Week 33 -- The Lord Asks For Our All

I got a letter from Grace Clark this week -- thank you!

Now that I've finished the Book of Mormon in Spanish, I am going to read it in Engish again, but I am going to read the Doctirne & Covenants in Spanish. 

I teach a piano lesson roughly every 4 to 5 days to a young woman in the ward named Rosillo. I think she's like 12 years old. She already know how to read music and I am just teaching her how to play hymns out of the easy hymnbook but it's actually hard just because I have no idea what the Spanish vocabulary is for piano stuff...but she has some kind of theory book that I have been using to pick up words...it's coming along. 

I LOVED watching the movie 17 Miracles! It was actually super good!  Maybe that just means that I have been on the mission for too long and dont remember what real movies are like, lol. But I just feel so cool to have a relative that was so legit! (Our family is related to Levi Savage through Alyssa's Grandma Cherril). But really, it made me think a lot. Those people (the pioneers) literally died just to go to church, just for the opportunity to be close to the temple and to be with the Saints. They gave up everything. I was thinking that the Lord, today, doesn't ask us to walk thousands of miles. He doesn't ask us to walk through the snow wiith a handcart. He doesn't ask us to bury our children along the trail. But He is still asking for our ALL, and if we aren't giving that then we are failing and we, to be frank, need to do a little better. Is it too much, really? 

1.  How was church yesterday?  Did any of your investigators or less active members attend?  Did you learn anything neat at church yesterday?

 

We literally don't have any investigators right now.... so that sucks and we need to do something about that. We did, however, have 2 menos activos (less active members) at church which made us super happy! But unfortunately others couldn't come. I liked how one of the speakers at church talked about integrity and he gave an example of a young man who went to some party or something and the guys there were trying to make him drink and he said that he wouldn't. Then a quite large guy came up and said that everyone was going to drink and that if he wouldn't drink the beer, he would leaving wearing it on his coat. And the young man said, well I have already told you that I won't drink it. I have come in here with a clean conscience and a clean jacket. I am willing to walk out with a dirty jacket, but I will not walk out with a dirtied conscience. I really like that. Integrity really should be part of who we really are! 

2.  Are you getting to know your investigators and less actives better?  How are K and A doing?  And how about G?  Are there specific things we can pray for for your investigators and less active members?

 

Well....we went to visit K and A and their rmom has kind of returned to her apostacy because she doesn't undestand doing work for the dead and we tried to explain but she's doesn't undertand and she can't read and she has been Catholic for a while now and so that was hard. She told us that she won't let her kids get baptized now.... so we have to keep working with her more so she can understand. G is the sweetest lady! She is very humble...they don't even have electricity in her house. She is just happy all the time and last night she made baleadas for us and we got to help her tortillar (make tortillas) which was fun and I am really improving on my tortilla making skills! I think you can just pray that we will find people or that the menos activos we have will be touched by the Sprit to change. 

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

I don't know this week...I write them down in my journal every day but right now I can't remember. 

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

 

In our district meetnig this week Elder Bryce gave some capacitation (lesson) about the Book of Mormon and he gave us 30 seconds to just think about our own conversion story with the Book of Mormon. How we came to know it was true. The moment, perhaps, that God answered our prayers and told us that it was true. I really took those 30 seconds to heart which maybe sounds lame but as I was just thinking about my experiences with the Book of Mormon I just felt again that the Book of Mormon is true! I encourage you all to take a few minutes to really think about your experiences with the Book of Mormon (and if you aren't members, well.... think about your experiences with the Bible or -- even better -- you could try reading the Book of Mormon!) and pay attentino to what you feel. It was just really nice because it's not often I guess that in our meetings they really ask us to ponder or think about stuff..... which maybe is bad, lol, but really in the moments of silent pondering, we can feel the Spirit testify the truth of these things to us. 

5.  How were the Copan Ruinas today?  Did you buy your machete?  Did the elders make it fun?

 

I did buy my machete! It was fun. I got to hang out with Hna P and Hna Miller and it was so fun! We have all been before so we just went around and had fun and were crazy and took funny pictures, haha!  But Hna P takes really good pictures. It was just a really fun day. And of course the elders made it fun and I refer to this also in number 7. Elders are just way funner than sisters....like it's just the truth. 

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

 

Probably Zone Conference becasue we got to see everyone and they fed us lunch and there were cake bars that tasted like America! And President Dester showed us that video from Easter that you told me to watch and it was sooo gooood!

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

 

We went to Copan Ruinas and the bus rides are always funny because I get to talk to Elder Scott and the other elders who are just so dang funny and then I got to spend the day with Hna M and Hna P and we were just goofy so that was way fun! 

8.  What was the spiritual highlight of your week?  

 

We had a Zone Conference this week so President Dester came and the Assistants to the President. It was really, really, good, but I always love when I get to see President Dester. I noticed a few themes that they talked about, namely faith and goal setting. I really realized that I have faith in God (obviously or I wouldn't be here) but I think that after being in Copan for so long, I have lost faith in the people and maybe in the Lord's  power to change people. I just haven't seen (or maybe I haven't looked hard enough) true change in people due to the gospel which is terrible on my part.... I just haven't had that opportunity like other people have. And I really think that I need to work more on my faith. And especially that people can and will change and that I really am here for a reason. Also they talked about goals and meeting them. Like a goal doesn't mean anything if there isn't a plan to follow through with it. So we can say all day that we are going to contact people or that we will have 10 lessons con miembro (with members present) or that we want to focus on being more happy, but until we have concrete plans to meet these goals, nothing will happen. I honestly think that I was better at goal setting before the mission which is a little sad... but I need to focus on doing better at that. He shared with us the vision for the mission, too, and that was cool to see how we are progressing as a mission! 

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

 

We helped make baleadas but then we ate them so I don't know if that counts as service. 

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

You asked this question twice.... 

11.  Tell me about one of the lessons you taught this week. 

Well... we have been working with menos activos a lot... so we generally get there and share either a Mormon Message with them or a passage from the scriptures. We really try to listen to the people and help them.12. What was your happiest moment this week?

 

Copan Ruinas with Hnas M and P.

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

 

Always

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

 

The new ruins! Or at least the ruins that I haven't seen before even thought they were tiny. We (Hna M, Hna P and I) felt cool because we were the only ones to find them so we felt really hipster. 

15.  Did anything unusual or strange happen this week?  What kinds of things happen that we might think are unusual that have become ordinary to you? 

I am used to seeing animals in the street, I'm used to seeing mud houses without lights and unpaved roads... I don't know...it's just normal to me now. I'm used to not eating witha fork....in fact, it's easier to eat with my hands, haha! I'm used to bugs and dirty water.... 

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

I really don't know to be honest.... Elder B goes home this week which really bums me out because he is so funny. But I think I am just excited to have baleadas with a family this week! So that will be fun. 

17. What did Pres Dester have to say this week?

 

He asked if there were things we did differently in Santa Rosa that we aren't doing here, or if we had a different focus. He asked me to look at the things we are perhaps not doing or doing differently to help me see where I might be getting discouraged. I don't know if that makes sense...it made sense in the email. But to just think about really why this change is different.... I don't know, I still dont know that I feel that much better but such is life. 

18. How much does it rain in an average day?

 

It really hasnt rained that much this week which is good. But it has sprinkled  a little bit but it really hasn't been too bad. 

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

 

I am reading 2 Chronicles.  There was a part that I read yesterday and the people donated everything they had with a willing heart to the temple. And Solomon asked them if they were willing to consecrate themselves to the work (or something like that) and I really liked that since Pres Dester asked us to read "The Consecrated Missionary" again before our conference and just that we really do need to give everything we have to the Lord and we need to do it wil a willing heart or it doesn't mean anything. 

20.  Have you heard how J and any of your investigators from your last area are doing? J is doing great!!! He was going to go on a vacation to Nicaragua and Hna V was really scared actually, or worried for him, but then he said the Spirit told him not to go! And so he didn't! And he's super pilas still and going to church every week.  :) And yeah, I don't know about any others but Sandra wrote me a note this week and I felt really loved! 

Can you send me some Epiduo if you an find it? And Mio.... 

And some things that I would like if you could look for them for after the mission is leather cases for my Spanish scriptures and a Honduran cookbook.... 

I ate a ton of food this week.... we had 3 food appointments yesterday. I ate soooo much food!!!! I can eat like a man! 

Pres Dester told me that Hna Dester reads my blog so shuotout to Hna Dester!!!! 

Love you all! Thank you so much for all of the love and support you give me! 

Hna Gisseman

For some reason, one of our doors has two doorknobs and you have to use both of them to open the door.

 

 

At the ruins today

 

 

With Hna P at the ruins

 

Goofing off with Hna M at the ruins

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The ruins we discovered that we hadn't seen before

 

 

 

 

Just being goofy...

 

 

 

 

Leafcutter ants

 

 

 

These are not real bones....

 

 

 

Not real bones again

 

 

 

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!

 

Cleaning the pila

Love the fun stuff from the Winns...

 

 

 

 

Mother's Day goodies they gave us at church....

 

 

Making tortillas in our kitchen

 

I make tortillas as good as any Latina!  (The Hondurans told me so!)

 

I did a crooked braid...

 

El Dorado

 

 

Week 31 -- Changes!

Happy Birthday, Brie!

I HAD CHANGES!!!!! But I am in the same zone, hahahaha.  I don't know if you remember me ever mentioning La Entrada.... well, we had all of our zone meetings there and it's an hour away from Santa Rosa...well, yeah, I am there! I'm in El Dorado (which is just the name of a neighborhood here in La Entrada).  I am super close to Santa Rosa and still in Copan! It's pretty sweet! My companion is Hermana C...I think I have mentioned her before because we lived together in the house in Santa Rosa for 3 months and she got transferred here last change and I am here now with her. We live in a house that is really cute and it's just us. There is no hot water and it's Copan so it's not hot outside and so I can't use that nifty camping bag from the Swansons....sad day. But I will be exercising more for sure so that I will be hot when I get in the shower so it's not so cold.... it's starting the rainy season and all the days I have been here have been overcast and not very warm and drizzling. The branch is cute! There are about the same number of members, but they are stronger and more supportive than in Santa Rosa. I already feel so much love here and it's great. They have asked us to focus on menos activos (less active members) so that is more of what I will be doing and the elders that are in our branch have more investigators. And Hna M is still in the zone, too, so I will get to see her! 

I think that it is going to rain a ton and for the next 3 months... but we will see.  I don't actually know. I do still have my umbrella, though, so I will be fine. 

Yeah, Sundays are tiring because we have had the work of the whole week, but P-Days are our dia de descanso (day of rest, relaxation, recharging). 

La familia B is doing great-- B and A (the parents) need to get married still...but he is in the process of getting divorced from his previous wife. They have 3 kids. The whole family (except one of the kids) went to church yesterday! And they have baptismal dates,  Hna V told me that today. And Jorge got confirmed in church yesterday.  :) It's awesome!

 

1.  How was church this week?  Did you enjoy testimony meeting?

 

It was really, really good! The branch is about the same size as Santa Rosa, about 100, but there are more active and strong members here. I really felt so much love here and it was great.  :) But yeah, it's still like bieng in Copan, haha. 

2.  How did your missionary work go this week?

 

It went well. Like I said, we focus on menos activos (less active members) so it's a different type of work, but it's still good. I really feel like one of the best areas for missionary work is with menos activos because they are already members and they are so important! 

3.  If you got transferred last week, how was the transfer meeting?  If you weren’t transferred, who is your new companion?

 

The transfer meeting was good. I always love getting to see President Dester. It was weird, though, because an Assistant to the President and two of the Zone Leaders that I have had here in Copan went home. It was just strange to see people leave who were such spiritual giants to me in the mission. I really want to become a missionary like that. 

4.  Tell me about your investigators and part member families that you’re working with.

 

I have only been here for 5 days so I really don't know anyone.... 

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

 

If I was getting transferred, I knew I wanted a good companion that I could talk to and be comfortable with who would be my friend, who I could really be the kind of missionary that I want to be.  Hna Cardona is a great companion for me -- she's a good balance of different personality traits and I can talk to her and it's nice.

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

 

I have been feeling lots of love from the members and I think that it is a blessing that they are accepting me as a new missionary here even though the hermana who left was super great and they all LOVED her...but they are really accepting, too, and that's really what I needed, lots of love. 

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

 

We went to Santa Rosa to play soccer just like a normal P-Day and then we went to Pizza Hut and now we are here writing.  :)

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

 

Changes! 

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

 

I let an Elder, Elder B, use my shorts for Pday today because he forgot his and Hna V brought me a pair of sweats so I let the elder use my shorts...it was quite funny. 

10.  What was the spiritual highlight of your week?

 

I really liked something that Elder Y said at changes. He used to be my zone leader and he said something to the effect and translated into.... "We shouldn't get down on ourselves for the things that we have done wrong. All of us have sins. All of us will fall. But the most important thing to remember is that Christ already paid for it! He already paid for our sins. We shouldn't get down on ourselves, we should just be happy that He paid the price. Be of good cheer and try to be better." That just really hit me hard and I don't know why because it's something that we really teach to everyone, but I guess it never sunk in.  I don't know. We really shouldn't be sad or get down on ourself because we are human. We should just repent and move on and be happy and grateful that we have a loving Savior who already paid the price for us because Heavenly Father KNEW that we would fall. We just have to pick ourselves back up and move forward, happily, gratefully and everything will be okay. 

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

 

Yes! We helped a lady fix her roof. She has like an awning thing outside and its really just pieces of wood tied together with metal hangers and sheets of tin. And one of the logs broke and so we helped her repair it and this week we are going to held her build an oven... really it's just clay in the shape of a square and a comal or a metal grill thing on top....so that will be fun. 

12.  What did you learn from your personal study this week? hna Cardona and I were planning and we were talking about how all the commitments we leave with people are generally the same: read the scriptures, pray and go to church. I was thinking about it and they are so simple but we really need all three things to progress in this gospel! We need all three of those to be firm. So if you arent doing any one of those things....do them! 

13.  What have you learned about yourself this week?

 

I enjoy hanging out with the elders because they are really funny. 

14.  In what area do you think you’ve improved this week?  What talents and skills do you feel you are discovering/developing that you might not have realized before?

 

I don't know...I think that I will learn how to express love and concern for people better because the people here are so loving and Hna C is like that, too. 

15.  What was your happiest moment this week?

 

I finally got to listen to the music that you sent me... Frozen and Mulan were super good to listen to! 

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?

 

El Dorado. It's really cute here and the house is nice (for a Honduran house).

18.  Did anything unusual or strange happen this week?

 

Someone read my palm this week to tell me how many kids I am going to have. She just threaded a needle with a piece of thread and then hit my palm with the needle (which didn't hurt and I didn't freak out, lol) and if it swings in circles then it is a girl, if it swings back and forth it is a boy and if it stops then it means you won't have any more kids. So apparently I will have a boy first and then a girl and that's it. So vamos a ver... (we shall see)

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

 

We went to visit a family this week whose daughter left on her mission 2 weeks ago. And they were just crying because they missed her so much and I was just thinking about you guys....but then it just hit me. That's how our Heavenly Father feels about us. He knows that this experience is good for us, that everything will be okay, that we will learn and grow. But it is hard for Him. He misses us and I imagine that it was hard for Him to let us go knowing that some would never return to His presence. And then how happy He must be to hear from us, like parents are when they get missionary emails. Heavenly Father is just as happy I bet when we pray and take the time to communicate with Him. Like missionary emails, you guys can only hear from us when WE put in the effort. It just kind of hit me. 

 20.  What kinds of foods have you eaten this week?

 

Normal food.... People here like to feed us so we have gotten a lot of food from people. Baleadas, tortillas with beans and cheese and eggs and hot chocolate and pinol. 

21.  Glad you got a new shower that’s even better…were you able to enjoy it at least a little bit?

 

Only for 3 days....now I'm back to cold and bucket showers... yay.

I'm not going to lie...I just don't have the energy to do a long e-mail today.  I'm sorry this is a terrible email. 

Hna Gisseman

Familia Ochoa

 

 

With Hna M

 

Our district in Santa Rosa

 

My district leader in Santa Rosa, Elder C.

 

 

 

 

With Mario and Thelma

 

With Hna V, Olvin, and his daughter

 

Sandra's mother (Angelita) and her son (Antoni)

 

With Familia de Baldemar (Baldemar, Ana, Gerardo, Dosnedi, and Paola)

 

With the hermanas and Mario and Ivis, the branch mission leader

 

My new companion, Hna C

 

Our cute little house

 

My desk...  If any of my cousins want to send more artwork, tell them to feel free to!

 

Our very small bedroom...

 

Lovely pink bathroom with bucket shower....

 

My closet

 

Creative hairdo

Elder B

 

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

With Sandra -- she's so sweet!

We made a birthday card for Sandra and she put it up on her wall

With Isaura, a really sweet lady at church

With Hna Veronica -- she takes such good care of us!

At Jorge's baptism, with Jorge (the older man) and Olvin, who baptized him

Hna V, Jorge, and me

Hna V and I gave ourselves facials with masks.  LOL

This is a little pet bird that Olvin found