June 27
Mommy (and family)!!
I don't have much to say about this week just three things to
address: President Ayre, Re-Assignment, Stomach Flu. The last shall be first:
So I woke up this morning and had terrible stomach pains, got up
to fill my water bottle and had a huge head rush accompanied with clamminess so
I went to the bathroom because I knew that the stomach flu was going around.
Luckily and mercifully, I did not throw up. When the Health Clinic opened we
went and the doctor gave me some anti-nausea pills and some Gatorade. I feel
perfectly fine now because of the pills and you'll be happy to know that I have been
drinking the Gatorade!! Whoot! It's actually not that bad maybe I'll rethink my
only water and milk philosophy. Haha! Oh there are always silver linings in
everything! And they all come from God, we just call them tender mercies. I
also got blessing form my Elders again. They are very grateful for the
opportunity to exercise their Priesthood and learn how to give the blessings
properly. I don't know why illness is out to get me at the MTC but whatever the
reason at least I can learn from it. (Maybe it will spare me from illness in
the field haha jk!)
Re-assignment: Last Friday we received papers in the mail that
said you have not received your visa so expect re-assignment next Thursday or
Friday. So nothing really unexpected there. We did check the mail already today
and there are no re-assignments yet. Hermanas Binks and Petersen actually got
papers that say that they were not able to re-assign them this week and they
have to stay an extra week. They are handling it pretty well but are pretty disappointed
with that, so maybe keep them in your prayers. Because the rest of us didn't receive
these papers we are hoping that we have been re-assigned- although I almost
want to stay the extra week so the Hermanas won't be alone. When I receive my
re-assignment or lack thereof I am given permission to e-mail you and let you
know so be checking your e-mail for that! I'm excited to get to the field no
matter where it is. I know that this is part of Heavenly Father's plan for me.
Admittedly, it's a part I did not anticipate and don't exactly desire but
through realizing His control of every aspect of my life I am finding the
desire for re-assignment also. I was excited for it until I met President Ayre
and now it's harder to be excited again but I am finding the excitement. :D
President Ayre (pronounced "air" in English but to Spanish
speakers pronounced like "aire"): So because of the New Mission
President Seminar, they scheduled time for me, Hermana Jensen, and Elders
Carter, Sorensen, and Walton to meet President and Sister Ayre. It was just us
five in all of the MTC so that was really cool. So they met with us all and we
chatted and got to introduce ourselves. Sister Ayre was so excited when she
found out that my friend Jamison taught her Spanish. She was told to look out
for me and was so happy to match a face. President Ayre is the most energetic
and loving man ever. If I only had one word to describe him it would be humble.
Which is fabulous and such an example to me! They have one daughter on a
mission in TN right now and another daughter whom they just dropped off at BYU
as a freshman. She will be putting in her papers soon and the Ayres are trying
to get her sent to Buenos Aires North (which I guess they can do :D). They also
have two boys, one jr high or high school age and one I think beginning jr
high. Both of their sons will be moving to Buenos Aires with them. They all
leave for the wonderful country tomorrow! They said if you could they would
take us all with them as family members or in suitcases haha! When we were all
about done chatting, President Ayre asked what we would be doing the rest of
the night. We explained to him how we "teach" our teachers as
investigators and that we would be doing this afterwards. One of our teachers
was in the room (taking pictures for us which you should have gotten via text
from Sister Ayre) and President Ayre asked her if they could observe us
teaching. We suggested that they teach with us as members (we use other
teachers as members in lessons). They were so excited! Sister Ayre went and
taught with the Elders and President Ayre came and taught with us. It was so
incredible! His Spanish is still so good! He served in Costa Rica and is only
about 45 I think. The Spirit of his testimony was so strong in the room and he
really connected with "Antonio" the investigator. He was so pleased
with our progress in Spanish and teaching. He's so incredibly humble! We
stepped out and he said something to the effect of "Wow you Hermanas are
doing a wonderful job! Sorry my Spanish wasn't that great and I need to
practice teaching more but that was so helpful! Thank you for letting me
accompany you!" His humility is an incredible testimony to me! I heard him
pray twice that night and each time he used the adverb humbly at least twice
and asked for humility at least once. He will be an incredible mission
president. This is why it became difficult for me to accept re-assignment after
meeting him, because they both just make me want to get down to Argentina right
now!! It's okay though, I'm accepting it. :D
Fun fact Dad: the south part of the country has indeed been
absorbed into the new mission, so I will not be going there. I'm actually happy
because of this. That way the couple hundred missionaries can cover that
smaller area so much more thoroughly! Another interesting/sad fact: right now
there are roughly 180 missionaries in Buenos Aires North Mission, but there
should be about 250 or so. That's how many visa waiters there are. The current
Mission President says that the hardest thing about the mission is getting
missionaries down there.
More interesting facts: Various place around Argentina are
having difficulty with visas but of the three Buenos Aires missions (north, south
and west) only north and south are having visa problems. West mission visas are
going through no problem. Huh! Oh well. It'll all work out!
Thank you so much for the package it's perfect!!! I love you all
SSSSOOOOO much!!!!!!!!!! Please head and apply the guidance and instruction
given at the Worldwide broadcast! It will bless your lives, the live of missionaries
and of course the lives of investigators everywhere!!! I challenge you each to
select one thing that was suggested you can do to be a better member missionary
and do it this week. When I write next week I will ask each of you what you
wanted to work on and if you did it. :D This is the happiest work in the
universe!!!
ALL MY LOVE!!!
Hermana Arntsen
June 29
I'VE BEEN RE-ASSIGNED TO THE CALIFORNIA SACRAMENTO MISSION!!!!!!
I leave Tuesday the 2nd of July and have to report to the
Travel Office at 4:30 am!! Hermana Jensen and Elder Carter are also going
to Sacramento! (Elders Sorensen and Walton are headed to Ft. Lauderdale FL.)
The plane leaves from SLC at 8:40 am Utah time and we land in
Sacramento at 9:27. So I'm not sure when you should expect my phone call
but sometime between 5:30 and 8:40 Utah time. Please be at the house
because I will call the home phone.
Dad I know how you LOVE geography so I look at the map on my
Missionary Portal because I don't know if you have access to mission boundary
lines. The following cities are the closest to the boundaries of the mission
starting at Sacramento going South then East then North then West: Sacramento,
Elk Grove, Stockton, Tracy, Ripon, Copperopolis, Arnold, Pollack Pines, Garden
Valley. Following the same directional pattern these cities boarder but lay
outside the mission boundaries: Roseville, Brentwood, Livermore, Oakdale,
Sonora, then Lake Tahoe. The mission home is fairly close to the temple, which
is gorgeous!
I am excited! I know that there are people who need to hear my
testimony in Sacramento and there are experiences I need to have there as well.
I do still retain my immense love for Argentina and can't wait to get my visa
which is something I continue to pray for, but for now I will do my best to do
what the Lord requires of me in CA and enjoy it!
The broadcast was phenomenal! I was on the second row! So close
to them all! There were about 1300 missionaries in the choir which is about
half the MTC. The way the West (Raintree) Campus works is that the missionaries
live in WyView and their campus, as far as classrooms and such, are at
Raintree. They don't come to the main campus except for maybe some appointments
or In-field Orientation. In-field Orientation is for the missionaries the
weekend before they leave-which I attended today. It's just a warm up to
heading into the field- not that anything can really prepare you for the field.
I LOVE YOU!! Know that I'm living every second of the next 17ish
months so that families around the world can have the pure joy and love that we
do. You are my motivation and hearing from you lifts my spirits every time,
without fail! Please remember to practice one act of missionary work this week
and I promise you will feel of the wonderful joy contained in God's work and
glory!
Talk to you Tuesday!!
Hermana Arntsen
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