Monday, April 24, 2017

Spring Cleaning

So this week was a fun one and passed oh so quickly. First off we had........*drum roll*.......CLEANING CHECKS!! I mean it happened on Thursday but we started on Monday. It was SUPER GREAT!! I. LOVE. CLEANING CHECKS!!! (We've been working on our positivity lately) But here was the deal, we didn't know when they were coming. We were told they were coming Wednesday morning so Tuesday night we came in from working and went to town on our Piso. Then the next morning we talked to so many missionaries about cleaning checks and finally were told that they could be coming that morning. So we waited for the call and cleaned all morning. (I've never spent so much time cleaning a kitchen).......they never came. Then we got a call that afternoon saying they would be coming the next morning. So Thursday morning we woke up, exercised and then went right to work cleaning again. Finally finished and about 20 minutes later the Croshaws came and checked out the Piso. WE PASSED!! And they gave us delish banana bread! *Fist Pump*

I'll back up for a quick second just to say we found 3 new investigators within 24 hours. We contacted them or knocked on their door, shared a message with them, invited them to read, and then set up a day to come back. So that was a miracle. We've had a decline in the area so we've been trying to work harder with the members and also keep contacting. But one thing I learned....never lose faith! Because God will surprise you through people you least expect.

Also on Tuesday we held a little birthday celebration for Elder Smithson after district meeting. We were in charge of making banana bread so we whipped that out the night before and also brought our messed up brownies. Well....both were a hit so that was a bonus!! S/O to Hna Bailey for that recipe.
Wednesday we dusted off the old basketball skills and played some ball with a bunch of investigators. I'll just paint y'all a picture of how it went: Hna Twede running up and down the court running into everyone on the opposite team.....and occasionally her own team, and attempting some 2 pointers (even though we all know I can't shoot a basket to save my life) and thankfully came out with a bunch of air balls. Can't have people thinking I ACTUALLY play basketball. Much easier to lose when you have zero expectations.

Ok I just need to apologize right now. I feel like the more this email goes on, the more boring it gets. So I will try to spice it up here.

Well flashback to Thursday. Right after the Croshaws left, we (this is not a joke) went to the kitchen with that banana bread and may have accidentally eaten the entire thing in one sitting. Actually.....that was a lie......it wasn't accidentally.......we knew exactly what we were doing. After that we did weekly planning real quick, packed some clothes, then mom-walked to our eating cita. We had delish Colombian food but toward the end of my FIRST plate (there's always the main meal and then the dessert), I looked at Hna Pickett with big eyes and just mouthed, "I CANT FIT MORE!" Then they brought out ice cream and she says, "Hna there's always room for ice cream." While I'm just shaking my head. But I powered through and finished. Then we shared the thought and all I'm thinking is, "All I can do right now is testify bc if I try to do more than that I will toss it." So when we walked out, we were all happy and smiling and as soon as we got in the elevator, "OH MY GOSH I'M GOING TO DIE!" Then we had to walk (more like crawl) to the train station. I had to take a break in the bus station at one point bc I was just on a downward spiral. Luckily, nothing was tossed and we got safely to Alicante for .......INTERCAMBIOS!!!

Hermanas Twede, Simpson, Pickett, and Favero

Thursday and Friday were intercambios and they were AWESOME!! Got to work with my piano homie Hna Favero on Thursday night and then my other childhood piano buddy Hna Simpson Friday morning. It was a blast. I love Alicante. And our SHEs. It was all super great.


Saturday was boring you don't want to hear about that.
I mean....wait...NO! I'm sorry! IM SORRY!! I MEANT THAT SATURDAY WAS THE BEST DAY TO EVER EXIST IN THE UNIVERSE AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!! WE LOVE SATURDAYS!!!!!

Today we went around a pueblo with the Crevillente Hermanas and met these Russians and then everywhere we went after that we saw them. Also today is the 2ND DÍA DE LA MONA so literally everything is closed. But guess what......ONLY IN ELCHE!! So that's cool. Means everyone up and headed to the beach so it's a ghost town around here. But it's cool. Still had a chill Pday.

Ok so SPIRITUAL GOODNESS!!! This week I've been reading about King Benjamin. Just one thing to say about him: spiritual beast. So he's up there on that tower having the first ever General Conference and his scribes are writing the first Ensign as he speaks and then he starts talking about how we need to put off the natural man. So I'm sitting reading this in Spanish and there's a verb in there that I don't recognize but I assumed it meant to "put off" or something like that because it was right before "el hombre natural" part. So I head to my good friend called the dictionary and looked up the meaning of 'despojarse' and it gives me a list of meanings such as: to renounce, to relinquish, to get rid of, to give up, to shed, etc. But the one that caught my attention was the definition, "to get rid of". I sat there thinking for a minute and realized that that meaning, means a sacrifice on our part. We always talk about how we need to put off the natural man, and it's like, "Yeah ok let's do that. It's a little difficult but....,yeah sure ok." But what we don't realize is that it literally is a sacrifice. You have to sacrifice your very NATURE, to draw yourself closer to God. And I LOVE that. I love that to get rid of our natural man we have to sacrifice WHO WE ARE to become who God wants us to be. There have been COUNTLESS times in my mission where I've been told to get rid of my own habits, thoughts, actions, and NATURE, to put them in line with His. "There is no growth in the comfort zone, and there is no comfort in the growth zone."
I know this is God's work and He is molding me into who I need to be. Is it comfortable? My heavens no. But is it worth it? Cien por cien YES!!!! Keep up going. Keep growing. Let God make you who you were always meant to be.

LOVE YOU ALL HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!
Kia kaha

Hermana Twede


Our cutie Cristina who will be getting baptized on Sunday and her parents asked us to give her the lessons. It's been such a blast coming up with fun ways to teach the gospel.





Monday, April 17, 2017

LIVING ON A PRAYER

Before I begin.....

WHOOOOOOAAAAAAA WE'RE HALFWAY THERE, WHOOOOOOOOAAAA! LIVING ON A
PRAYER! TAKE MY HAND, WE'LL MAKE IT- I SWEAR. WHOOOOOAAAA!! LIVING ON
A PRAAAAAAAAYER!!!! *GUITAR BREAK*
(S/O to the baby sis Bethers for sending me those lyrics like 3 weeks ago)

Ok so while Bon Jovi is going crazy on that guitar, I'm gonna sneak in
this group email here real quick.

Ok so first off HAPPY EASTER!! Here in Spain we have Easter WEEK
called Semana Santa. It's a good ol time where there are
processions/parades everyday, all week long and in them they have
these floats called "pasos" that go throughout the Life of Christ. So
it's pretty cool. Also there are bands that play VERY Spanish music so
all of it was like drinking the Spanish culture from a fire hose
hahah. But we forgot that Semana Santa was already in full swing on
Monday until our bus took us way into the elders area and dumped us
off to walk back to Centro. But it was fun. Lots of people. Lots of
bands. Lots of things. Very Easter. Much Spanish. Wow. Then in an
attempt to get out of the crowds and go to our cita, I accidentally
ended up in the middle of the parade with a Spanish band blasting and
a big huge float of the Last Supper coming right at me. So that was
exciting.  SEMANA SANTA FESTIVITIES!!




Tuesday we had INTERVIEWS!! I love interviews. While we waited we had
the opportunity to teach Hna Andersen about the Restoration as a
companionship and it was awesome!! Interviews went really well as
well. I love getting a chance to get more counsel and guidance from
Presidente Andersen. Great man.

Wednesday....HUMP DAY!!! And it was..........just like any other day
on the mission. Except when we were reading the Missionary Handbook (I
think that's what it's called in English), Hna Pickett told me that the
part about the "Older Sister Missionaries" now applies to me since I'm
now considered "old" in the mission. Also she chose the hymn "There Is
A Green Hill Far Away" to sing because, quote: "Now you're over the
hill!!" She's crazy. Also she made me a hump day picture at the end of
her personal study and Hna Clark called me to sing Happy Cumplemes To
me that night. So it was a good day.

Thursday was good and I took a picture with my mission baby. It's the
cutest little Spaniard/Colombian baby boy and he was born at the EXACT
SAME TIME that I got on a plane and left Utah. So we're the "same age"
and had to take a picture of him. Don't freak out, I didn't put him on
my lap. He's sitting on the table and I'm just making sure he doesn't
fall over. But he's so stinking cute. But yep that's all you need to
know about Thursday.




Friday: ZONE CONFERENCE!!! Also Viernes Santo (AKA CRAZY DAY) so the
Hnas from Crevillente got to come sleep over Thursday night. We made
crepes the next morning and then high tailed it to the bus station.
The Zone Conference was INCREDIBLE!! I got to see my fave humans ever:
HNA MOORE!!! Hna Garcia, Matsu, Taggart, Simpson, Favero, and Hooper.
And my homie G elders: Elder Neubert, Jamison, Wilding, Kroff, and
lots more. It was a good time. We got some really good counsel and
this week we're doing a mission wide iPad fast. Everyday, only one
iPad is being used and the other one has to be turned off and put
away. We're trying to be even more consecrated so this will be really
good. Then we ate delish paella and headed home. Also when we got back
we had a cita with some members and we showed up at like 9 and they
had a FULL COURSE MEAL WAITING FOR US!!! It was so nice of them and
very delish and fancy and they practically had to roll us out the door
after hahah. But I just love the members here so much they are great.






Saturday and Sunday was Stake Conference and it was awesome. Hna
Simpson spoke in the adult session and did such a good job!! Sunday
morning, we made the rest of the crepes for breakfast and then had eggs
Benedict for lunch to celebrate the holiday.
Today for Pday we went to La Marina with some people from the ward to
celebrate "Día de La Mona". No one really knows what it's for but it's
a good excuse not to work and everyone just heads to the campo or the
beach and they eat this postre that is a cake with a hard boiled egg
baked into it. You take the egg out and to crack it, you hit it on the
head of the person sitting next to you. Random tradition but fun.



Ok, I can hear Bon Jovi wrapping his guitar solo for the chorus again
so I'll finish this up. During the Zone Conf, Hna Andersen spoke about
the Restoration. She told a story about when her and President went to
the Sacred Grove and they were the only two there that day and they
could feel the spirit sooo strong there. Then she bore the most
powerful and beautiful testimony of the Restoration of the Gospel of
Jesus Christ. Tears were brought to my eyes as the Spirit testified to
me that what she was saying is true. I too KNOW that Joseph Smith was
a prophet and that through him, Jesus Christ restored His Gospel to
the Earth. I know that that day, in the year 1820, in that grove of
trees, he saw God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. I am grateful
for that simple humble prayer that was offered up by that young man so
long ago, because had that event not taken place, I wouldn't be where
I am now. I know this gospel is true. And I know it is the ONLY way
back to our Heavenly Father. I love this work and gospel with all of
my heart.




Thank you for all the support and constant love. Love you all and have
a great week!!
Kia Kaha

Hermana Twede


Monday, April 10, 2017

#FRIDSFURSTEN

HAPPY SEMANA SANTA!!! The festivities have officially begun with
Domingo de Rama yesterday and everyone had their big palm tree
branches and olive branches. It was really cool to see everyone
walking home from mass (I say everyone because the 2 times a year
EVERYONE goes to church is Semana Santa and Navidad) with their stuff.
Here, idk how it is in other parts of Spain, they sell these big palm
branches that are dried out and stuff and sometimes have designs made
out of them, and they use it for Palm Sunday. Idk what they use them
for because I don't go to Catholic Mass but it just looks cool. One of
our brand new catholic investigators came to church yesterday and
brought us an olive branch and palm leaf so we could be included in
the festivities. That was cool.

ANYWAY!! This week!!! Was crazy awesome. So many miracles. Let's just
start off with the fact that the NORTH CAROLINA TARHEELS WON MARCH
MADNESS!!! Elder Smithson, our district leader, is also a Tarheels fan
so he walked into English class on Tuesday with his UNC tie on and
announced the results of March Madness. We were both stoked. I wore my
UNC t-shirt to bed that night to celebrate. But that was on Friday
when we found out so I will back up here real quick.



Also Hna Pickett and I made some brownies and it came out like cake so
we made more brownies and they turned out better. The good/bad thing
is that now we are up to our ears in brownies and have a goal not to
eat sugar during the week.....so we just have to stare at them until
Saturday or Sunday.



On Tuesday, Elder Smithson, Elder Wood, Hna Pickett, and I all got
interviewed. WHAT?! So there's a girl in our ward who's a journalist
and she's doing her project for the university. They have to do a
journalist type of thing or whatever and so her and her group (all non
members) decided to do it on Mormon missionaries. They wanted to
interview and film a pair of elders and Hermanas so they chose us!! So
on Tuesday morning, we went to the church and they interviewed us
about what we do and why we chose to serve and us studying and stuff
like that. Felt like we were doing the District 3 Spanish version. Hna
Pickett and I were so nervous for the questions because we didn't know
them beforehand and we'd have to come up with an answer on the
spot.....IN SPANISH! But it worked out and went really well. The thing
is with this video, if it goes well, it will be broadcasted to their
university TV, then possibly to Elche TV, and they are going to try
sending it to journalists around Spain so that it gets up over there.
Also it's getting out in Facebook so......really hoping we'll see some
fruits with this. It's already started with her nonmember friends.
They asked a lot of questions while they were filming us and said they
really liked us. So we'll see how it goes but it should be good.

Friday was the next most exciting day. So we didn't have any citas
planned that morning so we decided to go to the church and try to
watch some of the last session of conference. So we get there and the
other elders were there and had some references for us. Then they left
and Hna Pickett had to go to the bathroom before we started so I went
to play the piano while I waited for her. While I'm playing, someone
rings the timbre of the church. So I go over to open the gate thinking
it's the elders and they forgot something. Well I open it and to my
surprise there are 4 elderly people standing there looking a little
confused. Hna Pickett came out of the bathroom and I just said, " Hey
there's some people here and I don't think they're members, let's go
talk to them." So we go out and greet them in Spanish and one man
says, "Do you speak English?" "YES OF COURSE!!" Turns out it was two
couples from SWEDEN!! They had a picture of a church they were looking
for and thought ours might be it. They described it and we told them
it wasn't ours but we could show them around if they wanted? They did.
So we did an unplanned church tour for Swedish people!! It was really
cool. That's my first real church tour I've ever done and it was so
cool to hear them marvel at it. We ended with the baptismal font and
ahowed them the new Easter video in SWEDISH!! It was so cool!! We gave
them some cards and then they wanted pics with us and then they left.
It was so cool to see how God put us exactly where we needed to be at
the perfect time to share with these people our beliefs. So that
experience explains why the title is #FRIDSFURSTEN because that's
Prince of Peace in Swedish.

Swedish Family


Saturday was the other cool day. So we were on the bus coming back
from correlación and I was writing this letter. We were going to take
the bus to a stop where we could catch another bus to the house of a
menos activos and see if we could get in a lesson with him. But on the way, the
spirit kept prompting me to get off the bus at the stop by our Piso. I
didn't want to because we had that planned and I didn't know what we
would do when we got off the bus. But the Spirit told me, "Hermana get
off the bus." So we got off the bus and I'm asking what we're going to
do and had a prompting to go see if one of our investigators would be
home. I had a feeling she wouldn't be, but when Hermana Pickett asked
what we were going to do, I said, "We're going to go see Dayanna."
Turns out, when she asked me that question, the words popped into HER
head, "We're going to go see Dayanna." Right before I said it. #THE
SPIRIT Anyway, so we go ring her timbre and she answers but right then
the buses pulled up and I couldn't hear a thing she said. I thought
she said she was gonna come down but then she said, "Chao." Hermana
Pickett asked what she said and I had no clue so we waited there for a
second. I looked behind Hna Pickett and there was a man standing there
and a voice said, "We need to talk to that man." But I waited for a
second to see if our investigator was going to come, when the man says
to us, "Excuse me, sorry I don't want to bother you. But there's a
church over there and I always see people of all races going in and
out of it, including you two, and I just have been curious at to what
it is and why everyone goes there." He had seen us going in and out of
the JAS center every week and kids going to seminary!! He told us he's
been searching for so long for the truth and has read the Bible and
everything but it doesn't seem like the whole truth. He at one point
said, "Here are two young girls, guapas, intelligent, away from their
families, and I want to know why?" So we told him what we do and who
we are. Then he at one point asked if we knew if was true and we had
the opportunity to testify sooooo fuerte to him. He asked what he
needed to do to get a testimony, to know like we know. We told him the
Book of Mormon. We read Moroni's promise with him and he said it was
beautiful. He asked me if I absolutely believe it and I told him I
would die for my testimony and faith. So we gave him the Book of
Mormon and got all of his information and he just thanked us over and
over again and said he was absolutely going to read it. It was one of
the coolest things I've ever experienced. After that we walked away
and we were both just in awe. Hermana Pickett said, "You know, the
Spirit COMPLETELY changes missionary work." And it really does.

So this week I will hit the middle of my mission meaning I'm on the
"downhill" of my mission and that's scary. If I could be a missionary
for the rest of my life I would. The work you do as a missionary is
unlike anything in the world and it kills me that it's so short. But
all the more reason to work as hard as i possibly can these last
months. I'm grateful for my Heavenly Father and everything He has
taught me thus far and I'm excited to learn even more.
I love my Savior and I know that He lived, died, and was resurrected
so that we could live again. I pray that everyone strives to know Him
or know Him better. His hands are always stretched out to us, but we
have to be the ones to grab on.
Love you all so much!!
HAPPY EASTER 🐣

Kia kaha
Hermana Twede

Monday, April 3, 2017

Lions, Tigers and Giraffes

I just wrote like a paragraph and a half of this email and decided it
was boring so I'm starting over.

Ok so this week was super cool. Full of miracles, lost wallets,
Romanians, sick elders, safaris, and April fools.

Ok well hope you have a great week!! Chao!!

Wait what? You actually wanted an explanation?? Oh Hahahah my bad. Ok
here it goes.

So Monday was great, had some good FHE's and it was great. Tuesday we
had district meeting, and , like promised, the elders brought us ice
cream and watermelon juice. I almost cried. I have had mint chocolate
chip ice cream for ages. Wasn't incredible but it was incredible for
me. But the mal part of this story is that we had an eating cita right
after district meeting so we attempted to go home to put stuff in the
fridge and freezer and then go to the eating cita. Well, as we are
walking down the lane through the palm tree forest, we get stopped by
a (pretty certain) drunk German man. He asked if we know English and
after we said yes continued to tell us a story of how a gypsy had just
robbed him of his wallet and knocked him on the ground and now him and
his wife and two kids had no way to get back to Torrevieja. He asked
if we could talk to the police because he had already tried and we
could not do that so we didn't know how to help him. I looked down at
our bag with watermelon juice and handed it to him. Told him we
couldn't help but at least we could give him something to drink and
for his kids. He thanked us and we walked away. We don't know if his
story was completely true but everyone needs watermelon juice
especially with the day (whatever kind of day) he was having.
So after this, we didn't have time to go home, so Hna Pickett decided
to try eat all her ice cream before we get to the eating cita. I just
stuck it in the bag and planned on putting it in their freezer when we
got there. Well.....she succeeded with the ice cream. But also
succeeded in giving herself a tummy ache and being too full for
regular food. We were on our way and I'm laughing and shaking my head
and she says, "maybe they'll make soup." Which made me laugh harder bc
what Spaniard makes soup when it's warm outside?? Well......first
miracle of the day, they made us soup. Then for dessert was
pineapple.....hahahahah Hna Pickett doesn't like pineapple. So
although God blessed her, He had to keep her humble.
After we left the eating cita, we went to hop on the bus and I get on,
scan my card, and go find a seat. I turn around and Hna Pickett hasn't
even gotten on yet, that was weird. I go back and ask her what's up
and she said, "I can't find my wallet." Both our hearts drop. I tried
to see if I had money to pay for her, I didn't. Then we checked the
bus. Nothing. So we hop off and call the members who we just ate lunch
with to see if it was there. It wasn't. So we decide to retrace our
steps to their Piso to see if it fell out. We start going and then
pulled off and said a prayer. During the prayer, I had a thought come
to my head, "Stop the busses." So we tracked back to the bus stop and
started stopping all the D busses because that's the one we were on.
There are six buses in that bus line and we needed to check each one
and they're each about 10 minutes apart. Each one told us the same
thing: no the hadn't seen it, yes we could check really quick, they
are six buses in the line, and we can call the office number. We
called the office but kept stopping the buses. We got to the last bus
before the one we started with would come back around and he opens the
doors and says, "Katelynn??" We both are like, "YES THATS HER/ME YES!"
And he holds up her wallet. MILAGRO!!! Someone had turned it in and
he's been hanging onto it since then. I love good people in the world.

Another day, we were out working and I told Hna Pickett we were gonna
go visit a Menos Activo as a backup but she was going to lead us
there. So she starts going (trying to learn the area) and we turn down
the wrong street but I didn't say anything because I knew we'd get
there eventually. As we're walking down this street we pass a building
and I see it's door wide open but keep walking but then the Spirit was
like, "TURN AROUND." So I just go, "Hold on Hna were tocing (knocking)
this building. So we go in and go to the top and start knocking. First
door: no answer. Second: Atheist with no interest. Next floor. First
door: no answer. Second: a lady opens the door and we present
ourselves and she goes, "hold on." Walks away then comes back with a
cigarette and says, "I have a cigarette here in my hand." We just
kinda looked at her and said, "uuuhhh Qué bien?" Then we present
ourselves and she tells us to come in and tell her about it. That was
weird and awesome. So we go in. This lady is from Romania and has
lived here for 10 years but doesn't hardly speak Spanish so she
understood us mostly but she tried rattling off in Romanian and lost
us. But she said she's orthodox and not going to change. So we asked
her if we could do anything to help her and then she thought we wanted
money for it and when we explained that no we don't want money we just
want to help her, she says, "You want to help me? Just to help me?
Why?" And she started crying. I don't think anyone had asked her that
before. It was a cool moment and she loved us a lot. On Sunday we went
back in between sessions and showed her the new Easter video (WHICH
EVERYONE SHOULD WATCH BTW) in Romanian. So grateful for technology.
She watched it and cried. It was so special to see someone watch
something about their Savior in their own language and understand how
you don't have to speak the same language for someone to feel the
spirit. Milagro and super cool to see how God works through us when we
are willing to act.

Sunday the elders called and said Elder Wood was sick so they wouldn't
make it to conference. We had like no food but just enough to make
ourselves a bit of paella and the elders chicken noodle soup. So we
made it and took it to them. Figuring out which Piso was theirs was a
task especially since they were sleeping and wouldn't answer their
phone. But eventually we got in and gave them the soup and we were
late for conference but as soon as we got off that bus we ran like mad
to the church. We do way too much running. But we got there just in
time for the sustainings and it was great. #BLESSED

Today for Pday we went to a zoo!! It was awesome. We wrestled some
crocodiles Steve Irwin style, fed a giraffe, talked to some chimps,
and watched a sea lion show!! Pretty eventful and pics are coming.








CONFERENCE WAS INCREDIBLE!! Also SARATOGA SPRINGS IS GETTING A
TEMPLE!!! Oh my I freaked. I was sitting behind all the other
missionaries And when they announced it I was like, "WHAT OH MY GOSH
HECK YES!!! AAAAAHHHHH!!!" Getting that Spanish finger snap thing up
in there it was a great time. Also got lots of answers to prayers and
questions. I love conference.



Hey. You. God knows you. He knows your questions. He knows your fears.
He knows everything. And that's the beauty of all of this. He's got it
under control. Thanks to Him, we don't have to worry about what's
gonna happen because we know we have a Father in Heaven who does and
is taking care of it. All we have to do is follow Him and He'll lead
us where to go. I'm trying my best to react quickly the first time to
a prompting so that I can do my Father's Will here in Spain and in
life in general. I know that He leads, guides, and walks beside me.
And for that, I don't have to worry. I love this gospel and my
Heavenly Father and my Savior Jesus Christ. I love this work and so
grateful for the decision I made a long time ago to serve them.

Thanks for all the support! Love y'all and have a great week!!
Kia Kaha

Hermana Twede