and testimony of the Savior grown in the last couple of months?

I think i said this a few weeks ago but just that it really hit me (or maybe last week, lol) that we really don't have to be perfect. The Savior paid the price for us and we just have to do the best we can. We WILL fall, but thanks to Him we can get back up and move on. We should always be positive and grateful. I think before I was too much of a perfectionist and I still am, but at least now I can see a little better that our Heavenly Father just wants us to return to Him so badly and for that He sent His son. And through Christ we have this hope and we shouldn't ever lose that hope even if we fall. We just have to keep going, keep having faith and do our best.

13. What was your happiest moment this week (besides Skyping with me!)?

Skyping with you!

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

Always

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

You! LOL That's so cheesy but it was just nice to see you guys.

16. Did anything unusual or strange happen this week?

Not really.... we did have a weird schedule. We had planning Tuesday instead of Thursday so we could have our district meeting on Thursday instead of Tuesday. And that surprisingly made the week go by that much faster.

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

This is the same question as tell me a spiritual highlight....

18. How was the bread you ate last night at that member's house?

It was actually really good. It was kind of like cornbread....bread here is kind of dense, but still good. And guess what, we ate it with pinol! And it was delicious....I'm pretty sure pinol is just a Mormon coffee here, lol.

19. What did you do for exercise this morning?

INSANITY! and it was hard...

20. What are you most looking forward to this coming week?

We are going to watch the church movie 17 Miracles with the branch this week so I am really excited for that and next Monday we are going to Copan Ruinas again (my 4th time) and I am going to buy a machete!!!

21. A lot of missionaries get robbed in Honduras -- have you been robbed?

I have not been robbed.

Yeah, this week isn't too exciting either.... sorry....

Love you!

Hermana Gisseman

Thanks for the headlamp, Grandma and Papa!