Week 11 - Mother's Day Skype

A screen shot from our Skype!

A word from Mom…

     

     What an amazing Mother’s Day. Getting to talk to Tristin was so great! He looked wonderful and seemed to be in really good spirits. It was so fun to hear that laugh of his and chat back and forth. We had Skype all set up with him on the big t.v. so that all of us would be able to see him. The kids really enjoyed seeing their big brother, he is such a wonderful example to them. He also had a piece of advice for the older 2 kiddos. He told them to always put family before friends…that he wished he would have done that a little more. It is amazing the changes we can already see in him, he seems more mature and his perspective on what’s important definitely seems to be a bit different. It was also nice to see that he was still himself, laughing and joking around.  What a blessing technology can be. I will be honest…ending that call was extremely difficult but I really feel so grateful to have had that time with him! I want to thank all of you for reading this blog and supporting Tristin through prayers, letters, emails, and thoughts.

A little Mother's Day selfie...

Hey guys!!! 

     Well just to start off, it’s raining outside, actually it’s pouring with thunder and lightning… my day’s just getting better and better! This week has been really good. We met a lot of new families and they are just so awesome!! 

     Something that’s been difficult has been just finding my own groove in the mission which is always hard. Something that I have been working on and is getting better has been having patience! This week I had to take a look at a lot of things for myself... when I would try to learn the language I’d just get so frustrated about not saying it right and it would bring me to tears. I would pray and pray to have patience and it just seemed like nothing happened. Until one day when the other elders had one of their investigators get baptized …and wow, when he came up out of the water it was like everything clicked. Things will come in their own time, God knows what He’s doing and He knows what He wants you to be. Something that really helped me see this was a Mormon message called The Will of God or the Parable of the Current Bush. It really changed my perspective so much. I began to see miracles like it was nothing… they all came with such power. I know difficult times will come but just hold on tight to that iron rod and you'll come out just the way he wants you too.

     We met with our mission president and our whole zone on Wednesday. It went so well! We had a training on some better ways to teach and then the people that are leaving bared their testimony and it was so heart touching. It really gave me a new motivation for it all.

      Favorite part of my week was Mother’s Day!  I got to talk to my family and that went so amazing! I miss them so much! They really are what keep me going through this. As well as all of you who are supporting me through this right now. 

     I know serving the Lord will bless my life and my family’s so much. I know this church is true and that families can be together forever. 

To all the moms that read this happy late Mother’s Day!! 

Love you so much! 

~Elder Tidwell

The Oregon crew in Tejas (Texas) Elder Grasse from Salem/Eugene and Elder Spragg from Salem!
They knew one another before they came out!! Crazy!

Two of the best sisters in the zone!

A group shot from Zone Conference

There is this family tree set up out here, it's kind of hard to explain...your trainer is your "Dad" and his trainer is your "grandpa" and so forth. This would be my "Nephew"  Elder Noreaga. 

This is Elder Pesci my "Uncle".

Me with Elder Spragg on the exchange.

A little service...Helping with Mother's Day flowers at the church.

One just for my Mom...well a picture of one at least. 

Happy Mother's Day Mom!

Look what came in my cereal box!!