All is well.

Hello Family, Friends, Todos! :)

This week has been super busy and full of lots to do, but we have felt the strength of the Lord and the Spirit has been very strong and present in our lives. I love being Hna Arenas' companion. It's just like a happy little “marriage” with ups and downs and frustrating moments and others where we are laughing so dang hard that we're crying. :) And this week she has been such a huge support to me, in moments of sadness and happiness. :) This week with Grandpa passing away, I have felt a peace and support that I haven't felt before. I know where he is and what he is doing, and that is all thanks to this great Plan of Happiness that our Heavenly Father has given us through His prophets here on earth. What a great and beautiful plan that it is!

On Friday morning, I woke up a lot during the night... I couldn't sleep, and then when I finally got to sleep, I felt like I was waking up two seconds later. As I woke up, I just had a sadness hit me, and I felt like I couldn't get up... I started talking to Hna Arenas, and started crying. I never have cried so early in the morning.... I told her that I had had a dream and felt like my grandpa had passed away, and that I would just wait to see what happened during the day to see if President Dalton would call with any news. So I got up and got ready and didn't really dwell on the subject.

By Saturday I had forgotten all about waking up feeling so sad, and it was just a normal day. We had a great meeting with our new ward mission leader, Hno Becerra. HE IS FANTASTIC!!! He and his wife have been married for 3 years (I believe) and he served a mission in Santiago in 2007ish. He is so ready to work and help out, and yesterday at church he bore his testimony, asking the whole ward pretty much for help in the work and their cooperation (is that how you spell that....?). So we are super excited to work with him and have more contact with the ward members and more through him. It will be great. :)

Then, we headed to the chapel because the young men and women were doing a fundraising project to go to the temple in February and they made lunch. So we went and ate at the church, and we sat and talked with Bishop Gonzalez. He is a great guy, too. :) He was talking to us about how this is a gospel for families, and how we can receive SO many blessings by being able to be apart of this with our families, here on earth or not. So we talked for about an hour, and got up to clean and get back to our apartment for a few minutes. As we were cleaning up, Hna Arenas got a phone call from President, and as she looked and me and said who it was.  I already knew why he was calling... She handed me the phone and I headed outside and President and I were able to talk for a few minutes. I was sad, but I couldn't help but feel such a wonderful peace.

We headed back to the pension and I got home and got right on my knees to pray, and I haven't had a conversation like that with Heavenly Father before. Mom and Dad, I felt like I could almost see Grandpa with Christ. I feel like I might have gotten to see just a glimpse of that reunion, and that was the biggest testimony builder that I have had, knowing that someone I love so very much now knows our Savior. Knowing that Grandpa Tuft knows Jesus Christ, whose name Spencer and I carry and who we represent every single day, was a moment that I will never forget. I have felt closer to my Savior the past couple days than ever before. I know that this feeling with stay with me for a long time, but especially over the next couple months.

Yesterday at church, we had 2 investigators there!! :D Ermelinda went, and one of our new investigators name Hector. Ermelinda LOVED it and said that she has never been in a church before where she feels more at home. She loved it. :) I have been super composed and the only time that I had cried was Saturday in the apartment, and then Sunday I kinda started bawling during the closing song in Relief Society. We sang "Come, Come Ye Saints" and in Spanish the title would be "All is Well". Through all this, every time I heard from Grandpa, he would say, "It's all going to be all right. It will all work out. Keep smiling!" So as we sang that, it made me think of him, and all of our ancestors that have worked and lived and died for this cause, knowing that there is a place prepared for them on the other side. I thought of two scriptures through all of this: one is D&C 98:18 and the other is Enos 1:27.

“Let not your hearts be troubled; for in my Father’s house are many mansions, and I have prepared a place for you; and where my Father and I am, there ye shall be also.”

“And I soon go to the place of my rest, which is with my Redeemer; for I know that in him I shall rest. And I rejoice in the day when my mortal shall put on immortality, and shall stand before him; then shall I see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto me: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions.”

I know that this is a great plan of happiness, and that we will be with our loved ones again, and we must not be troubled, knowing that our Father in Heaven has a place for us, where we may live forever with Him, and our Savior, and our families. I know that this Plan of Salvation is true, and that we can and will be with our families forever. I love this work, and I love being able to share these truths with the people here in Chile!

Con mucho amor,
Hermana Tuft

I couldn't print the emails off this morning, so I don't know if there are questions and such that I didn't answer....? I tried to read them all, but I may have missed something... (The bikes were borrowed, Mom. :D) Thank you for all your thoughts and experiences that you both shared, I will be able to read them more in detail a little bit later.... The dentist that helped Hna Albornoz out a couple months ago, Hno Thomas, is in our ward, Dad, and he was asking me a few weeks ago to ask you for pictures of the office so he can do his office here soon, and is wanting ideas of how he wants to do it. He asked me again, and I told him I would check with you to see if you could send some pictures.... :) I know that it might not be this week with all that's going on, but one of these days in the next little bit... :) THANKS!

Okay, so I wanted to share those thoughts with mainly just the family and Grandma... I don't know if I want it all going on the blog, maybe not this week....? Or not published on Facebook maybe... It has been a very special week, and I truly am doing great. I am so grateful for the time that I had with Grandpa, and for the memories. :) I love you both so much, and please let Grandma know of my love for her, as well as Aunt Jan, Aunt Di, and Aunt Karen. All is well. :) Hurrah por Israel! XOXOXOXO

P.S.....So I know that we aren't going to Honduras....but I don't know if it would be possible to make a little trip down here the 4 of us for Christmas or something....? I would LOVE to be able to introduce you all to these people that I love so much and spend a little bit of time here as a small little family..... I know that that is a LOOOT to ask, so if it is not possible that is definitely fine.....but I thought it might not hurt to ask.... Loves. :)