Almost April Already?!

Here we are.....another Monday......and here I am........writing this email.
Well.....I'm trying to remember what happened this week and just
can't. So I'm gonna pull a Michael Scott on y'all and just say,
"Sometimes I have no idea where a [group email] is going, I just hope
it finds itself along the way."

So last Monday after emailing found us a bit sweaty. We were trying to
get home on time from Pday but the world was against us. We missed the
bus and the next one would take 10 minutes to get there (ok 8 but I'm
trying to exaggerate the story) so we started walking. Then we were
about 7 minutes walk from Piso but 5 away from end of Pday so we
started running (this is the real reason why we run in the morning).
We waited at a cross walk close to home and then as soon as that
little man turned green we were at a dead sprint for Piso......in the
middle of this dead sprint (you'd think we were running from the
cops.....not an exaggeration) when I get....A PHONE CALL!!! I'M
LITERALLY SPRINTING MY GUTS OUT AND SOMEONE DECIDES IT'S COOL TO CALL
US!! Ends up being our member who we were supposed to have a FHE with
that night. So I'm still sprinting bc at all costs we have to get back
on time, and this is the conversation:

Member: "Hermana Twede?"
Me: "SÍ!"
Member: "We can't do the FHE tonight, can we do it tomorrow?"
Me: "NO SE PREOCUPE!! *HUFF HUFF* SAME TIME?!"
Member: "Sí same time!......Hermana are you ok?"
Me: "ESTOY....*HUFF PUFF*.......CORRIENDO!!" (IM RUNNING)
Member: "HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHA!!! Ok have a great day see you
tomorrow!! BESOS!!"
Me: "CHAO BESITOS!!!"

None of that convo was an exaggeration btw. Literally what happened.
But hey. We got back on time and were out the door working even though
we still were breathing harder than usual and a bit damp. But it was a
good day and we met with some menos activos who we've been trying to
meet with since I was with Hna Garcia so that was cool.

Tuesday we had a super district meeting. Elder Gray and Rojas were
going home.....like home home. Like that plane was hours away. So we
decided to have a big testimony meeting. It was cool and trunky and we
all walked those elders to the bus station so they could go to Málaga.
All us with a little more time we're feeling sick to our stomachs bc
we know it's coming faster than we think. But it's all good and we'll
see our buddies on the other side:)

Wednesday was good. Super busy at first. Then everyone except 1 person
failed us. So it was a normal Wednesday. We did go have that FHE with
our member.....that was fun bc we ended up tag teaming it with her
home teachers and then ended up playing referee. The mission is always
an adventure! But it was good. And then we had another FHE with
another less active family. We made brownies and brought them and
everyone loved them so that was cool.
Oh and on Wednesday we had an incredible lesson with our investigator.
We didn't know what she needed that day so we planned on the Book of
Mormon. Then she started telling us concerns and it was incredible.
I've never experienced a lesson more led by the Spirit than that one.
I opened my mouth to speak and in my head I thought, "these are
literally not my words." So cool!!

Thursday was Thursday. We figured out one of our crazy futures is in
love with Hna Pickett so we passed him over to the elders real quick.
Spaniards love the rubias:)

Friday was ZONE MEETING!! Got to see my fave Hna Simpson and we
watched the new Easter Iniciative and it's sooooo awesome!! We are
stoked to get it this week. Then after we went and ate delicious and
definitely not healthy Colombian food. Ummm also can we talk about how
APRIL IS THIS WEEK?!?! I still think it's February!! What even is time
I don't know.

Alicante Zone

Saturday was good. I can't remember what happened so sorry about that.
Sunday was killer. Our non investigator investigator who comes to
church every week came. We've been trying to get him to read and pray
but he doesn't have ganas so we just wait patiently. But we had a
great lesson that our ward mission leader taught and he said the
perfect things that this kid needs to hear. So hopefully he'll decide
to read and find a testimony of his Heavenly Father. Then Hna
Pickett's stomach took a turn durin lunch (even though I made killer
stuffed arepas) and she was down for the count for a few hours so that
was sad. But then we went out and got a new investigator like 2 hours
after we started the new week. So that was cool. Also, bc Hna Pickett
is sick, our district leader offered to buy us mint chocolate chip ice
cream and watermelon juice. Probs the weirdest pair of food but we
didn't complain.

Today we went to Santa Pola, a little beach town, with our
investigator and it was wonderful. Good way to spend a Monday morning.
Relaxing at a cafe listening to the ocean.

Santa Pola

Ok this email is so long sorry homies on the mission. So I'll wrap up.
I was watching this video called #GraciasAÉl that we were showing to a
future investigator and I just felt the spirit soooo strong and a love
súper fuerte for my Savior. Then when we asked her what Jesus Christ
meant for her, she answered and then turned the question around on me.
That was new. But I just want you all to know that everyday I'm in the
mission, my Savior has more and more significance for me. He's not
just his person who doesn't really feel real, He's my older brother.
He suffered for all of us.....but He suffered for ME! For HERMANA
TWEDE! Every single hard day I've had out here, every time I feel like
I've had enough, every time Satan tries so hard to get me to give up,
HE KNOWS!! He suffered for that!! For my INDIVIDUAL trials!! Not just
as a whole. It wasn't like, "ok here's all the trials in the world,
you're just going to feel all of it as a whole big weight." No. He
felt it individually. And that is why He can relate to me, as an
individual daughter of God who's not perfect and has trials and just
needs someone who understands. He died on the cross and rose again so
that Hermana Twede could do the same. So that I could live with my
Mom, Dad, Brother, and two sisters for eternity. And for that I am
grateful. And I will do all I can to show my gratitude. I love my
Savior so so much and I'm blessed to be a part of His work here in
Elche, Spain.
Love you all. Have a great week!!
Kia Kaha.

Hermana Twede

Cadiz....Not.

HOLA AMIGOS MÍOS!! Qué tal?! Pues recibimos llamadas de traslados y me voy a.................NOT CÁDIZ!!! Hah y'all thought I was leaving, jokes on you I'm staying here in good ol' Elche. But fun fact, they are closing the Hnas area in Cádiz this transfer so NO ONE is going there.

So yep me and Hna Pickett get to party it up another transfer here in Elche for which I am STOKED! This area is getting so great and we are always busy so I'm excited to see what God has in store for this area.
This week was pretty great. On Wednesday a crazy man tried to drag Hna Pickett into his Piso....that was weird. Then right after tried to beso her.....even weirder. And the whole time I just stood there in shock, not having time to react. Sorry comp.
Also, more people contacted us than we contacted them so that was cool. And an old man gave us carmelos so even better. Pretty much it. K bye.

Jokes. I'll give a quick run down of the week. Tuesday night we went and visited a member family who we are working with on the Big List. They are just stellar and their kids are the cutest little half Africans ever. They have fros (claro I touch their hair all the time bc it's great) and one of them got corn rows and I'm like, "Yeah girl you embrace that African side of you!" ANYWAY!! We went and poor things they were all sick. So we really wanted to do something for them so we went to Mercadona (our version of Smiths I guess?) and got them optioned up tissues and took advantage of this incredible machine they have there with oranges and you stick a bottle under the nozzle thing and pull the thingy majig (idk what it's called) and it literally just squeezes out fresh orange juice into your bottle. Like straight from the oranges. INCREDIBLE!! So we got them each one and them wrote them a note, put it in front of their door and door bell ditched them. Sort of. Doorbell ditching is a struggle in Spain because everybody lives in apartment buildings so we tried ringing their neighbors to let us in and they didn't buy the, "we are friends of your friends and we want to leave something for a surprise." But thankfully their brother in law walked by and let us in so that was great.

Oh also on Wednesday everyone and their dog failed us so that was cool. But yet we still ended up being super busy. Also we went and found this thing that missionaries here call "The Utter" and it's a machine that gives you the freshest milk ever in Spain. It tastes like the milk in the states so it was incredible. We got some good contacting in and found our crazy cat lady again who we had contacted a few weeks ago. She goes and feeds the stray cats all the time so that's cool. She's super nice and we'll try to set up a cita with her here soon.

I'm skipping to Friday bc it was great. Sorry Thursday, you were great too, but I'm picking favorites this week. So Friday I rolled out of bed at 6:50 and swallowed and thought, "Well fetch." Sore throat. I have yet to get sick on my mission and all my comps have gotten it but literally by miracles from God I've avoided it. But my immune system decided it would be funny to give up for a little bit. So I had a headache and scratchy throat, but we had a good day planned so I downed some ibuprofen and went to work. We went out to a pueblo we didn't know was ours to stop by a reference and get some contacting in and kind of scope out the area. It's called Los Arenales del Sol and it's the cutest little BEACH TOWN ever. So we went to the beach and the Mediterranean was gorg so pics will be coming. No we didn't step foot on the sand, calm down. We are obedient. But we took a couple minutes to go soak in the view and the smells and take some pics. But later soon came to realize that no one lives there until summer so.....no work out there right now and our reference was MIA. But we met her dog.....he didn't seem to like us very much but...,bueno.

After we got back Hna Pickett was trying to convince me to take a nap but I said no. We made lunch, ate, did language study, and then I gave in because I felt like I got hit by a train. But that night I got 1 L of fresh orange juice and downed it real quick and now I'm practically healed. Quickest cold ever and thank heavens!!

Ok Sunday was the coolest day. I know these are always novels but I'll try to be quick. So one of our former investigators (that's weird to say in English) has been comin to church a lot so that's awesome. He brought his little sister and she's just precious and loved primary so that was cool. Then we are sitting there in sacrament (oh btw it was Fathers Day here in Spain on Sunday) and someone walks in and our jaws just dropped. We teach this part member family and the dad hasn't come to church but HE WAS THE ONE WHO WALKED IN!!! He came to see his daughter sing with the primary. It was such a sweet experience to see the whole family in church. GOD IS COOL AND MIRACLES ARE GREAT!!

Today we went to Alicante and hiked to a castle and the view was GORG!! I love Spain and the Mediterranean. Also I said goodbye to my fave Hna Burrell. Gonna miss that crazy lady. Hasta 2018. It's also super hot today so that's fun. But I made the mistake of thinking it'd be cold so I wore a hoodie to hike in.....big mistake. Sweating so hard. Oh well.

The Sights of Alicante

Quick story and I'm done. I was surprised a little bit at first to hear I was staying here in Elche because everyone expected me to leave. But I guess there's more for me to learn here and my work here isn't done. I was getting really anxious before calls about staying or leaving and I asked Heavenly Father in my prayers Saturday night that whatever happens, to just help me feel the confirmation that it is His will. After I found out I was staying, I felt a big wave of peace just come over me and my heart and I knew that is is exactly what is supposed to happen. I don't know why and i don't know what's going to happen but I know this is where I'm supposed to be and I'm willing to submit to His will because I know that my mission and my life are in His hands and I'm willing to trust Him.

How blessed are we to have such an amoroso Padre Celestial?? And one who shows us so many miracles? I feel so blessed to be out here and the more time I pass in the mission, the sadder I get when I realize that one day I will have to leave this place and these people. I will have to leave this calling and this ability to preach every single day in the Calle. But it gives me even more reason to give my all every single day and treat it like it's my last. We've seen some incredible things here this last transfer, handed out almost an entire box of Book of Mormons, and seen this area transform completely. So we are stoked to see what happens this transfer.

Ok have a great week beautiful humans and know that God loves you and missions are great!!

Alicante Zone Missionaries

Kia Kaha.

Another Amazing Week and Lots of Pictures

Welp. Here we are again. Another Monday. How did that even happen??

Today is Pday and it's been hot all last week. HOT. LIKE I GOT TO WEAR
SANDALS AND IM GETTING A FARMERS TAN AND WATCH TAN LINES ALREADY!! And
now it's Monday and it's pouring rain. Sometimes I seriously wonder if
I'm actually in Spain or some random part of Utah will how bipolar
this weather is.

This week was super great and super full of miracles it was just
awesome. We had intercambios on Thursday and Friday with the one and
only HERMANA BURRELL AND FAVERO!! Those were killer. Thursday night I
was with my fave Hna Burrell who's been my SHE since I entered the
mission field but this was our last intercambios ever since at the end
of this transfer she'll be returning back home. That's super sad
but......happens. But we had a great night, taught some great lessons,
had Spanish boys walk behind us and serenade us with Adele, and then
bought ice cream. Then Friday morning I got to teach the sweetest man
from Colombia I think and got some serious piano talk in with Hna
Favero. She's just a great human. I love those two lots and lots.

So Friday after we got back we had a lesson with a guy who referred
HIMSELF on mormon.org and he said he's investigated a lot of churches
but none of them made him feel "full". Then he remembered the two
Mormons he works with but didn't have their number so he found our
website and asked for a Book of Mormon!! He was stoked to read it and
we will be meeting with him again this week!! #MILAGROS
Then like a couple hours later, we were in Centro and stopped walking
to decide if we had time to pass by a menos activo before English
class and this guy walks up and asks us, "What are you looking for?
What do you want to do?" That caught us a little off guard but we just
told him what we were deciding and he was like, "oh yeah your church
is just over there right?" Then he asked if we wanted to see the view
of the palm trees from his apartment window and we explained we didn't
have time but maybe another day and he was like ok. Then we said, "umm
but also we are missionaries who share a message about families and
Jesus Christ....could we come by and share that with you sometime?"
His answer: "Yeah sure whenever you want." We asked him for the next
day and what time and he told us yes at 11. We walked away from that
like, "Uhhhhhhhhhh wat just happened??" God is so cool. And He blesses
His missionaries. Two for two that day super great. #MILAGROS

Saturday was the bomb.com. We visited with two new investigators and
then went to a member's house for lunch and she made us HAMBURGERS!!
LIKE REAL LIFE HAMBURGERS!! Like they compete with American Made
hamburgers so dang good!!! Best hamburgers I've had since the 4th of
July I almost cried.

Then that night was the Anniversary for the
Relief Society activity and we were singing in it so we went. THEY DID
SUCH A GOOD JOB!! Almost every single woman in there had sewn her own
bonnet and apron and wore it. They had cardboard cut outs of wagons
and paintings of pioneers and everything and they did skits and told
stories and showed videos and it was all so great and everyone looked
so cute!! I sat there in awe and loved all of it. While I was sitting
there, I felt a big rush of the spirit and an overwhelming sense of
love for these people. I LOVE SPAIN!! And I love these people. They're
my people. And God loves them so so much and I'm blessed with the
opportunity to feel that love too.

I don't have much of a spiritual thought this week. Just that I love
life right now. There's been so many days the past few weeks where I
just think, "I never want to stop being a missionary." When I hunk of
missionaries going home, I cry for them because I know that soon my
time will come to leave these people and this country. There will be a
day where I can't put on my chapa, and that just sounds like such a
sad day. But I love so much what I get to do these short 18 months.
The mission is something absolutely incredible and I love it so much.
Words cannot express my love for my Savior and this work that He
directs. I'm grateful for this chance to be on the front lines of His
army and bring His children to the knowledge of the truth. If anyone
is debating on whether or not to serve a mission, I say GO! Yes it's
hard. I'm not going to lie to you and say it's not. It will be one of
the hardest things you've ever done in your life up to this point. But
it is 1000000000% worth it. Nothing I've ever experienced in my life
has compared to what I've experienced here in Spain. I love this work
and the message of good news I carry every single day. I know this
gospel is true with all of my heart and that Christ is my Savior and
that I have a loving Heavenly Father who watches over and guides me. I
was reading about Abinadi last night and how he testified until the
moment he died. It made me think, "Would I do that? Would I die for my
testimony?" As I wrote this, I can confidently say that yes I would. I
would die rather than deny the things I know to be true. I love this
gospel and I testify of its truthfulness. Thanks to the mission, I get
to do it every day too.

Thanks for all the support. Love you all so much. Until next week.

Kia Kaha.

Hermana Twede

Amazing Week

Yo.

Ok so I'm just gonna jump in. Getting really bad at small talk.

So today we went back to the Pantano d'Elx but this time we had some
homies from Alicante come and two elders from Elda so that was cool.
Our guides (which will go nameless) decided to back out so Hna Clark
and I ended up doing it even though we had no clue where we were
going.

Ok so LAST Monday I wrote my group before we did actual Pday fun stuff
but I didn't care to write another email. So last week Hna Pickett and
I went and did compras and cleaned and all that stuff, then we went
shopping in centro, went and climbed to the top of a cathedral, went
to an archeological museum, went in a castle, I faced my fear of
spaniards and finally got a trim after over 8 months (Sorry Lezlie I
just couldn't do it before), then we went to a little cafe and sat
outside and ate delicious bocadillos. Needless to say we SLAYED Pday
last week. We've been getting so efficient with them it's great. Like
this morning we got groceries done in 15 minutes. CRUSHED IT. ANYWAY.
Last Pday was great and later that night we had some Noches de Hogar
and they were awesome.

Tuesday.....INTERVIEWS!! Wow. President Andersen is just killer. Sorry
homies in other missions, but the mission President of the Spain
Málaga Mission is the best in the world. He's like Darren Twede's
cinnamon rolls.....none compare nor compete. Sorry not sorry.
So after interviews we had a KILLER lesson about the restoration with.
Joven chica who doesn't believe in God but said a prayer at the end
and promised God in her prayer that she would read and pray about the
Book of Mormon. HOLLA! So vamos a ver what happens with that. Then we
had English class and I got to go early to help this adorable little
girl with her homework because she had a test the next day. Makes me
think I should have payed more attention in Mr. Durham's English class
bc I don't know my own language para nada. But I'm learning more bc I
have to teach it so fun. Then I went and picked up my new scripture
cases I ordered that a guy in our ward makes for missionaries!!
They're killer but I forgot to take pics so sorry you can't see them
in their glory quite yet.

Wednesday we had some good visits with recent converts, good food from
members, and some good Big List visits with old spaniards. Thursday we
had weekly planning, ate some delicious food again from members, some
not so delicious pineapple upside down cake (don't listen to Shawn and
Gus....they're lying. I had such high hopes after watching Psych and
they've been thrown on the ground over and over again), and had some
more good Big List visits with our favorite Colombian family here.

Friday.....ZONE CONFERENCE!!! Best day of the week. Got to see my
homie G's from the CCM and old comps and just having a good time while
being spiritually fed. The conference was a bit of a "Come to Jesus"
moment for me because they emphasized working a lot with people
between the ages of 15-25 or in other words, jóvenes. Which I don't
like doing. Never have been a fan of contacting jóvenes or anything.
But this conference made me realize I gotta do it because these kids
go on to serve missions and have families and raise faithful
generations. So I'm ready to start working more with jóvenes and we
had a really cool experience which brings me to SATURDAY!!

So we had a missionary activity on Saturday and invited a ton of
people and we were gonna eat and have a tour of the capilla and it was
gonna be great. But then it rained.....right on our little hopeful
parade. Idk if y'all know, but when the rain in Spain falls mainly on
the plains.....the country shuts down. So we planned on 70 people and
I think 20 came and 10 of them were missionaries. Woohoo. But it was
fine it was a good activity. Then we were contacting that night and we
contacted this joven chica and we asked her if she is creyente and she
said her parents no but she's super interested in religion. So we
asked her if we could pass by and share a bit about our beliefs and
she answers, "yes of course!! I would like that very much!" So we got
her info and we're gonna be paying her a visit this week!! WOOHOO!! My
testimony of contacting jóvenes is growing and she helped it.

Sunday was killer with investigators in church and stuff and it was
great. One of our investigators fasted too....just on his own!! So
cool!!

So this week I was studying in Mosiah when Abinadi comes into the
picture. If I could describe Abinadi in one word: MAQUINA (machine)!! That guy
is just one cool dude. So I'm reading and King Noah is in power and
just doing all these awful things and then Abinadi shows up and says,
"what are yah doing?! You guys know better than this!!" Then Noah gets
mad and is like, "Who is this guy?!" And they arrest him but then
Abinadi is talking to them and he says, "You teach the Law of Moses,
and commandments, but you don't understand it nor do you practice it
yourselves." It just made me wonder that as a missionary, do I TRULY
understand what I teach everyday? And if I do, do I practice it in my
own life? It just gave me cause for reflection. A French man in my
ward asked me, "How can someone teach or testify something that they
don't believe themselves?" Well.....you can't. Also it's hard to
testify with the Spirit if you don't already have a testimony of what
you're testifying. And if you can't testify with the spirit.....you're
really just saying empty words. So now Ive been trying to really apply
these lessons to my own life and make sure I'm keeping the commitments
that I invite others to do daily. THE GOSPEL IS SO COOL YOU GUYS!!
There's sooooo much you can learn.....it doesn't matter how long
you've been a member.....don't ever fall into the trap thinking you
know all there is to know about the gospel. Heavenly Father will
humble you in a quick second.....I can testify of that. I'm learning
so much everyday that I REALLY study my scriptures and words of living
apostles and prophets and it's incredible. I LOVE THE GOSPEL OF JESUS
CHRIST!! This things changes lives. It's changed mine, and I'm seeing
it change others. Our father in Heaven is so merciful and loving we
can't even comprehend it. I know that He has a plan for every
individual person on this earth and if we choose to follow it over our
own, we will find eternal happiness.
Thanks so so much for the support and love. You all are wonderful!
Have a great week!!
Kia Kaha

Hermana Twede