Week 3

Well it’s official......

I'm half way through with the MTC. Germany is fast approaching! I'm learning really well to communicate with my hands. I feel like I do charades whenever I talk. The Germans will think I'm crazy. 

I think the theme for this week is: Es lohnt sich. We learned this in class and it means "it's worth it." I don't know if you know but.....the MTC is hard. It's hard when you get little sleep or if you totally bomb a lesson or you get in a disagreement with your companion (or if your other two companions have a disagreement haha!). But I am learning that this is worth it!! 

Our district of dritts (trios). We had an extra elder with us, Elder Riddle, for five days because he was on the fast track for German. He left for Germany a couple of days ago.
We really loved getting to know him and miss him dearly.

Last week, my companions and I gave an awful lesson to our investigator. There was no unity between us and we kept going off track. Our investigator stopped us (who is actually our teacher) and started talking in English, which he never does. We knew we were in trouble haha! he lectured us for a bit but we learned that the way we planned was not working for us. We basically started from square one. Although it was a little embarrassing, I am so thankful our teacher stopped us so we could correct what we were doing wrong. Teaching is hard, let alone in another language. But it will be so worth it when I will be able to share a message with someone who has been prepared by God to hear it. What a blessing!

Sister Hamner and I were twins one day.
...not on purpose at all. We walked out and were like UM.....

In other news, my companions and I were chosen to sing at the General Relief Society broadcast! Hollah!! We are so excited! And Sister Hamner and Sister Fowlke have never been to the conference center. So make sure to look for me!!! We have practice every morning from like 7-9. It's intense! And the dress code is so strict. We have to wear a jewel toned, collared shirt, no sheerness, it can only go two inches lower than our neck, no earrings, no jewelry, shirts un-tucked, no braids in our hair, name tags by our chins, hair pulled back with only bobby pins! What the?! 

My companions and I had literally nothing to wear that fit the criteria. We were freaking out. Then the other night the branch presidency's wives knocked on our door at like 10 pm. They came in with a bag full of jewel colored collared shirts and were like "fashion show!!!" They had gone out and purchased 15 shirts for the three of us to pick from. They said we could pick our favorite and keep it. Seriously the nicest thing ever!! So look for me wearing a periwinkle colored shirt and I'm singing second soprano if that helps haha! I'm so excited that Mom and Mackenzie got tickets to come!!! We will be in the same building haha!

Our last night together as a district of dritts.

Last Sunday I was picked to give the talk. So how it works here is that they give you the topic for the upcoming Sunday. We all prepare a talk in German on that topic and then the Branch President, right before we are supposed to talk, randomly chooses two of us to speak. Well I was picked! It felt a little like the Hunger Games when they pick a name. So special....The topic I was assigned to speak on was Repentance. My German was special and it took me FOREVER to read like two scriptures. But it was so humbling to stand before all the missionaries and bear my simple testimony on repentance. Cool fact: the German word for "to repent" is "umkehren," which literally means "to turn." 

Use that in your next Sunday school lesson haha! 

I have also been chosen to be the Sister Training Leader. I have no idea what that means but I think it's like the Zone Leaders for the sisters. It's kind of funny because there are only three sisters in our zone so....all I really do is go to meetings all day Sunday. Yay! Sundays are really busy here but I really do enjoy them. It's like general conference all day. In relief society we have a guest speaker and then that night we have another guest speaker for devotional. It's so great!

Bye Elder Riddle! I totally made him do that pose.
"Pretend like you're walking away with your luggage and look over your shoulder." haha

I love running into people I know here at the MTC. I see Elder Bueno every day! He's here at the west campus. Then I've seen a lot of sisters from my freshman ward. And the other day I saw Sister Alcazar (I think I spelled that right). They are all doing so wonderful :)

This week I've been studying how the Book of Mormon was important to my own conversion. How would I be able to ask people to pray to know the truthfulness of this book if I never had done it myself? I've pondered a lot about how the Book of Mormon was such a comfort and consistent source of truth during a time in my life when things were so unsure. I treasure the Book of Mormon so much because of those experiences. But I am also making sure to strengthen my testimony of it daily. Our teacher wrote a quote on the board that said, "The honest seeker of truth will soon come to feel that the Book of Mormon is the word of God." 

So my question for you is, how have you felt the Book of Mormon is true? 

Just something to ponder....

This is me sitting here writing you this email! Yay!

I know that Book of Mormon is the word of God. The Book of Mormon shows me that God loves us. It was translated through the prophet Joseph Smith and contains the fullness of this gospel. We are so blessed!

I love you all sooooooooo much! I look forward to getting your letters and hearing from you! I'm doing really well and I am so happy. Although it is really stressful here I feel really peaceful. I know I am at the right place at the right time. Just remember: Es lohnt sich!

Liebe,

Sister Madsen

p.s. keep the letters coming!!! 

Chandler and Carter- you better write me punks!!!