Hey
everyone!!!
I hope things are
great for yall! I had an exciting week!! Here are a few highlights:
1. CHANGES!!!!
I got changes and am now in my final area -- weird right? I’m in area
Muluá, zona San Felipe. It’s like in the middle of Reu and Mazatenego, my other
2 areas, ha-ha. I’m in the Brillantes Ward and we share with a pair of elders.
This ward is an AWESOME ward -- by far the best-organized I’ve ever seen here
in Guatemala. Wow. This is my first full bishopric with bishop, 1st and 2nd
counselors, and secretary. The ward mission leader is great and has really
organized the ward-mission force -- we have lots of ward missionaries AND they
go and teach and visit the investigators and recent converts, AND they actually
do it! We had a meeting sat. night with the ward mission leader and all the
ward missionaries and us 4 full time missionaries, and it ward really cool to
have that "teamwork feel" with ward members and to hear the members
excited to baptize and talking about our monthly baptism goals and such. I fee
like Im on another planet here. There were even ward programs handed out in
Sac. mgt. Ive never seen anything like this. Now I have no excuses...
My comp is Hna.
Cuzco from Ecuador -- cool huh? That’s one cool thing about the mission is that
you meet people from everywhere. I’m her "stepmom" or 2nd comp, she’s
only got 3 months on the mish, but she’s super sweet and a great missionary and
we are getting along great!
Muluá is different
from my other areas because it’s just a teensy little area. My whole mission I’ve
been in big(ish) cities -- Reu has 2 stakes -- and now I’m in a spread out
community that makes up one big ward. There really aren’t stores here, only for
the most basics. But it’s a nice area, I’ve always loved the small-town feel. I
like a lot of things about our house here, -- it’s a lot smaller than our last
house, which I like, and very simple. Our "kitchen" is just a table
with a small electric stove on top, a mini fridge, and of course the pila (the
giant sink thing used for washing dishes, clothes, babies, dogs, etc.) One
thing about our house that’s a little different is the water situation. Out in
the boonies around here, the water is organized in such a way that it comes at
different times for different parts of town. For us we only have running water
from 11 pm to 8 am. Luckily, part of the function of the pila is to store
several gallons of water, so it’s not really a big deal. But (and I say thins
not complaining, just describing my afflicciones like Nephi always does), one
of my very favorite, most enjoyable things to do my whole mission has been to
come home after a long and sweaty day to a nice cold shower. Oh how I loved and
took for granted the blessing of always having running water. And now I can’t.
I still take a bucket shower at night, but it’s not the same, and not near as
refreshing, and I’m not getting near as clean...Sigh. But oh well, we’ve got
much more important things to worry about here. But oh how I miss my nightly
shower. Also our toilet doesn’t flush without dumping water in, so that’s
another pain. OH WELL!
2. I got SICK! Oh my
poor comp. She’s very capable even though she’s new, but I have been ZERO help
to her since I got here because I don’t know anyone of course, and of course,
Saturday we have a baptism in the morning and an activity in the afternoon, and
I wake up super sick from something I ate the day before, so I was throwing up,
had diarrhea, fever,etc. Apart from the parasites I had back in January, this
is the only other time I’ve gotten sick (which has got to be some kind of
record around here by the way). So my comp basically did everything all by
herself Sat. I went to the baptism, but like couldn’t even stand to sit
straight in my chair, and then I went home to rest and a nice member stayed in
the house with me, and then I went to the activity and just sat there and tried
to at least appear friendly. Everyone in the ward who knows I was sick thinks I’m
really delicate -- "oh the change in the food here" even though I’ve
lived in Guatemala basically for forever. And those who didn’t know probably
think I’m kind of rude...but agh whatever. Great first impression right?
It’s always funny to
have changes because you have to start over and answer all the basic questions,
one of them being "do you eat tortillas?" I mean, DUH I eat
tortillas. That would be like asking a missionary in America if the like to
drink something with their food. Tortillas are always present, and of course I
eat them. Ha-ha these crazy people.
I’m really excited
to be in this ward because I’m going to learn A TON!! We apparently have lots
of investigators. I’m getting to know
them right now. I’m excited and not feeling "baggy" or
"trunky" at all, just wanting to work. I really love being a
missionary and testify that this is God’s work. I’m so grateful to be here. I
love the gospel, and I know that it’s true and can bless everyone’s lives. My
last area, Las Palmas, was really hard. But I learned so much and had such
great experiences that I will never forget. I just love it. Have a great week
all of you!
Love, Hermana
Gilland
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