Hello
Dad!
I wrote a quick note to Mom and answered her questions, so I
thought I'd just write you a quick note apart from the other as well. :)
Thank you so much for your love and support and the thoughts you share
each week. I really enjoy them and somehow there is a way that they
fit into my week just perfectly. Thank you! :) Christ really is the
only one that knows the full strength of temptation; He truly knows how
to combat the enemy, and we must rely on Him to aid us in the battle,
let Him fight for us, not just along side us, because in reality, He
already won the fight. I liked that thought, thank you. :) The ward
members work on their own names on the internet, like we do there, yes.
:) They are all working again to prepare for February. It truly is
incredible to see the Spirit of Elijah work in their lives. And yes, I
have been singing very frequently in Spanish, and I love this language
Dad. It is so hard to learn, sometimes my brain doesn't want to hold it
all in I think, but I love learning it. It's become so much easier as
I've asked every day to have the words I need placed in my mouth. My
Heavenly Father has given me the words I need, and that's all I can ask
for. I've been working a lot with grammar, because I can understand and
explain myself well enough, but the grammar needs some work. So that's
been language study for the past little while, and probably for the
rest of the mission... :) I love you Dad. I was watching The Other
Side of Heaven for an FHE the other week, and they talked about the
Hurrah for Israel moment. I couldn't help but get a little teary eyed,
because every week you say that to me, and every week I think of that
movie and the meaning of that sentence. Hurrah for Israel! We are so
truly blessed. Thank you for every, Dad. I love you. :)
Your little Chilean missionary,
Kristen :)
For Spencer and Lindsay to see please... :)
SPENCER
AND LINDSAY. TAKE CARE OF BELLA. That's all I have to say. TAKE CARE
OF HER FOR MEEEE. If you don't love her, TAKE CARE OF HER FOR ME.
That's all. Love you both LOTS. :D And write me. That's all I have to say. :) I love you both!! :D
I wrote a quick note to Mom and answered her questions, so I
thought I'd just write you a quick note apart from the other as well. :)
Thank you so much for your love and support and the thoughts you share
each week. I really enjoy them and somehow there is a way that they
fit into my week just perfectly. Thank you! :) Christ really is the
only one that knows the full strength of temptation; He truly knows how
to combat the enemy, and we must rely on Him to aid us in the battle,
let Him fight for us, not just along side us, because in reality, He
already won the fight. I liked that thought, thank you. :) The ward
members work on their own names on the internet, like we do there, yes.
:) They are all working again to prepare for February. It truly is
incredible to see the Spirit of Elijah work in their lives. And yes, I
have been singing very frequently in Spanish, and I love this language
Dad. It is so hard to learn, sometimes my brain doesn't want to hold it
all in I think, but I love learning it. It's become so much easier as
I've asked every day to have the words I need placed in my mouth. My
Heavenly Father has given me the words I need, and that's all I can ask
for. I've been working a lot with grammar, because I can understand and
explain myself well enough, but the grammar needs some work. So that's
been language study for the past little while, and probably for the
rest of the mission... :) I love you Dad. I was watching The Other
Side of Heaven for an FHE the other week, and they talked about the
Hurrah for Israel moment. I couldn't help but get a little teary eyed,
because every week you say that to me, and every week I think of that
movie and the meaning of that sentence. Hurrah for Israel! We are so
truly blessed. Thank you for every, Dad. I love you. :)
Your little Chilean missionary,
Kristen :)
For Spencer and Lindsay to see please... :)
SPENCER
AND LINDSAY. TAKE CARE OF BELLA. That's all I have to say. TAKE CARE
OF HER FOR MEEEE. If you don't love her, TAKE CARE OF HER FOR ME.
That's all. Love you both LOTS. :D And write me. That's all I have to say. :) I love you both!! :D
Kristen and Hermana Matias trying to do piggy-back on the beach.
So glad they laugh! 7 October 2013
Kristen with other hermanas in her zone on beach in Arica 7 October 2013
Kristen with other hermanas in her zone on beach in Arica 7 October 2013
Kristen with Hma Matias 7 October 2013
| ||||
That line (Catch the wave...AGAIN! From Conference...) meant a lot more to me, as I see people reject this message, and it hurts to see that happen. It is so horrible to me to see people reject this message that comes from our Savior, Jesus Christ. This is literally His church, and when they reject this message they are literally rejecting Him and His gospel. It is so very important that we help people every single day to see the happiness that this gospel brings. It is so vital that we share this message with our brothers and sisters. They, of course,
have the agency to choose to accept or reject it, but we must share it so that we can stand blameless before the judgement seat of Christ.
Which leads me to my other thought. :) I loved in the April conference how Elder Nelson talked about catching the wave. We have all been called once again to share this gospel. Catch this wave. :) I loved the challenge from Elder Ballard to share the gospel with one friend or family member before Christmas. He said that is the greatest gift we can give to our Savior. I was just thinking to myself... If we ALL shared the gospel with only one person before Christmas, the membership in the church could literally double. We have 15,000,000 members of the church. We could literally have 30,000,000 members of the church if we all opened our mouths and shared the gospel with one person. And image if we all shared it with 2. :) We have all been called to be the means of bringing our brothers and sisters back to the fold of Christ, so that we can all live with them forever. One thing Elder Maynes said is that we must become the rock that the river cannot wash away. :)
A couple last thoughts from the week. One funny, one just thoughts. :) So Mom mentioned that Spencer was dying in the kitchen because Lindsay challenged him to eat a jalepeño. Hahaha I had to laugh, one because Lindsay finally got revenge on Spencer (sorry Bud... :P) and two because I had the exact same experience at lunch on Thursday. :P We were all sitting at the table eating lunch and Papito handed me a little yellow pepper, because he knows I like spicy things. So I took it and he told me to be careful, because it's really really spicy. So I took a tiny little bite and it wasn't spicy at all! So I took another bite and just started eating it like a bell pepper, because that's what it tasted like, and I just thought it was a mini bell pepper. Wrong. (The Elders had the same thoughts I did, and they just chowed down on theirs too. Hna Matias was smarter than us all and didn't quite do the same....) So 2 minutes later, the three of us had tears running down our cheeks. They weren't bell peppers, just for the record. Some pepper that I have never seen and it is quite spicy. Needless to say I didn't taste lunch on Thursday. :P
The last one is short. :) So today we went to a beach called Playa Corazones. It is so beautiful, and I've been seeing pictures and such for the 4 months I've been here, and never gone... So today we finally went. :) It's about an 30 minutes out of Arica, so we were driving out in a taxi. I just kept thinking as we were driving how beautiful it was, and every couple minutes I thought we should just stop there, because it was pretty enough and we didn't really need to go the full way. We drove out there, and the playa is long, so we walked the rest of the way when the road ended. The farther and farther we drove, the prettier it got. The farther and farther we walked, the prettier it was. (The pictures I'm sending definitely don't do it justice...) As we were driving back, it was still beautiful, but I couldn't stop thinking about how that trip is a little like life. The farther and farther we walk, the more beautiful it gets. Of course we'll still have the occasional rocks and bumps in the road, but when you reach the end, it will all be worth it. The beauty at the end will be greater than what you had at the beginning. Elder Holland said in a talk that we need to just keep walking. Don't ever give up; there is help up ahead.
(I, Pam, commented on her blonde hair in the picture.) MY HAIR IS BLONDE!!! I like my dark, non sunbleached hair... Oh welll... I like the long part though. :) The picture is of all the Hnas in our zone at the conference on Saturday. :) Hahaha my mom.... all technologically advanced face-timing and all.... Hahahaha. :) (I asked her who's pouch mail she got cause it's been so long I'd forgotten) YOU sent me pouch in August, the tigger thing. :) AND I GOT BRIT'S LETTER and beautiful earrings from Africa!! I'd love her email if you could ask her for it... :) THANKS!! And Miranda's! I really want to write both of them. :)
This week was so wonderful, and I'm looking forward to the week to come. Do some good this week! I love you all so much and I'm glad to hear all is well at home! :D I know this church is absolutely true.
Love,
Hermana Tuft
======================
Hello Hello!
Here's the thing you asked for a couple weeks back really fast... :) I don't know how long it will take to write, so maybe just put it on my blog and the rest of what I'll have time for to follow... I trust you, so no worries. :) Thank you for all the pictures!! I love them all so much! It looks so weird across the street holy cow!! AND I was absolutely DYING reading that story about Kyle and Spencer, in New Mexico in the hotel room. BAHAHAHAHA. I have a story similar to Spencer and the jalepeño so...more to come... :P (It's above.)
Also, I will have to get you Mamita's address for next week, because if they do actually leave within the next couple months I'll give you her other address. They probably won't leave this month, so we're not sure when or if they will actually go... We'll continue to live in their house if they do leave, just without Mamita and Papito... :( AND I keep meaning to tell you... Their last name isn't "Tito". :) It's Mamita Tita, because her name is Robertina. Tita's a nickname for Robertina... :P Papito's name is Omar. :) Just so we can clear that up... :P AND I GOT YOUR LITTLE POUCH NOTE!!!! :D Yep. :) That one only took 2 months. :) And I got a letter from Britney that she sent in July, so I have hope still that I'll get the package with the camera in it one day, and Megan's letter that she sent forever ago... :) Thanks so much Mom! I love you loads! :)
Also, I will have to get you Mamita's address for next week, because if they do actually leave within the next couple months I'll give you her other address. They probably won't leave this month, so we're not sure when or if they will actually go... We'll continue to live in their house if they do leave, just without Mamita and Papito... :( AND I keep meaning to tell you... Their last name isn't "Tito". :) It's Mamita Tita, because her name is Robertina. Tita's a nickname for Robertina... :P Papito's name is Omar. :) Just so we can clear that up... :P AND I GOT YOUR LITTLE POUCH NOTE!!!! :D Yep. :) That one only took 2 months. :) And I got a letter from Britney that she sent in July, so I have hope still that I'll get the package with the camera in it one day, and Megan's letter that she sent forever ago... :) Thanks so much Mom! I love you loads! :)
Here goes :) (for her friends serving missions too)
======================
Hermana Kristen Diane Tuft
Chile Antofagasta Mission, Spanish Speaking
May 8, 2013 to November 4, 2014
My mission is the best thing I've ever experienced in my life. It's hard, I'm not going to lie, but oh is it ever so worth it! The best thing that has happened as a result of me serving a mission is the testimony that I've gained of the power of the Atonement of my Savior, Jesus Christ. It is the meaningful prayers and the relationship I've gained with my Heavenly Father. It is the change I can see in people's lives every day as I see them accept this Gospel. It is the people I've met, and this language I'm learning. Words cannot fully describe the gratitude I have for this opportunity to serve this mission. I have learned the love of the Savior is unconditional and infinite, we need only accept Him into our lives and allow Him to change us. The only thing we can give the Lord in our lives is our heart and mind. We can work with all our strength and might, but if we don't have a loving heart and a mind open to the promptings of the Spirit, that might and strength won't do us any good.
The best experience I've had is working with Jorge and Fabiola. I feel their testimonies grow each time we get to teach them, and I know that the Spirit has a huge affect in their lives, and every day their testimonies grow. The power of prayer and reading the Book of Mormon has changed one, who all but didn't believe in God, to knowing that this church is true and was restored by a loving Heavenly Father through a latter-day prophet.
The strangest thing I've eaten: Peacock...
Difficult to adjust to: The culture was so hard for me at first, and when I would think about how far away from home I was... That was hard. But the past few months have absolutely flown by, and I have gotten lost in this work. I don't think about how far away from home I am, because it doesn't matter. I have been called here by my Heavenly Father, and He knows what is best for me and He has given me the strength to become who I am becoming.
The funniest experience I've had: My first companion in the field was Hna Delgado. She and I were talking one day, and somehow the fact that I sang in the Provo Tabernacle got mixed in translation, and she thought for 3 weeks that I sang in MoTab. Bahahaha and she told the whole ward. I still have people come up to me and say something about how I'm in MoTab, and I just laugh and have to explain that my Spanish speaking skills aren't great, and that I'm actually not in MoTab, just sang in the Provo Tabernacle... :P
My advice: Prepare, prepare, prepare. Read the Book of Mormon and study it every day. Read Preach My Gospel diligently and STUDY it. I read it before my mission, but I never really studied it. And most importantly, gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon, of the Restoration, and build a strong relationship with your Heavenly Father. Have faith to trust in His timing and the trials He places in your life with help you become who He needs you to be. Be an instrument in His Almighty hands.
======================
Hermana Kristen Diane Tuft
Chile Antofagasta Mission, Spanish Speaking
May 8, 2013 to November 4, 2014
My mission is the best thing I've ever experienced in my life. It's hard, I'm not going to lie, but oh is it ever so worth it! The best thing that has happened as a result of me serving a mission is the testimony that I've gained of the power of the Atonement of my Savior, Jesus Christ. It is the meaningful prayers and the relationship I've gained with my Heavenly Father. It is the change I can see in people's lives every day as I see them accept this Gospel. It is the people I've met, and this language I'm learning. Words cannot fully describe the gratitude I have for this opportunity to serve this mission. I have learned the love of the Savior is unconditional and infinite, we need only accept Him into our lives and allow Him to change us. The only thing we can give the Lord in our lives is our heart and mind. We can work with all our strength and might, but if we don't have a loving heart and a mind open to the promptings of the Spirit, that might and strength won't do us any good.
The best experience I've had is working with Jorge and Fabiola. I feel their testimonies grow each time we get to teach them, and I know that the Spirit has a huge affect in their lives, and every day their testimonies grow. The power of prayer and reading the Book of Mormon has changed one, who all but didn't believe in God, to knowing that this church is true and was restored by a loving Heavenly Father through a latter-day prophet.
The strangest thing I've eaten: Peacock...
Difficult to adjust to: The culture was so hard for me at first, and when I would think about how far away from home I was... That was hard. But the past few months have absolutely flown by, and I have gotten lost in this work. I don't think about how far away from home I am, because it doesn't matter. I have been called here by my Heavenly Father, and He knows what is best for me and He has given me the strength to become who I am becoming.
The funniest experience I've had: My first companion in the field was Hna Delgado. She and I were talking one day, and somehow the fact that I sang in the Provo Tabernacle got mixed in translation, and she thought for 3 weeks that I sang in MoTab. Bahahaha and she told the whole ward. I still have people come up to me and say something about how I'm in MoTab, and I just laugh and have to explain that my Spanish speaking skills aren't great, and that I'm actually not in MoTab, just sang in the Provo Tabernacle... :P
My advice: Prepare, prepare, prepare. Read the Book of Mormon and study it every day. Read Preach My Gospel diligently and STUDY it. I read it before my mission, but I never really studied it. And most importantly, gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon, of the Restoration, and build a strong relationship with your Heavenly Father. Have faith to trust in His timing and the trials He places in your life with help you become who He needs you to be. Be an instrument in His Almighty hands.
Much LOVE!
Hermana Tuft
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