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