First Day at the MTC!

Hermanas Justina Quezada, Kristen Tuft and Bri Barnes

Kristen's FIRST LETTER!

Hola everyone!!

I have so much to say and not too long to say it so I better get started!! And just a major disclaimer....I forgot my notebook with everthing I was going to write about.... So if I forget things I am SO sorry, and if I don't answer questions, I'll just have to write you back individually.... Sorry!! I won't forget it next week. :) The MTC is absolutely fantastic!! It has been such a whirlwind of things going on in the past week. It's been by FAR the busiest week of my life. Busy, but great. :) I've been learning so much every day. I can give a choppy prayer and bear my testimony in Spanish already, and Hermana Heslop and I taught our first investigator on Friday, and committed him to baptism yesterday!! (He's not a real investigator....but it's good practice.... :)) So yesterday was a very happy day. On Monday I had a little moment.... One of the elders from our district went home like 5 minutes before we were going to teach Matías, so that distracted me during the lesson and I just started crying after because I thought, "How in the world am I supposed to teach people in a different language about the gospel of Jesus Christ?" But then Hermana Heslop helped me to refocus and I'm doing great. :) I talked to Hermana Quezada later that night, and she said the sooner you have that realization the better because I have learned to rely more on the Lord and His timing. He knows what I am capable of better than I do. :) One of our teachers (we have like 5 or 6 right now because we only have 2 districts, but we're getting another one today) told us that we aren't here to learn how to speak Spanish, but we're here to learn how to teach the Gospel and Docterine of Christ in Spanish. And also to learn how to rely on the Holy Chost for guidance and inspiration.

Last night was also great!! We had our Tuesday night devotional and Elder Nelson and his wife came! The one thing that was really emphasized was family history and how important it is to this work. We have angels round about us, and those angels are our ancestors, and the ancestors of the people we will teach. And something I never realized before was that we can ask for their help! We can ask for specific people to be with us, or people with specific attributes that we need at that time. He said it a lot better....sorry. :) Sunday, we had the opportunity to hear Sister Janice Kapp Perry speak to us in Relief Society. She is an amazing person. We were all crying the whole time almost.... She is writing a new album for sister missionaries and she had us sing a brand new song; it's never been sung!! It goes to the tune of As Sisters in Zion (which she also wrote) and it's called As Sisters of Zion. It talks about how we will go forth with the armies of Helaman and we're stronger than ever before. It's a great song, keep your eyes peeled. :)

Hermana Heslop and I were made Sister Training Leaders in our zone on Sunday. We just help and serve the other sisters in our zone, and report back to President Traer Caywood of any problems or progress, etc. Kinda just like a zone leader for sisters in a way... And we get 5 new hermanas tonight so we're really excited! We have two districts of all elders (but one left yesterday) and 5 elders and 4 sisters in our district. So we're excited to have 9 sisters! :) A member of the MTC presidency told us this week that we're aproaching 48% sisters at the MTC! Crazy!! And by the end of May they'll open up the new campus over at Raintree and Wyview. I have a lot of other stats to give to you all....but they're in my notebook at my apartment.... :) It's an exciting time to be here!

Last week was overwhelming at times, but we had lots of help. One of these forms of help was Hermana Lybbert. She is a sister in our district that was left behind because her whole district got reassigned, except for her. She was supposed to go to Argentina last week, but she didn't get her visa. So she stayed behind and was a "solo sister" until Wednesday when we got here. She helped us so much!! She left on Tuesday morning at 3:30 am to Santa Rosa, CA until her visa comes, but honestly without all of her help and encouragement it would have been a scary few days.... She's amazing. :)

Hermana Heslop!! She's absolutely great. :) She's very helpful and keeps me going and we work so well together! She's from Draper and is the oldest of 3 kids. She loves to run and exercise, which is great because it's whipping me into shape, but I feel bad for her because she has to go slower with me... :) And she has long legs so it's probably extra slow... :P But she never complains or gets upset so for that I'm very grateful!

Congrats on your call Brookie!! I'm so excite for you!! :D We'll be South American buddies together!! :) And Happy Birthday to Ashley, Summer, and Britney!! Aaand happy 6 months to little Audrey and Megan & Tom's anniversary. :) Aaand Happy Mother's Day to all of the amazing mom's in my life, especially my Mom. LOVE YOU!! :D

I saw Hermana Quezada right after I got my nametags!! She wasn't supposed to go out to the curb because her district wasn't hosting, so she followed the rules and stayed inside.... But then Hermana Barnes walked up two seconds later and we all got a picture together so that was fun!! I've seen so many friends here, it's so great. Hermana Quezada flew out yesterday so she's in Cali now!

That's all I can remember to write right now, if I'm forgetting anything I'll just include it in the next letter! We get to go to the temple this afternoon and then welcome the new district later tonight! It's very exciting. :)

The pictures are of our zone, and thank you so much Mom for sending the bread and jam!! That brightened everyone's day and tasted so good to have something homemade instead of out of the cafeteria.... Not like it's bad food, it's just like eating Legacy House food for every meal which is no bueno.... :)

Lots and lots of love,

Hermana Tuft

One Day More!!

Yes, I am listening to the Les Mis soundtrack, just getting in my few last hurrahs! And guess whaaatttt:

I Love to See the Temple.

Today I had the opportunity to go to the Manti Temple with my parents! It always amazes me how much one can learn in the temple; I am always reminded of my Heavenly Father’s love for me and for each of His children.  It hit me today that after living in Utah my whole life I haven’t fully realized the blessing it is that we have so many temples around us. 

In February, I went from Logan to St. George in 6 hours.  In that time, my roommates and I drove past 9 dedicated temples, 2 in the making, and one more announced at General Conference last month.  Let’s just get that straight; 12 temples.  In 6 hours.  I realized then, and again today, how blessed I am to live so close to the so many places of peace and refuge and love.  In the midst of the chaos of the world, we can go into the Lord’s house for a time and we can go back as much as we want! 

There is so much I can say about temples, but for now I think it’s sufficient to say… GO.  Go to the temple and you will learn the things that Heavenly Father wants you to learn, rather than me going on and on about what I have learned.  Make it a priority.  Go as much as possible.  Have a love affair with the temple. :)

And while we’re on the topic, I would like to thank my parents sooo much for teaching me to make it a priority.  They have been such wonderful examples to me my whole life and I love them so much.  I can’t wait for the day that I can be sealed to my eternal companion and live happily ever after.  Forever.  But for now the journey between my once upon a time and happily ever after is in full throttle and I’m absolutely loving it and guess what……?

:D :D :D 5 days!!! :D :D :D

Resolve.

9 DAYS!!!! Here's a little inspirational quote for the day:

When President Hugh B Brown spoke to the missionaries in the New England Mission, he told how Pres. David O. McKay was touched when he thought of the missionaries preparing the way for the Second Coming....

"I met with President McKay, Friday of this week, in his room. And he asked me if I would extend to you his love and blessing and his gratitude. And his voice broke as he said, 'Brother Brown, when I think there are 12,000 young men out teaching what you and I taught a half-century ago, and when I think of the accomplishments of these young people, I cannot but believe that God is shortening his work and that the final days are upon us. And that some young people, now living, will be instruments in [the] great work to be done in anticipation of and participation in those final wind-up scenes.' 

I think you men and women are chosen, not only that, I think you were held back from coming into the world until the time when your particular type of young people would be needed.

I call upon you young men and women to resolve irrevocably today that you will continue true to the truth while you live on the earth. First, because you were called and sent here from the other side. Second, because inspiration is coming into your lives as you go about teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ." (New England Prophet [New England States Mission Publication, Jan 1964])

Potential Bomb Threat? From Two Future Missionaries? Oh Our Adventures. :)

So once upon a time Summer and I were just minding our own business, doing homework, you know just being typical college students.  Minus the fact that I'm an art student, and nothing that art students do is typical. :) My final photography project is to take a picture using a "Pinhole Camera".  This "technique" is what was used to take one of the first recorded pictures; what you need is a box, a pinhole, and film.  The box that I used is a huge laundry detergent Tide box that just so happens to be bright orange.  You have to load the film into the box in a dark room and then expose the film for about 10 minutes, depending on the size of the box.

So enough with the background information. :) I went to the temple and the tabernacle here in Logan to take the pictures, and Summer was kind enough to come with me so I wasn't lonely.  I took a couple pictures at the temple and had to climb into my trunk to change the film so it probably looked like Summer was kidnapping me in the first place. :)  We then went to the tabernacle to take a couple and when we got there the view from the back was beautiful! I set the box on the sidewalk and we sat in my car for 10 minutes.  During that time a lady came out of the tabernacle and looked at the box really weirdly, so that made Summer and I crack up because it would be hilarious to see some random tide box on the sidewalk.  Her face was priceless.  :)  We put my box in a different place on the tabernacle grounds and were sitting in my car when two cop cars pulled up....  I thought it was because I was parked on the wrong side of the road....and I panicked because I didn't have my license....

So there we sat as the officer walked up to my window. Panicked. The conversation went something like this:

Officer: Hello, someone called in and reported a suspicious looking box on the Tabernacle premises.  Do you know anything about that?
Me:  Oh yeah, that's my box!!
Officer:  Well...what is the box for?
Me: Oh, it's just for an art project; I'm a student at USU and I'm working on my final photography project right now.  So essentially the box is a camera.
Officer:  You do know that it could be viewed a a potential bomb, right?
Me: Honestly....I didn't think about that at all....

Whoops!  So naive.  Pretty much they said I shouldn't take the box anywhere again because it does look suspicious and they almost called the bomb squad and we were almost arrested.  Two almost Sister missionaries almost arrested for a potential bomb threat.  What is this world coming to?

Hahahahaha it has given us a great laugh though.  Good times. :D

 Yep, just being shut in my own trunk. :)    

The Suspicious Tide Box :)

To Do's.

There is so much to do and so little time!! But I am so darn excited for the next few weeks and the next 18 months for that matter. :)  Here's the official picture from my official church missionary page.....

So there you have it! 30 days and counting. I was talking to one of my friends before he left in January and he said, "Kristen, just you wait.  Right now it seems like forever away, but you'll get to April, have a month left and think to yourself, 'Where in the world has all the time gone?!'  So just be grateful you have today."  So I've tried to do that. And I am super grateful for today, no matter how daunting and stressful it looks, it will work out.  I loved in General Conference this weekend when Elder Andersen said something to the effect of, "Faith will overcome doubt, and miracles will come." 

Aaand here's to 20 days left of school.  6 projects, 2 tests, 1 farewell talk, and lotsss of preparation.  And lots more prayer. :)