tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36931406266420488572024-03-04T20:31:26.994-08:00Elder S. Twede: Mexico City Chalco MissionShawn Twedehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13205251611965991965noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693140626642048857.post-4334117633990827272014-08-01T17:02:00.000-07:002014-08-01T17:02:16.473-07:00Week 51: What a week!<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">I feel like I always start out my letters by saying "what a week". But man... What a week! Overall I feel like it flew by, but there are moments that I think back on that seem like an eternity ago, I get brain cramps if I think about it too much because the time just doesn't make sense. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">I've felt somewhat a lot of weight this week. People have a lot of problems in their lives and they all seem to confide all of their problems with the missionaries. Sometimes I find it somewhat crazy that so many people put so much confidence in a 20 year old. But then again, they aren't really putting their confidence in me but in who we represent. But I still feel like me and sometimes I start to feel a bit burdened. After one day this week I especially felt a lot of weight from all the problems that people have in their lives. So many people that I love and want to help, but I can't make everyone that we teach live the gospel. If only they knew... but anyways. We returned home after a particulary hard day and I'll admit.. I was on the verge shedding a few tears. The scripture in Matthew 11 came to my mind that says,</span><br />
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<br />"28 Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.<br /> 29 Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek andlowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.<br /> 30 For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light."<br /><br />I prayed a lot that night that I would be able to keep pressing forward and more than anything be able to feel his love and then got in bed. The next morning I felt a peaceful relief and was able to work normally all day, and it was actaully a pretty good day! We had 11 investigators come to church! But that night we went to teach one of the investigators that came to church for her first time. She asked why she felt like crying in church and I feel like my prayer was answered in this very moment. I can also say that I really feel like I recieved the promise in D&C 84,<br /><br /> 85 Neither take ye thought beforehand what ye shall say; but treasure up in your minds continually the words of life, and it shall be given you in the very hour that portion that shall be meted unto every man.<div>
<br />I started talking without thinking beforehand of what I was going to say, but I was being taught in the very same moment. I gave an example of how when we don't see a loved one for a long time, but when we finally reunite we feel like crying. It's the same with our Heavenly Father, we feel far from him at times in this life, our spirits long to be in his presence again, when we feel the spirit it's like that reuniting.<br /><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="border-left-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-left-style: solid; border-left-width: 1px; border-right-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-right-style: solid; border-right-width: 1px; margin: 0px 0.8ex; padding-left: 1ex; padding-right: 1ex;">
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I felt the spirit so strong as I bore my testimony, but I feel like that moment was meant more for me than for anyone else. I felt the love of God and it was exactly what I needed. I feel so blessed to be able to be in his service and I'm constantly learning so much every day. </div>
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As for other things in the daily life of a missionary in Chalco. We have little worms growing in the water tank so when we shower we are constantly flicking them off our bodies, well have to get that cleaned. I found another bed bug, who knows how many more there are. The cockroaches have come out to play. That's about it :) Vive la vida en Mexico!!! </div>
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I love you all! Keep up the great work in familysearch! That's awesome that you're all so active in that now! I can't wait to join in the fun when I get back :) </div>
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Next week I'll be going to Teotihuacan! So I don't know how much time I'll have to write... </div>
Shawn Twedehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13205251611965991965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693140626642048857.post-3857935104248768572014-08-01T17:00:00.000-07:002014-08-01T17:00:01.191-07:00Week 50: The most eventful year of my life<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">I don't really feel like I have a whole lot to say this week. I think the mission life is just seeming super normal now and it's hard to remember what happened in the week because nothing sticks out in my mind. But that's also a bit of a worry of mine. I don't want the mission to just become a routine that I just live day in and day out. </span><br />
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I've been thinking back a lot now that I'm nearing the middle of my mission on all the things that I've learned and how much my life has changed in one year, and I still have a whole year ahead of me. I'll admit that it still intimidates me at times, but I'm also super grateful for a whole year more of experiences and memories that I'll have. There has been so much that has happened in this past year I can hardly believe it, definately the most eventful year of my life. </div>
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One thing that I have learned in the mission, and that I still have a load to learn about it, is how the spirit works in our lives. It's a lot more subtle than I always thought it was. I have had very spiritual experiences before the mission where I have felt the influence of the spirit, but I always kind of took for granted the gift of his constant companionship that we receive after we're baptized. In the sacrament prayer it ends with "that they may always have his spirit to be with them." This is the promise we recieve if we partake of the sacrament worthily every week, we will have his constant companionship. </div>
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I've really started to think about that promise and question "how am I recognizing the constant guidance of the spirit in my life?" As I have focused more on this question, I have come to realize how truly the spirit is a <i>still small </i>voice<i>. </i>The truth is, I can't say that they spirit has ever tried getting my attention by yelling, or hitting me across the head with a 2x4, it has most occasionally come by thought or feeling. Thoughts and feelings can be pretty powerful at times, but never overpowering, the spirit will always respect our agency. Our capacity to act on the promptings of the spirit shows our level of faith. We must learn to pay heed to every prompting no matter how large or small, important or seemingly insignificant it may seem, He will always lead us in a better path. </div>
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If there is one large change that has taken place in me during my mission, it would be that I have come to better understand what the spirit is in my life and how it truly is my constant companion. Not just in moments of need or urgence, but an unfailing friend that guides constantly. </div>
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I love you all! The boating trip looks like it was a blast! Thanks for all the pictures! </div>
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Until next week,</div>
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Shawn Twedehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13205251611965991965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693140626642048857.post-54255103921702955242014-07-14T16:56:00.000-07:002014-08-01T17:05:34.972-07:00Week 49: Ankle deep water didn't bother us<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Sometimes things don't always go perfect. It has been a good week, just people don't want to commit themselves to anything, in specific a baptism date... We've tried with several people but they reject. But they really like everything that we teach, they come to church, they read the Book of Mormon, they pray, I guess we just haven't found their real needs because they're all great investigators. We normally have about 8 investigators in the church each </span><span class="" data-term="goog_1759691799" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" tabindex="0">Sunday</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">, but none of them have baptism dates, they're all starting to turn into eternal investigators... But this morning we had our zone conference and they talked about setting dates, hopefully we'll be able to change a few things this week. </span><br />
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It's so cool to see how excited the people that just got baptized are! Juan and Jaime both received the priesthood and are super gung-ho about magnifying their priesthood. I can still remember perfectly the moments that we contacted them, and I'm pretty sure that I'll be able to remember the rest of my life! I really can't express the joy that I have felt seeing them change their lives and live the gospel. </div>
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It has started to rain a lot again, and we had lost our umbrellas (don't worry, I finally got another one today!) But we have gotten pretty wet a lot lately. One day this week it started raining super super hard while we were teaching a lesson, we finished the lesson but decided to wait just a bit to see if it would let up at all. It didn't so we decided to go for it. After we left suddenly all of our last three appointments for the day fell through and we were soaking wet, but somehow these moments seem to be my favorites in the mission. We started walking around helping random people sweep water out from their patios before their houses flooded. People at first are always a bit hesitant to accept help from us and say that we'll get wet in our nice clothes, but then they´d see that we were already soaking wet and walking in ankle deep water didn't seem to bother us, so they couldn't really say no. </div>
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It has been another fun week in the mission and I'm ready to take on another one! Thanks for all of your support and emails! I love being able to sit for just a bit and read from all of you. You might think that you don't have a whole lot to say and that your lives are dull, but it's just about one of the most interesting things for a missionary to read about cleaning out the garage or that mom cut someones hair. Dead serious. I could read it over and over again all day, but don't worry I don't! I do have plenty of other things to keep me busy :) I love you all so much!</div>
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Shawn Twedehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13205251611965991965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693140626642048857.post-29421894978175333572014-07-07T19:02:00.000-07:002014-07-14T19:02:44.834-07:00Week 48: Changes<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Yesterday was stressful as we waited for the call about the changes. It has been such a great two cycles and we have so many great investigators that I really didn't want to leave... And being companions with Elder Sanchez has been great. But the call yesterday never came... I started packing my bags while we waited because I was pretty sure that I would be the one leaving because I have more time here and all. Early this morning the call came and... WE DON'T HAVE CHANGES!!! Elder Sanchez and I get to be with each other for another cycle in San Isidro! I'm super excited! I couldn't have asked for anything better, these next six weeks are going to fly by!</span><br />
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As for this week, we had another baptism! Juan finally got baptized! He put it off for a bit because he wanted the support of his family. His whole entire family ended up coming to his baptism service! It was super spiritual and the most powerful baptismal service that I've attended. I really can't describe the joy that I felt that night, it's the moments like that that really make me love the mission. </div>
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We've started teaching two preachers of another church and it's really interesting in the lessons as we really have to use the bible a lot. But what really gets me excited is that they're actually reading and praying about the Book of Mormon! I've really come to have a lot of confidence in that book! When someone really reads it and prays about it with real intent, I have no doubt that they'll be able to recieve an answer that it's true. The last time that we were teaching I felt impressed to ask what they do to help someone in their church with someone that has serious addictions, because we had taught a few people in the week with serious serious addictions. Turns out that they worked in a rehabilitation center for years and we were able to talk for a bit about it. I must admit, that it's one of the hardest things for me to see in the mission. A lot of these people have lost all sense of purpose in their lives and they're completely engulfed in their addiction. </div>
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<span class="" data-term="goog_1955056990" tabindex="0">On Sunday</span> Juan who just got baptized and Jaime who got baptized last week both recieved the priesthood! They're super excited to be involved in the church and are always studying a ton to understand things better. It's been so cool to see their progression from the start when we contacted them in the street to where they're at right now. It's seeing being change like that that makes the mission so rewarding. The mission is so full of ups and downs, but the good moments sure do outweigh the hard. I've met so many amazing people that I'm sure I´ll have connections with them for the rest of my life! </div>
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I hit 11 months today, that seems like so much! I can't believe that I'm at this point already, it just keeps slipping by! I've got a lot I want to do before it all comes to an end! </div>
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I love you all so much! Thank you for your letters and support! </div>
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Shawn Twedehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13205251611965991965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693140626642048857.post-42319608517539144032014-06-30T15:19:00.001-07:002014-06-30T15:19:52.689-07:00Week 47: A great feeling<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">This week. Let's see. Where to start. Well we baptized that family that we have been teaching for about three months! They were the first people that I was able to see from the very start! It's a great feeling when you can see all the changes that the people make in their lives and in their families so that they can get baptized and follow the gospel. I've felt so blessed in these past three months! They have flown by and I can't believe that Elder Sanchez and I only have one more week together! But we're going to make the most of it!</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">We've really started to have a ton of success in these past few weeks! We have so many people to teach that are super prepared to hear the gospel! At the end of every day we get back to our house and crash into bed, but super happy because we have so much to do to keep us super busy! I've really started to love the work now, before I enjoyed it, but now I have a passion for going out and teaching people. It probably helps that I almost speak Spanish more easily than English... I actually don't have a lot of confidence when I write home, I just assume that the majority of my English and writing is horrible. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I've learned a lot about the faith in these few weeks. It's so much more than just a belief in something that we can't see. Ether 12 holds so much in the teaching of the doctrine of faith. The one thing that has really caught my attention in the chapter is verse 14</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial; border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px 1px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">14 </span><span style="color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px;">Behold, it was the faith of Nephi and Lehi that wrought the </span><span style="color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px;">change</span><span style="color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px;"> upon the Lamanites, that they were baptized with fire and with the </span><span style="color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px;">Holy Ghost</span><span style="color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px;">.</span></span></span></div>
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Part of my responsibility and our responsibility as members is to have faith to help other come unto Christ. If I work without faith, not as many people will be brought to the truth. So much depends on our ability to act in faith to bring others unto Christ and have the sufficient faith that they'll be able to be converted. When we have that belief that it will be possible for someone, we act so that it will actually happen. Putting full confidence in the Lord, not doubting, we will see miracles. I can testify of that!</div>
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I love you all so much! Thank you for you letters! Time is really flying and before we know it we'll be sharing these stories in person!... That almost scares me.. ;) Gosh I love the mission!</div>
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Shawn Twedehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13205251611965991965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693140626642048857.post-37404565260315816222014-06-23T17:23:00.000-07:002014-06-23T17:23:06.380-07:00Week 46: It all turned out perfectly<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Incredible week! We had so much work cut out for us, but it all turned out perfectly! We have been planning to go to the temple visitors center with the ward and bring some investigators. We first presented it to the ward as just a few people, but then it started to explode and they rented a bus with 40 spots! We ended up having 14 investigators and 19 members, most of them being recent converts. It was super powerful, but the best part of it all was Miguel!</span><br />
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To give a bit of background on the story. Earlier this week Elder Sanchez and I had decided to fast because we felt like there was someone that we could find that is prepared for the gospel. We decided that we would fast at the end of the week and also fast for our temple trip so that everything would go well. <span class="" data-term="goog_1160692319" tabindex="0">Saturday</span> we started the fast and that night we received a text from a number we don't know asking what time church was at. We called the number and asked who it was. It was Miguel, a contact we made in the street at night right before we went home about two months ago. </div>
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Right before church started he actually showed up! I didn't get to talk to him much before because I was playing the piano. But in the gospel principles class he shared why he was there and it suddenly hit me that he was the one that we were fasting for! I had almost forgotten that we had planned to find someone with our fast, I was to focused on the whole temple trip. We hadn't invited him to go to the temple with us, but right before church ended I asked him if he was doing anything after and he said that he was free. We invited him and he said that he nothing better to do and hopped onto the bus. </div>
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It was amazing having so many investigators at the temple visitors center. When we arrived the front desk called in the whole force of sister missionaries to help out. They split us into groups and they all headed off. Elder Sanchez and I didn't get to join as we tended to one of our investigators that didn't want to enter, but that's a story for another time. </div>
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The tour ended at the children's area and we stood outside with Miguel talking. The sister missionaries came out to talk with him, when they questioned how much time he had been learning from the missionaries I told him that just today. Their eyes got really wide and they looked at one another as if scheming something up and communicating it to each other without words (I'll never understand how girls can do that) then they said that they wanted to show him something special and walked off with him leaving us behind. </div>
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Afterwards we were gathering everyone up to go see the Joseph Smith video and when we found the sisters they told us that Miguel has a baptism date for the <span class="" data-term="goog_1160692320" tabindex="0">20th of July</span>! I can't remember what I responded... I don't think I said anything... I was a little bit awestruck. But this morning we went out to eat with him and he's really excited! I now really have a strong testimony about fasting!</div>
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I'm super tired, but super happy! The mission is super fun, but super stressful but I'm loving every moment of it! I just want to say after these two years that I gave it my all! But man.. There's a lot of work to do between now and when I'll be able to say that. I love you all so much! Thank you for your letters! I look forward to reading them every week! </div>
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Elder Twede</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">Getting off the bus at the visitors center</span></div>
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Shawn Twedehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13205251611965991965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693140626642048857.post-64423008587954963772014-06-17T18:57:00.000-07:002014-06-17T18:57:13.618-07:00Week 45: What a privilege<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Can I just say that I really love the mission! It's absolutely the hardest thing I've ever done in my life, but the most rewarding! I always knew that the mission was important before I came, but I've learned so much here about what it is that I'm really doing! In </span><span class="" data-term="goog_947241988" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" tabindex="0">Sunday</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> I got to speak in church about *drum roll* Missionary work! I used the talk by President Uchtdorf titled "are you sleeping through the restoration?" I prepared a nice long talk and ran out of time in church to give it all... I actually only gave about a fourth of it. So I'll share a bit with you guys to make up for it :) </span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">There are so many things that I love about this talk! He starts out to talk about how today we are living in the restoration and that it didn't end with Joseph Smith. We will continue to prepare the world for the second coming of Christ. He said </span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">"This is one of the most remarkable periods of the world’s history! Ancient prophets yearned to see our day."</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">What a privilege we have to be living at this time. I believe that we were prepared in the life before to come to this earth in this specific time to fulfill a specific purpose. We must have anticipated for our moment to come here, but as we passed through the veil that purpose suddenly wasn't as clear and now we easily get distracted. I love the self reflecting question that President Uchtdorf asked</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">"When our time in mortality is complete, what experiences will we be able to share about our own contribution to this significant period of our lives and to the furthering of the Lord’s work? Will we be able to say that we rolled up our sleeves and labored with all our heart, might, mind, and strength? Or will we have to admit that our role was mostly that of an observer?"</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">I know what I want to be able to say. Especially when I'll be able to remember how I was prepared before I passed through the veil and if I fulfilled my purpose. I don't want to have to admit that I just sat on the sidelines watching. </span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">OH there's so much more that I want to write about this talk., but once again like in church... Time restrictions ;) I invite you to all read it again! I especially like the part when he talks about the first and great commandment. </span><br />
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This <span class="" data-term="goog_947241989" tabindex="0">next Sunday</span> we're planning a trip to the temple visiting center and we hope to bring about 40 recent converts and investigators! I really hope that it all works out! Extra prayers would be appreciated for everything to run smoothly and for everyone to show up. </div>
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I only have three more weeks of training Elder Sanchez... It's going to be a sad day when we have to part ways. I've really enjoyed these last nine weeks with him! I'm sure that I'll make a lot of lifelong friends out here. </div>
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I love you all so much. And happy fathers day dad! All the family trips look like so much fun! I look forward to being able to go on those again with you guys! </div>
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Elder Twede</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">The truth is... I don't know what's going on either... so don't ask. </span></div>
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Shawn Twedehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13205251611965991965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693140626642048857.post-88251421383780118572014-06-10T10:12:00.004-07:002014-06-10T10:12:35.313-07:00Week 44: Loving my mission!<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Hey I'm still alive no worries! I just didn't have a chance to write earlier today because we went on a trip as a zone on a hike to some waterfalls. It was super pretty and it was really nice to get away from the noisy city for a bit. I don't have much time to write today... But I'll try getting something written really quick. </span><br />
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This week was great! We finally had over 100 contacts and we keep finding people that are super prepared to be baptized! At this point everyone we find can't have a baptism date until after the changes, so I don't know if I'll even be here. I would really love to stay in this area for another cycle because one more cycle here and we would probably have a ton of baptisms! But I know that that's not what's important that I'm the one that gets to baptize them, but I gotta admit, I sure would like to. It's interesting how all of my friends now are adults that have kids, but they all come to 19 and 20 year old kids for advice. Sometimes people ask us such personal questions that I start wondering if I'm really qualified to give advise in the subject. But then again I'm not really the one that's giving the advise, it's amazing how the spirit can bring thoughts to the mind right in the moment when it's needed. </div>
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I know that a ton of things happened this week.. but I can't remember it all right now... I don't like being rushed when I write...</div>
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Today was a great P-day! We hiked up to some waterfalls and it was super pretty. I got a ton of great pictures! It reminded me a ton of when we went on our Oregon trip as a family and we took a ton of pictures on our hikes. My funny picture side even came back out and the whole hike I was scheming up goofy pictures that I could take. I had forgotten how beautiful the world can be.. I really miss trees! It was pretty funny because when we were on our way up the mountains in the bus, there started to be trees on one side of the road. All of the missionaries jumped to the one side of the bus and started taking pictures of the trees through the windows. Yep. It's a bit sad. But it just reminded me of how beautiful Utah is and how blessed we are to live in such a beautiful place. </div>
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Well I'm going to try uploaded some of the pictures now. I love you so much! and sorry that I don't really have a message in this letter, it's more just of a report... But everything is great and I'm really loving my mission! It's really flying by! </div>
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I love you all so much! I look forward to reading your letters tonight!</div>
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Love Elder Twede</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">We've pretty much contacted all of the people in my area. We've resorted to this now. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">You know that you're in Mexico when the pizza has beans and chilies </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">It starts</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">It was a really cool hike. We followed this canal all the way up to the falls!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5fW3lJwaqiqQmqjqRrHQ0a-ofDS5Fb_8UYU_KpJ2hqhPzTgJtIjjWulX4ouKkthR9wKUNOKTfQ523K-Jo7dogv1tcX_cS6Z9AbHymudzkXn37DzVBkE7YIUrh_289XbmRDx6RtPmTAR8/s1600/7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5fW3lJwaqiqQmqjqRrHQ0a-ofDS5Fb_8UYU_KpJ2hqhPzTgJtIjjWulX4ouKkthR9wKUNOKTfQ523K-Jo7dogv1tcX_cS6Z9AbHymudzkXn37DzVBkE7YIUrh_289XbmRDx6RtPmTAR8/s1600/7.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">AHH I miss green! It just doesn't exist in the city. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidM1k_eMI_BDQPQ8Qw1CZmnl2-RL3bq5PyAb73kkaaid1pYzmJrw6_mDbZJwddXi1OOk4NJETj_PVKqhqEIahP1_raDN3XxOQqNB_NRKkdY6bYrlYJJ_GMdbC7ZwNgxf1ZNN-8-zFgZy4/s1600/8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidM1k_eMI_BDQPQ8Qw1CZmnl2-RL3bq5PyAb73kkaaid1pYzmJrw6_mDbZJwddXi1OOk4NJETj_PVKqhqEIahP1_raDN3XxOQqNB_NRKkdY6bYrlYJJ_GMdbC7ZwNgxf1ZNN-8-zFgZy4/s1600/8.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">Super companions</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj8JpWcq5InrzZy3HYoELYsGXK_AU_BTaCXvPXtprhtlYgFTs4fHxO8x8345G8_h7wawjtVr_IxoIGHdSG1k9a4_lO66P-wqIxGIiFgi7wDd7jx16VqwveQMAv9J0HjJaEc7WASiwFJSQ/s1600/10.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj8JpWcq5InrzZy3HYoELYsGXK_AU_BTaCXvPXtprhtlYgFTs4fHxO8x8345G8_h7wawjtVr_IxoIGHdSG1k9a4_lO66P-wqIxGIiFgi7wDd7jx16VqwveQMAv9J0HjJaEc7WASiwFJSQ/s1600/10.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">My feet got wet here...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijLfvtXdCGRS_MXLV3A_MNDjRYVoIoIx69XV8M2smiOSP7kWoeZsZGcvfOL1KmJZjgb5N8dcUghcQukcD9xpekT-N3zQp3GMoGtJb6ItBAf16V2uMfz0kKMHJ7cznD0fdn0WCBdRMQkCk/s1600/11.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEijLfvtXdCGRS_MXLV3A_MNDjRYVoIoIx69XV8M2smiOSP7kWoeZsZGcvfOL1KmJZjgb5N8dcUghcQukcD9xpekT-N3zQp3GMoGtJb6ItBAf16V2uMfz0kKMHJ7cznD0fdn0WCBdRMQkCk/s1600/11.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">Let's make this waterfall a bit bigger!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKl1PncsoIKeAs3NnUyl14JjeGr6JTXxaKVpfM6ikSDjtWPCUEQYauHvwC0rXsuDnEaa0-UroG6L-xuf1HnceP77IvyYKd8WlnIT1kK0NwacD745I7TKIGxRljgZX_nHMdGbfC2ohKjLQ/s1600/12.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKl1PncsoIKeAs3NnUyl14JjeGr6JTXxaKVpfM6ikSDjtWPCUEQYauHvwC0rXsuDnEaa0-UroG6L-xuf1HnceP77IvyYKd8WlnIT1kK0NwacD745I7TKIGxRljgZX_nHMdGbfC2ohKjLQ/s1600/12.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">Rest break. Good thing this dog followed us.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">Just plain beautiful</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzrf3XAMTFF9I1SYVTSehUgpa60ryOLQd7P72C1-mqlFak7SSM2IQJ7Kt9S6wLogFQnNlr56Blpokcudhzdx8_z8VuRaj27skD2-zv6rWWN7L2uQvzK4k7UhgK9wpcYLdih21khjL1HU/s1600/16.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglzrf3XAMTFF9I1SYVTSehUgpa60ryOLQd7P72C1-mqlFak7SSM2IQJ7Kt9S6wLogFQnNlr56Blpokcudhzdx8_z8VuRaj27skD2-zv6rWWN7L2uQvzK4k7UhgK9wpcYLdih21khjL1HU/s1600/16.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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Shawn Twedehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13205251611965991965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693140626642048857.post-37788916350784381802014-06-10T09:30:00.002-07:002014-06-10T09:30:35.406-07:00Week 43: I continue to learn every day!<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">The mission can really be a roller coaster, but hey I love roller coasters :) This week has been great! But there is always opposition in all things, so when things are at there best, there always tends to be the worst. I can't say that I have felt down in anyway this week, but it was a bit rough for my companion. We have been really excited about our baptism date this 7th of June, but his last Sunday he didn't make it to church, so we have to put it off another week. Not the end of the world, but I think it kind of started to stress my companion out. </span><br />
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But this week really was great! We found 8 new investigators and a lot of them have a lot of potential! We had a lot of opportunities to teach the restoration this week and I really really love teaching that lesson to people that are prepared by the Lord. You can see the spirit working in them the whole lesson, and when we invite them to get baptized at the end of the lesson many of them eagerly accept. The hardest thing here is getting them to understand the importance of keeping the Sabbath day holy. But when they really have a testimony of the restoration, everything else seems to come easily.</div>
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Mexico can be pretty noisy sometimes. Sunday morning people started shooting off fireworks in the road in front of our house. They weren't just any fireworks either, they were those bright flash bombs that are super loud... They started at <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1482975691" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">5:00</span></span> in the morning and went until <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1482975692" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">7:00</span></span>... It's always sad to lose precious time to sleep on the mission, especially an hour and a half. </div>
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We've been getting a lot of rain this week, and Elder Sanchez and I both lost our umbrellas... So we've gotten a bit wet. But hey, wife point huh? ;) yep Bryce, there are wife points in Mexico too. Whenever we get wet in the rain we gain more. If we drop our scriptures... well it's bad.. haha I actually don't know a whole lot about the wife point dealio. But I'm pretty sure I'll have it fine afterwards. :)</div>
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Oh the mission is just wonderful. I love it so much! I've learned so much and I continue to learn every day! Another month has slipped by and.. I really have no clue how it passed by so quick. I almost feel like every week when I write I say a month has passed by! </div>
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I love you all so much! Thank you all for your email! They're my favorite! </div>
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Love Elder Twede</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">Went and got my haircut today with Elder Sanchez. We think we're funny when the haircuter walks out for a few seconds. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">We took a small trip to paradise today.</span></div>
Shawn Twedehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13205251611965991965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693140626642048857.post-48808364466400547582014-05-26T17:44:00.000-07:002014-05-26T17:44:25.139-07:00Week 42: So Many Great Stories<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Another week has slipped by! We had stake conference this
weekend and I was able to enjoy it a lot more than the last one because I was
actually able to understand what was being said. It was a super powerful
conference and some very interesting this were said. The stake president at the
end got up and talked about how Elder Holland said the spiritualness in the
church among the saints is declining. I don't know if he meant the entire
church or just here in Mexico. But then the president presented a plan for the
stake to help the members have the spirit present. As a missionary is great
because he basically laid out a lesson plan that we can use with all the
members when we visit them. During the conference a bird got into the chapel
and was flying around the whole time. I was nervous that it was going to fly
into one of the fans and... well you can imagine why. </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;"><br />
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<span style="background: white;">Contacting people in the streets can be really
fun! The best ones that I'll probably always remember are when we're actually
able to talk for a bit and they don't just walk away. I contacted a lady with
her little son and she didn't seem very interested and she was just about to
walk away when her little boy screamed and ran and hid behind her. She asked
what happened and then he pointed at me and asked "why are his eyes
blue?" I started talking with him and told how I was born this way and
then I asked him if he would like if we came to his house to visit. He asked if
my eyes would still be blue and I told him that we would just have to find out.
He looked up at his mom and she asked him "well?" He nodded and we
ended up getting their home address. </span><br />
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<span style="background: white;">We made another contact where the guy went off
on how we're a cult and all that fun stuff. I've never really studdied this
topic exactly, but suddenly I had a scripture in the bilbe for everything he
said. It got to the point were he nothing to come back with and finally just
made up a scrpiture and said "in the bible Jesus said that man will never
see God again" we asked him where it says that and... well he had read it
once. I decided that it was useless to try showing him scriptures when he was
just going to make up his own. He did give us his address for a visit, but he
told us that we can only talk about truths from the bible. I think that would
be great. </span><br />
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<span style="background: white;">Contacts really are one of my favorite things in
the mission! At first they were really hard, and I still have to try really
hard to do 20 every day, but so many great stories come out of them! Just
imagine how many people I will have talked to after two years of this!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">In stake conference they showed a video of a guy
that randomely served other people but didn't really get anything in return
except that he felt good. It was a beautiful message about how we should seek to
serve others, and the scrpiture came to my mind from Ether 12</span><br />
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<span style="background: white;"> 4 Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might
with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of
God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which
would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in goodworks, being led to
glorify God.</span><br />
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<span style="background: white;">This one guy in the video was making the world a
better place by doing small acts of service. Later in the same chapter in
Ether, Moroni goes on to teach about faith and how it's this perfect hope that
we have for this better world. As it says in James 2</span><br />
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<span style="background: white;">17 Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead,
being alone.</span><br />
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<span style="background: white;">Therefore if we truly hope for a better world,
we better get up and do something about it. And if we truly have faith, we'll
be out "always abounding in goodworks" being that change in the
world. Faith is more than simply a passive belief in Christ. True faith brings
about goodworks. </span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">We're already half way
done with training Elder Sanchez! I can't believe that we've already been
companions for six weeks! But I'm excited to have six more with him! It's nice
knowing that I don't have to go to the transfer meetings tomorrow. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I love you all so
much! Thank you for all of your support and letters! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Que Dios les
bendiga. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Elder Twede<span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">I thought Bryce's and my scaffolding was a bit sketchy in our work. This takes the cake.</span></div>
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Shawn Twedehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13205251611965991965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693140626642048857.post-82119456118247565912014-05-26T17:40:00.002-07:002014-05-26T17:40:26.882-07:00Week 41: Faith in the Mission<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; color: #404040; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">This week seemed really
long for some reason, but at least it was a good week so I guess that it isn't
really a bad thing that it was long. We're still finding new investigators and
we're starting to teach more people. Right now we have 5 baptism dates! The 7th
and 28 of June! Pray that everything goes well for the investigators to prepare
for their days!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #404040; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">So I've been learning a
whole lot about faith in the mission. It has seemed to be the main thing talked
about when we have zone conferences or anything like that. We can work super
hard, but without faith we're not going to see a whole lot of success. But when
we really have faith, we will see miracles, like those great stories in the
Book of Mormon. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #404040; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Ether 12<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #404040; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">"13 Behold, it was
the faith of Alma and Amulek that caused the prison to tumble to the earth.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #404040; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">14 Behold, it was the
faith of Nephi and Lehi that wrought the change upon the Lamanites, that they
were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #404040; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">15 Behold, it was the
faith of Ammon and his brethren which wrought so great a miracle among the
Lamanites."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #404040; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">What really jumps out to
me is that their faith was able to bring about a change in the Lamanites.
Without Faith Nephi and Lehi wouldn't have been able to convert so many people
to the truth. But what is it that we have faith in that brings about these
miracles. For me lately it has been faith that the Lord really can change a
persons heart. I've seen that it would be possible to convince someone to come
to church long enough to get baptized, but convincing will never bring about a
lasting conversion in someone. I have to put my faith in the Lord to convert
those that we're teaching, and rely less on my own words and ability to teach.
The more that I've gained this perspective, the more blessed I have felt with
opportunities to teach people that the Lord is preparing. It really is the most
exciting thing when we find someone that is prepared by the Lord, I sometimes
almost feel like we don't have to do anything because they just accept
everything we teach. It's super fun though. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #404040; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">The mission simply put.
It's hard. But oh so rewarding! Everyday bring it's own set of challenges, but
also it's own set of blessings. Packeges being one of them ;) but really. The
package was great :) Elder Sanchez loves the granola. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #404040; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">I love you all to
pieces! Talking with you guys on Sunday was such a treat, I'm excited for when
I'll be able to share my stories with you in person without a time limit :) But
until then I'll just keep working hard so that I can have plenty of stories to
tell :) <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; color: #404040; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Love Elder Twede<span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">CAAAANNNDDYY! </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">It was no match for that nail...</span></div>
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Shawn Twedehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13205251611965991965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693140626642048857.post-1257027438395017122014-05-12T17:49:00.004-07:002014-05-12T17:49:51.961-07:00Week 40: Skype was the best!<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I love you guys! Skype was the best! It did feel a bit weird right after as I was walking across a bridge and could see across Mexico and it hit me again that I'm not in Utah. But I'm still happy to be here :) Seeing everyone was great though! The kids all look and sound like they're growing up so fast! It's only been 9 months and Jaicee sounds a ton different! </span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I don't really know what I'm going to write today, I kind of talked about everything yesterday.... And it's kind of hard to think right now because there's a fair in the street right outside the internet cafe and the really like to blast music. And I mean BLAST. It sounds horrible too because all the speakers are blown out. </span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span class="" data-term="goog_1040910966" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" tabindex="0">On Saturday</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> I went on exchanges with my district leader in his area. It was weird after having trained for the last four weeks and making most of the decisions, and then going to someone else's area and just following them around all day because I didn't know where anything was. I realized how much more tiring it really is to be training after seeing the contrast for a day, but I'm loving training! </span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">So I read the scripture in Alma 37:6-7 this week that says,</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> "6 Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> 7 And the Lord God doth work by means to bring about his great and eternal purposes; and by very small means the Lord doth confound the wise and bringeth about the salvation of many souls."</span><br />
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I started thinking about Joseph Smith and how he was a simple farm boy that didn't have a whole lot of education. But through a simple young boy the Lord brought forth his marvelous work. The faith of 14 year old Joseph to put himself as an instrument in the Lords hands brought forth the restored church that even the most "wise" cannot confound. </div>
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In applying this scripture to myself I realized that I don't have to have a degree in biblical studies to be able to teach well. I feel like a pretty "small and simple" thing in this big world. Just one little Elder trying to communicate in Spanish in an unfamiliar culture. But I know that if I rely on the Lord, through "small and simple things" (me) He'll be able to work great and marvelous things. </div>
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It's been an amazing 40 weeks of my life, I only have 64 more... I have a lot I want to learn before that day comes! Better get to work :) </div>
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Love you all :)</div>
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Elder Twede</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">This is what my street has looked like all week long</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">The electrical shower head. Everything I was taught as a child is a lie!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">The volcano!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">Facebook profile pic please :)</span></div>
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Shawn Twedehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13205251611965991965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693140626642048857.post-33978859346678201122014-05-12T17:38:00.001-07:002014-05-12T17:38:59.402-07:00Week 39: One of Those Tender Mercies<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Great week! We have really started seeing the fruits of our efforts to contact a lot of people. We found 7 new investigators this week and have other contacts that are big potential that we just haven't been able to visit yet. In church on Sunday we had a family of five come and Juan who was that contact that I mentioned in last weeks letter. Juan is one of those tender mercies of the Lord to be present to teach him. He's originally Catholic but said that he has been searching for a new church recently. He started talking with his neighbor who is a Jehovah's Witness but said that he just feels different with us. He's excited to share the little that he has learned with his family too, hopefully this one contact can branch out into an entire family!</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">In my daily studies it continues to be evident to me that everything in the message of the gospel is central in the atonement of Christ. I came across a scripture in Moroni </span><span class="" data-term="goog_1040910951" style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" tabindex="0">7:24</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> that really added to my understanding of the importance of the atonement.</span><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" /><br style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">"24 And behold, there were divers ways that he did manifest things unto the children of men, which were good; and all things which are good cometh of Christ; otherwise men were fallen, and there could no good thing come unto them."</span><div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">
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It hit me that every good thing we have, every little tender mercy we enjoy in our lives, all comes as a result of the sacrifice that Christ made for us. Because of our fallen state we are incapable of being worthy of even the smallest of blessings, but as it says in the verse "all things which are good cometh of Christ" he made it possible for God to have mercy on us in our fallen state. As it says in Alma 42:15</div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">"15 And now, the plan of mercy could not be brought about except an atonement should be made; therefore God himself atoneth forth the sins of the world, to bring about the plan of mercy, to appease the demands of justice, that God might be a perfect, just God,and a merciful God also."</span><div style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">
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This plan is perfect. We are the ones that just have to choose to follow it. If we want his blessings, we have to follow his rules, or commandments. The mission truly has helped me gain a testimony of the love that our father in heaven has for us, his perfect plan is the greatest testimony of that love. </div>
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As hard as the mission can be (Anyone that has served one can relate to the difficulty) The things that I have experienced and learned I wouldn't trade for anything! It really has been one of the greatest blessings in my life to be able to serve a mission! I can't believe how fast it is all flying by! I remember when I got here and talking to other elders that had 9 months and thinking that they were so old, in mission years that is ;) I can't say that I feel very "old", but I have learned a whole lot since the day I arrived in Mexico. </div>
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I can't wait to talk to everyone on skype! I can't believe that 5 months has already passed since we last skyped! We're already almost halfway through this year! But don't worry mom, you will be getting your private time on the phone :)</div>
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I love you all! Talk to you next week :)</div>
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Love Elder Twede</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">I think we had a visitor while we were out working. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">We helped paint someones patio in our district leaders area for some service</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">The buildings just never end!</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-AvTTizEj-127ejbCZ_wRKVReaWRCI2ioEfTiYHPZNffKgFJ1PYhSR3HRfGAsivEHflRNDlNytQRs34KLG3ANOZsWzKezuMNaA843a7ViRWrrrnid_YUaHHMny9X_f4rUpGSFcaCzlqo/s1600/FSCN4419.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj-AvTTizEj-127ejbCZ_wRKVReaWRCI2ioEfTiYHPZNffKgFJ1PYhSR3HRfGAsivEHflRNDlNytQRs34KLG3ANOZsWzKezuMNaA843a7ViRWrrrnid_YUaHHMny9X_f4rUpGSFcaCzlqo/s1600/FSCN4419.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">Crashing in bed after a hard days work</span></div>
Shawn Twedehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13205251611965991965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693140626642048857.post-65251643562698689462014-04-28T13:57:00.001-07:002014-04-28T13:57:28.311-07:00Week 38: The fruits of our efforts<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Weeks fly by when you're having fun! This week we really started to see the fruits of our efforts in contacting. We found some great people to teach and we're hoping that we'll end this cycle with some baptisms! Every day when we get home and finish planning we crash in bed, but it feels so wonderful to return home without a single regret in the day. </span><br />
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As I mentioned last week, the dreaded bed bugs have returned. They haven't infested to the extent that they had in my last area, but still annoying. I think that we'll be able to handle them, but for all the red itchy spots on my legs I'll just have to endure that until they fade away. </div>
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Every day this week we seem to see or experience something very unique or different. Just little things, but things that don't happen every day. While we were walking down the street one day a bird flew into a window right in front of us and fell to the ground. 5 seconds had not passed before dogs came running from every direction. Another day we saw about 15 drunks passed out on the sidewalks, I don't know what the big event was, but they looked like they had quite a fun night *insert sarcasm*. Among other things that I'll save for the stories to tell in person after I return :) Don't worry, nothing dangerous, just things that I want to tell in person :)</div>
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My mind is all kind of a blur right now, I don't really know what to write. A lot has happened, but I don't know what I should write. </div>
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My spiritual moment this week (there are many, but here's one) We were walking down a street that we have never walked down on our way to an appointment. When I felt like I should contact an older man standing outside on the sidewalk in front of his house. I pulled out a card of Christ and did the normal spiel, he listened intently and excepted a visit. Normally we put an appointment for another day to return, but I felt the need to ask if we could visit in 30 minutes. We had an appointment right then and they never are only 30 minutes with investigators. But we put the appointment and then heading on our way to our next investigator. Turns out she wasn't there, so we ran back and were able to teach the restoration. He's super humble and probably one of the most prepared people to hear the gospel that I've taught in my mission! He accepted the baptism challenge and is excited to start coming to church this <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1659285342" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">next Sunday</span></span>! It's such a privilege to be able to teach people like that in the mission! </div>
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I really am enjoying my mission so much right now! It's hard work and all, but I'm super happy! Thank you for all of you emails! They really are super fun to read! Until next week! I love you all!</div>
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Love,</div>
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Elder Twede<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">Reading emails from home.</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">Father and son!</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">¨Is it any coincidence that the Oxford Dictionary recently proclaimed “selfie” as the word of the year?¨ </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">President Dieter F. Uchtdorf </span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">My shoes that I finally took in to get new soles. About time. </span></div>
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Shawn Twedehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13205251611965991965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693140626642048857.post-41586316823795396592014-04-21T18:26:00.002-07:002014-04-21T18:45:18.350-07:00Week 37: I love training!<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">What a week! Possibly the best week of my mission yet! I love training
so much! Especially training my companion elder Sanchez! He's super super
awesome and we're working super hard! He's pretty much the perfect missionary
and is super obedient. We get along super well and have had a bunch of great
moments this week. You're all probably interested to hear about the earthquake.
Yes. We did feel it. It was the most bizarre feeling in the world. We were
sitting there studying in the morning when suddenly I felt like I got really
dizzy because the whole room started swaying back and forth. But once I saw my
companions face I realized that I wasn't the only feeling seeing it. I grabbed
my camera and we ran outside the house. You can't really see how much it was
moving in the video I took, but it felt like we were on a boat rocking back and
forth. They reported that it was a 7.2, I expected that a 7.2 would feel a lot
bigger... But I can now say that I experienced my first earthquake, I must
admit that it felt way cool. The rest of the day my companion and I were saying
that we wished we could feel it again. But it's probably better that it doesn't
happen again, it shook up some of the people here pretty bad.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">So I've talked about how making contacts has been something hard for me
to do in my mission, well not anymore! We have practically talked to every
person we see all this week! It's so wonderful! Now we just hope that we can
find where some of the people live this week so that we can start teaching
them! It's taking a bit of work to get the area up and running, but we're already seeing differences in
the ward and we have a lot of potential investigators. Elder Sanchez is super
humble and ready to serve the people here. He's constantly asking me what I
think we can do to help specific people and it's clear that he already has
developed love for the people in the mission.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">We've discovered that we've been sleeping with our little friends again.
At this point I almost don't even care that there are bed bugs in my bed, when
we get home I'm so ready to sleep that it's the last thing on my mind. But my
companion was a bit squeamish so we ended up putting chairs by my bed and both
sleeping on my bed with our legs out on the chairs. It's wasn't the most
comfortable night, but like I said, sleep is sleep and that's all that really
mattered ;)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">I've learned a lot about how to follow the promptings of the spirit this
week. A lot of the time we try to express how we feel when we feel the spirit
with our five physical senses. But the more that I've come to recognize the
spirit, the less it's associated with how I physically feel. In Doctrine and
Covenants 9:8 it says:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"But, behold, I say unto you, that you must study it out
in your mind; then you must ask me if it be right, and if it is right I will
cause that your bosom shall burn within you; therefore, you shall feel that it
is right."<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The way that it says that we will receive an answer or feel the spirit
is that our bosom will burn, but more importantly, we will "feel"
that it is right. First it compares it to what we physically feel, but then
that it's a feeling of truth within us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br />
<span style="background: white;">In Heleman 5:30 it says:</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"And it came to pass when they heard this voice, and
beheld that it was not a voice of thunder, neither was it a voice of a great
tumultuous noise, but behold, it was a still voice of perfect mildness, as if
it had been a whisper, and it did pierce even to the very soul—"<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">The people in this story first relate it to something that they heard
like a voice (Physical) but then go on to say that it pierced "even to the
soul". To really learn how to listen to the spirit we must learn to listen
with our spiritual ears more than with our physical. When we really learn how
to recognize the spirit that is how we can truly be converted as it says in
D&C 6:23<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">23 Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter?
What greater witness can you have than from God?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">When we pray for an answer or seek the guidance of the spirit, it may
not be some grand vision that we receive as an answer. More likely it will be
peace that we feel, this is what we need to learn to recognize as the spirit
working in our lives. Once we're able to learn to recognize that simple peace
we will find the guidance to do great things. As it say in D&C 2-3</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="background: white; font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">"2 Yea, behold, I will tell you in your mind and in your
heart, by the Holy Ghost, which shall come upon you and which shall dwell in
your heart.</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><br />
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<span style="background: white;"> 3 Now, behold, this is the spirit of
revelation; behold, this is the spirit by which Moses brought the children of
Israel through the Red Sea on dry ground."<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Moses in
these moments most likely didn't have some sort of grand revelation. He had
learned how to recognize and listen to that simple peace by which the spirit
speaks and was able to free the children of Israel. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">If we learn
how the spirit speaks to each one of us individually and that most likely it
isn't some grand manifestation, we'll be able to find that perfect guide in our
lives. I have greatly felt the influence in my life this week. I'm excited to
see where it will lead me through my life :)</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Love you all!</span><span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13.5pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";">Elder Twede</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, sans-serif; line-height: 115%;">Changes</span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif";"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Shawn Twedehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13205251611965991965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693140626642048857.post-10783386920236218372014-04-14T20:56:00.001-07:002014-04-14T21:01:58.382-07:00Week 36: A Pretty Incredible Experience<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: #222222;">Well this cycle comes to an end. Tomorrow are the transfers and I'll be senior companion and training! Yep! I'm gonna be a father! I still don't know who I'll be training, if he's a Mexican or an American. But I'm just excited to be training! Of course there are a bit of nerves... He'll be looking to me to know everything, and the fact is I still don't know a lot of things. But I'm excited because I know that I'll be learning a ton this next cycle. All I hope is that my new companion has the desire to work hard and everything will be great :)</span></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">This week we had a pretty incredible experience with our recent convert Beatris who just barely got baptized. They didn't go to any of the conference sessions and we were </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">concerned</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> why, so we dropped by </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_139675069" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">on Tuesday</span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> to find out. Omar (husband of Beatris) came out to greet us and when we asked how things were going he said "mas o menos" and told us that they were having some issues at the moment. We asked if we could talk with his wife and when she came out she was pretty emotional. Turns out that they are having </span>financial<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> issues. My companion invited them to pray and study the scriptures, and if they did so with faith they would find their answer. </span></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">The next day came and we started the visit out by watching the talk by David A. Bednar in this last conference. It lead to a great discussion and the spirit was super strong. Elder Reyes </span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">extended</span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> the invitation that they could share their testimonies in church the following </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_139675070" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Sunday</span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">, and then Beatris said something that made my heart drop. "I won't be able to come to church </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_139675071" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">this Sunday</span></span><span style="color: #222222;"><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">."... What? We just had a super powerful discussion about relying on the Lord and keeping his commandments, and you're telling us that you don't plan on coming to church? We asked her why and she told us that the night before she had read a scripture and felt that she received an answer, the following morning she </span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;">received</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> a phone call with a work offer over the weekend. We asked her to share the </span><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">scripture</span><span style="font-family: arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"> and she opened to D&C 59. When she opened to that section I got a bit confused as to what kind of answer she had </span>received<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">. She read </span></span></span><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">verse 13 "And on this day thou shalt do none other thing, only let thy food be prepared with singleness of heart that thy fasting may be perfect, or, in other words, that thy joy may be full." and then told us that she believed she needed to fast. We both sat there just kind of smiling and told her to read from verse 9.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">"9 And that thou mayest more fully keep thyself unspotted from the world, thou shalt go to the house of prayer and offer up thy sacraments upon my holy day;</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> 10 For verily this is a day appointed unto you to rest from your labors, and to pay thy devotions unto the Most High;</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> 11 Nevertheless thy avows shall be offered up in righteousness on all days and at all times;</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;"> 12 But remember that on this, the Lord’s day, thou shalt offer thine oblations and thy sacraments unto the Most High,confessing thy sins unto thy brethren, and before the Lord."</span><br />
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She sat there for a while and then said " I know what I need to do" </div>
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<span class="aBn" data-term="goog_139675072" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">On Sunday</span></span> they all came to church. She had turned down this job opportunity so that she would be able to keep the Lords commandments. I learned a lot of different things from this experience. </div>
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1. We can always rely on the scriptures to help answer questions. I'll admit that I doubted a bit when my companion said that if she prayed and then opened the scriptures she would find an answer. I will never doubt that again. If we truly seek an answer from our Heavenly Father with faith, all things are possible. </div>
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2. Satan can even tempt us with what appears to be a blessing from God. If anything requires us to do something contrary to the commandments of God, it simply is not from him. He will never bless us in a manner that will require us to break one of his commandments. Beatris believed that she had received a blessing with this job offer, but her blessings are yet to come. She first had to make the sacrifice, but because she chose to turn down the job offer in order to keep one of Gods commandments, I have complete confidence that the true blessings will come now. </div>
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3. That my faith still lacks a lot. I have so much to learn in relying on the Lord in all things. This whole experience has helped me strengthen my faith! We really can rely on the Lord to fulfill all of his promises, if first we do our part. </div>
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I'm excited to go into this next cycle with a new companion. Especially someone that is new in the mission! I hope that we can see more miracles like this one. </div>
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I love you all so much! Thank you for your love and support! I chuckled to hear the family is finally going on a trip with the Simpsons while I'm on the mission. I hope that you all have a wonderful time! Take lots of pictures for me! The play looked like quite a success from the pictures! That sure would have been a fun one to be in. I definitely plan on continuing theater when I get back! </div>
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Love Elder Twede<br />
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<span style="font-size: 13px;">My hero pose when I found out that I'm going to be a dad! (going to train)</span></div>
Shawn Twedehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13205251611965991965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693140626642048857.post-69727074390671681632014-04-14T20:46:00.003-07:002014-04-14T20:46:34.365-07:00Week 35: Conference was FANTASTIC!<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">I am now done with 1/3 of my mission. That's really weird to think about! Today I was talking to a missionary that is in his first cycle and was giving him a bunch of pointers and then realized ¨I remember talking to a missionary that had 8 months when I got here and thinking that he had been here for a long time.¨ It really has passed by super fast!</span><br />
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Today we had our mission wide fútbol tournament, this time my zone didn´t win... But I still had fun. I made sure to put on sunscreen this time so that I don't wake up tomorrow looking like a lobster. I'm not very good at playing fútbol yet, I guess I haven't eaten enough beans yet ;) </div>
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So, conference, or missionary superbowl as Bryce calls it. Seems pretty appropriate, except for I've never seen a superbowl so I wouldn't know ;) As always conference was FANTASTIC! The opportunity to listen to the counsels of the prophet and apostles is such a blessing. The first hour of the first session was in Spanish because they hadn't set the tv up before hand, but I'm at the point where I could pretty much understand it all, but it's still always better to hear the prophet and apostles own voices. Us English speakers get treated pretty well as they set up a TV in the high counsel room and we get the big soft chairs, a lot better than all the hard chairs in the chapel. </div>
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One of my favorite talks was by Elder Ballard. He spoke of how everyone should study preach my gospel and write the missionaries about what they are learning. Some of the most enjoyable letters I have received while on the mission have been about what you are learning in your studies and experiences. It brings me so much joy, as the scripture says when Alma met up with the sons of Mosiah</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">¨therefore </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Alma </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">did </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">rejoice </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">exceedingly </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">to </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">see </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">his </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">brethren; </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">what </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">added </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">more </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">to </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">his </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">joy, </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">they </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">were </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">still </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">his </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">brethre<wbr></wbr>n </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">in </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">Lord; </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">yea, </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">and </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">they h</span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">ad </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">waxed </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">strong </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">in </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">knowledge </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">truth; </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">for </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">they </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">were </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"><wbr></wbr>men </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">sound </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">understanding </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">a<wbr></wbr>nd </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">they </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">had </span><sup style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 1; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">b</span></sup><a href="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/alma/17?lang=eng#" rel="https://www.lds.org/scriptures/footnote?lang=eng&volumeUri=bofm&bookUri=alma&chapterUri=17&noteID=2b" style="border: 0px; color: #486fae; line-height: 22px; list-style: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;" target="_blank"><span style="border: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">searched</span></a><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;"> the </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">scri<wbr></wbr>ptures </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">diligently,</span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">that </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">they </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">mi<wbr></wbr>ght </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">know </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">the </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">word </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">of </span><span style="border: 0px; color: #2f393a; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">God.¨</span></span></div>
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As my life at this moment is filled with opportunities to have spiritual and faith building experiences, I hope that my loved ones back home can enjoy the same opportunities to grow and progress in the gospel. I pray every single night that you can all have moments to increase your faith and love for the gospel. What would truly give me joy would be to hear of those moments in your letters :) </div>
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Another talk that really caught my attention was Elder Henry B. Eyring on the importance of our heritage and the heritage that we leave behind. It brought me to thinking about my heritage, and the truth is I don't know the exact story. I know that I have a strong heritage from both sides of the family, but maybe you could send me some of the stories Mom and Dad? I would love to read them :)</div>
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Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf´s talk on ¨don´t sleep through the restoration¨ was simply wonderful! This truly is a time that we would greatly regret later if we don't now fully participate. I feel such an honor to be able to serve in this day and age, the church really is moving forward in highest gear! We can´t even afford to take a quick nap right now! Or we´ll be left behind. </div>
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I had so much more that I wanted to write about what I learned in the conference, but I left my notes at home... </div>
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A lot of the times that we go to teach investigators, we're the ones that end up being taught. Our golden investigator right now Ruth is a single mom of 6 kids. Only the two youngest live in the house with her right now, but the rest all live with their families in the same block. I don't know the specifics of what happened, all I know is that her husband left her. But as we started the lesson with the prayer I was humbled to see someone so forgiving. She started the prayer thanking the Lord for her blessings, and than asked for specific blessings for her run away husband. Even though he hurt her badly, she still managed to not only forgive, but express love for this man. It was a humbling experience for me as I reflected on maybe some of the people that I should more easily forgive. </div>
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I love you all so much! Thank you for the letters and support! Until next week.</div>
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Elder Twede</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">THIS. Is a mango</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">Eating between conference sessions. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">High council room watching conference.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">Our semi-annual fútbol tournament. Our zone was the only one that didn't get the jerseys. We played in white shirt and tie. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">My twin brother Elder Huefner. We we're both trained together.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">My zone</span></div>
Shawn Twedehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13205251611965991965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693140626642048857.post-51063646353738292682014-03-31T17:31:00.000-07:002014-03-31T17:31:27.012-07:00Week 34: Like an ironing of my life<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">What
a week! On Saturday our golden investigator and her daughter were
both baptized by her husband! Their daughter is 8 years old so she isn't
officially a baptism by the missionaries, but she turns 9 tomorrow. If we
would have just waited one week I could have had one more baptism ;) haha Just
kidding, what matters is that she got baptized. It was really a beautiful
baptism service with three other people from other missionaries. Afterwards all
five of the people that got baptized shared their testimonies, Saori (the 8
year old) shared hers last and pretty much brought everyone to tears. The
testimony of a child is so pure. She said that she was happy to be baptized a
few days before her birthday, but that she knew that what was more important
was that she was doing the Lords will. Sometimes we think that kids are to
young to understand these types of things, but we should never assume. On
Sunday I had the privilege of confirming Saori, I'll admit that it's still
a little hard to give blessings mainly because I have to talk in Tu instead of
Usted, which is just the way you address a person. But giving blessings is
always such an amazing experience, especially when you get to say ¨receive the
Holy Ghost¨.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">On Friday we had splits with my district
leader. He came to my area and worked with me, I really miss working hard. We
packed in the the day and nearly did half of what we've been getting done in an
entire week... I love that feeling after a long hard days work and just
crashing in bed without a regret on your mind. I have learned a lot from the
cycle though! I've really improved on my ability to teach and speak Spanish!
I'm just excited to really apply what I've learned with hard work with my next
companion. I was a bit surprised with Elder Harrison who speaks English that I
was never really tempted to start talking in English with him, we made it
through the whole day pretty much only speaking Spanish! </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">So with some of the things that I've seen with
the members in this area I've been studying why it is that we have trials even
when we aren't doing anything wrong. I came across this scripture in Mosiah 23.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> 20 And it came to pass that they did
multiply and prosper exceedingly in the land of Helam; and they built a city,
which they called the city of Helam.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> 21 Nevertheless<b> the Lord seeth fit
to chasten his people</b>; yea, he trieth their <b>patience </b>and
their <b>faith</b>.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> 22 Nevertheless—whosoever putteth his
trust in him the same shall be lifted up at the last day. Yea, and thus it was
with this people.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> 23 For behold, I will show unto you that
they were brought into bondage, and none could deliver them but the Lord their
God, yea, even the God of Abraham and Isaac and of Jacob.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;"> 24 And it came to pass that he did deliver
them, and he did show forth his mighty power unto them, and great were their
rejoicings.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Sometimes the Lord see´s it fit to try our
faith. But this only gives us the chance to put more trust in him so that he
can ¨deliver¨ us. As it says in Ether 12.</span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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27 And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto
men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men
that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and
have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them.</span><br /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">
</span><br /><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">
When we teach people we promise them blessings, but that doesn't mean the
trials won't exist. I've seen at times people abandon their testimony because
they face a trail when they thought that they would receive blessings. But if
they would only recognize that during the trial is when they most need the
blessings. Why do people so readily abandon their greatest source of help and
strength when they most need it? It's a question that I don't think I'll ever
be able to find an answer. Only that Satan has his devices to deceive and fool
man to believe that blessings cannot be present in life when there are trials.
But on the contrary! Often we're eligible to receive more blessings as we
endure holding strong to our faith. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I can testify of this
fact. This has been the most challenging cycle I've had in my mission, but I
have clearly enjoyed more blessings in this time than any of my other time. I'm
grateful that the Lord see´s this time fit to try my patience and my faith so
that I can increase it. The mission really is like a ironing of my life, just
taking out all of the wrinkles. Sometimes the heat burns a bit, but that's when
it's able to take out the biggest of wrinkles. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Thank you for all of
your support! I love you all! Until next week. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Love Elder Twede<span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">The baptismal font. The hardest part is getting down inside. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">Just kidding it's the water tank that wasn't pumping any water the day before the baptism... A bit stressful, but everything worked out</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">Cleaning the bathrooms right before the baptism. After the church not having running water for a week... let's just say they were horrible...</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPnABLDIGVQeIYdRbXTVn9IllwU_sowNWTdiXpMUQAE0e8F9jMKs8DbNs3UEi8KYHUVplufLG872vF1eCvpA0LELv6wzuDxk4B4-O34LKpukPE2M5xF5zPFHnhfICgbQH_IBGAu1C4QLI/s1600/DSCN4216.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPnABLDIGVQeIYdRbXTVn9IllwU_sowNWTdiXpMUQAE0e8F9jMKs8DbNs3UEi8KYHUVplufLG872vF1eCvpA0LELv6wzuDxk4B4-O34LKpukPE2M5xF5zPFHnhfICgbQH_IBGAu1C4QLI/s1600/DSCN4216.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">Jesus and I, he's a really good kid.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">Baptism! This picture looks a bit squished for some reason... I swear I'm not that chubby!</span></div>
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Shawn Twedehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13205251611965991965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693140626642048857.post-34889285856445169582014-03-24T17:21:00.000-07:002014-03-31T17:21:49.344-07:00Week 33: Days keep rolling by<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Let's hope that this email doesn't get erased while I'm in the middle of writing it like last week. </span></span><br />
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This week kind of flew by really fast! I don't really remember if anything very interesting happened. I saw a giant dead horse in the middle of the street.. that was a little bit unusual.</div>
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Oh! some great news is we're going to have a baptism this Saturday! Everyone pray that it all goes through! You never know what can happen right before a baptism. Her name is Beatriz, her husband is a member and he's going to baptize her! I've really enjoyed teaching her, she has such a strong testimony. It's really an amazing experience when you can watch a testimony grow in someone and then when they share it with you it helps your own personal testimony grow. I'm super excited for this Saturday!</div>
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So I'm super glad that I have those piano books from my seminary teacher! I use them so much! Every time we have a meeting with the mission I get to play for the whole mission, the president really likes the If You Could Hie to Kolob song. I've actually gotten a lot better at the piano in the mission, which I wouldn't have expected. But I have to sight read a lot more because everyone asks me to play things on the spot, so it's probably a result of that. </div>
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At the start of this week I did a leg workout... I've been super sore since. We have to cross this bridge pretty much everyday, those stairs have become my arch enemy. just a note to self, remember that as a missionary I have to walk a whole lot. No more extreme leg workouts. I'm also finally getting over having some sort of fungus on my hands. I basically lost a whole layer of skin on both of my hands. When people asked what I had I just told them that I was a leper, it looked pretty fitting. </div>
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That's about it for this week. Days keep rolling by super fast. I can't believe that I'm almost 1/3 done with my mission! I have a lot of work to get done before these two years end! Thank you for all of your love and support! I love you all!</div>
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Love,</div>
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Elder Twede</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZbLledfRtHznfI6aJP_LjuWXVPLGeKg8a7NjlEUk7FTLFDHqmCk2_8iU_Sjj-RF0D9MdXw9vUY14oWW1oGsV-x3gjBKimXEqxoXQivu7Q3DNmIZRS-2to7TeWv4RaXfwKDHRBxuUYbpk/s1600/DSCN4196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZbLledfRtHznfI6aJP_LjuWXVPLGeKg8a7NjlEUk7FTLFDHqmCk2_8iU_Sjj-RF0D9MdXw9vUY14oWW1oGsV-x3gjBKimXEqxoXQivu7Q3DNmIZRS-2to7TeWv4RaXfwKDHRBxuUYbpk/s1600/DSCN4196.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">Tianguis. The street market that they set up every Friday in my street. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsXRHg7uijbZrQZLnP3pUGuv7I3PbhEujGkZBhTR0vGGva8brxb34vGEKwRwAvQjiCUZc7hU4iRvgonZLOcQEIXyM5EfKnCaUO0UbHmkq23eGUMASXN1a4MARGIdbh4nGCS2bm9hVJDuM/s1600/DSCN4198.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsXRHg7uijbZrQZLnP3pUGuv7I3PbhEujGkZBhTR0vGGva8brxb34vGEKwRwAvQjiCUZc7hU4iRvgonZLOcQEIXyM5EfKnCaUO0UbHmkq23eGUMASXN1a4MARGIdbh4nGCS2bm9hVJDuM/s1600/DSCN4198.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; text-align: start;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">The hamburgers that a member family sells right outside our door. They feed us for free every now and then. </span></span></div>
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Shawn Twedehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13205251611965991965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693140626642048857.post-71696795354812276942014-03-17T17:13:00.000-07:002014-04-14T20:20:08.160-07:00Week 32: I'm starting to figure it out<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Ok... so I was just about to send the email and.. well.. It's gone... I don't know what happened... So sorry if this week is a bit short... man.. I don't want to start over...</span><br />
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Well.. as for my area, I'm starting to figure it out a bit more. The directions that people give us are a bit difficult at times "go straight for three streets and then turn left and go straight four more streets and then turn left. It's the house with the green door." When we get there there are usually about three or four green doors. About half of the streets are dirt and I'm pretty sure that I'm going to have to buy new shoes.</div>
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We have some amazing investigators! Sister Beatriz is super golden! In our last lesson with her we taught the Book of Mormon and we asked if she could close with the prayer and ask in the prayer in the Book of Mormon is true. When she prayed she said "I don't really need to ask if this book is true because I already know."... Those are the moments that all missionaries dream for! The spirit was super strong and the conviction in her voice made it clear that she really does have a testimony. </div>
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I am getting a lot better at speaking Spanish with my companion and I'm getting a lot better at teaching. There are some people that think that I have more time here than six months because my accent. But if they really have a full on conversation with me they usually figure out pretty quick that I've only been in Mexico for six months.</div>
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It is crazy that yesterday I hit six months in Mexico! It still seems weird to me that I'm in a different country. But to say I've lived here for six months seems even more weird, it is flying by thought! There are times when two years seems really short. </div>
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I had more things written before I know it... but I can't remember... I hope everything back home is going well. I love the pictures that you send me! Tell grandpa I love him and he'll be in my prayers. That operation looked pretty nasty. </div>
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Adrie. You look like a young women. I hope you make it into the play! that would be super awesome! and Connor good luck! you guys are awesome! </div>
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I love you all so much! Thank you for all your support and letters, they're pretty much the best things ever. </div>
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Love,</div>
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Elder Twede</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">A member sells burgurs right outside our door at night and sometimes gives us each one for free. Being a missionary really does have it's perks.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb3EdcPcbDBsWqrsTjwYt1FT1YTv_i3t3WeCNhiJq_NmSjYtn2IsB0XNujCV1GpQ5jSWHWoYZ-RGw7M38bT8KygPbdw8lZHuMG68W2oqupuAfAq5fNIFN4gWqHPIVNPFBog25stWfZAyk/s1600/DSCN4177.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjb3EdcPcbDBsWqrsTjwYt1FT1YTv_i3t3WeCNhiJq_NmSjYtn2IsB0XNujCV1GpQ5jSWHWoYZ-RGw7M38bT8KygPbdw8lZHuMG68W2oqupuAfAq5fNIFN4gWqHPIVNPFBog25stWfZAyk/s1600/DSCN4177.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">Here's my house. It's one big room with the bathroom in the corner.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqux-hKLh3TGyrNWi-4XwTlXgIyR64MRpPKZUe_tTmJXpJbFpqeYgy1y42wbjQ4SLP7P0-ND629B6PG-2sBHPt35CvE6TivWYkCPjUOfe-LfYUY4rsxAlruVRAObCew4YNzZPYf2yZc20/s1600/DSCN4181.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqux-hKLh3TGyrNWi-4XwTlXgIyR64MRpPKZUe_tTmJXpJbFpqeYgy1y42wbjQ4SLP7P0-ND629B6PG-2sBHPt35CvE6TivWYkCPjUOfe-LfYUY4rsxAlruVRAObCew4YNzZPYf2yZc20/s1600/DSCN4181.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">Playing soccer at the church</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">Bryce mentioned in one of his letters that everyone is saying that I'm super tan. I thought I'd show you my beautiful missionary tan line. My arms are equally as bad.</span></div>
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Shawn Twedehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13205251611965991965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693140626642048857.post-36877992569522352642014-03-10T17:04:00.000-07:002014-04-14T20:21:49.511-07:00Week 31: "All these things shall give [me] experience"<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Well I'm in a new area and I have no clue where anything is... The streets are all organized differently that my last area and it's a lot harder to navigate. But the ward is pretty awesome from what I've seen! The ward is split into two areas so there are four missionaries here, the other two are the zone leader</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: center;">s. There aren't a whole lot of members in our area, most of them live where the zone leaders are. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">But don't worry! I am happy :) No one can ever take my smile away from me! I'm still working hard and have really felt the support of the Lord this week! Sometimes I feel grateful for some difficulties because I really have felt an outpouring of his spirit. We do get up early to go to the gym every morning! That's one thing that I wouldn't mind keeping after my new companion leaves. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I don't really have a whole lot to write about other than that. It has kind of occupied my mind this whole week. But it really is a great learning opportunity and I'm just going to make the most of it. Sometimes that's all we can do. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I really like that poem you sent me mom from Lyle. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">THE WEAVER</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">MY LIFE IS BUT A WEAVING, BETWEEN MY GOD AND ME.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I LET HIM CHOOSE THE COLORS — HE WORKETH STEADILY.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">OFTIMES HE WORKETH SORROW AND I, WITHIN MY HEART,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">FORGET HE SEES THE PATTERN WHILE I SEE ONLY PART.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">THE DARK THREADS WERE AS NEEDFUL IN THE WEAVER’S SKILLFUL HAND,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">AS THE THREADS OF GOLD AND SILVER IN THE PATTERN HE HAD PLANNED.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">NOT TILL THE LOOM IS SILENT AND THE SHUTTLES CEASE TO FLY,</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">SHALL GOD UNROLL THE CANVAS AND EXPLAIN THE REASON WHY. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: normal;">It really is a beautiful way that the Lord helps us learn and grow in this life. Sometimes it may seem impossible in the moment, but with the knowledge of the Savior and his atoning sacrifice, we know that we can rise above it all. I have always love the example of Joseph Smith and how he alwas endured. As he suffered in damp and cold conditions in the ironically titled Liberty Jail. He supplicated to the father in humble prayer seeking his comfort. The Lords response is nothing less than humbling and inspiring. </span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="border: 0px; line-height: 22px; margin: 0px 1px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; vertical-align: baseline;">"7 </span><span style="line-height: 22px;">And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, </span><span style="line-height: 22px;">or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep</span><span style="line-height: 22px;">; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge </span><span style="line-height: 22px;">up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell </span><span style="line-height: 22px;">shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee</span><span style="font-size: x-small;"><span style="line-height: 13.333333015441895px;"> </span></span>experience<span style="line-height: 22px;">, and shall be for thy good.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">We all will face trial and adversity in this life. But from Gods perspective it is but a small moment that will have it's eternal rewards. I can honestly say that this has been one of the most difficult weeks of my mission. But I also haven't felt the support of my Heavenly Father so much in my life before, and I am grateful for that experience to increase my faith and strengthen my testimony. I know that the coming weeks aren't going to be any easier than this past one, but the truth is I'm excited for the things that I'm going to learn. I came into the mission knowing that I would have some difficult companions, I just continually pray that I will be able to have the Lords perspective in all these experiences that "all these things shall give (me) experience, and shall be for [my] good."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">The Lord has a perfect plan for all of us, we just need to stick to it. In the end the Lord will unroll the canvas and it wouldn't be complete if we weren't given the opportunities that are only found in trails. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I love you all so much! Thank you for your love and support! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Love Elder Twede</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">My last district in my last area. They are all amazing!</span></div>
Shawn Twedehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13205251611965991965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693140626642048857.post-3621128024446840812014-03-03T17:40:00.000-08:002014-03-03T17:40:09.511-08:00Week 30: The end of another cycle<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Week 30 and the end of another cycle! I can't really believe how fast it's slipping by! It seems like just yesterday that I hit six months. This week is all just a blur in my memory right now... and I have my new agenda so I can't look back on what I did or what happened... oh wait. I remember what I wanted to write. </span><br />
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So this week we set a really high goal for contacts in the street. We were determined to have more than we've had in the past. The first few days of the week we did well with our energy and excitement in this goal, but one day we started to fall behind, and then the next day we fell more behind, and then our energy and excitement started to die. There's something about the mission when you know that you aren't doing everything you can to have more success that you start getting really down on yourself. Well, we weren't making contacts like we knew we could, and I started to get down on myself and when that happens it's hard to feel the spirit. At one point we left a lesson that was just that.. a lesson and nothing special.. We were walking down the street and I just asked the Lord in my heart "What do I need to do to be happier and feel the spirit more". I had a clear prompting that I need to contact the two ladies walking towards us, so I did. They rejected us. For a bit I was confused because I really felt like we needed to make that contact, but it soon all became clear why. </div>
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As we continued on our way a guy in the back of a truck called out to me and asked where I was from (happens a lot because I kind of stand our) I told him and tried contacting him, but he didn't want to hear anything more than where I was from. But because we were there at that exact time for that guy to stop us to talk, a mother and daughter we able to catch up to us. They stopped us and told us that they really wanted to learn more about our church and asked "would it be a problem if you could come visit us and teach us?"........ MISSIONARY DREAM COME TRUE!!! We told them that it wouldn't be a problem at all and set an appointmet to visit them the next week. (Sadly I won't be in this area for the lesson...) After that event took place I felt wonderful, walking on cloud 9! But the Lord wasn't done blessing us. No more had we walked 100 feet another guy stopped us and told us his situation about how his wife and children left him because he drank. He was a really sweet well mannered man pleading for help. We wrote down his address and when we shook hands to say bye he said "please don't forget about me." later that night he called us to make sure that we hadn't forgotten about him. It's amazing how one act of faith can bring about so many miracles. </div>
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I know my changed now. <span class="aBn" data-term="goog_278653632" style="border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">Tomorrow</span></span> I'll be going to Valle de Chalco with my new companion Elder Reyes. I don't know anything about the place or the companion. So I'll e able to tell you more ext week :) But I'm excited to finally be able to meet some new people. I've been in this same ward for 5 1/2 months now. My current companion Elder Càrdenas is staying in this area and will be the new district leader! He's nervous but I know that he'll be great. </div>
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This week I don't think I had any crazy things happen to me, or maybe I just don't remember them because I'm getting used to crazy things happening and it all just seems normal now. I ate soggy pig skin in salsa... but that's pretty normal here.. I've just been lucky to avoid it until now. </div>
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Les amo</div>
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Love Elder Twede</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">This ice cream is amazing. They hollow out the fruit, make ice cream out of the insides, and then fill it back up with the deliciousness!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">My favorite little lady here! She has such a strong testimony</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">An awesome family that we helped reactivate and are now preparing to go to the temple together!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">La familia De Anda</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">This family is great! They wash our clothes, they give us lots of food, what more could a missionary want ;)</span></div>
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Shawn Twedehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13205251611965991965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693140626642048857.post-24851234503572668732014-02-24T17:31:00.000-08:002014-03-03T17:44:55.164-08:00Week 29: A bit more of Mexico<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">Sometimes days in the mission start to feel really long and you don't feel like you have enough energy to take another step, but then God gives you an experience that reminds you of why you're here. A lot of times it isn't anything even that big, just a little reminder that I'm not here serving alone, but I have His support. </span><br />
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Friday we went searching for a reference, we knocked on a door and a little old lady answered. We asked if Armondo lived there and she said yes but wasn't there at that moment, we asked if she had a little bit of time to talk but she anxiously said no and closed the door. Later in the day we were walking by and she was outside shoveling gravel into a bag, we ran over to her and offered to help. She said she didn't need our help, but we weren't taking no for an answer! Somehow Elder Cárdenas managed to get the shovel from her and I started talking. She ended up opening up to us and even asked where our church building is and that she'd like to come. She didn't end up coming because she had to work, but it was cool to see the difference in someone when we just started serving. </div>
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We had a special mission conference on Wednesday and they changed the standard of excellence for the mission. Before we were supposed to make at least 25 contacts in the street each week. Now we're supposed to make 20 each day! I can't say that we reached that goal, but we did make improvements this week because of the higher standard. </div>
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This morning we went into the offices and I saw the president, he asked me how long I've been in my area. I told him five and a half months, all he said after that was "pack" and then walked into his office. SO I guess I'll be having changes in week, I don't know where, all I know is I won't be here. Which I guess I'm a bit excited for! I'll finally get to see a bit more of Mexico.</div>
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Thank you for all of your support! I love you all so much!</div>
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Love Elder Twede</div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">Sister Lopez Rivera who helps us with our laundry and always gives us a bunch of food. I haven't grown at all... I just look a lot taller next to most of the people here ;)</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">Elder Cárdenas getting his bag ready for the day. </span></div>
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<span style="text-align: start;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">Elder Bradshaw who was in the MTC with me. We ran into each other at the offices this morning. He's an amazing missionary!</span></span></div>
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Shawn Twedehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13205251611965991965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693140626642048857.post-86464928559904524172014-02-17T23:02:00.000-08:002014-03-03T17:45:22.492-08:00Week 28: A Very Rewarding Sunday!<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 0.0001pt;">
<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Finally
this week things started turning around! We found 5 new investigators and had 9
investigators in the church on Sunday! After 5 five weeks of not having an
investigator come to church it was a very rewarding Sunday! It's a lot
easier to have energy each day when you can actually see the fruits of you
labors.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">This week just all in all was better, it was a
lot easier for me to focus on being positive. And when I'm positive I make
more good memories. I'll probably be able to tell what kind of week I had in
the mission when I read my journal depending on what kind of memories I have in
there. One day when we were teaching one of our new investigators they had a
parrot outside their door and the whole lessons it was talking. Well.. more
like yelling than talking. It had the kid yelling "papa, papa,
papaaaaaa" down! The one that nearly got me laughing while we were
teaching was when it screamed "Perro! AHHHHH!" It was a very entertaining lesson.</span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">One day when we went to eat at a members house,
we were sitting on the couch waiting and their dog ran up and jump onto the
couch next to me with a mouse in it's mouth. But this was just any mouse, I had
never seen a mouse like it, it must be a new breed or something because this
thing was paper thin! I grabbed the dog and it dropped the mouse, my companion
grabbed the mouse by the tail and threw it out the door.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">On Tuesday we had a sneak attack rainstorm that
got us soaked, as we were running down the street to our next appointment I
couldn't help but feel like I was in a temple run game (for you adults that
don't know what that is, just ask any kid that has ever used a smart phone.) We
ran next to the houses that have little ledges that come out over the doors, we
would sprint from one door to the next dodging the little waterfalls coming off
the houses. I really wish that my camera was waterproof, because that was a
very entertaining moment.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">This week we haven't had gas because we keep
missing the guy that comes walking down the street screaming "GAAAASS"... He passes by so fast and we never can seem to catch him
before he's gone around the corner. But this means that we have been bathing
from a bucket all week again. I'll admit that the one thing I'm probably going
to appreciate most when I get back is having a nice bathroom again. That
doesn't run out of hot water. </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">The mission really is a boot camp for ones
faith. Every day it must be exercised in order to really have the success and
strength. Serving a full two year mission would be impossible if one tried
doing it without faith, because this work requires miracles. Miracles come from
God and we must exercise faith in him in order to see those miracles. As it
says in Ether 12:12 "For if there be no faith among the children
of men God can do no miracle among them; wherefore, he showed not himself until
after their faith." Often we pray and ask for a miracle or for simple
blessings with the expectation that we'll receive it just because we asked. But
if we do not do our part to work with what the Lord has already provided us,
how can we expect him to bless us. We must be like the men in Matthew 25 who received talents and doubled what they had received through working and received the blessings of the Lord as it says in verse 21 "His lord said unto him, Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful
over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into
the joy of thy lord." If we are like that of the man who received one
talent and did nothing to improve on that, we will be left without the blessings of the Lord. We must ACT in faith, for faith without works is dead,
not taking for granted the things the Lord has given us. After we have worked
and improved upon our talents from the Lord, the Lord can then give us the
blessings. For "he showed not himself until after their faith."</span></span><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I love this work and
am learning so much every day! I can't believe that I have already been on my
mission for 6 months! I have so much more to do and learn before it all just
flies by! I can really understand now why people that serve missions talk about
for the rest of their lives, it really is a chance of a lifetime. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">I love you all!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: Arial, sans-serif;">Love Elder Twede<span style="font-size: x-small;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggxqrgeUmLopc5hgCUX-htDi5iAU_puM4M27syUtUkemucz9fK5BcWH9mioSh02tD3j9rQEh0eCN0UVcuHSzepxzA7eF8aJ-gpvNFKKvzb-noeeTovyQo8R_GvRwDyqeRq5d_Qq_tNCAo/s1600/DSCN4101.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggxqrgeUmLopc5hgCUX-htDi5iAU_puM4M27syUtUkemucz9fK5BcWH9mioSh02tD3j9rQEh0eCN0UVcuHSzepxzA7eF8aJ-gpvNFKKvzb-noeeTovyQo8R_GvRwDyqeRq5d_Qq_tNCAo/s1600/DSCN4101.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">After running through the rain. You can't really tell.. but I was soaked</span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhon7qd79FryaYczAUXdURnZzxCSyD0WNJd5wOoRj8SD-amcquH-uMIxOALAdIRxdx__i6zYGq0QSY0Cce0U0fJ_KDCQNcKf606seFkGzL_npded-uTc_b5xcoFuzcvP5t5t1Q5_8J5FOU/s1600/DSCN4110.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhon7qd79FryaYczAUXdURnZzxCSyD0WNJd5wOoRj8SD-amcquH-uMIxOALAdIRxdx__i6zYGq0QSY0Cce0U0fJ_KDCQNcKf606seFkGzL_npded-uTc_b5xcoFuzcvP5t5t1Q5_8J5FOU/s1600/DSCN4110.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I know that I looked really weird in this picture... but hey... I was pretty excited to get a valentine of Mexican Candy ;)</span> </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv-q8NCUcC707P1tPII9pbmeGIPwmCoM8mFULqK59zKOIVS621C2wg2PHoPr-7vGd_5EOZH76im8rVOx6O_k23pM3LZxszpg-XasZYxF8NxM-JH1IYzmpSrlwjvzhyphenhyphenVnamKFxwfVt3qo0/s1600/DSCN4120.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv-q8NCUcC707P1tPII9pbmeGIPwmCoM8mFULqK59zKOIVS621C2wg2PHoPr-7vGd_5EOZH76im8rVOx6O_k23pM3LZxszpg-XasZYxF8NxM-JH1IYzmpSrlwjvzhyphenhyphenVnamKFxwfVt3qo0/s1600/DSCN4120.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">Marco Polo! He's an awesome member, he's 20 and has been a member for about 3 years and plans on serving a mission. </span></div>
Shawn Twedehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13205251611965991965noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3693140626642048857.post-390465601613279262014-02-10T17:46:00.000-08:002014-03-03T17:51:56.633-08:00Week 27: I love this work<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">I just have to start by telling you that I shook Elder Oaks hand on Saturday. Yep. I can probably stop right there because that's the coolest thing that happened this week. ;) But I'll write a little more just to be nice. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">This week was a lot better than the last! Probably due to the fact that I didn't feel like my stomach was going to explode. It's a lot easier to work when you don't feel super sick, that's the last time I'll except street tacos from someone. </span></span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">We're still haven't a bit of trouble with our investigators keeping their commitments... Yesterday we didn't have any investigators in church again. It's does get really tiring when people just don't progress. It's just sad to see them have struggles and trials and wonder why, but not make the effort to recieve the blessings. In the conference with Elder Oaks he talked a lot about church attendance. Right now in Mexico is about 1/4 of the members are active, and it's been like that for a long time. It doesn't go up or down, it just sits there at 1/4th. This really is the hardest thing in joining the church for the Mexican people, they just aren't used to attending church every Sunday. It brought me to reflect on my childhood and I'm very grateful to have been raised in a family where going to church and partaking of the sacrement is so important. Even when we went of vacations we always rested on Sunday and went to church. I may not have understood why it was so important when I was younger, but now as a missionary I can really see the difference it makes in someones life when they come to church every week. </span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif;">If you read in 3 Nephi 18 it's when Christ taught the people how to do the sacrement ordenance. In verse 7 it says "And this shall ye do in aremembrance of my bbody, which I have shown unto you. And it shall be a testimony unto the Father that ye do always remember me. And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you." When we partake of the sacrement we are doing it in rememberance of Him and there's a promise in this verse that if we remember him we will always have his spirit. Elder Oaks said in the conference that anyone that wants to follow the teachings of the Savior must have the spirit in order to do so. If we do not go to church and partake of the sacrement, we will not have the spirit with us and we will not be able to follow in his footsteps. When we partake of the sacrement we establish ourselves on the rock of our Savior and when the winds of the world come beating against us we will not fall. If only more people here understood this. </span><br />
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I love this work and what a great opportunity I have now to dedicate 100% of my time to the Lord! It's hard work and it is difficult at times, but the things I have learned and the testimony I have gained I wouldn't trade for the world! </div>
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Love Elder Twede</div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">This is just one of the patios where we are washing our cloths today. I thought I'd take a quick picture to just show what most houses are like. This one is actually really nice! Most are a bit scary looking. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMgOx_RGZNMEXOO3QNp20la6Ujh4UeuKMCCexjICN384wyBHk3hzTBP-jFOaAYY72VqJdJrky9R7MVRf8hyphenhyphen4IcVVpxqHAy58jzkLfNZtxl2IHD19X1FCdRgoawoTQYmIyfhL0D2hWtNZA/s1600/DSCN4060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMgOx_RGZNMEXOO3QNp20la6Ujh4UeuKMCCexjICN384wyBHk3hzTBP-jFOaAYY72VqJdJrky9R7MVRf8hyphenhyphen4IcVVpxqHAy58jzkLfNZtxl2IHD19X1FCdRgoawoTQYmIyfhL0D2hWtNZA/s1600/DSCN4060.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">A typical Mexican meal. Rice. Beans. Spagetti and hot dog tacos... provecho! </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9QHo5EHBRkXd0sqHew7idmoLBBMp-YtZHzU8vkr6ouJ5-bd5AbgG_Z-yLAbjcuCTYt4uxG60_1xWLMK7JdZskYrO5qdG8E7bmvvZG3cWcuIJW3WxoLC__uUuqiCtnxUI5sfXXfsxvsmg/s1600/DSCN4061.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9QHo5EHBRkXd0sqHew7idmoLBBMp-YtZHzU8vkr6ouJ5-bd5AbgG_Z-yLAbjcuCTYt4uxG60_1xWLMK7JdZskYrO5qdG8E7bmvvZG3cWcuIJW3WxoLC__uUuqiCtnxUI5sfXXfsxvsmg/s1600/DSCN4061.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">These things are everywhere! people ride them down the streets selling things.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: start;">Here's Mexican construction for ya. The road is starting to have huge sink holes, so they put these bars in to stop cars from driving on it. But they put them too far apart without measuring so the cars still drove through. Now they just have bags of rocks to do the job. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;">I'm actually sitting in that building right behind that parked car right now emailing! </span></div>
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Shawn Twedehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13205251611965991965noreply@blogger.com0