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| Just a random cool thing we found this week.... Cactus flowers truly exist my friends. :) |
It's honestly been such a fantastic week. :) We have had some incredible experiences and I am just super happy. :) We've done lots of working with members, we had an activity on Friday as la obra misional, a fantastic Sunday, and to put it all into just a couple words, it was fantastic. :) So yep! :)
We truly have seen lots of miracles this week. I have loved seeing everyone come back from vacation, the college students started school today, and that has a big impact on the ward too, seeing as the university is really close. I just realized that I'm pretty sure the campus is part of our sector and we should probably look into that to seeing if we could do contacting there..... Anywho! :) That means that Tamara and Jorge are back! We should be getting in contact with them this week.
It has been a week of realizing that truly the Lord does put those in our path who have been prepared, those who we have been praying for. For example, we have been talking a lot about how our daily goals are acts of faith. We prayerfully set goals every night, and the next day we work and show our faith to complete the goals the Lord helped us make. Yesterday, we had a goal to contact two of the references we received a little while back, and they haven't been home, etc, and we prayed that we would have those two put in our path and we did, in fact, get in contact with them and have an appointment set up. I wish that I could explain all these experiences how we lived them.... You might just have to trust that they truly are miracles. :)
On Thursdays, we generally do splits with two sisters named Maria Lidia and Tiare. This past week when we did them was incredible. Maria Lidia has absolutely no shame in talking to the whole world, which I greatly admire! Which means that she also knows the whole neighborhood. :) She and her husband served a mission a couple years back and are preparing to go again, and going on splits with her is such a special experience. We met four new investigators this week, three of which are close friends of her's and have lived pretty rough lives. That was another miracle we saw this week, and are excited to see the Gospel of Jesus Christ make big changes for the better in their lives. That is the miracle of this Gospel, truly! The change that it can make in our lives, if we allow it. :)
On Friday we had an activity that we planned called the Churipanada. (Churipan is kinda like a sausage/hot dog type thing put in a piece of french bread type bread with mayo.) We did a little fireside where we spoke about basics. We taught new members mostly how we do prayers, spiritual thoughts, talks, etc in front of groups. It turned out great! We have really been trying to do activities every Friday just about, and that truly has started to make a difference in the excitement of the ward. Which leads to Sunday!
It was the Sunday that the obra misional was in charge. Elder Cable and Hna Millaquipai spoke, and we had planned to have the ward mission leader speak, too. We asked the YSA to do a musical number, and things were set. So we got to church to run through the song, and no one was there. (It was 9:30 and church starts at 10.) So no one was there to practice, so I was just thinking that it would be Sunday with low attendance... 10 minutes into the meeting it was FULL and we had to bring in more chairs and I was just beaming because I was so happy. The two talks went well, as well as the musical number. I was super confused because during Hna Millaquipai's talk, the bishop called me up and I was scared to death that he was going to ask me to do an improvised talk.... He said that the ward mission leader, Hno Ubilla, wasn't feeling well and asked that I sing Come, Come Ye Saints (Oh Está Todo Bien) and I happily agreed. :) Singing I can do, speaking...naw. :)
As I stood up there singing Come, Come Ye Saints to my little ward Chañarcillo, I got super teary eyed. I looked out in the full chapel and thought of all of those people sitting there, those who had sacrificed so much in their lives to follow Christ. And in the end, that's what we all are asked to do, to take up our cross and follow Him. They are such a beautiful example to me of modern day pioneers. Lots of people ask me if I have pioneer ancestors, to which I happily reply, "Yes!" But as I say that and as I watched them, they are our modern day pioneers. It was an incredible realization for me. :)
Hermana Millaquipai is great. She has taught me so much, and I think most of all she's just taught me to love life as it comes, not to worry about the little things. :) Just like the thought that my parents shared with me (Mom, you did share it with me a couple weeks back, but Dad I did love reading it again and refreshing my memory, thank you! :)) I wanted to share that really quick and then head out! :)
A psychologist walked around a room while teaching stress management to an audience. As she raised a glass of water, everyone expected they’d be asked the “half empty or half full” question. Instead, with a smile on her face, she inquired: “How heavy is this glass of water?” Answers called out ranged from 8 oz to 20 oz. She replied, “The absolute weight doesn’t matter. It depends on how long I hold it. If I hold it for a minute, it’s not a problem. if I hold it for an hour, I’ll have an ache in my arm. If I hold it for a day, my arm will feel numb and paralyzed. In each case, the weight of the glass doesn’t change, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.” She continued, “The stresses and worries in life are like that glass of water. Think about them for a while and nothing happens. Think about them a bit longer and they begin to hurt. And if you think about them all day long, you will feel paralyzed – incapable of doing anything.” She concludes with the thought – Remember to put the glass down :).
So, the moral of this weeks story is to put the glass down, rely on the Savior, and remember that truly todo está super bien. :) I know that this church is true!! I love this gospel; it is perfect. We are not, but it is. And that is because it is Christ's, our perfect example! I love you all so very much! Thank you for your prayers. Know that you are constantly in mine!
All my love from Copiapó,
Hermana Tuft
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Hey Mom and Dad!
Thank you for the birthday wishes!! :) It should be a great week. Different than most birthdays, but I think it'll be better. :) I'm excited. :D Haha I was actually thinking last night that last year yesterday was the day we headed out for New Mexico. :) Those were some great memories as well. :D Thank you for always making them great and exciting birthdays. :)
It sounds like things went great for the trip down to Arizona! I met a new sister from Chandler that's here in Copiapó for her first transfer named Hermana Platt? Creo... :) Sounds like it was a great quick trip! Is that how Lindsay and Kaelynn are going down this summer? And also that you had the darling little munchin with you all week! I'm excited to hear from Megan and Tom about how things went, and to see a couple pictures! Also speaking of excitement, I am quite excited to hear from Kyle and Jess about the little one as well. :) Hna Millaquipai just found out last week too that her sister and brother in law have one on the way as well. :) Fun stuff. :D
We got instructions last week Dad to stop using the list for the time being because of misuse or something, so tomorrow in our zone conference President is clearing a few things up and we should get started on that again. I have loved it! It's not only helped us find the less actives, but to do contacts as well. :) Even if the number of the house is right behind us, it's fun to knock on a door and ask if so and so knows so and so, and then we get to share a quick message or come back a different day. I'm enjoying it. :) We have met a few angry dogs as well, so that's not the funnest, but we work through it. :P The articles of faith are coming as well. Slowly but surely.... :) If I put my mind to it, they could all be memorized very quickly, but my mind has not been put to it completely these past couple weeks. This week for sure will be better. My mind is put to it. :P Thank you for helping and reminding me! Father's Interviews through emails and just a few miles distance... :)
Speaking of Father's Interviews, it made me think of your comment Mom about my patriarchal blessing. I try to read it every Sunday, but sometimes I don't get to it. Tonight I'll read it again though. :) I do remember as I got my blessing I was thinking about a mission the whole time. I didn't know how or when it would happen, but it happened and it happened earlier than I thought, and now I am seeing the blessings and fruits of the mission that will help lead and guide me throughout my life. Fisical, tanto como espiritual. :) For example, I just told Hna Millaquipai this morning I don't know if I'll ever be able to sleep through an alarm again because the whole time I'll just be thinking, "Obedience. Obedience. Obedience." :P But the spiritual things I have learned can never be taken away. Hay que nutrir, pero nunca me quitaré estas experiencias.
I will try to somehow unawkwardly hint to Elder DeGraw to write his mom longer letters.... Haha relationships out here are different, because they're not really friend relationships, so those things aren't really things you just go around saying.... But I will seeing in an unawkward way what I can do....
I had better get going, but thank you for the birthday wishes, for being my parents, for keeping up with me for 20 years and many more to come, and for always loving me and being my examples and best friends. :) I love you lots!!! Talk to you next week. :)
XOXOXOXO
Kristen
P.S. I will ask Isabel to check tomorrow night her Facebook to tell me the gender if possible.... :) LOVES!! :) Also....what is the time difference now? 3 hrs? We don't change until the end of April...
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