7.22.13

Hola!! Can you believe that I am actually in Bolivia being a REAL missionary?! I definitely can´t, also its hard to feel like a real missionary when I can barely communicate with the people. Anyways I am in Tarija!!! I had to fly here from Santa Cruz and I met my trainer here, Hermana Quispe. She is from Lima, Peru. She rocks. She has an awesome testimony, is the only member in her family, 23 years old, and is super nice! I feel bad for her cause she has to deal with me. haha It is really hard for me because I want so badly to be able to participate more in lessons and talk to the people more but I just can´t. Like I don´t know how. But I am praying that it will get better and I know Heavenly Father is blessing me. The members and people here are very nice. There are a lot of members here but many are inactive. Like we will talk to someone on the street and they will be like ¨"oh yeah I am a member, but I dont go anymore" in spanish obviously. So we visit with a lot of menos activos (inactives). People try and talk English to me a lot, but they only know like a couple of words and its hard to understand through their accents. Probably how it is with me too. haha

Although right now its a lot of adjusting and learning the language is hard I am still grateful to be here. I have noticed how much Heavenly Father is helping me throughout the days. I just pray constantly for comfort. I am definitely a bit more emotional here than I have been in a while, I don´t think it is just because I am struggling with the changes but also because I feel the spirit so much. Like the other morning I was just praying before personal study and I just started crying and I had no idea why. haha During personal study that day I read Alma 34:41 and it was perfect for me, like seriously. I want that to be my missionary plaque scripture. As I was sharing with Hna Quispe what I had studied I was explaining how that scripture touched me and I was jsut crying. haha What an emotional wreck I am. I was like "no se porque estoy emocional" I dont know why I am emotional, and she was like its the spirit.She is so nice. I prayed that Heavenly Father would bless me with a trainer with patience and God answered my prayers-. In church yesterday the Bishop called me up to bear my testimony and teach a little of the first lesson. OH GOSH. can you imagine how dumb I looked up there trying to speak spanish. haha but it actually wasnt that bad. I just bore my testimony and talked about the Restoration. I only had to talk for 5 minutes so that was good. I just assume all the members understand I don´t know spanish and admire me for trying. Hna Quispe said I did a good job though.

The cool thing about being a missionary is that I feel more comfortable just approaching someone and talking about the Gopsel. I feel like normally in real life I would be nervous and intimidated but I dont feel that. I love talking about the Gospel. We have just been visiting less actives, and knocking doors and teaching investigators. I am horrible at remembering everyones names. They are all like different names and harder for me to pronounce. It is cold here right now! We are in winter and the winds are crazy. Yesterday it was seriously SO windy. mucho viento. no me gusta (gusta means "to like", well direct translation is it is pleasing to me. I think). The food is ok. Most of the time I like it but sometimes its not that great. Its just a lot of CARBS. rice, potatoes, pasta, chicken, beets. They have a lot of soups which I like. And they just LOAD up your plates with food. and then I feel like I have to eat it all even if I am not hungry. So if I come home looking like extremely round, don´t judge. But I´ll probably end up getting a parasite. They gave us a filter water bottle at the CCM but I left mine at the airport so I can´t really drink much water here. They have a lot of rules when it comes to what we can eat and drink. They drink either juice or soda with every meal. never water. I miss water.

It was sad saying bye to all of my District and I miss them beause we were all good friends. I pray for them every night. Epecially Hermana Faulk. She is awesome. So I will be here in Tarija for at least 3 months because that is how long i am training for. Please pray for me and my Spanish. There are so many dogs here. I got bit by one my 2nd day here. It was the dog of Laura, one of the ladies we are teaching. It bit me as we were walking in and it bit me hard. The back of my upper thigh is super bruised. We asked her if the dog has its rabies shot and she said yes. so hopefully thats true. But I´m not worried about it cause the Dog bit me where my garments are and those are a protection. and I am a missionary so God is watching over me. I will try and send pictures of it if I can figure out how to send pictures. I am trying to think of what else to tell you all. The houses here just dont feel like homes to me. the people are pretty poor. But the people are so humble and I love that. My apartment isnt the nicest placeI´ve ever seen but its fine. the bathroom is separate. They dont use shower curtains here. and I have taken a cold shower the past 3 days. haha I didnt know how to work the hot water but Hna Quispe just showed me how to today. We get fed lunch and dinner everyday by a member, I think the church pays them or something. So the only meal we have to worry about it breakfst. So that is nice.

Dad, that is awesome that you go out with the missionaries alot! They always encourage us to teach lessons with members, its super important. It gives the investigator an instant friend in the church and Its great for the people to see how members are and how they live their lives and to hear their testimonies too. We had FHE last night with a member family and they invited some of their friends and it was fun. We did a lesson on the Plan of Salvation and one of the members was able to bear his testimony. We played some games after too so that was fun. I liked that cause I felt like I was able to show my personality more to the people because it is hard right now when I cant communicate much.

Jealous you all got to go to the State Fair! I love the state fair, especially the livestock. haha and the cinnamon rolls! Maybe I will find some cinnamon rolls here! The backyard furniture looks super good! Anyways I have nothing else to say. Although it sounds like I am having a hard time adjusting, its really not that bad. I am so glad I am here on a mission. Sometimes I wake up and I cant believe it. But it is such an amazing experience and I am grateful for how much I have grown and the things that I have learned and the people I have met. This is seriously an amazing opportunity and I would recommend it to anyone! I pray for you all daily and I am so grateful for the wonderful family that I have. The church is true! I know it more now than I ever had and I am closer with my Heavenly FAther than I have ever been. Please continue to pray for me, especially with the language.

Have a great week!! I love you.

Hermana Wursten