Week 49 - Such a busy but great week!

Hey!

Well guys, this week has been pretty awesome! Starting with Monday, we played basketball with the English elders and wow am I out of shape! Hahah Then we went and met up with our sisters and had I guess… a picnic at a park. Then we played soccer or well kicked the ball around while they just did a bunch of cartwheels hahah.

We taught a bunch of lessons this week and did a lot of finding again haha. On Friday, we played soccer with Suamy and a bunch of these kids that were just there at the fields, which was fun! I've started to love playing soccer hahah. Saturday, we met up with the other two missions in Houston and heard President Nelson talk! It was crazy! They had us go up and shake his hand and everything which, by the way, the guy has the softest hands ever hahah. We learned a lot of stuff in that meeting including a ton about the temple and family history and that our Heavenly Father loves us so much. I also got to see some familiar faces!! ;) Hah And… even a new elder, who happens to have the same last name as me! Haha After that, we went to this place called the Pulga, which is like a giant storage flea market. Pretty much if you can think it… they probably have it there haha! :) We found this place that had a bunch of soccer jerseys well we found like 4 places that had them, hahah but the ones we got were the cheapest! Heck yes! 

Sunday, we had stake conference and well we got there at like 8:15 a.m. or something like that and the conference didn't start till 10... And we still had to sit in the hard chairs! :p hahah But besides that it was an awesome conference! At this one point we all had to get up and sing, La Luz de la Verdad, and it really was an experience I won't ever forget. We finished of our Sunday with a visit to one of our member’s house that we've been teaching. We talked about a few thing and then they brought up a concern about not seeing any changes in their lives yet… I told them that you won't just see the changes in one day, it happens little by little and although sometimes we don't see it in ourselves other people can. That's pretty much it! Thanks for checking in you guys!

Love ya lots!
Elder Tidwell

The new Elder Tidwell!

Just a little hello selfie for my family!

I love it so much...I had to go bigger! haha

A familiar face from home!

Week 48 - A week of food challenges!

Guess what???

Where both staying together for another transfer!! Heck yes! Haha This week’s been great! We've set two baptismal dates this week and it's been so awesome! The work over here is really starting to progress! Also this week with the English elders, who live right behind us, we have had ongoing food challenge nights hah! The other night we did the cinnamon challenge and then the next night I did the gallon milk challenge… that didn't go well but I finished! Hahah I will spare you the details and the video!! Also this week I've had some of the best food in my whole mission at this less active’s house! And I freaking love salsa now! hahah Like it's gotten better as time’s gone on in my mission but it's like essential to some foods hah. (For those that know me well, know that I was a pretty picky eater and wouldn’t touch things like salsa before!) And well that's pretty much the sum of my week! Sorry it's not too long this week next week will be better!

Thanks for checking, in love you guys!

~Elder Tidwell

One of my favorite meals this week!

I love this stuff!

Look mom...I am eating big boy food now!!

Just a couple of G's

Just some parking garage pics...

Our Zone!

Week 47 - Great food...tons of teaching...and soccer!

Hey!

I can't believe how fast time is going! The transfer is almost over and time has just blown by! I guess that's what happens when you’re having fun! Well we've had some awesome things happen this week! We've had the opportunity to get to know a ton of or members and had a few dinner appointments which has been awesome! I tried some new stuff and it was freaking bomb! We had these things called sopes which are a tostada with frijoles and cheese and salsa on top! hah Man I can't wait to get home and make them!

We taught a crap ton of lessons this week and had finally seen a bunch of miracles from all of the finding we've been doing! We found some really solid investigators on Sunday with two of the youth from our ward and walked a ton too. Saturday, we played soccer and had a super fun time…and I'm getting better hahah. A few weeks ago me and Curtis made up this dance and we were able to do it in a video we took during soccer it's pretty funny hah. Oh, on Sunday, we had to practice singing for the upcoming stake conference and they told me to lead them even though I have no idea what I'm doing! :p It was super funny haha, definitely a day to remember hah.

Something that has been getting a lot better are my jokes in Spanish… I'm always able to make people laugh which is and awesome feeling! I love leaving people feeling better than the way I found them! Well pretty much a lot of what we did this week was a lot of knocking and a ton of following up, but I'm excited to see how they all progress! :)

Thanks for checking in guys!
Love Elder Tidwell

Pday bowling!!

Week 46 - Caught in a rainstorm and a busy week!

Look what was at Chick-fil-a!!

What up?!

Crazy things have gone on this week! On Monday, we had some dumb stuff go down with our gas card… it was just crazy and took an hour and 45 minutes to get gas! Hah! Tuesday, we had a mini exchange and I went with Elder Williams… we seriously had a ton of fun! Hah! We got some donuts for breakfast and then went to this 99 cent store and then went to a goodwill type place, we also taught English class to these two people from Vietnam which was awesome! Wednesday, we went on splits and when me and this kid Jason were contacting it started pouring down rain and usually in Texas it'll stop within like 10 min or something. But nope it didn't go down like that :p!! We ended up waiting underneath this garage like cover area thing while Elder Curtis and this other kid Victor were in a lesson and then it was super cold on top of it all. We ended up just walking to the car and it would start pouring and then fade a little bit and go hard again, so we waited outside in the rain for probably about an hour :p hah! Thursday, we went running for the first time in forever and wow, I'm out of shape :p haha. Friday, we had zone meeting and that went really good! We then went and had exchanges with our zone leaders and that went really well too! Saturday, I got a sort of new mattress hah, it's a lot bigger and firmer than my last one :p hahah. Sunday, we went to church and then had an activity with the Elder’s quorum to visit less active families and invite them to our stake conference. We met some great families and had a great time! :) If you guys have any questions hit me up!

Elder Tidwell

So there was this today at Chick-fil-a!! Takes me right back to my childhood!

I totally saw this today! Oregon plates!

Caught in a rainstorm...

On exchange with Elder Williams...

English class...those are my drawings...I know...they are legit!

Yes...we did go get some jean shorts...rocking the 90's gear!

Treated to a meal!!

Week 45 - Happy New Year

Hey guys!!

Happy New Years! On Tuesday, we went on exchanges with the zone leaders and that went pretty good! We got to meet this guy named Joe and the lesson we had with him was so powerful it was so amazing! We went to the zone leader’s bishop’s house and met his family and it was so much fun haha! His family and wife were so funny!  Wednesday we exchanged back and then had a few lessons and all that good stuff! Then Thursday which was New Year’s Eve, we went over to the English elder’s apartment and hung out with them for the night. It was so crazy! All night long they had those really big fireworks going on and then when midnight hit it was like a war zone!! It was so loud but it was just awesome! :) We took a video but I'll have to try and find it hah. Friday we had district meeting and played some fun games and just had a really awesome lesson!! Saturday we played soccer!! We had been playing for a little bit and then Curtis kicked the ball to me and I went to be all cool and like kick it in the air… but when I did that, it spun off my leg and hit me in the face :p! It sucked but was super funny!! Hahah Sunday we went to church and had some super awesome lessons and just had a great day!

I hope you guys had an awesome year and are excited for the one to come!

Love ~ Elder Tidwell

Got myself a new haircut! 

Just a couple of G's...Rockin the sweater vest haha.

503...

Sweater game to strong...

Pday hangout with the Sisters...

Barbecuing!!

BBQ master...haha

Doing my thing

Me and my comp...hanging with the sisters and ready to eat some BBQ!!

Week 44 - My 20th Birthday and Christmas!! Lots of Skype pics too!

Our packages! (well a few of these are empty boxes we have had for awhile haha)

What's up guys??!

Well this week’s been awesome!! We had a Christmas conference and then Christmas plus New Year’s is right around the corner! This week Elder Curtis and I tried really hard to get some new investigators from finding but we pretty much came out empty handed but… we've definitely planted some seeds which in my eyes is just as good! We had a less active member let us come over and teach the family he lives with and we saw something amazing in him during the lessons so we can't wait to go back and follow up!

It's FREAKING COLD HERE! I love it!! Like seriously way better than that 80-degree hotness we had on Christmas! :p But if there was that rain game going on right now it would ice up like crazy!! It kind of reminds me of home and stuff so it's really good :) It was so amazing being able to talk to my family on Christmas they've all grown so much it's crazy to me! I miss them so much and they mean everything to me. I can't wait to see them when I get home :) I got some awesome gifts from them and from others too so thank you so much to those who thought of me! It REALLY meant a lot! It's crazy this month’s come and gone! I'll hit a year in no time!! We went caroling this past week and it was so awesome to see some of these people’s faces when we'd just show up! And we sang them in Spanish! Oh and my birthday was on Wednesday and we had a Christmas conference with the whole mission! It was a ton of fun! I saw a ton of my favorite missionaries and just had a good time. We went to this lady's house and I had an experience I won't ever forget it was pretty great hahah!. Then we met up with our recent convert Suamy and went to this winter wonderland light thing they have here… it was okay hahah. That's pretty much how my weeks gone.

 Love y’all lots! Merry Christmas and happy New Years!

~Elder Tidwell

Some Birthday love...

Thanks to everyone for the cards and stuff!

The Winter lights display!!

Elder Curtis and I.

Yes...we are in dinosaur eggs!

Us with Suamy.

My little tree with my presents around it that my family sent!!

A familiar face from home!

Just catching up with Sis. Soto and Sis. Pinster

Elder P!

No hugging...so a handshake had to do.

One last pic with Sis. Pinster!

My Christmas eve pj's from my parents!!

Gingerbread houses!

My terribly old mattress....

Words From Mom...

I just wanted to say a quick little something about what a wonderful time we had Skyping Tristin on Christmas! Definitely our highlight for the day! He looks and sounds great! We had a lot of laughs and got to hear all about how he is doing. I thought I would include some pictures from our Skype...We had a short little Skype in the morning but since he had a district meeting we scheduled our time with him for in the evening. They didn't have anywhere to go for dinner on Christmas so ended up eating at Jack in the Box but he didn't seem to mind. He looked very happy. I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and hope you have a very happy New Year, filled with lots of love and laughter!

Our quick family photo from our Christmas morning Skype!

He opened a couple of the presents we sent!

Portland sunglasses ;)

Me (mom) getting to say hi one on one during our Skype in the evening!!

Jenna chatting with T

Jillian taking her turn to say hi!

Jace giggling away with his big brother!

Kaleb talking with T, filling him in on his current video games he is playing.

Kylie...trying to stay strong and not cry...

But it was just to much...she was able to calm herself down enough to talk with him though! :)

Dad getting a few minutes to talk face to face.

Us with our boy! Until Mother's Day....let the countdown begin!!!