Crazy Hot Here in Copiapo

Hello All!!

It's been such a fantastic week. We are truly seeing wonderful and marvelous miracles this Christmas Season here in Chile. We are teaching and meeting so many new people and just planting tons of seeds everywhere we go. :) I love my mission. It is the best decision I've ever made and I love working here in the Lord's vineyard. These truly are los Últimos Días and the Lord is hastening His work.

It has been the HOTTEST week so far here in Copiapó. I hate the hot and the sun, but I'm happy to know that at least some people in the world get to enjoy the snow. :) ¡Disfrútenlo! :D At least for me.... :) It's been so weird getting ready for Christmas (2 weeks away, where did the time FLY?) and starting summer. Not something that I'm sure I'll ever be used to, but it has been so fun seeing the excitement and the decorations and everyone just a little bit happier and willing to help one another out. It's also been crazy because all the schools are getting out for the summer too, so everyone is busy and getting ready to travel for the summer. So we will see how that all goes. :) We had a Christmas Devotional last night for the whole stake, and it was so GREAT!! I haven't heard a choir sing in such a long time, and they were so great. I think it'll be the only choir I'll see this Christmas season, but I have heard rumor that the missionaries do carols in the plaza, so I'm crossing my fingers! It'd be fun. :)

Speaking of yesterday, we had our Primary Program and it was just the cutest littlest thing I've ever seen. :) Hermana Severtson was asked to play the piano, so we got to go practice with them and see it come together a little bit. I love seeing their energy and their sweet testimonies. It was focused a lot on how we are all children of a loving Heavenly Father, and how He has a plan for each and everyone of us. They talked also a lot about missionary work and so many of the little girls were saying how excited they were to serve as well, along with all the young boys. I love the primary kids. :)

Wednesday was the day we moved Hermana Delgado and Hermana Brewster out. That was quite the ordeal, but it all solved itself and they are happy and living in their new sector. :) So for now Hermana Severtson and I are in our house alone, but we're looking for something cheaper for the two of us. Something will hopefully come up this week. Just waiting to hear back... :) It's been fun helping the Elders figure everything out with their new sector and how excited the ward was to receive them! We're excited to work with them.

We didn't get the chance this week to meet with Andrea and Angelo, but we have a lesson planned for this week. She works a lot, and Angelo works "turno" so he's working 7 days and home 7, so that does complicate things a bit too with their work schedules and school getting out, etc. We found and met some amazing people this week, so we're excited to start working with them and see how they progress and grow. :)

Hermana Severtson and I are trying really hard to read the Book of Mormon all the way through this month, and as I was in Alma, I just decided to keep reading and read to the end of Alma by the end of December...or at least by the end of the transfer... (It's totally doable, but in Spanish it has 100 more pages.... :P) Anywho, I was reading today in 3 Nephi about all the destruction and wickedness of the people, and then after the 3 days of darkness, a voice of peace and comfort spoke to them. I was trying to imagine what peace and hope that would give me, if I had been sitting there those 3 days in complete darkness, just to hear that calming, sweet voice.

It just made me think that that's kind of what we're doing here on the earth. We have moments of that "penetrating darkness" where we think it will never end and all hope is lost, but it's not. We have this beautiful gospel of happiness and joy and power and peace in our lives, all we have to do is look up, and accept the Savior, as the Nephites looked up, and accepted the Savior of the world. May we all remember this beautiful Christmas season that all hope is not lost, because Christ atoned for all of our sins and pains and sicknesses. He knows our needs and will heal and protect us in times of trouble. We just need to look up and accept Him.

I love you all so very much and hope you are all well and happy! I love things down here and everything is going so great! Have a fantastic week! I love you all so much and pray for you every day. :) I know this church is true!!

Con todo cariño,
Hermana Tuft
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Hello Mom and Dad!

Hahaha I had to laugh Dad that you pictured us out on in the streets without a house... Haha I've had that thought before too... But never fear!! That won't happen... :P I LOVE hearing about all the snow! Send lots of pictures if you can. :) I love it. :) Everyone here tells us they wish they had white Christmas', like they see in the movies... :) So fun. :) We also got invited by a ward member to dinner on Christmas Eve, so we're pretty excited for that too. :)

I'm so glad to hear that Grandpa is home and doing better. I pray for him and Grandma every day, and also all of you that you can help out and uplift them in anyway possible. We can't loose hope. Things will work out, but we have to be happy THROUGH the trials, because there are still miracles. Keep me posted please. :) Remember that too, Mom through all you're doing with Uncle Mark stuff!

We didn't get a chance to watch the Christmas Devotional last night, but they're doing a rebroadcast on the 22nd, so we'll watch it then. :) Sounds like you all have been crazy busy with make it with wool and ACT and homework stuff, along with choir, surgery for Lindsay, the Christmas Dance, etc. Oh how busy things still are, even with just 2... :)

The ward is slowly but surely rising in numbers. It rises, and then goes back down, just in a little cycle thing... We're working on it. :) By small and simple things... :) And I haven't gotten my blizzard package yet, but they're bringing stuff from Antofa on Friday for our Christmas zone conference. I don't quite understand the blizzard part of the package, but I'm excited to find out! AND CRAZY THAT KAISA'S GETTIN' HITCHED in 3 weeks!!!! WHAT?! So crazy. Please send pictures. :) I'm so excited for her and for Sammi & Zach and Jaden & Carolina too. :) So fun for them! :)

I'd better be running, but I love you both so much and thank you for your support and love and encouragement always. I truly am doing so very well. I love the mission. I love my sector and my companion and everything!! Have a fantastic week! :D Tell all hello for me, and give the two little siblings hugs for me. :)

ALL my love from Copiapó,
Kristen

P.S. Can you send me my Skype password, etc in the next couple weeks please so I can just use that and call you? Just to keep that in mind... :) THANKS!!

P.P.S. Our summer and winter schedule changes everything just a half hour, so in the MTC I woke up at 6:30, when I got here it was 7, and now for summer it's 7:30. Just depending on culture the mission president changes it, and this culture is used to sleeping in more... So is this girl, so I'm good with getting up at 7:30 and going to bed at 11:30.... :P