TRANQUILA HIJA

I LOVE THE HEAT!! SO MUCH!! I COULD SIT IN THIS HOT, VERY WET, VERY
SWEATY WEATHER FOR THE REAT OF MY LIFE......WHILE WEARING A SNOW
SUIT.....JUST TO MAKE IT HOTTER!! (We're working on our positivity)

Ok so it's been a loco week. Fast and slow and up and down and just
everywhere. I'll start with Monday when my lifeguard/EMT medical
knowledge came in handyish. So yes we hiked last week......already
know that. But while we were writing, I got a huge headache and on the
way home was trying not to throw up. We got home and I started sipping
water and hopped in the shower really quick. Then we went to our
lesson with our favorite Ukrainian. We got there and prayed and Hna
Palmer asked if I was ok and I couldn't play it off like I was fine bc
was not para nada. So we went to the lesson and after went home and
ended up having to cancel our Noche de Hogar that we had planned.
Well.....to be short, I had developed a case of heat exhaustion. First
time ever in my life to get that and hopefully the last bc it was
awful. Kids, it's hot outside. Take care of yourself and drink water.

Tuesday was tranquila and everyone failed us. But hey, got some needed
work done so that was good. We also met another one of our neighbors!!
She is very nice and talks A LOT!! But she also knows everyone in the
neighborhood so we've gotten to know more people through her and we
actually met a lady who is good friends with a fuerte family in San
Javier and has been to church before so that was a milagro!!!

Wednesday we had a killer day planned but most of our plans fell
through. We met with a menos activa who we haven't been able to see
almost ever and ate some SUPER GREAT Ecuatoriano cheese with crackers.
But we also got arroz con leche so that was a plus. Then we met with
our investigator and had a really good lesson with him!! OH and we had
correlación and it was really awesome. We're changing the areas around
A LOT so now Hna Palmer and I have all the pueblos in the ward except
3 so we have a lot of work cut out for us. It's been stressing me out
a bit bc it seems like this big elephant in front of us but the last
few days I've just felt Heavenly Father's hand on my shoulder telling
me, "We can do this." So I'm confident that if we put our best foot
forward, we're going to see a lot of blessings. If it's not all right
now, that's ok. But they will come. We've started talking to the
members in those new areas and tomorrow we have dinner with bishop to
talk about the area so we're ready to go.

Thursday was good and crazy. We met with some menos activos then had
another great cita with our investigator and set a baptismal fecha
with him for the 19th of agosto!!!! (Don't miss the sad story below)

Friday we had district meeting and intercambios. Murcia is hot and
great!! I loved working with Hna Clark and with Hna Richardson. They
are máquinas. That night there was no fan in our room so it was hot
and sweaty and I didn't fall asleep until 4:15 AM and then had to get
up at 7:15 Am for some soccer at the church. WOOHOO!! Love running on
no sleep. Let me tell you though.....God blesses you a lot when you
pray for energy.

Saturday we didn't go home, we went to Cartagena, cleaned the church,
did studies in the car, helped the elders move into their new and very
pijo piso, met a new member who is living in La Ribera the next month,
then FINALLY went home around 10 for some Area Book time. It was a
packed day and good.

Sunday was all bright and shiny until......(here comes the sad story)
the Zone Leaders got on the bus and broke the news to us: our
investigator dropped us. He had talked to a catholic priest who said
we only wanted to baptize him for his money and so he told his member
friend to tell us that he doesn't want visits anymore. It was really
sad bc he is SO READY for this gospel in his life. Hna Palmer took it
hard. Also our other investigator who's supposed to get baptized this
weekend has been completely MIA......which leaves us with
approximately ZERO actual investigators. So I was just sitting there
wondering why this all came down at once and I felt a distinct ray of
hope in my heart. These words instantly popped into my head, "There's
a light around the corner." I have firm faith the Heavenly Father has
a lot of milagros waiting for us so I'm not worried.

I just want to share something that I experienced during intercambios.
I had a good discussion with Hna Clark about seeing myself as God sees
me, because that's been a struggle almost my whole mission but it's
gotten progressively worse at this point in my mission. That night a
lot of what she had said and things President Andersen has said to me
were floating around in my head. During my last interview with
President, he told me that God accepts my offering (the work I've done
during my mission). I was just thinking, "Why?! It's so small and
imperfect compared to the offerings of others! How could He accept
that?!" While I was thinking about that, the story of the Widow's Mite
popped into my head and the words, "Her offering appeared small too,
but she gave the most, because she willingly gave all she had. Stop
looking at other offerings that you can't give because that's not what
you're here to give. If you give even just two mites, that is more
than enough for the Lord." So it was cool. I thought it was just me
thinking about it randomly and it just happened to apply. But the next
morning I kept thinking about it and started writing all of it down,
thoughts, experience, feelings, in my study journal and realized that
it had been from my Heavenly Father. That story popping into my head
was God communicating with me through personal revelation. So now,
instead of looking at the offerings of others, I have a question that
I want to ask myself everyday, "Did I give my two mites today?"
Because I can only give what I have, I can't give what my old
companions, missionaries I look up to, even my brother or parents
have....because that's theirs to give. I have what I have and if I
give that, I know the Lord will be pleased and come January I will
feel that I did all I could to bring to pass His work here in España.

So I guess what I want to say today is that no offering is too small
for the Lord, if you give it with your heart. I just want to testify
to all those who don't think they are giving enough; who think that
they have so little to give compared to those around them; who think
that God frowns on them when they make mistakes; TO THE
MISSIONARIES/HUMANS WHO BELIEVE THEY HAVE TO BE PERFECT: What you have
to offer is enough. If you only have two mites to give, GIVE THEM!! I
know my Heavenly Father loves me.....I don't have to be a perfect
missionary for Him to love me. And you don't have to be a perfect
person for Him to love you. Pray to feel His love because it's there.
I know my Redeemer lives and I can be perfected IN Him.

Love you all. Have a stellar week.

Kia Kaha

Hermana Twede

When you see a herd of goats and go to give them a Book of Mormon then the owners
yells at you to come over and instead lets you hold his baby goat. #RandomPDayAdventures

Us with Paco the Goat Man. He told us we could have the baby goat and when
we told him about us he asked if the baby goat would be a missionary too.
 #ClaroHombre #TwedePalmerBabyGoat #DreamTeam

They (Elders) didn't think we could fit everything....CLEARLY they don't know how to pack a car.
#Elders#Please#Don'tInsultOurPackingAbilities

Intercambios with Hermana Clarky

Skies are cool!