PLAN DE RESPALDO

I honestly cannot believe it is Monday again already. Time is FLYING!!
Me and Hna Bailey were talking about this earlier.....sometimes you
have long days and it's only Wednesday and then you blink and you're
writing a group email again. I don't know what God does to mission
time but.......it's weird.

So Monday was awesome with some great Noches de Hogar!! We had one
with a family from Bolivia and had 2 non members there!! Had a good
lesson and one of the videos we watched was on faith.....SO
IMPORTANT!! And then after we ate the most incredible empanadas I've
ever had in my life. I dreamed about them for the next few days. Then
we went to another Noche de Hogar with some of our favorite Colombians
and one of our investigators came. After the thought, we played one of
my new favorite games called Peca (Freckle). If you've ever played Big
Booty you pretty much got most of the game down. So everyone has a
number and you say, "Número 1 no tiene ninguna peca, cuantas pecas
tiene 4?!" And you're chanting and you have to do it well or if you
mess up everyone starts clapping and chanting, "PECA, PECA,
PECA......." and someone comes and draws a dot on your face. SO FUN!!
Jajaja Hermana Bailey was the target for one of our members so she
ended up with 5 pecas. Super fun. Then they gave us some loaded hot
dogs for the road......#Latinos

Hot Dogs. Level: Colombian

She lost the PECA game

Tuesday and Wednesday we had intercambios with our friends Hna May and
Brinkman from Elche and that was a good time!! Saw some miracles so
that was good. One of them was a long correlación during which I got
to talk to our favorite Gregorio over Skype!! Great man. Wednesday we
met with a menos activa and had a good lesson with her.

Thursday was awesome and we had some great citas with menos activos
and then a killer Noche de Hogar. Is was with a part member family
who's dad is a non member but has changed his heart and is listening
to us now. It's been a poco a poco process but we've seen soooo many
miracles. This Noche de Hogar, we made a lesson plan because we knew
he was gonna be there but then we got there and he told us he wasn't
going to attend because he had an interview. So we decided to do a
testimony meeting instead. Well.....a few minutes later he walked in
and said his interview had been cancelled and he knew that it was for
a reason!! So awesome!! So he got to hear his family's testimonies and
bear his own. Such a cool night and the spirit was so strong.

Friday we did some service in helping a menos activo prepare more for
moving. That afternoon we had merienda with a member and then met with
a menos activa who is progressing really well and one of our awesome
recent converts. Saturday we had lunch with some of our favorite
Bolivians and their meal did not disappoint. South American food is
quickly becoming my favorite food. RICE! BEANS! FRIED BANANA!
DELICIOUS MEAT THAT IDK WHAT ITS CALLED! Anyway.....later that
afternoon we had an interesting lesson with our investigator. I've
learned that teaching the Plan of Salvation can take soooo many
interesting turns......then we went and got some stuff at Mercadona
for our little trip and then talked to our Hermanas about their weeks.

Sunday was awesome with joint classes!! Our bishop is so awesome and
just spits knowledge every time he teaches. After church we had
consejo and then we went and hopped on a bus to Málaga !!! Last night
we stayed with some Hermanas in Málaga and then this morning we had
mission consejo and it was so awesome. We had the Area Seventy, Elder
Bennasar from Paris, France, and his wife come speak to us.

One thing I really loved about what he talked to us about was failure.
He loved the way we talked about our goals and "struggled" over
revelation. He started telling us about Nephi, when him and his
brothers were sent back to get the plates. (If you don't know the
story, go read 1 Nephi in the Book of Mormon......once you finish
that, keep reading. I promise it's a good read) Anyway, so they have
their goal: get the plates because it is wisdom in God that they have
them. Ok.....so they come up with Plan #1: Laban and Lemuel just go
ask. Does it work? No. Laman and Lemuel see the failure and want to
turn back. But Nephi says, "We're not going back home yet. The goal is
good! What's Plan #2?" Plan #2: Get their gold and bribe Laban. Does
it work? Still no. Ok.....so now we get to Plan #3 because the goal is
still the same and still good. Plan #3: Not knowing beforehand what to
do and relying on the Lord. Does it work? YES! Why? Because the other
plans failed. Through what Nephi learned from the first two plans, the
Lord was able to help him carry out the third. Sometimes this happens
to us. Our plans to fulfill our goals fail the first couple times. But
as we learn from our failures, the Lord helps us reach success. A
quote from Elder Bennasar that I loved: "Don't be too troubled when
Plan #2 doesn't work out exactly how you planned." Keep the faith,
through the Lord you will find success. I know it's true. I know the
Lord loves us and helps us carry out the righteous desires of our
hearts.

Have a great week. Love you all.

Kia Kaha.

Hermana Twede

Service.

Bus ride home.

BED & BREAKFAST

HOLA CHAVALES!!!

Well it's been a week over here in Alicante. Transfer week is always a
bit crazy so we've been the Twede & Bailey Bed and Breakfast. Tuesday
night Hna Dos Santos and Hna Aase came and stayed with us until our
beloved Hna Dos Santos left us for Sevilla on Wednesday. Then Hna Aase
got to spend the day with us crazies until her new comp, Hna Aguilar,
arrived from Sevilla!! So we've had people in and out of our house
until Thursday morning.

But I'll back up. Tuesday was a day of milagros at our Noche de
Hogar!! A couple weeks ago, Hna López and I were on intercambios and
stopped and talked with the mom of one of our members and her friend
while they were doing exercising and never heard from the friend
again......until Tuesday!!! Walked into the Noche de Hogar and there
she was!! She loved it and we set up a cita to meet with her later in
the week. Our beloved Gregorio gave his last testimony here in Spain
before he is joined again with his family in Colombia. There was not a
dry eye in that room. He will be greatly missed. And some other
milagros of future investigators just made for a really great Noche de
Hogar.

Wednesday, after we sent off Hna Dos Santos and Elder Jamison, we had
a great cita with one of our menos activas and then did some studies
and then went to a nice eating cita with great Colombians.....then it
started raining.....so we went and bought some Cola Cao.....and then
we had a Noche de Hogar and Hna Bailey almost killed our Relief
Society president......but didn't so it's fine. :) and then we had an
interesting night and a great meeting with our bishop. I love our
bishop. He tried to help his missionaries and his ward as much as
possible and it shows.

Thursday we sent off the other Hermanas and then did some weekly
planning. That afternoon we had a really great lesson with one of our
menos activos and we shared a video about having the faith to let
Christ heal us. The spirit was so strong.....so awesome!! Then we had
another Noche de Hogar with a part member family and it went super
well. FAMILY PRAYER IS IMPORTANT AND MAKES A DIFFERENCE!!!

Thursday night on the way back from our NdH, we had quite the
experience!! We were standing at a cross walk when this man called
over to us and said he had a question. He's from Nigeria so he spoke
English to us and started to tell us about how his girlfriend broke up
with him and then next thing we know he's asking us woman advice. So
we told him to pray about it and gen to meet with us and hear our
message......he said ok!! So Friday we met with him and it was an
interesting lesson to say the least. To give you an idea on how the
lesson went, after the prayer, we got talking and he says, "I'm
actually not human."......never a dull moment in the mission. After
that we went and did some visiting teaching with a member and went
off-roading with a 1 year old in a stroller in the hood.......so that
was fun!! Later that night we had a lesson with our recent convert and
that wrapped up our night.

Saturday was a jam packed day of citas and lots failed actually. We
got dropped by an investigator, contacted a really nice man and his 2
year old son, got 2 new investigators, and had an incredible lesson
with a menos activa. It was a jam packed day and I felt like I was on
a spiritual high!! Highs and lows from that day but had some really
cool, spiritual lessons so that was awesome.

Sunday we got to take the sacrament!! It was an interesting sacrament
meeting but really nice to take the bread and water and just feel the
peace that comes from renewing those covenants.

This week I'm really grateful for the priesthood and Heavenly Father's
love for all of his children. He really knows us personally and knows
exactly what we need. Something I've learned on my mission is that God
knows. I can't see what's ahead but that's ok because God does.
Sometimes, my abilities as a missionary can be very very limited, but
I know that through God and Jesus Christ, all is possible. I've grown
such a strong testimony of the love God has for His children, even
when we make mistakes. He loves us so much and that is why He's given
us the gospel. I know that Christ suffered for us individually because
He loves us. I know that Jesus Christ is a divine being. I know that
Jospeh Smith is the prophet of the Restoration. I know the Book of
Mormon is true. And all of it is proof that my Heavenly Father loves
me.

Have a great week!

Kia Kaha!! (I keep forgetting to write that whoops)


Hermana Twede

I spy with my little eye....

Chill P-Day

Video of the Dance-Fiesta De Las Naciones

Enjoy!

YOKE

Good afternoon humans. (Morning if you live in Utah)

Well it's been a crazy week here in our neck of the woods!! But it's
been awesome. Monday and Tuesday, I took a road trip down to
Fuengirola to pick up my residency card! Since they just got new cars
in the mission, we drove down in the old cars and back on Tuesday in
the new cars. While I'm Malaga we ate some fish and chips with the
elders in a cafe near the beach. Don't have pics so you'll just have
to imagine in your head the Mediterranean, white sand, and British
accents. It's a glorious scene.

Wednesday was spent practicing our dance for Thursday, buying
decorations, teaching a lesson, and setting up some more. Thursday
morning we had some setting up to do that morning, ate a delish
Bolivian dish called Majau, then it was the FIESTA DE LAS NACIONES!!
Ok so on Oct. 12th here in Spain there is a festivo called "Día de las
Naciones" and it's a day where we just celebrate all the different
cultures in Spain. MY FAVORITE HOLIDAY!! So we have been planning an
activity between the two wards here in Alicante and we had an
INCREDIBLE turn out. About 150+ people came and we would say about 1/4
were non members. We got to watch some beautiful dances from all the
different South American countries and then the missionaries stepped
on the stage and the crowd went wild. We prepared a dance to represent
the great US of A with our Swedish and Argentinian friends and it was
awesome. Nothing says America like Hoedown Throwdown and confetti
launchers.

The Crew

We made this frame....we almost burned it at the end, but it's fine.

We love our Colombians

Friday we practiced a song for the baptism on Saturday. Then we did
some studying and stuff and I ate Kebab for the last time ever (that
was a mistake......doesn't matter how many times I eat it, it's still
gross and still wrecks my stomach), then we had INTERVIEWS!! Oh man it
had been waaaaay to long since I had seen President Andersen and it
was just a happy interview. I walked in and sat down and he just said,
"Am I correct in reading 'Happy' on your forehead?" "Yes!" "Am I
correct in reading 'Confident' as well?" "Yes!!" Then he just smiled
and gave me a fist bump. I LOVE THAT MAN!! So blessed to be in this
mission. Also he informed me that I would be STAYING in Alicante with
Hermana Bailey!!! The Lord has more for us to do here and we are
STOKED!!

Saturday and Sunday were just INCREDIBLE!! We had intercambios with
Hermana Dos Santos and Hermana Aase and they are just great. We also
had stake conference and we had a visit from a member of the seventy
named Elder Phillips and he gave GREAT talks. Pretty sure he had talks
prepared but ended up changing them completely.

Intercambios

Elder Phillips! He's so cool!

Something he said that I really loved was when he was talking about
what a yoke is. He told us that a yoke is designed to combine the
strength of two to carry a burden too heavy for one. Heavenly Father
KNEW we couldn't lift our burdens here in mortality alone, and for
that He sent His Son. We all have boulders on our backs that we try to
carry and try to lift but we can't. But if we combine our strength
with the Savior's, our burdens become light. "Whatever that boulder
is, the Savior says, "Together, we can do this. Together, it will be
okay."" (Elder Phillips) My testimony of the Savior and His Atonement
has grown significantly. I know that He thought of me when He was
suffering and because He loves me so much, He went through all that
pain and suffering so that my burdens could be made light. And I know
He has done that for each one of you as well. I love this gospel. I
love my Savior. I know through Him I can do all things.

Love you all and have a great week!!

Hermana Twede

Because Gregorio is leaving us:(

We hiked the Castle today!!

Riding a cannon.

Because yes.

ADVENTURE LAND

Did you know that Spain weather can be about as predictable as Utah
weather? Let me give you an example: Saturday, we were walking home
from a meeting with the missionaries at the church and it was BLAZING
hot. While we were doing studies and just about to leave, we heard a
strange noise and looked outside to see what? RAIN! And lots of it!!
So the rest of the night we were a little wet and a little cold
but.....it's ok.

Ok so this week I honestly can't remember that much what happened but
I'll do my best. So Monday night we had a killer Noche de Hogar and
then after we ate some delish Bolivian food called Majao. SO GOOD!
Then we had to run to our next Noche de Hogar. Literally run. We
arrived red faced and sweaty and just passed a folleto back and forth
between us because we forgot our fans. But it was awesome because we
all just talked about how awesome conference was.

Tuesday was district meeting and then met with our investigator and
set a baptismal date with her!! Such a spiritually powerful lesson and
you could see he light of Christ in her so much!! Then we had
correlación, clases de inglés, and ward Noche de Hogar.

Wednesday was great and had some great Noches de Hogar and received
some delish food. Thursday was weekly planning and we had a really
good, long planning session. Then later that day we taught our
investigator about the word of wisdom and it went really well and we
committed her to live it. On our walk home that night, a guy stopped
us asking about what we believe and soon figured out that he was
actually interested and set a cita with him!! MILAGROS!!

Friday morning we did service for a menos activa and found another
menos activa in the process. MILAGROS!!! Then we had an interesting
lesson with our investigator and we are in the process of bettering
our teaching with her so that she can feel the desire to continue
living God's commandments.  We had some other great lessons with menos
activos, Gregorio, and lots of food. And then our guy who's in charge
of our Piso came to store some stuff and was impressed with our
organization skills.

Saturday like I said started out hot and ended very very wet and cold.
Amongst all of it, we practiced our dance (no worries we got
permission) for our ward activity on Thursday. We also had a run in
with a friend who was having some issues with the word of wisdom so
that was an adventure for sure. After we went and visited with a
member and then went home, showered, and studied.

Sunday we had our friend from Thursday night come to church!!
MILAGRO!! Then we had two menos activos come to church and our recent
convert!! Such an awesome day. And it was fast Sunday and oh man I
just love fast Sunday. So spiritually filling.

So my thought this week comes from some reflecting I did this week.  I
was looking through my old letters to my mission President because I
was curious about what I wrote about at the beginning of my mission.
Wow. I forget how hard those first few months were. But at the same
time, I look back and then look at where I am now and I see A LOT of
growth. Sometimes it's hard to see when you're living in the moment,
but when you look back to see where you were, that's when Heavenly
Father is like, "LOOK!!" It reminds me of the quote from Elder
Holland's talk from just last weekend,

"Leo Tolstoy wrote once of a priest who was criticized by one of his
congregants for not living as resolutely as he should, the critic
concluding that the principles the erring preacher taught must
therefore also be erroneous.
In response to that criticism, the priest says: “Look at my life now
and compare it to my former life. You will see that I am trying to
live out the truth I proclaim.”"

Am I a perfect missionary? No. Am I perfect disciple of Christ? No.
But am I trying, as this priest did, to "live out the truth I
proclaim"? I would say absolutely yes. Are we perfect people? No. But
are we trying to be better everyday? Yes. And that's all the Lord asks
of us. I'm grateful for a Heavenly Father who teaches His children
about eternal progression and encourages us instead of tearing us
down. I love this gospel and for this opportunity to immerse myself in
His work. The gospel is true. I know it. I live it. I love it.

Have a great week. Love you all.

Hermana Twede

Made paella this week....I'm almost a Spainard.

Back scratches still going strong. My roommates prepared me for this life :). 

Look and Live

HEYOOOOO!!!

Wow what an incredible week it has been!! I'll leave the best for last
and jump right in. So Tuesday we went to ELCHE!!! Every transfer we
have the opportunity to go for their district meetings so we did that
this week. It was awesome and we had a good time with Elder Tabilo's
district! After, we ate and then stole Hermana Lake and Hermana Rust
from their area to come do intercambios. I had a really good talk with
Hermana Lake that afternoon and we got to teach English class!! It was
really fun. I've missed teaching English class.

Hermanas Rust and Lake

Wednesday we had a great morning with Hermana Rust as we continued our
hunt for community service (a little more luck but nothing promising).
Then we went and ate with some members and  had a great Noche de Hogar
with our Relief Society President, a menos activa, and a non-member.
It went really well and we got some horchata at the end so that was
cool.

Thursday Hermana Bailey and I had a great weekly planning session and
set some great goals and talked about how we can be better as a
companionship and just be more focused on the work. That afternoon we
did some contacting and saw some miracles with being in the right
place at the right time. Then that night we had a really good Noche de
Hogar with some members and we talked about Plan de Área with them.
Plan de Área is a plan made for Europe to help build self sufficiency,
missionary work, and family history. It's AWESOME!! I've loved
teaching about it because it helps the members actually set goals and
carry them out. So we did that with this family and had them fill out
their cards and make plans on how to share the gospel with their
friends. It was awesome.

Friday we had DISTRICT MEETING and Hermana Bailey and I gave a taller
on contacting and it went really well. Then after, we stole the
Hermanas López and Valdez from their area and did intercambios. I was
with Hermana López for the afternoon and she is such a máquina. Saw
some milagros with members, with eachother, and just had a really good
afternoon. We taught a recent convert who has a lot of struggles but
just loves the gospel so much and every time I teach him I just feel
such a love for him. I love this work. And these people.

Hermanas Lopez and Valdez

Saturday I was with Hermana Valdez and then it was CONFERENCE!! Such
an incredible session Saturday morning!! As well as Sunday. We had 3
sessions of conference on Sunday and it was so great. In between
sessions we made banana bread and then had hot dogs and lots of other
food for lunch/dinner.

Hot dogs vs. Missionaries. If this was the game of BYU vs. USU this last weekend,
hot dogs-USU and missionaries=BYU. Our QB's (Elders) had a rough game too.

But CONFERENCE!! I could go on for DAYYYYYZZZ about how good it was. I
still feel so spiritually filled with it all. There were some themes I
noticed: family, service, and THE BOOK OF MORMON!! All of the
missionaries were commenting on how it wasn't a coincidence that
President Monson talked about it last conference and that multiple
apostles talked about it this conference, mainly President Nelson.
Some may wonder why it's so important to read the Book of Mormon. If
you don't know then I suggest you go read it, then you will feel the
power of that book and how it teaches us about salvation. Something
that Elder Holland said to us in our conference with him a few weeks
ago was, "In the last days it will come down to defending the Book of
Mormon and the prophet Joseph Smith." I don't find it a coincidence AT
ALL that apostles and prophets have been inviting us over and over
again to read and pray about the Book of Mormon. I'm recommitting
myself to read attentively everyday the Book of Mormon and to pray
about its truth. I invite everyone to do the same. Like President
Nelson said, it's not enough to believe it's true. You have to feel it
in the depths of your soul, to the point where you can't  live one day
without it.

Hope you all have a great week. Love you all and be safe.

Hermana Twede

Lemon Bars

Conference Squad

Don't wash your floss with your clothes...not healthy.

Took them to the Pantano de Elx today!! #PdaySuccess