Week 82 - International Night pictures and video!!

Words from Mom...

So...Elder Tidwell didn't have time to write a group email this week. He did however send tons of pictures!! They had an international night that T said was a ton of fun!! Most of these pics are from that evening. The video was sent to me by a member :)! Thanks for checking in!

Mexico's Independence Day...so we wore red and green.

The Hoods...

Rocking these ridiculous ties the sisters made us wear...haha 

The Rodrigues and Reyes!!

Us with Lourdes

La Fiesta....

Hermana Alcantara...she is so fun and crazy!!

Our table representing America...found the George Washington pic in the church library ;)

Us and the Zavalas

Hermana from H10!!

Bishop and his wife, Our Ward Mission Leaders the Monroys
and Obispos' wife's parents.

Yessica and Carlos...the sisters' investigators.

Week 81 - A couple of funny videos and growth through learning...

Hey guys! 

Once again sending y'all that weekly update on what's been on the haps. This week I had this big meeting with all the other missionaries in leadership positions and our mission president. It was a huge meeting about how we could better do our meetings or how we could be better leadership... it took forever though felt like 10 hours :p but it was super beneficial for me. We listened to a talk about knowledge and one of the parts I really liked about it was that if we knew everything then we wouldn't have to grow and if we didn't have to grow we wouldn't like have experiences and if that's the case why would we be here! She also talked about work and jobs and schooling and all this other stuff and she said something at the very end I'll quote it for ya she goes on to say in her talk  "For those of you lucky ones who are going to be taking jobs, I hope some of you will take jobs that you are not fully qualified for and tell yourselves, “Who wants a job they are qualified for? There would be nothing to learn.”

So yes, let us gain knowledge, but let’s not get too big for our britches. The best leaders are 

restless learners and perpetual rookies. They realize that it is not what you know that counts, it is 

how fast you can learn.

Yes, “the glory of God is intelligence” (D&C 93:36), but it is in seeking, not knowing, that we find 

truth. In that space is where we discover the true glory of God. Thank you.

I agree completely, it's not what you know that makes you stand out but it's how fast you can learn. I've learned so much on my mission and it's taken me a little bit to get it all but I'm still learning day by day. I'm so thankful for all the many things I gain. We had so many awesome and amazing dinners this week we got to have papusas which is one of my favorite Hispanic foods and then got to do a ton of service for a member named Marvin. He's such an awesome guy he really cares about the missionaries and is always there for us if we ever need him! So it felt good to give back to him. As we were contacting this week we found this lady who at first we were just gonna walk by but then I had the feeling we needed to go talk to her and come to find out when she lived in El Salvador she use to go to our church down there! And now we're teaching her and her family, they're a solid good family! :) Don't worry I'll keep you updated on it all! Thanks so much for checking in! Until next time!

Love Elder Tidwell 

Of course I had to get pics with Elder Curtis...

Exchange with Elder Hunt

My Zone...

On Exchange with Elder Guzman

performing some service...

Marvin!!

At a taco truck with Jacob...

Got my hair cut...

Blanca...one of our English students.

Week 80 - A new area...I am on a bike!

Hey guys! 
Well, I'm super sorry about last week and not writing, I got so busy and then. All of a sudden the day was over! So just to recap on that week before this one. One thing that stood out to me the most was we saw this family... they have two autistic children and we talked about them a little bit when we first came in and she was like, " I won the lottery twice!" I was a little thrown off and confused by that comment not gonna lie. Then we talked for a while and got to know them and they got to know a lot about our families and us. In the whole Houston 10th ward I have the nickname of Elder Gessner or Elder 290 (other streets around that area) because of my last name hahah, there is a Tidwell area and a Tidwell Rd. We then showed the family a video called the will of God. If you haven't seen it you should go watch it right now, but after we watched I said I know at times it can be really hard. And the hermana started to cry and she was like you're right but you know why I said I won the lottery? I said I didn't know and what she said will probably stick with me forever. She said I say that because they already have there ticket into the celestial kingdom our Heavenly Father loved them so much that he didn't want anything bad to happen to them, now all I got to worry about is us (her and her husband) After she had said that I definitely cried but I thought, wow, she truly understands grace. I miss the H10 ward so much... This week I got to see them all again, I had to go back for a baptismal interview and I got to see all of my old favorite members!! 

This past week we had transfers and I had no idea what was gonna happen this time. All I know Sunday night was I'm leaving and then began the packing. So Tuesday came around and I found out the worst news.... I was going to open up this area called bear creek and we were ganna be on bikes (yikes)... Now the positive I was gonna be with this missionary Elder Blackford who I knew nothing about so I was really excited to get to know him! So we met at transfers and we were there forever trying to get the bikes all figured out. Then when we finally got to the area it was like around 4 and we had nothing there like nothing. If you'll remember to the beginning of last transfer Elder Schloer and I had gone there and raided the place all we left was some barbed wire and a few crumbs even to small for a mouse. ;) When Elder Blackford and I got there we just headed out tried to find some members and find some solid people around but nothing. We had English class and then this lady called me and Elder Blackford dolls and that we are so beautiful and she just couldn't drop it hahah. After all that there was an activity and as the new elders no one knew us but I asked one hermana if we could come over for dinner and then all of the hermanas wanted to feed us and the whole week got filled with meals and dinners. That's the first time that's ever happened to me. As we got home that night I was a little discouraged and Elder Blackford said "it's the calm before the storm elder" I said you is right! And then I heard him said " it's been a long time" and I said shouldn't have left you and he said Elder whatch you know? Since that we've realized we've officially stated that I am a rap nerd just like him but it's really crazy we have so much in common it's awesome! So the rest of the week has been filled with lots of biking and lots of sweating and trying to get to know as many members as we can. But miracles have napped this week too, on Saturday after a day of just nothing we were gonna go to a members house and I was like let's say a prayer before we go in. In it I asked that we could please find someone there and that they could let us in and it happened!! We got to know this lady and she said the elders have never came to my house before. She was really grateful we came by and then last night, Sunday we got done with dinner at the Alcantatas which is one of my favorite families in this area...she's insane hah she made us these things called palliadas which is a food they make in Honduras, they are so good like ah I love them. So then we went contacting and right before we went in Elder Blackford asked, could you pray and I said wait I did it last time, he then said well you just got the lucky touch. We then went in with just having asked our Heavenly Father if we could find someone, he plopped a family right into our hands! Aft first we didn't talk to them but we went back and they are such a great little family they've been going through a little bit of a rough time and they said they've been praying for something help. I have such a strong testimony about prayer and how powerful it really can be, If we have faith and hope, everything is possible, Si tenemos fe y esperanza todo es posible. Sorry this ones kind of long hahah but I hope you like it! Love y'all lots!

Me and my new comp...

Me and Leroy

Bear Creek sisters...

This cart was just sitting around outside...

The Monroys

We found some duckies!!!

My District...