Week 98 - Week 1 of my very last transfer!

This week has been pretty interesting! Trying to start fresh with a new comp, Elder Munoz still trying to figure home out and then also trying to Sheppard all of the dates... we have to make sure they're all getting dunked. :p hah

Well, on Tuesday we said goodbye to Elder Self which was sad, but he's gonna kill it in his new area! During the time while transfers were going on we were in Huntsville on foot hahah. Elder Toolson showed us this video of a guy they're teaching, in every lesson he sits there and plays his guitar like in the middle of the lesson. I was so pumped to meet him but he canceled... lame sauce but then we decided we were going to get to it and we went to this small Chinese place where the owner lady seriously talked a thousand miles per hour. It's my first language and I couldn't keep up hah! The new elders showed up, Elder Lopp and Elder Munoz and we dipped out and went back College Station! 

So that one old guy from last week I took the picture with in front of the church, told us he wanted to have us over for dinner. We told him of course we want to go. Let me tell you I've never been more convinced of someone being in the mafia then when I was talking to Hermano Contreras Hahahah. Instead of going to his house, he took us to Golden Corral and as we were eating told us his whole life story...such a funny guy! 

On Thursday, a year ago, me and Elder Willy went on exchanges for the first time and so had to get a pic

Played Rosca de Reyes which was interesting Hahahah. It's just like a big loaf of bread but it's in the shape of a circle and then they put sugar and some candy and stuff on it and there's a little plastic baby Jesus in it. If you get the baby you have to make tamales for everyone on the 2nd of February hahah and guess who got it... Elder Munoz hahah I don't know if they're actually gonna make it for us or not but we'll see haha. 

Last but not least I just want to bare my testimony about enduring hahah. We were teaching one of our investigators Andrew, we talked about tithing and just like a lot of us his wife said you know it's really hard to pay it just because there are some things you need it for and I sat there and I completely understood how and what she was feeling. I've learned on my mission the Lord always provides when we make big sacrifices. I told her this example, in Houston it rains a ton right? Like pours down , now imagine you're in a huge field and you have to catch all the rain but all you have is a little sand bucket. The promise of paying tithing is that the blessings of heaven will pour upon you.  You will come to find that you can't afford to NOT pay your tithing and they said they would pay it every time from now on. They still were kind of worried though, but if it was easy everyone would do it. The Lord has said he will provide we just got to have faith in him. Some how well endure and make it through. In the name of Jesus Christ amen

Thanks so much for checking in I know this email was kind of everywhere :p haha

Love y'all!

Elder Tidwell

Bye Elder Self...

Week 97 - Just Chillin in 2K17

Just before transfers...

What up yall! 

I hope everyone had an awesome New Years! For us we didn't really do much just kind of kicked it until 12 but before we had to go inside we went over to the English elders apartments and played beanboozled let me tell ya almost as funny as the speak out game video I sent from the first email of the transfer hah. Then drank some good ol Martinellis in these ghetto wine glasses we found and well that's about it hahah.

The rest of the week...

Umm, on Tuesday I went on exchanges with Elder Sobotka because all the other guys had a conference to go to, it was probably one of the funniest exchanges I've every been on. First, we went to do service at this food pantry/ baptist church and then after that we got some lunch at Fazolies and then stopped by the Aggie store just to take a quick peek at what's in there. Then that night we went to some China buffet with an English member. We also had to take Elder Sobotka to a lesson with us because we couldn't find where his comp was, so he got to meet Nancy. She was like, "Hold up...there's 4 of you now??? I don't know if I can do that!!" hahah. 

Wednesday, we went on another exchange but this one was with the APs and it went pretty smooth. Elder Self went with Elder Barton to his area and then we got Aholele. We had plans to be in Navasota pretty much the whole day so we told him we could make like a short split thing and you could just visit all the members you wanted and he took that offer pretty quick hah but super cool! We went to our investigator Andrew's house, his wife's a member and they have 2 kids that are like 1 and 2 or something like that. We gave him a baptismal date for the 22nd of January and you could just see that they've both been waiting for this. He was like yes, I'll be baptized on that day, in our heads we like freak!!! Yes! Dunk city here we come!! ⛹🏼⛹🏼 But then his wife asked when they could get married in the temple and we told them after a year and she said their anniversary is the 27th so their going to get sealed on that day!  

Friday, was zone meeting and then Mr Hamburger afterwards. Then Saturday we went to Andrews again, it was his son's bday and they had the dates put up on the fridge...so freaking sick! And then we visited Nancy and she's been having some pregnancy issues, so we went over and gave her a blessing that calmed her down a little bit and everything was okay after that.

Sunday got a sick picture with Hermano Contreras, probably one of the coolest old Hispanics I've ever met hahah. We also got transfers and Elder Self is leaving :/ super sad to see him go...it's been awesome getting to know him but I know he's needed elsewhere so I'll just see him some other time.

That's about it! 
Love y'all,

Elder Tidwell  🏼

Elder Sobotka and I

Donut Shop!

 

Bucees!!

Zone meeting...

Mr. Hamburger

The Pruitts

Our New Year's Eve...partying it up!

Hermano Contreras

Week 96 - My 21st Birthday fun and Christmas!!

What's up fam!?! 

Well killer week for us here in Brazos! Staring from Wednesday, because that's when the real good stuff started hahah. We had the annual mission Christmas conference where the whole mission gets together and we sing songs, we talk about the mission, learn a little bit about the scriptures and watched The Nativity movie! Super awesome I loved the conference!! Definitely talked a lot about how sometimes the goals we set won't always be answered in the way we expect them too a lot like our prayers sometimes. President Mortensen also talked about the story in chapter 4 of 1st nephi when he and his brothers go to get the plates from Laban. We had a goal in the mission to get 600 baptisms and we got it done in a way we wouldn't think we would. It definitely strengthened my testimony that the lord will always provide when we go to him first. 

Friday was the other bomb day! I got lots of birthday wishes from so many friends and families it meant so much to me and I loved it! We had district meeting and I got some cake and a Toblerone  from the sisters! Later that day we went over to the Rivera's and it was probably the best birthday I've had on my mission! I feel like one of their kids and I love them so much. I got lots of awesome videos of people saying happy birthday and I heard I had a few shout outs on social media! ;) Great day... Thanks to everyone for making it so special!

Saturday and Sunday the two best days of the week! Saturday morning (Christmas Eve) we had a huge breakfast at the Morgan's with a bunch of missionaries in the stake and it was so awesome Hahahah! English missionaries little weirder then us but yeah hahah good time! I love the Morgans so much, they're like those grandparents I never got to meet kind of thing hahah they're so awesome :) Then Saturday night was a good ol classic Zapata Christmas carol! Cray cray party! Whole time we were there you'd think we'd eat like typical Christmas Eve stuff, nope we had posole which is like chicken soup it's super good and ponche! You'd think it's punch nope it's like apple cider... but not, I don't know how to explain it hahah. 

Then Sunday, we had church and then got to talk to our families!! I miss them all so much, I feel like my relationship with them has grown so much since I've been gone and I can't wait to be with them again! I want to thank them so much for everything they've done for me! They've been there through it all and I love them so much...and thank you to all the others that have been there for me as well I appreciate it all so much and I am eternally grateful for it. Hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and have a Happy New Year!

Love ya lots! 

Elder Tidwell

Celebrating my 21st Bday!

The Riveras

Elder Sabotka

The going home crew!

My comps!

Elder Seamons

Froylan's baptism!

Breakfast at the Morghan's 

Hangin with Santa

Opening our Christmas presents...

Wooden watch game strong!

Week 95 - Merry Christmas!!

What up y'all?!?
Well, just a quick recap on the week... don't have much time hahah. Tuesday, we said goodbye to one of the members in our ward, Valerie Faz. It was super bitter sweet for their family, but I was glad we were there to help her parents feel better. Although, right as we got there, we heard on the intercom that her flight got cancelled... we were like oooooh snap hahah! So they find out they have to drive to Austin for the next flight she can take. Then we parted ways and went off to do service and then after service went on exchanges with Elder Jones super sick! Had a blast together! Taught Froyland (our baptismal date for Wednesday) and he got roasted by Froyland in Spanish super funny hahah. Also Elder Jones said his first Spanish prayer with google translate by his side hahah super cool though! Wednesday, we had Froyland's bap interview and had to get Elder Munoz to come give it so kicked it with them for a while. That night we had dinner with the Rodriguez family! I love them so much hahah but we went
to the back to see if they were there and heard this like hard braking noise and went back to the front and their son and daughter were in the car and had driven right into the lawn of their yard! hahah Their daughter is learning how to drive and all...so yeah hahah super funny hahah. Their dad came out and was like what did you do to my yard!?! Hahah so, yeah . Then to top it all off when we got home I ran up to open the door and told Elder Self to toss me the keys and well he tossed them too hard and they flew onto the roof.... so called the Rodriguez up again and asked if they had 20ft laters and they did and so Elder Self voyaged his self up there and got them super funny/scary. Thursday and Friday are kind of dull days but then Saturday we raked leaves for the Bacerras and then had the ward party which was so much fun! We had a piñata but there was no Santa :/ hahah lame Hispanic parties!! (Totally kidding of course) And Sunday had to say goodbye to Luis he's going to be going back to Mexico until February, so I might not see him for a while :/ Also today, Monday, we went to the dentist with Elder Williams, he had to get some cavities filled. ;p hahah The ladies in the office were like, do you speak Spanish? Of course we said yes and so we translated for like 5 people at the dentist office... so cool!! Hahah
Well, that's it for the week!! Love y'all lots, hope you all have a very Merry Christmas!!!
Love Elder Tidwell

Some sick stickers...

Ward Christmas Party

Doing service...

Hanging at Yogurtland...

Luis and I...