First Week in Alaska - March 19, 2012 Letter

Dear Family and Friends,


ALASKA from my airplane window!

It has been a crazy week, really busy, so we kind of missed out on preparation day last week and on emailing. But our little group made it up to Alaska-- It was harder than I had anticipated leaving behind everyone at the MTC who we had gotten close to because you really have to depend on each other. Upon arriving in Alaska, the Beesleys (President and Sister Beesley are Mission President and his wife) and the assistants picked us up at the airport and brought us back to the mission office.  We went out tracting with our mission trainers (of which we did not know which one would be our companions), but we began with that experience and then returned to the mission home for the night. Sister Beesley made us dinner and said that we might try muktuck-- which I had no idea what it was.  We didn't end up getting it that night and, right now, knowing it is whale, I am so glad that I didn't have to then.  It is something I might have to prepare myself on, but one of the members here has now offered so I know that it is going to happen. Ah! don't know what to expect with that- I'll either love it or I'll hate it.

     My companion here is Sister Halatokoua and we are serving here in North Anchorage. It is almost like being in San Leandro because, although it is still labeled as Anchorage, it feels like a little suburb of downtown where all sorts of people live. It is beautiful here and breakup (of the snow) is beginning. Anchorage has almost broken it's record of snowfall and we are hoping for at least a couple more inches of snow, even though some of the locals REALLY do not want any more snow-- I don't know if the roofs can take it any more.

     We are living with ward members here and they are so sweet. It seems like everyone and anyone has pets, especially dogs, and I am so happy about that because it means that I get to see them and play with them every once in a while. This week Sister Halatokoua got the car stuck on a small street at a member’s home.  We called the Elders, but they were fifteen minutes away. . .we both just decided to shovel it out-- who said the Sisters need the Elders help-- we got ourselves out on our own- woohoo!  That night we were going out to contact and visit members, and also in our way were two moose- a momma and a baby: right then- there was NO WAY I was getting out of the car--if the moose would charge the car, then it would charge me.

Anchorage, Alaska Temple in March!

     Our mission president has it so that we eat at members’ homes each night for dinner, so it has been fun getting to know them, share a message and so on.  We have access to a kitchen at our apartment, and although we don't have too much time to cook for ourselves, we do what we can. Hopefully today we'll be able to make cookies at the mission home to bring out as a thank you to someone who helped the last sisters get their car unstuck (I wonder if getting stuck is going to be a regular occurrence, but with the snow melting, let's hope not).

     I have grown a new respect for my bed.  I know that 10:30 is bedtime, but most of the time now, I just want to pass out at 9 which ends up being 10. Waking up isn't too bad, and for gym time we have been walking another member’s dog, running in the snow, etc.; it just depends on how ambitious we are that day- haha.

  

     I love going into homes and teaching. My companion and I work so well together- she is from Utah, she's Tongan and she's been out 14 months. Before we even had time to study together, we seemed to be able to listen to the spirit in our teaching and to be able to flow from one topic to the other. A lot of the focus in our area is on less actives, but we hope that we can start a little more on finding-- if there are any ideas out there feel free to share them.

  

     I love you all.   Any questions on specifics, send them to me because I would love to try my best to answer them.

 Love,

Sister Wuehler

Scripture: Ether 12:4 "hope is anything but wishful: it is expectation based on experience"

“Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.”

isms: "there is a reality show coming up in two weeks- it's called general conference."

"and that is how the cow ate the cabbage"- one of the members from the south