Monday, June 6, 2016

May 27, 2016

Naperville homies



Mural Monday






Bunch of Goodbyes, May 27 2016

OK 
Transfers are this week so I have been running around like crazy trying to say goodbye to everyone and here's a surprise, BOTH of us are getting transferred!! Sister Smith is going to Joliet and I am going to be in Schaumburg in the YSA! I am actually really excited, even though I have no idea how missionary work actually goes on in that situation, because you can't really go knocking on doors and ask "hey are you a young single adult??" But I am really excited, we had dinner with some of the Summer Sales wives and it was so fun, they are all my age and it was just nice to talk with them, it reminded me of all my friends back home😘except here they are all married haha!! . Afterwards Sister Smith and I were talking about it and I just have an easier time with the youth of the church I think. It's probably because I have a lot in common with them, but even when I was teaching Bunch I was like THIS IS TH BEST (don't get me wrong, I love my oldies as well..) and then I get the transfer call to YSA and I am so PUMPED 
Anyways Sister Smith and I were/are so surprised that we are getting whitewashed. The Assistants told me I was getting transferred and so Sister Smith thought she was going to stay and bring someone into the area and they told her she was getting transferred too and we were like WHAT. And they still haven't told us who is coming to take our place.. So hopefully Wheaton isn't getting shut down or anything! That would be the pits. Sister Smith and I have really built up this area and we both feel like it is on the brink of a lot of things happening because a lot of people we have been meeting with want to meet with us but had to wait until school gets out and one of our investigators Sandi has a daughter on a mission who gets home in June and then Sandi is going to get baptized, and we have a couple other investigators that we were planning on putting on date this week BUT NOW WE ARE LEAVING. It's crazy. There are 6 missionaries serving in our ward and only one of them is staying, so she is going to have to help explain to all the people coming in who their investigators are. It's scary leaving your area to other people, I have grown to love the people in this area but I'm sure they will be in good hands! We let Bunch know and he is so sad!!! But hopefully we can get permission from the mission president to still email him and make sure he is still progressing on his own and reading the Book of Mormon! I am proud of this area and know that we left it better than we found it and I'm excited to see how In the world the YSA works.
Sister Smith and I have been taking pictures with some members so I'll be sure to send them, I hope everyone has a great week and and Memorial Day,
I love you! 

Sister Madsen 

Short and sweet, May 23 2016


Lessons Lessons Lessons! May 16 2016

Ok let me start of this email by saying that I have taught more people
this week (5) than I collectively have on my entire mission so far. so
this week has been great!! I would like to thank all who pray for me,
and the people in this area who I serve. I love you

We had zone conference this week which is always good. a lot of the
trainings were on (can you guess it?) obedience. BUT it was so good!!
For whatever reason some of the restrictions that we have placed on
our ipads are being taken off, so the tech elders were giving a
training on rules and accountability and a missionary said something
that I really liked. There are some things in life that are put in
place that restrict/force us to be obedient. But if you take those
things away, and but don't take away the rules, all it does is give
you more freedom to choose. And more chances to choose the right. So
really, its just more opportunities to show/prove our love to our
Heavenly Father. A lot of people complain about how many rules this
church has. But they aren't this church's rules. They are God's rules,
and we should be grateful. Not only are the commandments put in place
to protect us, but they can also give us the chance to show Heavenly
Father how much we love him. If you look at every choice as "is this
going to bring me closer to Heavenly Father, or take me further away"
I promise that you will start to think differently. And obviously this
doesn't apply to EVERYTHING, if you are trying to decided between
eating at Wendy's and Arby's or something I don't think this would
really be applicable, but hey if you wanna try it out be my guest and
let me know how it goes!! Anyways I love all the meetings I get to go
to as a missionary. I love being able to be surrounded by and learn
from other missionaries. It's so great.
But yes we had 5 lessons this week and it was amazing!! And we would
have had more but two people had to reschedule and one changed his
mind. But it was still amazing!! I love teaching, and I have missed
it, I am glad to see the area starting to pick up! I'll try and come
back to this and write more but I HAVE to write about this next thing
first.

We had dinner at a the Coltons this week and it was CRAZY. It was so
great, it is probably impossible for me to choose a favorite member of
this ward. Brother Colton can only be described as a what I would call
a Mormom conspiracy theorist. AM I THE ONLY ONE WHO DIDNT KNOW THAT
THERE ARE MORMON CONSPIRACY THEORIES??! Anyways we tried to have a
lesson but we got off on the subject of the second coming and all
control was lost. I now have a two page list of things to look up when
I get home. He is super passionate about secret combinations and I
would tell you what they are but honestly I AM TOO AFRIAD. If anyone
wants to know I will have to write you a letter in the mail that can't
be traced back to me. But basically the world may be ending soon. It
was so crazy and my mind was blown. Trust no one
Ok investigators, we have a couple of cute girls who are coming to
girls camp this summer who aren't members!  So we have been trying to
get in with them and this week it finally happened! The lessons went
well and it's so amazing to have this knowledge of the gospel in our
lives, it brings so much comfort and peace. Knowing that we have a
Savior, and that he loves us as we are. And what is going to happen to
us and our loved ones after our lives here are over. There are so many
truths that I have taken for granted, but I am so happy to be here and
to be able to share these truths with people and to see the comfort it
can bring them. One of my favorite things about being a missionary is
getting to hear other people pray. Prayer is so intimate, and getting
to hear someone talk with their and our Heavenly Father, for what may
be the first time is an amazing experience. I always feel like the
person who has just been taught how to pray gives a way better and
more genuine prayer than I do, sometimes I think I forgot/don't
process that we are LITERALLY talking with our Heavenly Father. I love
it. I love prayer. And I love all of you

Have a wonderful week

Sister Madsen