El Monte del Señor

Hnas Cassi Smith, Kristen Tuft, Albornoz and Zollinger

Hnas Zollinger, Tuft and Albornoz

Hna Kristen Tuft doing 'I don't know what.' :)

Hna Kristen Tuft at the end of the Andes dusted with snow.

Kristen at the flag/shirt store trying to decide which one to buy???

Hello again!

Truly....the week fleeeewww by. We've been keeping pretty busy, and I loveee it. :D It's incredible how we ask the Lord to bless us with strength to help us get through the day, and He truly does! When we get home, we plan and just about crash into bed. It's been a great week. :)

This week has truly been a learning and growing week. Hermana Albornoz is fantastic and we have been learning so much here in Calama. I think what we have learned most is the importance of prayer and diligence. Truly with hard work, the Lord sees our efforts and can and will work many mighty miracles. :) My testimony has grown incredibly this week, and truly we have been blessed with many miracles. I wish I could share them all with you....

Monday and Tuesday were a little bit rough, but it truly helped us learn and be so very grateful for the rest of the week. And when I say rough, it's just that we did lots of walking and contacting and such. BUT Wednesday, when we were at our most humble point, the Lord gave us 2 beautiful miracles. We found a family of 6 from a reference from the stake president's family and they let us in and said we could come back, and we were super happy and feeling greatly loved by the Lord. Then, (okay quick little story, in all my 2 months here in Calama, we have stopped by she has alwaysss told us through the door that she's sick and can't open....) we stopped by her house and she let us in and let us do a quick little service. Do you realize the miracle that that is??? :D So we were feeling pretty happy. :)

And then Thursday we headed to Antofa for our leadership meeting and received a lot of answers and consuelo. It wasn't anything new but it was what I needed and the whole time I just felt an overwhelming feeling of love. Truly it was incredible. Y así fue el resto de la semana. :D To top it all off, the ward got back from the temple and we had an incredible sacrament meeting. The youth and a couple of the adults that went shared their testimonies and it was beautiful. I truly am soo grateful for the temple. Although we don't have the chance to go during the mission, I feel like the Lord has blessed me to be in the ward when they do get to go. In every ward I've been in, they have gone to the temple and we have had the chance to be strengthened by their testimonies and feel of the Spirit that they bring back. We truly are so very blessed to have temples of the Lord here on the earth today. As Isaiah prophesied,

2 And it shall come to pass in the last days, when the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains,and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it.

3 And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths; for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

I feel very extraordinarily blessed to be a daughter of God here on the earth today, to be a representative of Him, to bring His word and His gospel to the people of Chile. I know that this church is absolutely true. There is zero doubt in my mind, and I promise that if we put Him first in our lives, it all falls into place. The trials don't go away, but we become strengthened through them because we know that He is our Captain. I know the Book of Mormon is true and that it testifies of Christ. I know that He lives and I know that our Heavenly Father loves us, because He sent His Son.

Wishing you all a fantastic week. :D
Con amor,
Hermanita Tuft
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Hello Mom and Dad!

It sounds like it has been quite a week for you all! Firstly, I just want to thank you for your prayers; I don't know if you've been praying harder for me this past week or not, but I felt your prayers and I felt your love in a way I never thought possible... I wish I could explain it well enough, but truly I felt of your love and prayers and support.

With that being said, :) can I just say I am so happy for the things you are doing! The garden, getting ready for the family trip, Home Teaching, SPLITS :D, mission prep, going to the temple, yep. Everything. :) Please tell Shanny hello for me and give her a big hug before she heads back! They are in my prayers. :) Also, I was very glad to hear that despite all that has happened, Grandpa and Grandma are staying positive and that they are keeping it in the Lord's hands. I cannot imagine all the hardship that they have been through the past 7 months, but it is in the Lord's hands and that is the most important. Please send my love and support and let them know that they are constantly in my prayers.

I just wanted to let you know I'm on board to go help out in Honduras if everything works out okay. :D I would looove that. Speaking of that, it also made me think of the importance that these last 5 months will be for me to focus and do all that I can to help in this work....so if we could keep the "trunky" thoughts to a minimum I would love that.... :) AND with that being said, Hna Severtson ends next transfer, o sea, the middle of August. Hna Matias and Hna Albornoz end in September. :)

Things with Denice have been a little rough this week.... Her husband forbade her and her kids to go to church, and that has been a little bit of a big road bump for what she is willing to do to progress and learn.... DAH. Husbands of investigators have been the hardest to work with. And we do try working with them, but they truly want nothing to do with us.... So please keep them in your prayers, and if you could put their names (Denice and Andres Gonzalez) in the temple, I would be very appreciative. :) BUT WE WILL NOT GIVE UP. :D They're too special to just "let go"... The apple pie was as American as it could get in Chile. :P It turned out great though! The thing is though, is that the Chileans have lots of "Gringo" traditions, including apple pie... But it was really good! :) I had to laugh, Dad, because we can buy root beer in a couple places, but it's VERY rare, because the Latinos also think it tastes like cough medicine.... Not sure what their cough medicine tastes like, but if it's root beer flavored I might like to try it some day... :P Jajaja :) I have been feeling great, and we've been keeping pretty warm. We have discovered what you said about stomping your feet to keep the blood circulating incredibly helpful, however. :) Hermana Albornoz is also doing great. :D We are seeing so many miracles and learning so much together. :) I love being a missionary. :D

Okie dokie. I'd better head out, but I love you both LOADS. I thank you for the time and love you put into your letters. I think Tuesdays you both must walk around like zombies for staying up so late writing me, but thank you. :) (How are you going to do it with two of us....?! :)) I put more pictures on skydrive and I will try my card again. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. Just depends on where I'm at I guess... Thank you!

All my love and felicidad por lo que vendrá esta semana!! I'll be thinking of you all tomorrow night in the temple. :D

Loves,
Kristen