A Week in Antofa.

Hello All! :D

It has been a GREAT week here in Angamos. I have loved literally every single second. :) I seriously am not used to living in a city, and Antofagasta is a CITY. It's huge and loud and noisy and fulllll of people and apartments and the OCEAN. But I love it. I love it lots. :) I have loved waking up each morning and looking out the window to watch the beautiful sea. :) Love it. :) We have climbed LOTS of stairs this past week, cause a huge part of our area is apartment buildings, and lots that don't have acensores, but it has been a great workout. :P

Something that made the week even BETTER is that we had a BAPTISM on Saturday!! :D Catalina is her name, and she met the missionaries a while ago. She lives with her aunt and family, and her cousin is on a mission in Argentina, but she was never baptized. She had told the missionaries for a LONG time that she wanted to go to church, but they never really paid much attention to her, cause she's 12 and didn't think she was too serious.... But she was. :) So three weeks ago in her interview, Hermana Arenas asked President about her situation and being 12, and living with her active aunt if she could be baptized, and he said yes, of COURSE, so she was baptized this past week, and I had the blessing of being here. :) The young women of the ward have been friendshipping her very, very well and she was so so SO excited to be baptized. (I'm going to try to upload pictures, but the computer's being strange.... Crossing the fingers!) ​

A little bit about Hermana Arenas! She is fantastic. :D I have loved being with her this past week, and truly look forward to our time together. She is from Lima, Peru (the East mission) and has lived there most of her life. The TRULY intriguing thing about Hna Arenas is that her mom actually lives in our mission... She put that on her mission papers and everything, and called President beforehand telling him that, but she came here anyway. :) Her mom lives in Iquique (near Arica) and her dad lives in Lima. She's the youngest of three and her family are converts. She was 8 when they all got baptized. :D She's 20 also, and she's coming up on nine months in the mission this week. :) We're going to celebrate. :)

Something truly interesting from the week, speaking about age, is that we were looking for old investigators from our area book, and came across an address that we wanted to check out. So we headed over there, and while we were waiting at the door, a cute little old man walked up the stairs. We started talking to him and he said, "What are two cute little girls like you doing here?" We started explaining, and he said, "You girls are young! How old are you? About 40?" Okay. I about died. He was a darling old man, but I am defffinnnniiitttttelllllllyyyyyy not 40 stinkin years old. We died laughing at that one, and are going to stop by again to see if we can meet his daughter that lives there with him. :) So, I hope that his vision is failing him, or else I am aging a looot faster than hoped. :P

I love the ward here! It's so great. It's HUGE, but great. :) The Bishop and his councilors are very supportive and we have been working lots with them. We also have been in touch with the Young Women's President and Relief Society too, so that has been great. Everrrryyoonne has references for us, so that has been a wonderful blessing! We're working on actually getting in contact with them... Most people here are working or studying (the university is in our area also) so their schedules are a little weird. But it's great to have so much support and help from the ward! Love it. :)

Yesterday in church, we were in Sunday School, and the teacher was talking about Proverbs and the subject of wisdom, and brotherly kindness. You all might have had the same (or will have) class....? I found in so interesting a comment made by the bishop. We were talking about gossip and how we can watch ourselves better to only speak good, and uplifting things. Bishop Gonzalez said, "Well, if no one wanted to buy bread, the bread stores would be closed. If nobody wants to listen to gossip, no one will speak it." That is so true, and I loved that comment. (I sure hope that my rough translation makes senseee.....) I realized that I do need to watch what comes out of my mouth more. And not just my mouth, but the negative thoughts that enter my head. If nobody wants to hear it, if we don't tolerate it, there will be nothing to be said. :)

I know that this church is true, and I love being a member of it. I love knowing that we can and will return to the presence of the Father, all we have to do is follow in the footsteps of his Son, Jesus Christ. :) I love my Savior and I love being His disciple.

Have a fantastic week!

Con mucho amor,
Hermana Tuft
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Hey Mom and Dad!

To answer/comment on your little bullet points Mom, my card works only when I can scan it in Lider or something... But it doesn't work to take money out in cash... So I don't know what to do when it comes to buying souvenirs, etc.... I still am trying to figure it all out.... :( It expires in the spring, so I don't know what's up, but I really do need to take cash out... :(  AND KATHERINE'S GETTING MARRIED!!! Send her my best. That is SO great. :D I'll bring some Milo back. It's good, but it's not that good. :) I heard from Hna Severtson and Hna Smith today, so that was fun. :) I told Hna Smith that you were looking for her, so she might just add me. Her name is Cassi Ann and she's from Rexburg. Love those 3, them and Hna Brewster. I can't believe they're actually GONE.

It truly was super duper hard to leave Calama. I felt like there was still so much to do, but the Lord has other things in store for me here, and the people that I love so much there. :) I think you're right, Dad. The harder it is, the more I feel like I worked and worried and prayed and tried to do what was right. It's when the people made the most difference on me. :) I'm not quite sure how many were elders and how many were hermanas, but there was only one latino, and the rest from "gringolandia" as they call the states. :P I also was surprised at what President said when he told me my transfer. He said that Hna Arenas, as a new sister training leader, needs a good example and someone to really show her what it means to be a sister training leader, so he gave me this assignment. I am sure that we will see lots of other reasons as to why the Lord sent me here as time goes on, but I was super duper worried to get here and find things in shambles.... But it's not. :) The old companion of Hna Arenas just wasn't the best example and kinda did things her own way, and it truly reminds me of the story that Grandma shared last week with us. She didn't really take into account what Hna Arenas had to say, so she just kinda followed.... But she has told me so many times this week that she feels so HAPPY and is grateful to be my companion. And I can say that I couldn't agree more. :)

We don't have Mamita of anything. :) So we're cooking and washing our clothes and we have a DRYING MACHINEEE! :D WAHOOOO!!!! It's about the third dryer I've seen here. From what it sounds like, Spencer will not be seeing one of those for a loooong time - poor kid. He will love every second though. :) I also just started my study of Alma 5 a couple days ago, so next week I'll share my thoughts and such. :) Also, Hermana Arenas laughed when I told her what you asked, Dad, about her musical talents. :) She said, "Tell you dad that I LOVE the piano and guitar, but I don't know how to play either one." :P I also loved the thoughts from President Fischer, and also Elders Bednar and Scott. We do try to do that while tracting, actually. :) We don't knock on doors very often, but when we do I think that would be great. We mostly just talk to people in the street, but I think it would be applicable in those types of situations as well. :) And we will ask the members and less actives this week about their conversions stories! Thank you for the ideas and thoughts. :) It is so true about it being a drip irrigation conversion. When it all comes on at once, and we learn learn learn, but don't internalize, that is when we aren't leaving room for wisdom to come in, which wisdom comes directly from God. Which also leads into Satan not being able to have ANY power over us. We have much more power over HIM. Which is an incredible thing. :)

I love you both so very much! I have to run, and didn't get the picture thing figured out. :( But I will send pictures of the baptism & Hna Arenas next week. :D I love you both so very much! Have a fantastic week! Send my love to Grandma and Grandpa!! Any luck with Aunt Karen's email, Dad?

All my love,
Hermana Tuft