The MOM says this blog thing is getting easier and BIG THANKS to Jessica Tuft for helping/DOING so much. :)
Hello all!
Every week the Elders count down to when we leave and this week they were freaking out because we only have 2 more Wednesdays here! It's a really weird thought... It's been a fantastic week though!!
Last night we had our Tuesday Devotionals, and guess who came?! Elder Zwick and his wife! I was so so sooo excited because I just read his book a couple months ago, and Hna Heslop was nice enough to go down and meet him afterward. It was so exciting. :) He focused a lot on Christlike Attributes and how to develop them. He gave us 6 steps to follow, and he likened it to before he was called to the Seventy when his construction company was building the Portland Temple. I wish I could share the whole talk, but I'm just going to share the steps... :)
Okay! Some stats for you all: 48% of the MTC right now is sisters. SO AWESOME! :D Our zone (as of today when the new district comes) is half & half. The other district of all elders left for Mexico on Monday at 3 am, so that was sad.... They were in the same spot we are right now when we first got in. So they've been "big brothers" to us. And now...we're the oldest district. Kinda a freaky thought. But it's fun. :) The West Campus opened yesterday!! Elder Zwick kept saying that it was a historical day, because the devotional had to be broadcast over there last night! (Some of the people here got transfered down there, and people will be dropped off there I think today.) We have 4,000 missionaries here right now, but as of the end of July they say it'll be up to 7,000. 1,300 a WEEK will be coming in by the end of July. Right now they only have 700ish per week, and before the announcement it was 200-500 per week. So needless to say Wednesday's are pretty crazy around here. :)
Dad asked about how investigators worked here at the MTC, so I thought I would share more on that. Right now we are teaching "Pedro" and "Victor". They are actually just our teachers, but they are role playing investigators that they taught on their missions. Pedro is 18, he's graduating high school in a month, and works after school every day with his dad. He lives in Argentina, and he's really receptive to the things we're teaching. Victor is a 34-year-old dad that has 3 kids and a wife that he is trying to support, but doesn't have a good job. He's very discouraged and unhappy, but he's starting to understand more from our lessons and it seems like he's happier the past couple days. :) We rotate teaching, so we teach them twice a week for the first hour of our class time, and we only teach one lesson per day. Kinda confusing, but it's such great practice, and it's nice to have people to study for. Our teachers have NEVER broken character before (even with previous classes), but Hna Heslop and I broke Hno Staples the other day. We couldn't think of the word for men because we were trying to explain how women can't hold the priesthood. We literally sat there for about 5 minutes just trying to think of the word! Hno. Staples smiled for a split second. And we lost it; we just started laughing because we knew we knew the word, and he could have easily told us. But he didn't. As we were leaving and he was closing the door, he said, "Los hombres." And then we lost it again. Because it's such an easy word. Dah. It was frustrating, but hilarious at the same time. And it doesn't sound as funny through email, but it is what it is. :)
We also had the chance to teach in the TRC again yesterday. We spoke with a lady named Hna. Silva and she shared her conversion story with us, and by the end of the 20 minutes, we were all crying. I understood most of it! And the spirit was so strong. It's just another testimony builder that we aren't the teachers, but rather the Holy Ghost. And he knows what we need to hear and teach. It was an incredible experience.
I honestly am starting to think in "Spanglish," which I am so excited about! Little by little, each week gets better. :) It truly is a miracle. Thank you all so much for the prayers and support in my behalf. I really do appreciate it. Sorry this letter isn´t super exciting! Each week is pretty much the same, just with a few little stories here and there. My schedule is pretty much the same every day. But it´s okay! It´s the same schedule, but the stories within the day change. I did get to see Elder Willmore before he left! His companion had a camera, but neither of us did so hopfully I´ll get the picture one of these days. I also saw Hna Kelsi Jensen last Thursday!! I didn´t realize she was coming in so soon, so it was such a great suprise when I saw her! And I also saw Sister Leishman last Sunday, so that was fun to!! :D
This is an amazing work, and I am so grateful I get the opportunity to serve right now. I feel so blessed every single day. This week I realize how unimportant it is to focus on learning Spanish right now, so I'm just focusing on teaching and listening to the Spirit, and I know the language will come. The Lord takes weak things and makes them strong. So I have no doubt. I love this gospel. I love my Savior, and I am so grateful that I get to teach the people of Chilé so soon. Until next week!
Con amor,
Hna. Tuft
Hello family!! :D
(I only include this because then I don't have to send it out to ALL the family on email.)
I hope all is well at home, other than Mom stabbing her finger...and the mixer exploding.... But other than that it sounds like things are pretty great! :P Just a random side note really quick; I can roll my r's now Mom, because Cynthia helped me regain that talent in voice lessons.... Hahaha so that is not a problemo. :P So you didn't ruin me. :P I've been loving the rain!! The Conce missionaries in our district hate it, because that's what they're going to be welcomed with when we get to Chilé, but I love it because I know I probably won't see it for a couple years! (Unless I'm in the mountain areas I learned, closer to the Andes...so who knows. :P) I hope the first week of summer is fantastic! Don't waste the days by sleeping in every day Spencer and Lindsay.... Too much to do, and too little time... :) Please send a picture of the dress you made Lindsay! I'm glad to know that Mom didn't bleed on it... ;) Small world moment: I got the picture/bio of my new mission president, and Hna Hutchinson in my district is from Moscow and knows his son! He's getting married this summer she said... So that's going to be a crazy next couple weeks for their family.... I'm glad you got to run into Mrs. Giffing the other day, Dad! And that the plants are doing well. :) I loved that class. :) If the peas come on within the next couple weeks I sure would love a small bag of them if at all possible... :) And Dad your comment about saying hello to me as you drove by made me chuckle, because we all think about how we used to pass by here and wave to the missionaries, but now we are the missionaries.... So it's weird being on the other side of that scenario... :P I'll write you both back separately like I've been doing. I like that best because then I can actually think of what I want to say, instead of feeling rushed with our computer time... :) I love you all so much! Thanks for everything and for being my family. I couldn't have asked for better. :) Lots and lots of love,
Kristen
Hello all!
Every week the Elders count down to when we leave and this week they were freaking out because we only have 2 more Wednesdays here! It's a really weird thought... It's been a fantastic week though!!
Last night we had our Tuesday Devotionals, and guess who came?! Elder Zwick and his wife! I was so so sooo excited because I just read his book a couple months ago, and Hna Heslop was nice enough to go down and meet him afterward. It was so exciting. :) He focused a lot on Christlike Attributes and how to develop them. He gave us 6 steps to follow, and he likened it to before he was called to the Seventy when his construction company was building the Portland Temple. I wish I could share the whole talk, but I'm just going to share the steps... :)
- Start with the end in mind. Who do you want to become at the end of your mission/life?
- Strong Desires and Commitments. What are the desires of your heart? Set prayerful goals now!
- Willingness & Discipline to Work Hard. God is patient with our efforts; ask Him to show you your weaknesses that they may become strong.
- Prepare for challenges. You will have setbacks, but you will be changed by a profound new knowledge of who the Savior is.
- Structural and Spiritual Integrity. "Called to Serve," Elder Perry, 1991
- Total Dedication to the Lord. This is what we do, and WHY we do it. What is the intent of our heart?
Okay! Some stats for you all: 48% of the MTC right now is sisters. SO AWESOME! :D Our zone (as of today when the new district comes) is half & half. The other district of all elders left for Mexico on Monday at 3 am, so that was sad.... They were in the same spot we are right now when we first got in. So they've been "big brothers" to us. And now...we're the oldest district. Kinda a freaky thought. But it's fun. :) The West Campus opened yesterday!! Elder Zwick kept saying that it was a historical day, because the devotional had to be broadcast over there last night! (Some of the people here got transfered down there, and people will be dropped off there I think today.) We have 4,000 missionaries here right now, but as of the end of July they say it'll be up to 7,000. 1,300 a WEEK will be coming in by the end of July. Right now they only have 700ish per week, and before the announcement it was 200-500 per week. So needless to say Wednesday's are pretty crazy around here. :)
Dad asked about how investigators worked here at the MTC, so I thought I would share more on that. Right now we are teaching "Pedro" and "Victor". They are actually just our teachers, but they are role playing investigators that they taught on their missions. Pedro is 18, he's graduating high school in a month, and works after school every day with his dad. He lives in Argentina, and he's really receptive to the things we're teaching. Victor is a 34-year-old dad that has 3 kids and a wife that he is trying to support, but doesn't have a good job. He's very discouraged and unhappy, but he's starting to understand more from our lessons and it seems like he's happier the past couple days. :) We rotate teaching, so we teach them twice a week for the first hour of our class time, and we only teach one lesson per day. Kinda confusing, but it's such great practice, and it's nice to have people to study for. Our teachers have NEVER broken character before (even with previous classes), but Hna Heslop and I broke Hno Staples the other day. We couldn't think of the word for men because we were trying to explain how women can't hold the priesthood. We literally sat there for about 5 minutes just trying to think of the word! Hno. Staples smiled for a split second. And we lost it; we just started laughing because we knew we knew the word, and he could have easily told us. But he didn't. As we were leaving and he was closing the door, he said, "Los hombres." And then we lost it again. Because it's such an easy word. Dah. It was frustrating, but hilarious at the same time. And it doesn't sound as funny through email, but it is what it is. :)
We also had the chance to teach in the TRC again yesterday. We spoke with a lady named Hna. Silva and she shared her conversion story with us, and by the end of the 20 minutes, we were all crying. I understood most of it! And the spirit was so strong. It's just another testimony builder that we aren't the teachers, but rather the Holy Ghost. And he knows what we need to hear and teach. It was an incredible experience.
I honestly am starting to think in "Spanglish," which I am so excited about! Little by little, each week gets better. :) It truly is a miracle. Thank you all so much for the prayers and support in my behalf. I really do appreciate it. Sorry this letter isn´t super exciting! Each week is pretty much the same, just with a few little stories here and there. My schedule is pretty much the same every day. But it´s okay! It´s the same schedule, but the stories within the day change. I did get to see Elder Willmore before he left! His companion had a camera, but neither of us did so hopfully I´ll get the picture one of these days. I also saw Hna Kelsi Jensen last Thursday!! I didn´t realize she was coming in so soon, so it was such a great suprise when I saw her! And I also saw Sister Leishman last Sunday, so that was fun to!! :D
This is an amazing work, and I am so grateful I get the opportunity to serve right now. I feel so blessed every single day. This week I realize how unimportant it is to focus on learning Spanish right now, so I'm just focusing on teaching and listening to the Spirit, and I know the language will come. The Lord takes weak things and makes them strong. So I have no doubt. I love this gospel. I love my Savior, and I am so grateful that I get to teach the people of Chilé so soon. Until next week!
Con amor,
Hna. Tuft
Hello family!! :D
(I only include this because then I don't have to send it out to ALL the family on email.)
I hope all is well at home, other than Mom stabbing her finger...and the mixer exploding.... But other than that it sounds like things are pretty great! :P Just a random side note really quick; I can roll my r's now Mom, because Cynthia helped me regain that talent in voice lessons.... Hahaha so that is not a problemo. :P So you didn't ruin me. :P I've been loving the rain!! The Conce missionaries in our district hate it, because that's what they're going to be welcomed with when we get to Chilé, but I love it because I know I probably won't see it for a couple years! (Unless I'm in the mountain areas I learned, closer to the Andes...so who knows. :P) I hope the first week of summer is fantastic! Don't waste the days by sleeping in every day Spencer and Lindsay.... Too much to do, and too little time... :) Please send a picture of the dress you made Lindsay! I'm glad to know that Mom didn't bleed on it... ;) Small world moment: I got the picture/bio of my new mission president, and Hna Hutchinson in my district is from Moscow and knows his son! He's getting married this summer she said... So that's going to be a crazy next couple weeks for their family.... I'm glad you got to run into Mrs. Giffing the other day, Dad! And that the plants are doing well. :) I loved that class. :) If the peas come on within the next couple weeks I sure would love a small bag of them if at all possible... :) And Dad your comment about saying hello to me as you drove by made me chuckle, because we all think about how we used to pass by here and wave to the missionaries, but now we are the missionaries.... So it's weird being on the other side of that scenario... :P I'll write you both back separately like I've been doing. I like that best because then I can actually think of what I want to say, instead of feeling rushed with our computer time... :) I love you all so much! Thanks for everything and for being my family. I couldn't have asked for better. :) Lots and lots of love,
Kristen
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