FIESTAS PATRIAS Y MATRIMONIA!!!

Hello from Chile!!

It's been another fabulous week here in Arica. Dah - I wish I could just bring you all down here and show you what life's like as a missionary and the wonderful blessings and miracles that happen every day. This week is Fiestas Patrias (aka HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY CHILE!!! :D) and we're very excited and nervous for the week ahead. :) Excited because honestly the people here are so very patriotic and walking down the streets with all the flags is incredible. We're starting to count all the flags we see in a day, so I'll keep you posted with that one. :P I´m not sure what all the traditions are for Independence Day here, but I know it involves a lot of barbeque and dancing the cueca and it's 3 days of fiestas. I'll let you know more on that next week! :) And nervous because everyone is leaving to go see family in other parts of Chile, and the ward officially left for Bolivia last night at 4 in the morning. So the ward's gone, the investigators are gone, the menos activos are gone....and we're left here solo. Haha not really, but we will be doing lots of finding, and lots of walking this week. :D BUT I am very excited to have the opportunity to experience 2 independence days here. :D

And for the other fantastic news.... GUESS WHO'S FINALLY GETTING MARRIED?!?!?! Fabiola and Jorge' are officially ´´engaged´´ and are getting married! :D It's not until November 2, but we talked about it and they think that's enough time to plan the wedding that they want, learn the rest of the things they need to to feel ready, and what's more Jorge' works in October, so they can't really get married without Jorge' actually being here... Haha, shocker, huh? :P But their baptism is set for the week after, so we're looking forward to November. :) And praying that we'll both still be here one transfer longer.....

I said this last week, but just as background we can only visit them on the weekends because Fabiola works and has school from 8 in the morning to 9:30 at night. So we had a lesson with them on Saturday, and it was amazing. We watched Elder Holland's ´Lord, I Believe´ talk from last conference (thanks Dad for the reminder of that talk, I know it was a couple weeks ago...but still thank you!) and talked about the desire to believe that leads to acts of faith. This is a huge act of faith for both of them, but they are very excited and have told us many times they feel like this is what God's will for them is. It's been incredible to see the change in Jorge as we've seen his faith grow. At first it was hard for him to believe in God, but his testimony has grown and his faith continues to be strengthened as they read and pray together. I know I've never been married, but it has been incredible to draw on the examples of a strong and happy marriage built on the principles of the gospel from my parents and siblings to help them feel the same, and to teach them to build their relationship with help from our Heavenly Father. Not quite sure if that all makes sense, but that the only way I could think to put it... :) Jorge' said that he would like for them to meet with the bishop so he can help them as well, and to get his thoughts and feedback. That will be great for them to have that relationship with the bishop as well. We're really excited for them, as you can probably tell. :D

In news of other investigators, we are working with Jasmin, and her brother Nacho. Jasmin is 14 and she is the daughter of a menos-activa we found while working with Simil. We've been working with her for about a month, and I'm not quite sure why I haven't talked about her before, but she's getting baptized next week, the 28th! Nacho told us during a lesson this week that he talked to his parents and wants to be baptized as well! He needs to go to church a couple more times, but that will hopefully be in the near future as well. :) Their dad isn't a member, but we're having our first FHE with them tonight and that will be his first time meeting with the missionaries, so hopefully we can get their whole family to church as well. :) They have 2 younger siblings, Noelia and Sergio. Noelia's 5 and Sergio just had his 5th birthday on Saturday. They crack us up. I love working with families! :D

One last experience from this week. We've been working with a man named Cesar that's menos-activo as well, and it's been incredible to see the change in him as his faith grows as well. This gospel really does change lives. He was baptized more about 15 years ago, and never went to church once after his baptism. It's been great to work with him and to teach him. We've been teaching everything fresh, because he doesn't remember anything about the Plan of Salvation, the Restoration, etc. He is filled with questions and soaks everything up. He lives with his girlfriend, son, and one on the way at the end of the month! In the beginning, his son and pareja met with us as well, but Hna Silvia is Evangelica and told us for now she doesn't want to listen anymore. Hno Cesar invites her to church every week with him, and we do too, so hopefully one of these weeks she'll say yes. :) Last night, we had a lesson and talked about the temple, because he has a friend that's going with the ward this week to Cochabumba to be sealed to his wife and daughter. He got teary-eyed and told us that he wants that for his family one day as well. The change in him from one month ago and not really knowing anything about the church and last night was a night and day difference. Just seeing the change in these people every day strengthens my own testimony so very much.

I'd better be going, but I know this church is true. I know that I have been called here to serve my mission in Chile and I know that the timing of the Lord is exactly perfect. Sometimes we have blinders on and we can't see what's ahead, but we have to remember that the Lord can see all sides of the story, and we are blessed to have His protecting hand in our lives every day. I know that this church was restored through Joseph Smith and that we are blessed to have living prophets, modern day revelation, and the priesthood in these latter-days. How blessed we are! I love you all so very much and I am so very grateful for your love, support, and prayers!

Con mucho cariño,
Hermana Tuft
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Hello Family!

It was great to hear that things went well this past week there in good ol' Utah! :D I do have to ask about Tuft lake... Very curious about that one via Megan... :) Kyle, I hear you have a picture to send me... :) Lago Tuft. Has a little ring to it, doesn't it? :) Also I can't wait to hear about Lindsay in her tennis TRY-OUTS and how that ended up and to see PICTURES of my little SPENCER at his SENIOR HOMECOMING DANCE!!!! :D Where does the time fly... (Speaking of time flying, tomorrow marks 3 months of being in Chile...crazy stuff!!! :D) Please keep me posted. I can't wait to hear. :) Also I hope that preparations for the New Mexico trip go well this week! I wish I could go with the whole family! Hope everything goes well though, and I know you'll have a great time. :D My health has been very good this week. The cough is all but gone, seriously! I've been taking a couple meds and they seem to be helping a lot. I do have a cold in the which yesterday I didn't have much of a voice, but today is better and I know I am being blessed with the energy and patience to work with these little bumps! :) But I am doing very well. :) I love you all so very much! I can't wait to hear how this week goes and the adventures you will have! :)

All my love,
Kristen
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Hello Mom and Dad!

For a couple last answers :) I hope that I answered all the questions you had, minus these next couple obviously. :) But first, a funny little small world moment! Dr. Jorge' Michalek was my first pediatrician, right?? Or was he Megan's....? Can't quite remember, but super funny story. We were in the house of a member the other day and she showed us a picture of her son with his mission president. The names were below, and I looked at the picture thinking, 'I'm pretty sure I know this guy....' and I looked below and it said Presidente and Hermana Michalek. I had to laugh at that one! Here I am in Chile and I've found so many connections to home... :P

Also, I loved the thought of the Hymns you shared, and the last principle from Elder Scott! I'm sad those are over, I really enjoyed those just about every week!! I couldn't help but reflect in the line when he says With all my capacity I encourage you to discover who you really are... When you push against the boundaries of experience into the twilight of the unknown, the Lord with strengthen you... Gather strength by remembering you can do anything the Lord asks you to do. Going on a mission was that choice of pushing into the unknown. When I would think about it with my natural-man mind, I would get so very scared about going so far away and speaking a different language and living in a different country teaching people I didn't know. But I distinctly remember an experience I had in the Logan Temple right before Justina left. She was in the changing room, and I went out to sit in the waiting area. I closed my eyes for a minute to just think, and I remember having this wonderful peace come over me and the feeling that Chile, Antofagasta was the right mission and the place that I needed to go. I remember telling Mom this experience that night, and telling her I never doubted my mission call, but there were times in the MTC and in the first few weeks here that I recalled that experience and that peace, and was reassured that I was doing the right thing. It's amazing how the Lord knows exactly what we need and the strength that he gives us as we do push those boundaries of experience and comfort.

Mom mentioned the stories from Sister Ashley Brown and her talk, but neither of you mentioned them more! :P I would love to hear those if you could share a couple with me, and about the large and small plates....? :) Please keep me posted on Lauren and Amie and their calls!!!! SO EXCITING FOR BOTH OF THEM!!!! Please tell them congrats from me. :D Mom, I was glad to hear that both surgeries of Uncle Ron and Aunt Julie went well. I will continually keep them in my prayers. Also, I would LOVE to see pictures of the new intersection all paved and whatnot! :) And last but not least YEA FOR YOU TO GET GRANDPA'S ESTATE SETTLED!!!! :D SOOOOO VERY HAPPY!!!! :D I was thinking about him the other day and how crazy it is that it's been almost 2 years since he passed away.... How blessed we are to know we can be with them again forever. :) Also, how did work this week go?? :) Patti wrote me the other week, and I am going to try to write her back right now. Thank you for sharing that story with me, and I'm so so sooo grateful she's safe and well. As for the Christmas package, I would love another durable cute but plain black skirt if you could find one... The 2 that I have are great, but they are both worn out already..... The fabric wasn't the greatest, so something durable.... If not I'll be looking for one here, no problem! :) And handwritten letters.... I love handwritten letters. :) Speaking of which I haven't heard if you all got your letters that I sent yet!! I'm assuming no... but I hope they'll get there... :( Also I really hope my package gets here too..... :( We have a zone conference next weekend, so if it's not here then I think I've lost hope... But I seriously am praying that it will come.... Stinkin mail.......

I love you both so very much. Please keep me posted on the New Mexico trip and I hope and pray that all goes well as you get ready this week and leave next week! I LOVE YOU MOM AND DAD!!! :D Talk to you soon,

All my love,
Your very extremely happy missionary daughter,
Kristen :D