July 7 & 14

July 14

Thinking of you. Wishing you a great week!

Here is a wonderful scripture that I found this morning:

D&C 45:3-5
"Listen to him who is the advocate with the Father, who is pleading
your cause before him—
Saying: Father, behold the sufferings and death of him who did no sin,
in whom thou wast well pleased; behold the blood of thy Son which was
shed, the blood of him whom thou gavest that thyself might be
glorified;
Wherefore, Father, spare these my brethren that believe on my name,
that they may come unto me and have everlasting life."

Sis M

July 7

This Fourth of July took me back to last year on the 4th. That's what we did, we hiked MILES --(in the pouring rain) in some nasty weeds! --to get to a neighborhood that my trainer wanted to tract. I had to really hold on to my purse and scriptures under my little umbrella so they wouldnt get soaked. By the time we got there the rain stopped long enough for us to ring out our skirts and our socks and start knocking. No one really cared about how the Book of Mormon prophesied about the Revolutionary war, (I thought it was a good idea). Its not. We walked home. The sketchy little BBQ shack that we wanted to try wasn't open anymore, so we made up something else for dinner. It was a good day.

But this year, we were way more productive! We planned out our whole week with things to do every hour of every day, then we went out to do some teaching before our lock down at 6pm. We met lots of Less Active members, found some new investigators, talked to a Jehovah's Witness, and had a super spiritual lesson with a lady named Melvis. We were reading the 1st chapter of Nephi with her and she said she had a vision like Lehi, she's coming back to church. It was cool. And then we went home and celebrated Sis C's half bday by making fireworks pancakes and omelettes for dinner. The zone leaders somehow tricked us into making some for them too, and the Spanish elders brought us some hamburgers that they grilled. It was super good :)

We met a cool hispanic guy names Adalberto. But I call him Fernando because I cant say his name. He prayed for us in the first visit, which is a MIRACLE because hispanics are always catholic and never want to go to church or say anything other than the Lord's prayer! But he understands the importance of prayer and wants to have a more personal relationship with Heavenly Father.

We have a baptism coming up on the 25th, for a young lady named Brittany. Last night we taught her and her husband about the Atonement. I LOVE teaching about the atonement! It is so wonderful and special to know that we can always have hope, no matter what our past has been like, for the future! I am so grateful for Christ's sacrifice for us and the opportunity I have to share this wonderfulness with others!

May your week be blessed :)

June 23 & 30

June 30

So I was transferred. I am currently serving in the Douglas, GA 2nd ward,Tifton stake. Its the deep south! The accent here is way stronger, and the people are super country. I love the country! I am serving with Sister Emily Chidester from Sacramento. She came out with Sister Wheelwright. No new sisters came to the mission this transfer, so there wasn't anyone to be trained. That's okay. They call me the "greenie buster", because I am usually assigned to sisters just out of training. Or to those who need to learn better habits. 

We live in the same apartment complex as 3 other sets of Elders. That's new. Our neighbors are the Zone Leaders, they like to pull pranks. Lame pranks, like putting frogs in our apartment... and a horse skull in our living room. We haven't gotten them back yet, but I am determined to prank them with warm fuzzies. Cookies or something. Unless I have another great idea. MY CAR IS SWEET! Its a new Toyota Corolla, just like my beloved last vehicle. But it's red! :) Sis C is the driver for the area because she knows it better. So I get to relax in the passenger seat. 

This week we got to teach so many people! We had 3 times as many lessons than I usually do, and set 3 baptism dates for really solid people. I am so excited to see the miracles here in Douglas! 

Here's some updates from Sis Wheelwright about Jim's baptism and some other people​:

Dear Sister Madsen,

The day after you left we were at Vicki and Jim's. Vicki kept leaving the lessons saying they just for Jim right cause he is the one getting baptized so she could go smoke instead. I stopped her and told her it was for both. The day of his baptism he came and we took pictures. President and Sister Cottle came with their son. There were so many people the relief society room was full. The whole family came, even Shannon and her boy friend which on Friday Jim said we were going to convert. and he was telling all his friends about his baptism, " with news this good I can't help but share it". then he was baptized can you believe it?! It was such an amazing thing to see! bro day had to do it 2 times, jim said because it was he had all that sin to clean. later that night he wanted to serve and help others. He was confirmed sunday it was great too! he explained though that he was worried to be late so he got frustrated and he didn't want to be baptized like that so he almost didn't go through with it. but he didn't want to flake out on God. he said he felt so peaceful and had confidence when he was being confirmed. at his baptism he heard bro day "praying for him" and though of jesus christ praying for him and was so humbled and felt so clean. He said her would right it all down for you. also they didn't even give him time to bear his testimony at the baptism They all came to church and stayed the whole time! Vicki even commented in sunday school. Shannon got a calling, Ryshenna gave a great talk, and so did Sister Weir she did such a great job and talked about us and how we helped her quit smoking! I wll do my best here. I hope your having a great time there.

Much love, Sis W

Love you, 

       Sister M

June 23

You wont believe the miracles we saw this week.

Last Sunday we sang as a missionary choir for stake conference, led by our Mission President. It was super fun! We sang "This is the Christ". At the conference President Cottle spoke about the prophet Samuel, and how he was so young, yet God used him to do much good! He pointed out that many other prophets were called in their youth; including Joseph Smith. Why did God do this? Because they had so much faith! As we get older and gain more experience and knowledge it is easier to explain away miracles as coincidences. We must always strive to be as little children - full of faith and easily guided by the Lord's hand. It was a wonderful talk!

Our investigators Vicky and Jim Grove came to stake conference! (Held at the Stake center over 30 minutes away) That of itself was a miracle. Jim really benefited from hearing the speakers. He was struggling with how young Joseph was when he saw Heavenly Father and Christ. But that and many of his other concerns were resolved! I wish all of our investigators would come to church services so that they can learn and grow their testimonies! Do we ever think of what we are missing out on when we dont attend all of our church meetings? Also this week Jim read the account of Christ's visit in the Americas. He told us that he knows the Book of Mormon is the word of God.

We watched the Joseph Smith movie with them. This is the highlight of my week, because the spirit was so strong! My own testimony of Joseph Smith and the Restored gospel was strengthened. Afterwards we asked Jim and Vicky if the believed Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. Jim beat around the bush a bit, but they both said that they knew he was a prophet! My eyes teared up a bit, I'll admit. It's been quite the process with them! Vicky needs to quit smoking first, but Jim is solidly committed to be baptized this Saturday, the 28th! He is so excited! What an amazing miracle! God truly changes hearts. They both are ...were... very solid in their other religious beliefs, being Evangelical, born again Christians. Now they know that we have the Restored gospel on the earth, and that they can be cleansed from all of their sins through baptism, and be sealed together for eternity by the priesthood power!

So I just wanted to share that with you :) Thanks

I'm also being transferred after 7 months in Warner Robins, GA. Whew! I leave tomorrow morning for my next area.

Love, Sister Karely Madsen

March 31 & April 14

April 14

 So Sister Russell got her visa to Brazil! I got a new companion 2 weeks ago. Sister Wheelwright is from Lindon, UT and fresh from the MTC. She is already making a fabulous contribution to the work here in Warner Robins! I love her already.

This week was awesome! We found many new people to teach and saw lots of miracles!

Earlier in my mission I was looking at our area map and wished that there were glowing dots in the places where the people are ready to accept the gospel. If only, right?

But just last week we had an awesome experience! We went to visit a member, but she wasnt home. Instead of just going back to the car and heading off somewhere else, I felt like we should keep walking through the neightborhood a little longer. My intention was to talk to people who were already outside their homes.

We didnt get too far when I saw a porch light turn on and off 2 times down the street. It was really weird, because that light was shining abnormally bright for it being 3:00 in the afternoon. I was reminded of the thoughts I had a few weeks earlier, and I knew that that light was a sign! So we went and knocked on the door and a sweet woman named Juanita let us in. We were able to share the 1st lesson with her, invite her to be baptized, and set up a return appointment for the next week! What a cool miracle!

Also this week we had the blessing of seeing a Less-active member come back to church!! she hasnt been to church in 35 years! I got a picture with her outside the building for proof :)

So many good things are happening in this area! We are so excited! And the members are excited too!

I know that blessings come with obedience. And the best way to show your faith is to live it! Obeying the commandments is what we need to do in this life to have happiness and strength. And we will be so much more blessed in the life to come because of our obedience. I also know that Charity is the key. It is the strongest, noblest, purest kind of love there is. Miracles happen when we have Christ-like love for the people around us.  

Thank you all for all your prayers and encouragement, I know that they make a big difference!

March 31

It has been nice and spring like here for the past couple weeks. I really love it. I will surely miss it when it starts to get hot. I'm pretty nervous for this next summer. I was blessed to be here last summer, because it rained in abnormal amounts. Almost every day it was raining. So it was cooler than normal. But this summer I dont think I will be that lucky. Everyone keeps trying to warn me. 

Fast Sunday was good for us :) The whole ward fasted together for those who are struggling. And I shared my testimony in sacrament. Also, Kevin was baptized Saturday and confirmed yesterday! And his nonmember mom came to both. We invited her to take the lessons, we have an appointment to teach her at the church this Wednesday! Wow. And that is how missionanry work is supposed to be done! Finding new investigators through the help of the ward and part-member families. And the teaching them in spiritual atmospheres. Like member homes or the church. :D

Did you like the Women's conference?

We had our transfer calls on Saturday. My current companion, Sister Russell, is leaving the country tomorrow (visa waiter for brazil), so I am getting a new companion. I'll be training a new sister! I'm so excited and scared to death!  Wish me luck. And pray for us. I just want to do a good job for this sister.

I love you lots! Have a good week :)

Sis K Madsen

March 24

Things are crazy here this week. Last week of the transfer, and my companion is being shipped off to Brazil! Wish me luck :)

Yesterday was quite eventful! I decided to do a special fast yesterday for the people in the area. So that made church really nice and spirit-filled. We met with the Ward Council yesterday, and confirmed their approval for a 9 year old boy to be baptized (there's been some drama with his family recently) But they said they wanted to go forward with it. 

We taught the Gospel Principles class also. The lesson was on "The Church of Christ Today". Which is basically the Restoration, and first missionary lesson. No investigators or less active members came to church :/ But there were some recent converts in there that I hope benefited from the lesson. I asked them to share their testimonies of the restored gospel at the end of class and that helped us end on a positive note. We emphasized how important it is to share the gospel with everyone because we are the only ones who have the whole truth! And the only ones who have the correct authority and power of God. No one else can claim to be the exact same church that Christ organized.

At the start of RS yesterday the Bishop pulled us out of class and asked us to follow up on a situation. The lady was so sweet and surprisingly calm and collected considering the trial she is facing. She asked us to pray with her. I said the prayer... that was really hard. But my testimony grew as I was reminded of the healing power and blessings of the atonement. So I called on those blessings to help her through. I am so grateful for the knowledge we have of the gospel and the spirit world and the Atonement. 

We also got to help get some food for another family yesterday. We originally called one member in the ward for info about Food Banks, and she ended up giving the family 5 or 6 big paper bags of food. Grains, meat, lettuce, yogurt, etc. Bless her heart. It made that family so happy. they are having a hard time right now.

It truly is the errand of angels.

Hope you have a week that is not too stressful, and do lots of fun things!

Loves to my shlebs! =D

- Sis K Madsen

March 10 & 17, 2014

March 17, 2014

Caption Contest!! Who's got the best caption??

This week went pretty well. We saw lots of progress with Less Active members and Investigators! No one came to church, but we are still hopeful for next week. This area has taught me lots of patience. With my companions, and with the people. Progress is made very slowly, but it is sure! I may never see the day when some less active members walk into sacrament meeting, but I know that their faith and understanding of the gospel has grown significantly while I am here! 

One of our most exciting moments this week is when an investigator realized that he did have a testimony of the book of Mormon, and with that, he also knows that Joseph Smith is a prophet! Its beautiful :) He is still unsure about joining the church, but he has made so much progress! In the same lesson I was able to recognize one of the key indicators of the Spirit that Elder Holland mentioned in his talk "The Divine Companionship". This one was "Missionaries learn in moment of delivery". Edd asked us some questions from his reading, and we were able to expound on the verse with info that we didn't know ourselves! But I knew that what we taught was true. And He knows it too. 

Looking forward to doing lots of finding this next week. 

Love you lots!

Sis K Madsen

March 10, 2014

A lady in the ward had our whole district get a picture for the local newspaper.

9 Months!!

This last week was great! The weather was sunny and nice. Things are starting to bloom. We were able to come in contact with a few Less-Active members that we hadn't met before, and grew even more in our knowledge and testimonies of the gospel!

My half-way day would have been February 29th. But since there is no such thing I celebrated it the 28th and March 1st! Both days were quite amazing. I have been blessed to see many little miracles this week, I know that the Lord loves me :)

We have started teaching this cute little nine year old boy. He has wanted to be baptized for awhile but family circumstances prolonged the opportunity. Now that things have settled down he is ready to continue learning about the gospel! The date he picked out is March 22nd. We are so happy for him and his family! We are so blessed to have the privilege of helping him be baptized :D.

So these days there's lots of talk about members doing more to help share the gospel with others. To be honest, whenever I heard "missionary work" at home I would almost tune out. The thought made me a little uncomfortable. Sharing the gospel was way out of my comfort zone, sometimes it is still hard for me. So I totally sympathize with people who are scared to reach out! But since being out here I have learned a few things that might help others over come their fear, and have more faith.

First off, WHY do we need to share our knowledge of the gospel?

-It makes us happy.

-When we were baptized we promised that we would.

-And because we know that living the teachings found in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is the only way that we will be able to fully access the blessings of Christ's Atonement, perfect ourselves, and be worthy enough to return to our Heavenly Father and live with Him.

I once heard a quote that went something like this:

"If you really understood the Atonement, then you would not hesitate to share it with others."

~Missionaries are trained to teach, not  to find.~

When people think of missionary work, they think of a couple Elders on bikes going door to door. While the method of knocking on doors may be the most common method of finding people. It is one of the most least effective ways to share the gospel! 

What is the most effective way? For a member to introduce their friend. 

Why is this more effective?

A person learning about the gospel will respond better to it when they have someone that they can trust. Who they know would not encourage them to do learn more unless it could benefit them. They will have someone they can turn to if they have questions, because missionaries can't be there all the time. They have an immediate support system.

Keeping this in mind, here are a few simple ways that you can find opportunities to share the gospel with others:

- Just be a good example! It will attract questions about why you live a certain way.

- Love others. They will feel more comfortable asking questions if they know you love them.

- Dont be afraid to tell people you are LDS. You can also go further and ask them what they know about the church. This is great for correcting misconceptions they might have. 

- Keep a picture of the temple or Christ on your phone/computer/tablet wallpaper, or keep a Book of Mormon or Church Magazine on your desk/in your locker. Having items like this will draw others to ask questions.

- Always invite. People will not likely perform an action unless they are invited to do so. Invite them to church. Invite them to mutual, to ward activities, to dinner. Elder Holland said that an invitation extended in love, will never be seen as offensive. They worst they can say is "no thank you."

To wrap it up, doing some of these suggestions may be a little uncomfortable, but I can promise that that's the hardest part! The only thing we have to do is be a friend to others, and provide them with the opportunity to learn more. As they desire to become more involved, then you can let the missionaries do the teaching. You don't even have to worry about it! The member's job is to find. and the missionaries job is to TEACH. They are the ones set apart and given authority to do so!

If you feel a little apprehensive about the missionaries, think of it this way: A missionary is set apart and given the same authority as an Apostle. But their authority is not for life, only for their missions. They are "little a's". You would probably love to have an apostle teach your friend, right? 

 

All in all, don't worry. As we strive to live Christ's teachings and have His Spirit with us, we will be guided to know what to say and do!

"And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left,and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels roundabout you, to bear you up."

 I love you all! <3

Just Another Day in Paradise :)

The weather this week has been pretty great. 60s and 70s the whole time. I'm loving it. This is what spring looks like apparently :) We have been trying to take advantage of the awesome weather and contact as many people as we can. 

On Thursday we were lucky to do lots of service! We came and volunteered at the library. We helped cut out papers, organize, and shelf books in the children's section. The lady who is over the kids place is named Miss Penny. She is sweet. We look forward to getting to know her better and sharing Jesus with her. The same day we also helped a family clean their kitchen and pack their dishes to move. The Coleman family. They are a family that the sisters met a while ago, we went to go see if they would be interested in taking the lessons again and ended up helping them clean. The good news is that they do! The bad news is that they are moving to another house in the 2nd ward. My district leader gave us unlimited permission to travel anywhere in the district! So we can probably still teach her. But if it ends up being too far away we may just have the 2nd ward elders teach them. We are still pondering about it.

I learned a lot about revelation in my studies this week. I know that obedience is the key to receiving guidance and assistance from God. When we are obedient, we can be trusted with more knowledge and responsibility. We bring ourselves closer to the Spirit by standing in holy places, just as we are commanded. I love the scripture:

 "Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." D&C 88:63

My goal is to be an AP-status missionary. Everyone knows that the ones who are the most obedient are the ones who get to be AP!
I love y'all lots! Have a good week :)

Michelle's baptism cake