They are gonna win it this year October 24, 2016

I'm not just talking about the Cubs but I am a little bit talking about the Cubs. But more importantly I am talking 

about how it is a good time to be a missionary. Especially here in Freeport. Sister Corbett and I have TEN real life 

investigators that we are teaching and we found 6 of them just in these last two weeks. it is insanity. INSANITY. 

The people of Freeport are prepared. Sister Corbett has already taught more investigators in these last three weeks 

than I had in my first three months in the mission. It is very cool. #winning

I wish I could go into detail as to how all of this occurred, but I can't because I literally have no idea how it 

happened. It just HAPPENED. Do you know what I mean? Probably not. But maybe. I read a little bit about miracles 

this week in Jesus The Christ and it was awesome. The book went into detail about what humans definition of a 

miracle is verse what is actually a miracle. To humans a miracle is something that happens that is un-explainable 

that occurs that is out of the ordinary and is not in harmony with the natural law. Which means that as they 
become more common place and understandable it no longer seems so miraculous. But the same thing miraculous
thing is still happening over and over, it is just us humans who are the reason that a miracle is no longer considered 
a miracle. Us being able to fly across the world through the air is still a miracle, even if we don't consider it to be so
because of it's common occurrence it no longer feels phenomenal. To say that there are no more miracles is to 

say that everything that is ever going to happen has already happened. And we know that is not true. The scriptures

say that if miracles have ceased it is because our faith has ceased. But that may just mean that we don't have the 

faith to see miracles for what they really are, miracles. They have become commonplace and our hearts have 

become hardened. We are waiting around for a big huge miracle to happen when in reality they happen all around 

us every day. is this corny. who cares. I feel like I talk about miracles every week but you know what, they happen 

every week so I don't even care. God is always performing miracles and blessing us continually each day. The sun 

rising? miracle. Because of the grace of Jesus Christ they aren't something that we earn when our faith is strong 

enough. But it is that only when our faith is strong enough that we are able to recognize them as miracles. God is 

good, God is great. We do nothing to earn anything because we can't. I could talk for days about our unprofitable-

servantness but I am pretty sure I have already done that. And if I haven't there is a man in the Book of Mormon 

who already has. (Mosiah 2) James E. Talmage, the man who wrote Jesus the Christ, goes on to talk about how all 

nature is miracle. That a small little round thing that is smushed into the dirt transforms into a plant just as 

miraculous as water being transformed to wine. The only difference is that because of lack of understanding one 

requires faith and the other does not. Legistically (is this a word?) putting something in dirt shouldn't make it turn 

into a plant. and putting water into a pot shouldn't make it turn into wine. Alright. I am done talking about this. 

But I know that 1 there are miracles always happening 2 we can see them if we have the faith sufficient to 3 and 

we will be happier because of it. Seeing God's hand continually in my life makes me happier and appreciate things, 

especially the little things, more. I am able to find joy because I can see and feel God's love for me. Find your faith, 

and find the miracles

anyways Sister Corbett and I are both still doing well. But she is sick so pray for her.

ok, the Cubs... everyone is freaking out. But it's great. I bought two cubs shirts and
a Cubs thermos. Still on the search for a Cubs cap though. Our Ward
Mission Leader keeps telling everyone he is going to die this year.
Because the last time the Cubs went to the World Series was the year
that he was born so he figures the next time they go will be the year
he dies. How fun.

I want to deny that me being in Illinois has nothing
to do with the Cubs success but it just seems like too much of a
coincidence that they started getting good as soon as I got here.

Also this is irrelevant but there was a cool article published on LDS.org that I invite all who can read to read. 

I promise it will make you happier. She talks about a lot of the same things that former Disney Channel Icon 

Miley Cyrus sings about. and that is, Nobodys Perfect. It's great. 

https://www.lds.org/blog/the-perfect-lie?cid=HP_FR_21-10-2016_dOCS_fBLOG_xLIDyL2-1_ 

Sister Madsen

These were the only pictures I took this week. My bad, 

But the parking lot of our church is pretty 

Blessed are they who suffer October 17 2016

deer my friends

The rollercoaster that is missionary life is always indescribable, but I will do my best. 

This week many a miracle has happened, as usual. we got 6 referrals. and 4 were people who requested a Bible. The other two were from our dear ward members. One was from a less active member who we have been trying to meet with but scheduling keeps not working out. She was talking with us in the church kitchen about her neighbor and it started out as a referral and then she told us she didn't feel equipped to help her neighbor because she wasn't sure of her own testimony at times. tears were shed and she told us that she would like to start meeting with us again. so double miracle whammy. The second referral we got is from an all-star missionary member named sister Duede who is who I aspire to be. she is always calling us up and telling us about how she gave a card to someone at a park or invited someone to church or how her grandma is taking discussions (??!?!?) she is so great. She invited a friend from her home school support group to church. This lady has been having a really hard time in her life and sister Duede recognized that she could use the gospel. So she invited her to church and talked about it and got her friend really excited. And Sister Duede got really excited as well, she is always doing missionary work but often doesn't see any of the results from her efforts. anyways, she couldn't come to church that week, but was planning on coming the next week and planning to meet the missionaries at sister Duedes home and the whole shabang. Sister Duede gets a text the day before the appointment is set up and her friend tells her that she is so excited to meet us tomorrow! and then..

an hour before our appointment Sister Duede's friend comes into her house. and takes her kids (side note sister Duede was babysitting her kids while her friend was looking for a job) and tells her all these bad things about how Sister Duede is a bad person and Mormons are terrible and she couldn't believe she let her kids over to her house and all of this stuff. So, she obviously read or heard some things that were untrue about mormons.. We get to sister Duedes house, she explains what just happened while we are sitting with her on her porch. and then she is crying. and she asks us why? Why does this keep happening? Why? When I do everything right (which she did) why doesn't it go well? What is the point? Why do I even keep trying if nobody listens? and the same thing keeps happening over and over? Why. Why should I keep doing missionary work? 

And I saw myself 8 months ago. When all of our investigators dropped us in one day. When I taught a grand total of 3 lessons my first transfer. When we taught Bunch, who was and is GOLDEN, and he still couldn't get baptized. When nobody would listen to us and all we ever did was tract. and we talked to 50 people IN ONE DAY. and none of them were interested. Why? What is the point.

And I remembered a couple of scriptures that Sister Smith shared with me after a particularly hard week

matthew 5 

10 Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 11 Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.

 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

Alma 56 

16 Yea, and they were depressed in body as well as in spirit, for they had fought valiantly by day and toiled by night to maintain their cities; and thus they had suffered great afflictions of every kind.

 17 And now they were determined to conquer in this place or die; therefore you may well suppose that this little force which I brought with me, yea, those sons of mine, gave them great hopes and much joy.

and all I could think to tell her is that we are blessed when we suffer. When strangers reject us or our friends reject us or our family rejects us. We are blessed. And we are in good company. because "and so persecuted they the prophets which were before you" BLESSED ARE THEY WHO SUFFER FOR MY SAKE.

I'm not really sure if that helped her at all. or even comforted her really.. because all I said was you are blessed because of this suffering. But 8 months ago in that moment it really helped me. It got me PUMPED. I was excited and ready to suffer for Jesus Christ's sake and for God's sake and for the Gospel's sake

So do you stop doing missionary work? NO

WHY???????????

Alma 26 

 27 Now when our hearts were depressed, and we were about to turn back, behold, the Lord comforted us, and said: Go amongst thy brethren, the Lamanites, and bear with patience thine afflictions, and I will give unto you success.

...

35 Now have we not reason to rejoice? Yea, I say unto you, there never were men that had so great reason to rejoice as we, since the world began;

NEVER. NO JOY IS GREAT AS THE JOY OF GIVING SOMEONE THE BLESSING OF THE GOSPEL. THAT IS WHY YOU KEEP DOING MISSIONARY WORK. BC YEAH SOMEONE MIGHT SAY NO. BUT THEY MIGHT SAY YES.

alright..

rant over.

for now. 

I have been thinking a lot about Satan. Which is weird to say. But I'll explain. Sister Corbett and I have been talking and studying a lot about faith. And the miracles it brings. and we were teaching a lesson about faith to a couple in our ward and we discussed specifically when Jesus is walking on water and Peter joins with him but then he starts sinking when he sees the storms around him. and then Sister McDonald related it to current times and said

"and you look around, and see all the obstacles and things, and you start to get overwhelmed and think to yourself "oh, I can't do this, what was I thinking?" and thats when you fall, because of course you cant do this! No one can! But through Jesus Christ, you can!" and it kind of whacked me upside the head and gave me a reality check. I have been feeling overwhelmed lately, and very inadequate. I was and am, already very aware of my inadequacies, but I had forgotten that they don't matter. It isn't me who has to do all of this work. It is God who does it through me. I just have to be willing and open, and allow Him to work through me. He doesn't ask us to do it all, He asks us to let Him do it for us. And we do that by having faith and relying on Him instead of ourselves. And Satan tries to get us to forget that. And we start to get prideful and think that we are supposed to rely on ourselves rather than God and then we run around being really ineffective and are confused about why. 

Missionary work is great everyone. and it is worth it. The ups are worth the downs.

On Sunday four new people came to church. One of them requested a Bible earlier that week, so we delivered it to him along with a Book of Mormon. And then we invited him to church. and then he came. and he brought his friends

🍂Sister Madsen🍂

 

also while driving home through the corn fields after a dinner appointment I hit a deer.

it was awful. 

Signs of Freeport 

Signs of fall

Signs that La'shay took my iPad

Signs that I hit my 8 month mark and Sister Corbett hit her 1 month mark!

Gang signs Just kidding I didn't want to die. But we did find a wall with graffiti. And nothing was the same

It takes two to make a thing go right October 11, 2016

Hellllllllo

I have received my new companion!!!!! And her first name is Hannah! And she is an all star. Her name is sister Corbett and is is from South Jordan and was on the Lacrosse team at Utah state. Super kewl. Not much happened this week unfortunately. We had all those appointments set up for Tuesday so that she could teach and then we didn't get home until really late. But there have still been miracles that have been witnessed. A lot of weeks ago Sister Peterson and I were walking down the street and this guy was putting a lot of couches into the bed of his truck and so we helped him out and talked with him for a little bit. Then this lady came up to us and we were giving them a card and the Man told us their names were Joe and Diamond and that we could hit them up (these were his exact words) anytime on Rossler street and that their house had a white swing in front of it. Well we were trying to find what in the world street they were talking about but we couldn't find it on any map. And we had no way to get in contact with them. Fast forward to last week. Sister Corbett and I are driving along and we see a sign and it says ROTZLER st. And we turn down it. And low and behold right in front of us there is a WHITE SWING. It was truly a miracle. We didn't find Joe and Diamond. But we did find Steve and Megan and her daughter. Who we are teaching on Tuesday. we also found this 85 year old woman named Beth who told us she wasn't interested and then told us a story about how she was sitting on her dining room chair watching tv when suddenly all of her bottom teeth fell out except for one. Which, visibly, was true.

I love Freeport. 

We have also received 4 media referrals this week?? Sister Corbett is great and she is bringing all sorts of miracles to Freeport. For real. She is awesome. 

Anyways. At least for this first week training isn't as hard as I thought it was going to be. It is still a humbling experience though. Because every day I understand more and more of how much of a crappy missionary I was at the beginning of my mission (hello sister smith I love you) but, God says not to compare so I will move on. Sister Corbett is really diligent and has a lot of fire and the first door we knocked she was chatting away before I could even say anything. It was really cool. Ok I will stop talking about her now.

This week was a little weird because of a lot of meetings that we had in the mornings so it wasn't the standard missionary week but next week we will be hitting the pavement and I am PUMPED. But I love meetings too, it's weird to say but they also pump me up and a so spiritual. In zone training this week they asked me to lead the music and much to the disappointment of my piano teacher (hello hollee) and all my Young Women leaders ever, I had no idea what I was doing and it was as obvious as it was awful. But I lived. I am pretty sure Sister Corbett thinks I am crazy and I am pretty sure she is right. 

🙏🏼Sister Madsen🙏🏼

I GOT TO SEE SISTER SMITH. And on our old stomping grounds nonetheless (is this how you spell that?) 

A posterity picture!

Everyone in Freeport thinks Sister Corbett and I are related. It's bizarre. I don't see it. But look at how cute she is 

from suspected burglar to new missionary trainer Oct. 3, 2016

The inspiration for the title of this weekly update comes from two sources
1 real events that happened last night
2 an incredible video put out by the church that has become my mission
dream that is titled From Gang Member to Good Man -look into it

Let's start backwards with what happened on Sunday.

We watched General Conference at our church building and upon arriving
there at the designated time of 11 we met a man named Micheal who had
been formerly investigating the church and had decided that it was
time for him to come back. So he did. At 10. When church normally
starts. And he just waited until somebody showed up. And then he
stayed for the first session of Conference and the ward potluck
afterwards.

we waited for the text letting us know if we were getting transferred or not.

We stopped by Tremetrius who we have stopped by many times and she has
always told us to come back at a different time. So on Saturday she
even wrote down the time she wanted us to come back the next day so
that she would remember.
She was not home.

We stopped by a couple other people who all set up actual return
appointments for specifically Tuesday and it was bizarre and wonderful

We talked with a man named Angelo who talked with us for a couple
minutes and then put out his cigarette and then we kept talking and
then he went inside and put a shirt on and came back out and talked
with us some more.

Then it was getting late and so we went over to a more fancy side of
town to tract and we had only knocked three doors when under the
moonlight we see a glistening white police car. We proceeded walking
until he got out of his car and asked us for our ID's and what we were
doing. We told him and he said he wasn't interested. He then explained
to us that a call had been received from someone in the neighborhood
about suspected burglars and that he needed our IDs and to fill out an
incident report or something.

two hours later Sister Peterson and I received our transfer call from
President Griffin. Who let us know that we would both become trainers
this next transfer. aka responsible. I will stay here and train a
brand new missionary who is probably on a plane as I type this. And
Sister Peterson will finally get a taste of the city and of a Target
in Elgin. She will be follow up training Sister Jardine. Who also went
to our high school.

The inadequacy that I feel is indescribable, but I know that God is
with me. He has been kind enough to allow me to have a full day of
lessons scheduled for Tuesday when the new missionary comes so that
she can come into the area excited and on the right foot. He allowed
me to feel, for the first time, a witness of the truth of the Book of
Mormon as I bore testimony of it to a member who didn't have her own
testimony of it either. In his strength we can do all things!! 2 Nephi
32:9

I hope Conference was great for all of you and I hope you received
answers to your prayers and I hope you all go take a nap for me today
because I couldn't fall asleep until around 2 this morning

Have a good one!

🌾Sister Madsen🌾

Sister Peterson told me to go stand in the telephone booth and I was
really confused.
And then we saw this giant pretzel sculpture in the middle of the street

The District!

La'Shay likes to sing I Am a Child of God off my iPad