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
================
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
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