Amo mi Calama :)

Heellllooooo!

This week has been absolutellyyyy fantastic. I seriously can't explain my happiness. :) This week has been super great. And something that made it even BETTER is knowing that little baby Milo was born!! :D He's going to be a pretty tall dude. :)

Where to start. :) There are two experiences específicamente that I want to share. :) First of all, we did change chapels and they officially started the remodeling today. They've been unloading stuff at the church allll day long. I think it'll be more like 8 months of remodeling.... They said 3 to 8 months. But there's loottts of stuff. :) The other chapel is pretty far away, but we got there well yesterday, and didn't have AS many people as normal at church, but this chapel is a little bit smaller, and the sacrament room was full. So that's a good sign at least. :) Now just for the 30 members that didn't come....we'll be a pretty full house. :) Love it. :) We had LOTS of investigators that were going to go to church yesterday, but JUSTO we ran out of minutes on our cellphone on Saturday night.....so we couldn't call or pick all of them up.... But the miracle is that 2 people still went so we were pretty happy. Yesterday was a pretty stressful day, but we made it through alright and saw lots of miracles. :)

One of our new investigators from this week's name is Katty. She's from Ecuador and has been living here for a couple years. She works here and sends money home to her son, and wants to go back as soon as possible. Her son is 5 years old, so naturally she wants to be with him.... But the Lord knows our circumstances, and Katty has felt pretty lonely here in Chile. She doesn't have any family, etc, so when we stopped by looking for a less active member, she opened right up with a bunch of questions and we set things up to come back the next day and teach her the first lesson. When we got there, she had read the first pamphlet ENTERO and told us exactly what had happened, almost as if she was the missionary....it amazed us. We brought her a Book of Mormon, and invited her to church. She was pretty hesitant about accepting the Book of Mormon, but took it and said that she would read it and that she would go to church with us for all 3 hours. :) And she did. She left as soon as sacrament was over (we're finishing with Sacrament meeting now), but she gave us a hug as she left and started crying. We are very excited for Katty. :)

We also had an amazing experience with another family that we've been working with. I don't know if you remember me talking about Claudia, Pablo, and Claudio.....? I honestly can't remember if I've talked about them.... But! We had a great experience with them this week. They have been reading the Book of Mormon for this past month that we've been stopping by, and they love it. We found them in our Area Book from a couple elders that were here last year that got transfered and then no one ever stopped by again.... So we called them up, set up an appointment and have been stopping by ever since. We read with them this week 3 Nephi 11, when Christ comes and teaches the people about His doctrine. We invited them to be baptized, and lo and behold.... Pablo was baptized when he was 14!!! Missionaries have been stopping by for monttthsss. And he hasn't ever told anyone until this past week. Even Claudia was shocked. Anddd he recieved the Priesthood before he became inactive.... So we were pretty blown away with that lesson, but he shared his experience with us and said he knew that this church truly has the truth. He kinda had a Joseph Smith experience as a young boy, and went to lots of different churches and learned about all of them, but this church called his attention the most. SO. We are going to put a bit more focus in them so that Pablo can become active again, and possibly baptize his family..... :D Claudia said she still wasn't sure, but this week will be going with us to CAMILA'S BAPTISM (pleaseeeee keep that in your prayers, that all will go well for Camila's baptism this weekend....) and Pablo said yes. Sooo. We're pretty excited for their family. :D The Lord truly works in mysterious ways. AND what's more is that Claudio last night asked us about the picture at the beginning of the Book of Mormon with Nephi and his family in the boat, and so we explained it, and then Pablo chimed in and started explaining the Liahona and that it worked according to their faith and obedience, etc. DAH. Qué felicciddaaaaddddd. :D

So if I could sum up the week in one word it would be GENIAL. I love being a missionary and I love this work. I know that this is the Church of Jesus Christ, and that it was restored by the prophet Joseph Smith. I know that the Book of Mormon is true. I love my Savior and His great sacrifice for me. I know that through Him, one day I will return with my family to live in the presence of my Heavenly Father.

I hope you all have a FANTASTIC week. :D

Con muchísmo amor,
Hermana Tuft
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Hello mis padres queridos! :)

I was SOOO happy to find out about little Milito. He's adorable. :D I can't wait to meet the little guy. :) I'm just looking through your emails as I go so I can answer and respond to everything, so here goes! :) Hna Albornoz's tooth is doing well. :) She hasn't said anything about it, and everytime I ask, she says it's good. :) She's had lots of health problems in the mission, so most of the time her stomach is bothering her, and she has been forbidden to eat with mamitas cause they give us lots of food. Luckily, our mamita Ely right now is SUPER great and doesn't get offended if we can't finish and cooks pretty healthily. Pero a pesar de eso....I've still gained lots of weight here in Calama. No. Importa. :P Things are going well with our ward council. We've become a lot more united and work a loooottt more together. We just changed relief society presidencies a couple weeks ago, and I couldn't be happier with the new president. :) So things are going well. :) Aaand I can honestly say that my health has been super good. Everrryoonnnee is sick right now with pretty bad colds, so we've been eating our fruits and veggies, saying our prayers, and keeping really bundled up so we don't get sick. A sore throat here and there, but overall great. :)

I loved hearing about Jenn's experience last year! I would love to write her, if it would be possible to get her email..... It's interesting because I feel like now at the endish I have so much time to write everyone.....so I don't know if that means my letters home are shorter or what....whoops. :) I hope Lindsay has a great time there in Arizona and doesn't get toooo burned. :) She went with Kaelyn Staheli right?? I'm also super glad that the fire there didn't get too bad.... That's a scary moment.... And Mom, I don't have sound on this computer, so hopefully I can change computers right before I get off and watch that video. I'm excited to see it. :) (I will post it for anyone else interested.)  http://history.lds.org/article/sister-missionaries-video?lang=eng

I'm really glad that you guys got to go up to Brigham City for Pioneer Day. I bet Grandma and Grandpa really enjoyed that. :) I thought that Grandpa wouldn't be able to be here before Spencer left, so to know that he is doing relatively well is fantastic. They are always in my prayers. If he's still with us in November....the first thing I want to do is go up to see him. :) I know that this is the Lord's timetable though, so I put all my trust in His hands.

Yep, to answer your question about loosing hair. We all lose hair here in the northern part of Chile. It's normal with the terrible water here, cause there's so many minerals and crappy stuff from the mines... Hna F. talked to me about it, and knows that it happens to everyone... :) It also gets super fried from the sun and the water, hence my hair has changed colors..... But we use lots of moisturizers for hair and I wash my face with the little towelettes that you sent me. :)

Thanks for all your support. I love learning from all your weekly experiences and thoughts that you share. :) Always gives me a great big smile. :D Also, thank you so very much for keeping our investigators in your prayers always. We can't pray enough for them. :)

Until next week! :D

Loveee,
Kristen

Sacrifice Brings Forth the Blessings of Heaven.

Hello Family and Friends! :)

It's been a great week. :)  I seriously love life and I love the mission. :)  I wish I could share everything that we have learned and experienced this week, but it's just not possibleee.  But here goes. :)

We got back from Tocopilla on Monday night and had intercambios on Tuesday with Hermana Smith and Hermana Wisrock.  We had a great time in intercambios and I learned a lot.  Hermana Smith and I made pumpkin cookies (unfortunately without the chocolate chips....) and shared them with our companions.  Hopefully next time they'll work out a little bit better to share with others... :P  On Wednesday, we had a great lesson with Amalia from 2 Nephi 31 about baptism and the Holy Ghost.  She is progressing great!  She has had a fear about going to church... She says that she'll go, up until Sunday morning when we call, and then she ends up not coming with the Valencia's for reasons fomes.... But keep her in your prayers and she'll get there next week. :)  We also had a great family night with the Valencia's about eternal families and talked about "The Family - A Proclamation to the World."  Thursday was great and not so great, but it turned out well and we learned loads.  It truly is incredible the power of a simple testimony. 

On Friday, we had interviews with President and got ready for the activity that evening. Everything was ready to go at about 5:30, and the members started to show up at about 6:15 (it was supposed to start at 6... :P) and a few things changed and we ended up starting at almost 7, BUT it was fantastic and we saw lots of miracles along the way. :)  The biggest miracle that we saw was with Denice and her family.  We called them to make sure they were coming, and she said a friend had just had a son pass away, so they were headed to his viewing to help and support.  But she said that she and her husband, Andres, would be able to drop the kids off and pick them up afterwards.  So they dropped them off, and ANDRES GOT OUT OF THE CAR TO SHAKE OUR HANDS AND THANK US.  He hardly ever talks to us.... So that kinda took us aback, and then as we were ending, he came to pick up the kids, and ASKED US to come over any night this week after nine at night when they were all home so we could visit them.  WAHHOOOOOO!!!! :D  So we will definitely stop by this week, hopefully tomorrow, and visit their whoollleee family.  Together.  Truly, we were so grateful and amazed. :)

Saturday was also great.  Things worked out in a way that Camila is not getting baptized at least for a couple more weeks.  :(  The elder's are working with them, but it's hard because they can't visit them unless it's with another member... So it's been a struggle, but she is still just as excited and we are praying that everything will work out alright... Yobannely's been sick this week, so we haven't been able to visit her, but we did see her in the street and she said that after we left, she and her dad, Ivan, kept talking about what we had said, and she said he wants to apologize for being so "pesado".  So hopefully that goes well, and that as you said, Dad, that he will have the desires to read the Book of Mormon and know more.... :) She said her pareja, Carlos also was interested.  So good things to come. :)

Yesterday was our last week in our chapel.  I don't know if I mentioned this, but we won't be in Central Norte for about 8 months because they're going to do some serious remodeling... So we're headed to a chapel that's in the centro casi, and it's a couple miles away... So yesterday Obispo Aguilar talked about sacrifice, and mentioned the movie we watched on Friday, 17 Miracles, about the sacrifice of the pioneers.  We don't really celebrate Pioneer Day down here, but we sure have been remembering a lot about the pioneers and the sacrifices that they did so that we could be here today, and for the sacrifices that they made for the cause of Christ.  They knew it was true, and knew that sacrifices truly would bring forth the blessings of Heaven, and that is still true today.  According to our faith, we will and do see miracles every day, in different ways that the pioneers saw them perhaps, but they are there. So we are excited to see the sacrifices of our little Central Norte and the blessings and miracles that we will see.  I love Calama. :)

I know this church is true and that Jesus Christ lives!  Wishing everyone a fantastic week. :)

Love,

Hermana Tuft

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Hey Mom and Dad!

I hope that I answered everything almost... :)  We were so sad about Camila.  All in the Lord's time.  :) Please keep her in your prayers.  Okay.  With Jaqueline... :P  She is not married, nor baptized, but when they lived in Santiago, she would go with her kids and with the ward and wait outside.  She wanted to go to the temple so that her kids could go in, and was saying that she finds such peace in just sitting outside waiting.  That's the story. :P  But yes, the plan was to be married at the end of the year.  She and her husband aren't doing so well..... I mean, I guess he's not even her husband, but they've lived together for 15 or more years.  Anywho. Keep her in your prayers too as well please.  :)

I loved hearing about the week and that all is well there. :)  Lindsay and Grandma and Grandpa are in my prayers.  I hope that all will work out well with Grandpa being in the care center... Things will always work out. :)  I need to write them a quick little note....

I also wanted to mention that YES I do get pictures and I love them. :)  I just don't always remember to respond... :)  Poor little Todd Staheli!! That picture made me hurt for the little guy.....  And the bathroom looks great, Floppy too, and little Audrey of course.  She's so bigggg.  And yes, I loved the picture of Ash!  She looks so different!!  Do I look lots different to you guys....?  Be honest por favor. :)

OH!  And Sharing Time went relatively well. :)  I was kinda crowd control while Hna Albornoz taught, and then we helped them sing, "Let the Holy Spirit Guide".  It turned out well. :)  I cannot image having 50 kids, Mom.  We had 10, and I was stressing out... :P  It turned out well. :)  

I loved the thoughts that you send, Dad.  I enjoyed the sunrise. :)  I also have been thinking a lot about the thought from Elder Scott, how as we make goals of things we have never done before, we must act accordingly and do things we have never done before.  We talked about that as a mission a couple months ago with Peter walking to Christ on water.  We talked about how most of the time we talk about Peter having such little faith, but at least he got out of the boat.  The other apostles just stayed there watching.  Not to undermine the other apostles, but we have talked a lot about Peter and how we must get out of the boat and let the power of the Atonement be the difference.  By staying inside, we don't give room for the Atonement to make miracles happen.  So we're working on jumping out of the boat. :)  An elder said something that I loved.  He said, "God wants us to live in the water."  Not falling in the water per sé, but rather if we get out and start to fall, that we can pick ourselves up again by grabbing the hand of the Lord that is always outstretched.  :)  

I love you lots.  I hope you are all doing so well and that you have a GREAT Pioneer Day this week.  Thanks for all the stories and the news and the pick-me-ups. :)  I love being a missionary. :D

Lots of love,

Kristen

Tan Bakan la Mision. (From Tocapilla)

I love that these three are together! Hnas Rindlisbacher, Severtson and Tuft.

Miss Domesticate!

Hermanas Tuft, Zollinger, and Albornoz 

Hna Kristen Tuft happy to be near the Tocopilla coast again.

Hello there from Tocopilla!

It has been a fantasticcc week. We're here in Tocopilla for the second time this week because Hermana Albornoz has to do some visa stuff, so here we are againnn. :) We came on Thursday night, we're here for Friday and Saturday until noon. Then we worked for the night and yesterday in Calama, and came back this morning at 7 am. So we're just little wandering missionary travelers here. :P

This week truly has been great. We've seen lots of miracles and I have felt so very loved by the Lord. It is incredible to be a missionary. I love it. :) We got to meet Jazmin's two sisters this week and her niece! They are on vacation this week, so in 2 weeks they will have to go back. We still haven't been able to find Antonio, or the kids, so please keep them in your prayers, and we'll keep working on them. :) Camila is getting baptized THIS Saturday and we are STOKED. So exciting. :D We also have two baptismal dates for August with an investigator named Amalia and the other Yalile. Amalia is the friend of a convert and she is so great. She and her husband have to get married (so I guess that wouldn't make him her husband quite yet.... :P) but we're trying to work with him and she truly has desires to get baptized. And Yalile is the grandma of a little girl that a ward family brings to church almost every week named Joan. She is working on quitting smoking, so we're working lots with them these days. :)

Yesterday we did our visits with Bishop's wife, Hermana Carolina. We stopped by to visit Jaqueline and family, and they still are on board for the end of the year with getting married and baptized, AND Jaqueline has to go to Santiago soon, and she told us, "The first thing I'm doing as I get off the plane is taking a taxi to the temple. I haven't been in two years! I feel like a little bee of the Lord, because I sit and take care of His gardens and think, while my kids go and work in His house. One day I'll be in there helping Him, too! But at least for now I get to be a bee." :) We were laughing and love that she has that goal already. :)

We also had a moment this week with an inactive lady named Yobannely. She lives with her pareja, her daughter, Paz, and and her parents. She, her mom, and sister were baptized when she was 11, and now is 24 and doesn't remember ANYTHING, except the day of her baptism. :) Her mom and sister don't want ANYTHING to do with the church, but Yobannely does. She wants to know why it was so important for her mom that she almost forced she and her sister to be baptized as well. When we have gone in the past, her family walks in and out while we're teaching, but never really stop... Her pareja this week, walked outside, was out there for a couple minutes, and we were talking about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith, and he hurriedly walked back in, sat on the couch next to Yobannely, took the bible that Yobannely had in her hands, and then looked at us... I thought he was going to start yelling or something crazy, but he just sat there like, "Okay, teach me." It really suprised me. He started asking questions, and wouldn't commit to anything, but it did spark his interest. Her dad then walked in the room, and yes, I did think for sure he would start gritando cosas feas, but he didn't. He did ask a MILLION questions, and they all were things that were meant to make us mad and confuse us, but we kept the Spirit in the meeting, and I finally just took the Book of Mormon in my hand, held it out, and said, "Ivan, if you want to know all the answers to all your questions, will you read this book, and then we can talk again?" He said no, but then after that....he didn't ask anymore questions... :)

I know that this church is true. I am so incredibly grateful to be a missionary. Tan bakan es la misión. :D

Lots of love,
Hermana Tuft
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Hey Madre y Padre!

I love you both lots. :) Thank you for sending those stories! I loved reading them. Keep them coming as much as you both feel, because I feel like learning about my ancestors truly helps strengthen me, and it helps as we share and talk about it as a companionship. I love it. We are really excited for this weekend! We're starting it out with our ward mission activity on Friday, a big youth mutual thing on Saturday, Camila's baptism, and a Relief Society activity that night, and thennn (this part makes me super nervous, but it will be fun, and I wish I could just transport you here super fast Mom because...) on Sunday, the Primary President asked Hna Albornoz and I to do sharing time. AHHHH! I'm only 20. But things will work out. :) We truly have seen so many miracles as we have started to work even more closely with the ward council and the members. It has changed the whole ambiente of the ward. Love. It. :D Thanks for the help and encouragement and all the ideas. :)

Okay, questions and answers. :) I did write down the full name and dates of Jazmin already. That's what President suggested that we do and in a year we can split up the temple work. So. Next year on the 4th (or 5th) of July, I will be in the temple. :) We will still talk with Antonio about it, but it isn't necessary to have their permission. It is great, but not necessary. But who knows. That might be what makes him really think and accept the gospel. :)

As for the pictures, that rock was a copper rock before they take the copper out, and that was from Hna Albornoz's pictures. :P So it was on a dead cactus and then I guess on the ground...? Not 100% sure. :P The other people are Hna Bethany Cluff (that just got back from her mission, from Arizona), Hna Taylor Fontenot, and Hna Johanna Castillo. The Hnas here in Tocopilla. :) We were in a Bishop's house, from the other hnas in Calama's  for the Chile world cup game. :? I have been blessed with greeeaaatt companions. Hna Rindlisbacher and I laughed and said, "Well, I guess we already have a lunch date set up for when we get home!" :P Hna Howell goes home this transfer with Hna Severtson. I CANNOT BELIEVE THAT CHRIS IS GETTING MARRIED. AND...I am SOOO glad you shared that on Facebook about the temples. That's awesome and makes me super happy. :? I don't know Cristina Bugueño, but I'll keep my eyes open...  Also, I had a straanngee dream on Friday waking up that the little Tuft baby was born, so I was super excited today to open my email to see a cute little picture of the little baby, but it wasn't there. I will just wait patiently then. :?

Dad, hahaha I told Hna Albornoz it would've just been easier for you to come here and do it really fast, but that one didn't work out... :P It was a native doctor that did it, and can I just say that I am SOOO glad that he wasn't working in my mouth. Cause he didn't even have an assistant. Nor lots of the things that I was used to working with or seeing... :P But he is the mission doctor, so that was good at least. :? I had to laugh at the "grown up Lindsay going to girl's camp comment" :P Seems that I was just about the same nervous wise every year and was packed a week in advance. And that yes, everyone came to me when they needed something. In fact....it seems just about the same here on the mission. :P I found lots of comfort in the story you shared about President Harker. I do recall hearing that. Antonio is in our prayers. I have been working on my goals, and thinking even more about them. Satan really tries to get me down sometimes with thinking that they're not possible, but this is the Lord's work, not his, so there's that. :? I know who's side I'm on. :? I haven't thought too much about your comment about the native languages, to be honest, this past week, but it will be interesting to see where my last two transfers take me. There are LOTS of little pueblitos al interior more towards the Andes, so that would be interesting if we opened up the work out there. I would be SHOCKKEEEDD. But who knows? :P And in those little towns there are lots of Native Americans and such. Hermana Millaquipai, de hecho, is from one of those tribes. Although she never lived there. Her dad left the tribe when he was 19. Kinda interesting.

I love you both lots! I had better get running. :? We are headed to the beach with the hermanas to drink mate before we head back to Calama. :? ¿P.S. Thanks for sending a little bit of that warm weather our way. Last night, I got HOT while we were sleeping. That was strange. It's been pretty warm this week. :P?

I hope you both have FANTASTIC weeeks!!! :D Lotsss and lots of love,
Kristen

This Plan of Happiness :)

Kristen Tuft in the middle, Hna Zollinger on right in red, Hna Smith in red on left next to Hna Albornoz next to Kristen in mint colored sweater.

Hnas Tuft, Zollinger, Smith, Albornoz in Andes of Calama 2014

Hna Albornoz and Kristen Tuft, Calama 2014

Hello!!

This week has been absolutely the craziest of my mission. Yep. We have learned and grown so very much, I can't even describe it. My testimony of the Plan of Salvation has grown more than I ever thought possible, and the Lord's timing is incredible. His ways are not our ways, but I have learned to trust and come to know that His ways are much better than mine. I know that this is His work and that He is hastening His own work. We are instruments in His hands.

Okay. So to start off. On Monday and Tuesday we were in a trio with Hermana Smith, because on Wednesday she had to go pick up her hijita (she's training a new hermana named Hermana Wisrock from Huntington Beach...?) On Monday, Hermana Albornoz BEGGED me to make soup, so we went to Lider and bought stuff to make leek soup. I was in heaven. :D So anywho, we worked Monday and Tuesday, and my poor little companion has been hurting in her tooth a LOT lately, and yes, being the dentist's daughter that I am, kept insisting on seeing her tooth, but she was embarrassed and wouldn't let me. Until Monday morning she was brushing her teeth and showed me her mouth and it was BLEEDING like crazy!!! So I maddeeee her show me and claro. Her back molar was split in half. So we called the mission doctor, Elder Garrison, and got her an appointment with the dentist muy rapidito. So we ended up traveling with Hermana Smith to Antofa on Wednesday, instead of Thursday for our meeting. And as we got off the bus, I left my bible. And it is good and gone. I checked with every person possible to be able to find it and nope. Someone has my little bible in their hands.... I hope that they will read it at least. :)

So we headed to the dentist's. :) Then, we worked with Hermana Howell and her hijita for the day and had our consejo on Thursday. It was a fantastic meeting and can I just say, I love President and Hermana Dalton! They always know just what to say and just how to say it. They truly are incredible examples to me of how to speak with the Spirit. I also love the Book of Mormon and we have not been using it as well and effectively as we should have been, but that is changing. :) I love the Book of Mormon!

Friday brought some not so good news... We were planning for the week, and we called our investigator, Jazmin, because when we stopped by her house on Tuesday, her kids told us she had just left with her husband to go to the hospital. Jasmin has been our investigator the whole time I've been here in Calama, and had a baptismal date for July 5th. We were really worried about her, because she's been really sick for about 2 months with realllyyy bad migraine/headaches, and the doctors kept telling her it was nothing, so she stopped going. She also hadn't been to church in a month, so we had to push her date back a couple weeks, but she kept saying, "I want to be baptized. My goal is the Celestial Kingdom with my family." Well, we called her cellphone on Friday to see if she would answer, and her husband answered and told me that she had passed away that morning. I cannot describe the pain that I felt hearing that news. A million thoughts rushed through my mind and through the sobs I explained to Hermana Albornoz what her husband, Antonio, had just told me. We had a good cry, and then talked about it.

Truly, I just kept thinking, "She was almost baptized; how could the Lord take her now?" The reassurance and comfort came, that she would be baptized. That through the work of the temples, that are such a marvelous blessing in our days, she can, and will accept baptism. She already did. The Lord's timing is perfect. Who knows what miracles we will see at the passing of Jazmin, but the Lord does. He knows her family, her 5 kids, her alcoholic husband, her sister that lives around the corner, and He knows their needs and the blessings that are awaiting them. I am an instrument in His hands, and only an instrument. He is working along side us, but I have learned that I need to let him work through me. This is a wonderful, beautiful great plan of happiness, of salvation.

Through this experience, I have learned so much. The past 2 days I have felt such a huge urgency of this work. The Lord is hastening His work. I told Hermana Albornoz yesterday, as Alma said, "Oh, that I were an angel!" There are so many people out there waiting, and with the sound of a trump, the gospel is being spread across the whole world. I know that this is the work of the Lord. I know that this is His church. We see and are part of miracles every single day.

It also made me very grateful for the freedom in which we live, and for that reason alone, Joseph Smith had the freedom to pray to our Father in Heaven, and could restore the Gospel of Jesus Christ again here on the earth. I'm proud to be an American. :) Happy late 4th of July to you all!

I hope you all have a fantastic week and smile lots and pray for the opportunity to share your testimony with at least one person this week. :)

Lotsss of love,
Hermana Tuft
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P.S. Happy 61st Anniversary to my wonderful Grandma and Grandpa Tuft on Sunday!! :D I love you both loads. :)
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Hey Mom and Dad!

I'm glad to hear that the earthquake didn't do any major damage! Hermana Morales emailed me and didn't mention anything about it, so at least I don't think it didn't even reach Mexico City... I hope that everyone's alright. :) (There was a 6.9 earthquake this morning in southern Mexico/Mazatlan area, and Guatemala. The missionaries/Spencer felt it but are all just fine. Kristen knew that when she wrote.)

I'm glad to hear that it's been a great week for everyone. A little hot, yes. But a good week overall! As I was reading Spencer's letter....wow did that take me back to last year. I know exactly how that feels. He'll make a wonderful missionary, and I'm so excited to see him grow so much. I feel like I've grown loads, and there's still so much more to learn every day. I loveee it. Hermana Wisrock is a new mission that just got here to Calama last week, and we spent the day with her and Hermana Smith. Poor girl. I know how it feels to listen to so many people talk around me and not knowing what is going on. But it is short lived! It comesss. :) I told Hermana Albornoz today that I honestly feel more comfortable speaking in Spanish..... English gets a little shaky sometimes. Ohhh wellll. :)

It has been a very difficult past couple days, but I have felt such peace and comfort. It made me so happy to hear that Grandpa Tuft is not in any pain hardly, and that is a miracle. I know that if he goes before I get home, it is all in the Lord's timing and that he received the answer that he would complete all that he needed to do here on the earth before he was to go. I know that promise is still true. Send them my love, and I hope to be able to write them either a handwritten letter, or an email por lo menos by next week.

As far as my goals go, I have set quite a few. :) I talked to President about it, and he suggested that I set goals that have to do with our purpose as missionaries, and I remember a goal that I had set at the beginning of my mission. I set the goal for a baptism a month, or in other words, 18 baptisms. I haven't had anywhere close to that, but I had the feeling come to my mind that we really need to focus on families and that number of 18 doesn't seem so far away when I think of it like that. So my goal is yes, 18. But more than that, 2 families at least in the next 4 months. I have prayed about it and I feel like it is a good, reasonable goal. I'm clay in His hands, but I have to do my part, that is for sure.

Of course I have other goals as well, for example working with the ward leaders better, and we have been working on that the past couple weeks. As well as finishing the Book of Mormon twice. I'd love to challenge the two of you as well, and maybe with Lindsay....that would be a good family challenge. :) To read it again before I get home... :) That's about 4 pages-

I also have been reading my patriarchal blessing, setting apart blessing, and father's blessing a lot. I also asked Elders Funaro and Garcia to give me a blessing on Friday, that said similar things en cuanto a my companions being lifelong friends, and that I would be a great support to them throughout the rest of my mission. I have felt moments of knowing people before we came here, and yes there have been moments where I have thought that were fulfillments of premortal callings, especially with Isabel. It will be interesting to see the fulfillment of those blessings and callings in the next few months. I was interested, Dad to know what your thoughts were as you said that I would have the opportunity to work with native languages as well as Spanish. That intrigued me...

One last thing and I've got to run, but we are planning an activity for July 19th with Pioneer Day, and we're going to watch 17 Miracles, and I didn't know if there was a family story that I could translate and share in Spanish of my ancestors... Just a thought and question that you could both help me with. :) I remember going to Martin's Cove, but I don't remember any specific stories.....

I love you both so much and I am SOOO grateful for your long letters each week. I love them. So please don't condense them for me.... :P Send my love that way, and to the little bunnies. Hahaha poor little Spencer and I being replaced with Bella and Floppy. :P

Les quiero MUCHO!!! :)
Hermana Tuft


ish every day.... :) I don't know if that would be possible, but that might be something to talk about tonight at family night. :)