She Made It!!

Here is the email my mom received on Friday June 7, 2013.  Letty left on Thursday morning.  I believe she had a layover in Dallas and from there to Peru.  We were happy to hear that she made it safely, and can't wait to hear from her again!  Here is her email:

HOLA!!!! I am at the MTC. Finally. I didn{t end up getting to the MTC until 445 in the morning. My plane was delayed and then by the time I got through customs it was 345 ish and no one was there to pick me up. So I asked a man if I could use his phone (in spanish, the best I could) and he did so I was able to call the MTC and they picked me up. As I was waiting I kept getting approached by men asking if I wanted a taxi. haha they knew I was american so I am sure they wanted my money. they let me sleep in until 9 this morning but I woke up at 830. My companion is really nice, I forgot her name already but I think it is Hermana Call. She is from San Jose area. So far I have just been getting the things I need and I sat through like 5 minutes of language class and then they took me out so I could email you. I feel inadequate cause the people here seem to know more spanish than me so I feel a little dumb, but I am sure that is just temporary. It is all a little overwhelming but I am excited to be here and know that after a week I will be used to things. From what I saw of the drive to the MTC (it was night so I couldn{t see a ton) it looks a lot like Ecuador. I am just grateful to be here. Yesterday was along day! I have to go but I will email you on my pday, which I dont know when it is. I love you!

Hermana W

The night before she left she wanted Mexican food.  So they went and ate at Carmelita's in Roseville.

.

I leave in 3 days.

p.s. I have done some of the pre-missionary training, it just doesn't give me the percentage when I do it. Didn't want everyone to judge me cause it says 0%. Cause I know you were. 

One Week Till PERU

Ok I leave in a week. laksdjflkjahdslfiohlajdfhlaj. That's what's going through my mind right now. 

Well I would love for you all to write/email me so I have here my email address along with my MTC and Mission address (get your pens and paper out). If you don't write me I will never talk to you again. Just a heads up. jkbnr (just kidding but not really). 

Email: arletta.wursten@myldsmail.net

MTC address: 
Sister Arletta Renee Wursten
Bolivia Santa Cruz Mission
Peru Missionary Training Center
Centro de Capacitacion Missional
Av. Melgarejo 159, Urb. Campo
Verde, La Molina, Lima 12
PERU

Mission address: 

Sister Arletta Renee Wursten
Bolivia Santa Cruz Mission
Casilla de Correo 2042
Zona Central
Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz
Bolivia

Leaving for a mission is sad. I have already said goodbye to my two sisters and their families. Didn't think it would be so hard to say bye but it is. I love them. Isn't it great that we can be with our families for eternity?? Yeah, it totally is. 

3 weeks

Three more weeks until I board my flight for Peru! Gah, so weird. 

When I got my call the beginning of February I felt like June 5th would never come. But now that it is actually close I am getting more and more excited/nervous. I know that these upcoming 18 months are going to be the most challenging, and life changing months for me, but bring it on.

Right now I have been in Hawaii for 5 days visiting my sister and it is so much fun! I'm so grateful I am able to visit her before I leave. I am actually very lucky that I get to see all of my family before. I moved home 2 days before I came to Hawaii and will be home until I leave. I was sad to leave good ol' Provo. I am grateful for the friends that I had there and the good memories that were made as well. GTs. 

I actually don't even know what the purpose of this post is. Sometimes I just want an excuse to write about myself. Self-absorbed, whatever. 

I am trying to do my best to fully prepare for my mission but no matter what I don't think I will ever feel completely prepared. But you still gotta do what you gotta do.  

Here are some ways I am trying to prepare to be a missionary:

-read scriptures for 30 min everyday

-study Preach My Gospel everyday

-read Book of Mormon in Espanol everyday (even if it is only 1 or 2 pages)

-stay worthy

-attend the Temple as often as I can (I was able to do a session at the Hawaii Temple, which was totally awesome). 

-be an example to others

-pray with true intent

... I'm not perfect at always doing these things but I am trying my best. And obviously I know there is tons more I could be doing so if you have any suggestion please holla and let a sista (hermana) know. 

February 1st, 2013

One of the most exciting days of my life! 

I told myself I wasn't going to think about getting my mission call and that randomly one day I would casually get the mail and to my surprise it would be there. That didn't happen. I was expecting to get my call the Wednesday earlier (I got it on Friday) and after checking the mail multiple times and having my roommate (sorry, Shea) keep checking it too, it never came. I was actually irritated (I'm so christlike it's insane). Same thing on Thursday and then Friday I had kinda given up. Me, Shea, and Alicia were about to leave for Target and I tell myself I'll just check JUST IN CASE. Well good thing I did cause it was there! You cannot imagine my excitement when I saw that big white envelope that you always hear about and see for other people but never think that you will actually get one day. I was screaming, Alicia was screaming, Shea, who was already in her car, was screaming. I struggled to get the envelope out as I was shaking like crazy. I then started to run back and forth while screaming and ended up dropping my phone and my mission call on the ground somehow. Meanwhile the mailman is just across the street probably thinking, "just another mission call. Why are these girls being so annoying?" Like I cared. 

I called my parents and made them hurry and rush home so we could skype ASAP to open my call. I was SO NERVOUS. I was sweaty, shaky, and dying of heat from so much excitement/anxiety/nervousness. I open my call and start to read, "Dear Sister Arletta Renee Wursten.." I couldn't even make it past that part without crying. Pretty embarrassing, yeah. When I saw that I was called to serve in the Santa Cruz, Bolivia mission I was shocked! But also so excited. And that's when I felt so good about serving a mission. Because up to this point I had still been a little unsure about everything and if I mission was something that I actually wanted/needed to do. At that moment I realized it was something I wanted to do. Granted, I was still freaked out and super scared (still am) but I felt really good and just happy. If I could relive that moment of opening my call like 20 times, I totally would. 

I had no idea where Bolivia was, but no worries my friends, cause now I do (South America). 

There she is, in all her glory (not me, the mission call). 

So much energy leads to taking about 20 high kick/jumping pictures with your call. 

Mission calls rock. 

I went to South America (Ecuador) three years ago serving in orphanages and it was awesome! The people there are so kind and humble. They also whistle at white girls saying "bonita" and "gaupa" which totally boosted my self esteem so another reason why I'm so excited to serve there. I am so happy that I get to spend 18 months in Bolivia because I love South America. There are some who have different feelings (I won't name any names) but that's totally OK. I have heard different stories about the people in Bolivia, either they are super humble or really violent. Complete opposites, right? I'm hoping I run more into the humble category. But if I do run into the violent I can hold my own, I work out.  It's crazy how much love I feel already for the people of Bolivia. Sometimes I will be overwhelmed with the love I feel for them and can't wait to invite them all unto Christ and the blessings that follow that. Maybe another reason I feel so much love for them is because I know I am going to fit right in with them, being short and all (a short people bond, tall people wouldn't understand). 

Anyways to end this amazingly long and rambling post I just want to say how much I love this Gospel (The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints). It has brought me so much joy and I cannot wait to share that with the people of Bolivia!

Thanks for reading, friends. 

Hermana Wursten

Mission

Am I still seriously going on a mission? 

That is definitely something that runs through my mind every once and a while. As you all know (or you know now) I am serving a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I have been called to serve in the Santa Cruz, Bolivia Mission. 

I never thought I would go on a mission. Seriously. I always just figured I'd be married or  dating someone seriously by the time I was old enough to serve a mission. Yeah, I was one of THOSE girls. And I actually was dating someone who I wanted to marry but Heavenly Father had a different plan for me. It took a lot of heartache to get to this point of me deciding to serve a mission, but you know what they always say, "It's always darkest before the dawn." I don't know if I said that right but let's hope that saying is true (which I believe it is). 

October 28th, 2012 (journal excerpt)

"I don't know what Heavenly Father want me to do with my life. Should I go on a mission? I have no idea."

I remember writing that. I was sitting in church and I was so confused and still dealing with a lot of heartache.  So I was pondering on what I needed to do with my life and a mission randomly popped in my head. Granted this was soon after they had made the age change for girls to serve missions from 21 to 19 (which had no effect on me.. I'm old) so a mission was definitely a hot topic. I whispered over to my dear friend Madison (Madison Warner Photography) and said, "do you think I'm supposed to go on a mission?" I can't remember what she said back but I'm sure it was something deep and profound.

After a couple weeks of thinking and praying I then went on to start my papers. After starting my papers I stopped working on them for about 2 or 3 weeks cause I lost interest and was starting to just not want to go. But being home for Christmas I finally decided I was going to actually go through with it. I did everything I had to do, even got my wisdom teeth out. It was a great time for me... refer to pictures below.

Ugliest time of my life.. except for maybe freshman year of High School.

So after that whole process my papers were finally in! And then onto the waiting stage.

Reminiscing

As I was looking through my email I found this draft I wrote of my testimony (I ran out of space in my journal so I had to type it) when I was in Galilee. It has been about four months since I have returned from Jerusalem and through my daily life I am often reminded of the things that I learned and the wonderful experiences I had there. This is my testimony:

At the shore of the sea of Galilee we had a fireside. As Brother Harper talked about Peter and Jesus as they were on the sea of Galilee and Peter walked to Jesus in the water and as he got frightened and started to sink and Jesus said, "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?" I felt the spirit so strongly and it was amazing being able to look out onto the sea and imagine that scene happening. Knowing that I was at the place it happened brought the spirit so strongly into my heart. We should never doubt Christ, we must always put our faith in him because he will save us. We can all relate to Peter, as we do doubt and often forget our God and Christ. I am truly blessed to be able to be here at all these places where I know the Savior was. But being here and knowing the places isn't what builds my testimony, it is the actual experiences that happened in the places that build my testimony. These experiences and stories that we read in the Bible help strengthen my testimony by showing how Christ lived and his example and the example and lessons we can learn from him and his apostles. I am so grateful for my Savior and his atonement. I know that I am not perfect but because he died for me I can become perfect through him. The Savior showed his love for us through his ministry and lastly and most importantly through his atonement. Because of his atonement I can feel his love constantly and can be comforted through him because he knows us and he can relate to any experience that we have. That is the most comforting thing. Although I make mistakes and often forget the Savior, he is still willing to help me and bless me. His love for us will never fade nor die. Reading through the New Testament shows me how I can be like Christ and gives me inspiration to try and be more like Jesus. We began our fireside with the song I'm Trying to be Like Jesus and I know that the way we can return to our Heavenly Father is by striving always to be like Jesus because he is perfect. (March 28th, 2012)

A beautiful view of the Sea of Galilee

The best place ever!

I realize more now that I am home how much I learned when I was there. I find the information and stories in the Bible more real and interesting to me now that I have been to the places in it and studied it more deeply. Not only am I grateful for the what I learned about Christ's life and the Bible but I am so grateful for the love and respect I gained for the culture and the people there. I am so grateful for my experience there and will never forget the impact it has made in my life. I am also so so grateful for the gospel. It is what has made me the person I am today and it has brought me great happiness and comfort in my life.

If anyone is even considering doing a semester at The Jerusalem Center, DO IT! You will be so glad you did.