Thursday, March 30, 2017

Three is a gang March 27, 2017

Hello world. I am in Peoria now and it's cool. Downtown by the river reminds me a little of salt lake which is weird. Because no mountains. But it's the Elders area so we only go there about once a week to do service. I haven't shared a Ward with elders for awhile but I don't think I like it because if there is a place that is even remotely crazy they give it to the elders. But we were talking to this 80 year old lady in her door way and she told us she had to leave because she "Finna go to bed" and that made me smile.
Being in a trio is interesting and good. You always have a buddy. Also we were in this gated community the other day and the houses were huge and I felt like I was in alpine and it was bizarre because the places I've been for the past 7 1/2 months you could probably fit 5 of those houses into one of these ones here. But it is a pretty mixed up area. We've got some city folk and a college and also a lot of doctors and engineers and people who work at Caterpillar
We are teaching a lot of pretty solid people as well so that is exciting! 
Also sometimes trio is hard because you run out of food fast and also you are always late for everything. Always. But we will get the swing of things..
There are a lot of stores here that I forgot existed and it is a problem. 
The Ward.. is HUGE. I doubt I will be able to learn everyone's names. I was thinking about it and I started in the city in Wheaton and the Ward there was pretty big. Then I went to the YSA where probably 10-15 people came. And then Freeport where it was a little more than that and then Galesburg was a little bit bigger than that and then here it is huge. It was like a slow build up back to a big Ward now. We use the overflow and everything.
Women's conference was great Linda K Burton is awesome. It inspired me to start making a list of things I am certain of. Which was really cool because I actually know a lot more than I realized so I'm starting a sort of testimony journal that I can always look back to when my faith or the faith of someone I know may be tested. I know that the spirit is a gift from God. Aka the gift of the Holy Ghost lol. And that gift gives us confirmations of things that are true. And we are blessed with the things that we can confidently say that we KNOW are true. Those testimonies can only have come from Heavenly Father and he has given them to us. And I know that we will all be responsible for how we use those gifts or talents that we have been given and that our testimony falls into that category as well.  D&C 88:81 
Ok.. well I gotta go get a haircut now. Have a good life 
Sister Madsen 

Sister Dimond gave me these awesome adult socks.
And the last selfie we ever took.. 




We had to take all of sister Fugals luggage as well as mine in this tiny car for I want to say three hours.. 
good times 



Ain't that wack March 20, 2017

I've been running around all day in a turtle neck and pigtails in case you wanted a visual for how these past couple of days have gone since we got transfer calls. Even though I knew that I was definitely going to get an transfer call I did NOT expect to revive the news that I received. Sister Dimond is leaving Galesburg and so am I. Ain't that wack!!! Elders are coming in. I am a little annoyed that this keeps happening to my areas so I am trying to figure why that is. But I can see why Galesburg needs Elders. But I am bummed. On Monday we got a new investigator. On Thursday he ended up dropping us. But THEN on Saturday we got two new investigators!! And they are both from the Congo. And I was so happy and so pumped because I LOVE THE CONGO PEOPLE. And then that night we got transfer calls and I found out I was leaving and I cried and cried. And then on Sunday we taught another new investigator from the Congo!! We taught three back to back to back lessons and then had to go to a dinner appointment and I could barely speak normal English. One of the new investigators is named Sarah and she is friends with the Hermanas investigator who just got baptized on Sunday. And she LOVES US. And makes us sing at our lessons. And is just the greatest and very prepared and talked about how in the Bible it says that there will be many false prophets before the second coming and we were like YES!! And we taught about the apostasy and how we can know the truth through the spirit and she looked at us and said she needed to pray about all of this and that she knows God has the answer and he will answer her. It was awesome. And then in our lesson on Sunday we told her we were leaving and she was so sad and hugged us and we all sang I am a child of God and I cried a lil and I will miss her.
This week I learned about how we can better understand the atonement the better our prayers are. We were meeting with Angel and she was going OFF about everything and how she's gotta pray for everyone and all the bad people and the good people and she prays for them because she has to and maybe they aren't even praying for themselves and it hurts her heart and she was just going off about how she can only imagine how Heavenly Father feels about us, and about His son. When he was suffering for us. And He took our loads off our backs and placed them on His. But that no one took that load from Him. It just kind of hit me that the more you pray for and care and understand people the more you are able to slightly understand Jesus Christ. And the worry and the urgency that he feels for us. Prayer rules. Say your prayers. Say long prayers. Think about what you are going to say before you pray. And after you are done just sit there and listen.
Ok bye

Oh. Transfers.. I am going to Peoria and I am going to be in a triYO with Sister Morales and Sister Fugal 😎

Sister Madsen 

Tuesday, March 14, 2017

Twist and shout March 14, 2017

Wednesday, March 8, 2017

TornadNO March 7, 2017

Heyo
This week there were tornado warnings every which way but nothing happened. We were at a Members house and teaching them and then all of the sudden they rushed us out of the house and said "YOU NEED TO LEAVE BECAUSE A TORNADO IS COMING" which I feel like was the opposite of what you are supposed to do if a tornado is coming and someone is at your house. Sister Dimond was dying but we were fine. They passed between Galesburg and a recent convert told us later that week that Galesburg is protected and she knew nothing was going to happen when the tornado came because their is a little boy buried at the bottom of a church downtown who was SACRIFICED for something and so he protects us???? We are looking into it. 
This week people started coming to English class which is awesome and fun and also sometimes I need like an hour after class before I start talking normal instead of broken English again. But it's my favorite. We put up flyers at the laundromat and that seems to have mad a difference.
Sister Dimond told me there were angels in our room the other night.. Which I guess is better than the alternative.
Our Bishop lost his mind at PEC yesterday and it was awesome. He is great and really wants to help and change things to make them better so that the Ward will be stronger and it's just cool to see. He has been coming against some resistance lately but but keeps going for it and pushing people to do more. It's awesome. I LOVE WHEN PEOPLE CARE ABOUT THINGS. The day I'm not able to go to PEC or Ward Council will be a sad day. 
Zone training was good! I was called to repentance a lot. It was awesome.
Missionary work has been going good. I have trying to be more focused lately and because of it I have been feeling a lot better about things which is awesome. It's a weird concept but the more you commit yourself to work or to Heavenly Father or whatever it is that you are trying to do that might be hard, the more dedicated you are to it the easier it is and the better you feel.
When I was fasting the other day I was thinking about the pioneers and WOW. They are hard core. 
Say your prayers everyone! 
Bye


🌪Sister Madsen🌪

This weeks selfies:

1) #trains (we are always stuck behind trains in Galesburg) 
2) we drive with the hermanas to district meeting and they had to pick up a mirror on the way home so we couldn't see them 
3) a buffalo 
4-end) just.... an insane amount of selfies 





This one is a shawty February 27, 2017

What has happened? Nada. But that's fine. The work will go on.
Galesburg is cool. It was one of those weeks where it went by really
fast and was all a blur and then Saturday was super long and nothing
happened but we gave away like four Book of Mormons and the people
weren't interested but they took them anyways so that was cool. We
went on exchanges to Morton and the Ward and the missionaries work so
well together there that I was speechless. Sister Dimond and I
accidentally stayed up really late talking one night and then felt
like zombies the rest of the day. But as soon as we got out the door
it was fine for a little bit and then we got in the car and felt tired
again, and then we would get out and talk to someone and not feel
tired or at least we would forget we were tired. Every time we were in
the car or apartment though we were tired it was crazy. Heavenly
Father helps us accomplish his work. It's cool! I'm still tired.
Sister Dimond is cool. She had to sign up for an institute class this
week so that was weird. Also we dropped a lot of people. We went to do
service at a less active members house and she ended up just taking us
out to lunch? It was awesome. This is a bad email and nothing connects
together but let's just roll with it OK? We got ahold of Tati who is
from the Congo and used to be coming to English class but hasn't been
lately. Anyways he answered the phone and said hello? All confused and
we said hi Tati! And he said oh!!! My sisters my sisters hello! Yes!
My sisters my sisters hi my sisters. It was the cutest. Illinois is
great and I have run in to two people this week that I had previously
contacted so that was crazy. Galesburg is a lot bigger than Freeport
but sometimes it feels smaller. Does that make sense? Anyways.. keep
the commandments! Love you bye

👩🏼‍🌾Sister Madsen👩🏼‍🌾

Exchanges! I went with Sister Waters who is the nicest human alive




Oh Illinois



And of course, Sister Dimond and I :)
I love her a lot!! She is so fun