Week 56

I think this week I will just send pics.......I am a little too overwhelmed to write....sorry. 

Thank you everyone who wrote me this past week and especially who sent me pics from my mom's wedding. What a crazy weekend back home!!! But all good things.....I couldn't ask for anything more. I love my family so much and I feel so blessed to be a part of this clan. 

We went to the DoKu Zentrum for p-day. AKA the Hitler Museum.
It was my third time there.....depressing

The Lindgrens took us to KFC for dinner. Seriously so nice!!! Sometimes I miss America......

yep!! Classy....

I got to go on a split with Sister Hamner!! It was just like the MTC days. I love her! She brought her lava lavas that she got from a Samoan family in her last area. This pic is for Chan!

Split pic!

We had our own party friday night with some of the young women!

Things got a little crazy!!! We didn't have nutella so we had to use expired veggie mite.......
...that stuff stinks so bad!!!!

Good times!!!

I know without a doubt that families are forever. As I tell people here in Germany about God's plan for his children I am filled with so much peace. God loves us so much that he has put us in families and provided a way for us to be together forever! 

Love you all!!

Thank you for your prayers and thoughts! It really means a lot!!!!

Love,

Sister Madsen

Week 55

Well I can definitely say that this week was a step up from the last. A lot of really good things happened and we saw a lot of miracles. 

We blew bubbles at our district meeting as a stress relieving activity. I would say it worked!

We met with some investigators that we haven't been able to contact for a while. We became good friends with a less active who came to church on sunday for the first time in a while. I got some 18 year old boys to come to institute. Maybe I had to bat my eyelashes a little bit. haha!

But hey....they came!

We had a street display last saturday and Elder Lindgren is so legit. He just talks to EVERYONE!!! We ended up giving out a lot of Book of Mormons and Elder Lindgren made two appts for us. Sweet! 

We were in charge of a finding activity in Nürnberg with all the companions of district leaders while they had a meeting. So of course we got Eis afterwards!

But I think the biggest miracle of the week happened sunday. One of our investigators was supposed to come to church but he texted us that morning and said that he was really sick. We were a littled bummed. But then that night we get a text from him and this is what it said (see pic):

Pic of the text from our investigator!

Sister Wahlquist and I were like "say what?" haha! Mostly because we have only met with him once and we showed him the restoration video in greek because communication is a little difficult. Well we told him that we can help become a member of this church and that we just need to teach him a few more things. So I hope it all works out ok with the language. I will keep you all updated! Please pray for him!

We made a cake for someone's birthday at institute.
We ran out of room so we had to say "Happy Birth"

This week I was also able to attend a baptism that the Regensburger Elders had. It was such a good baptim and I felt the spirit so strong. It was just a testimony to me that this is the Lord's church. The gospel helps people change for the better! I really needed to go to that baptism.

Gave me a little boost!

The missionaries did a musical number at the baptism!

Well.....I love you all! I am praying for you! Have a great week!

Love,

Sister Madsen

Week 54

Another week......

Oh boy.....where to begin.

Monday: Pday.....Sister Wahlquist bought a Dirndl and we had our end of the transfer Dirndl and Lederhosen party. Super special. We had the genius idea to pick up all the sisters.....Sister Diethelm dropped me. 

Dirndl and Lederhosen party!

Tuesday: We went through the whole ward list with Sister Lindgren. Let me tell you! That was quite the task! I was pooped by the end. Then we went to visit a member who lives in an old folks home. Sister Wahlquist and I had a good 20 minute conversation with who we thought was the member. She was really hard to understand and kept taking her dentures out but I thought she said some things about the church so I ASSUMED it was her. We went home and looked through our book with pictures of ward members and it totally wasn't her! haha! Well at least we made some one happy. Not sure who.....

I gave the bunny suit a try!

Wednesday: We went to a Funeral with the Elders. A less active from our ward passed away. The funeral was pretty short and then afterwards the son invited us to bakery and he bought us all food and drinks. It was so kind. That night we had institute. Since the Lindgrens were in Coburg, Sister Wahlquist and I were in charge of getting the food ready. Luckily all we had to do was heat it up. 

Thursday: We did service at a member's home. In return she made us delicous food. Pretty fair trade I would say. We also visited with a new member from our ward. She is the one that we thought was a golden investigator but turn out she is an endowed member. haha! But now her records our in our ward. Woohoo! She is so lovely! 

MTC group at the conference in Frankfurt

Friday: We left at 7:30 am to travel to Frankfurt. The whole mission met in the Frankfurt Stake center. We had about 2 hours until the meeting began so I just talked to missionaries I haven't seen for a long time. It was really fun! Then we had our conference with Elder Ballard. He talked a lot about having a good attitude about missionary and smiling and looking people in the eyes. All good things. He also said that there are people here in Germany prepared for the gospel. It reall pumped me up and made me want to be an even better missionary. I feel like my spiritual battery was recharged! Then we went to hauptbahnof and ate dinner. Then we took a bus back to Nürnberg. We didn't get home until 11pm. Totally worth it!

The bus ride back from Frankfurt!

Oh and guess who is being trained in Feucht! Sister Ferris from Spokane Washington!!! Such a small world. It was fun to talk to her about all the same people we know! It will be fun to get to know her a little better since we are serving so close to each other!

Saturday: um.....maybe I just want to forget this day.....

Sunday: I gave a talk in church. Super special. I wrote my talk out and I was chugging through it and then I was about done with what I had prepared and I looked at my watch and I had only been talking for 5 minutes hahaha! It feels a lot longer when you are speaking in another language! So I just rambled for the next 5 minutes! woohoo! Yay for talks that don't really make sense! I am pretty sure the ward thinks I am crazy! 

MTC comps together again!

Well...I think that accurately describes my week. I am ready for a new week! I am doing really well and I love being a missionary. I love sharing this gospel and to be able to share my testimony every day. What a special experience! 

I love you all!!! Hope you have a great week!

Love,

Sister Madsen

Week 53

I have officially been on my mission for a year!!!! Woohoo! Where did the time go? I don't even remember what life is like not being on a mission haha! Oh boy....I will probably be a really awkward return missionary. Not sorry about it! I definitely ate some Eis on my year mark. Delicious.

Year mark pic!

Last pday we went to the Nürnberg Volksfest which is like a little carnival type thing. We did some bumper cars. I don't know how to drive anymore....oops.

Bumper cars!

Also a few of us went through this fun house thing. Lot's of spinny things and such. I almost puked and then at the end you go down a slide. My grandma shoes have too good of traction and so some how I got turned around in the slide and I ended up coming out head first and backwards. I have never feared for my life so much. Luckily there was like a padded landing. When Sister Diethelm saw me come out she almost peed her pants from laughing. It was a really fun pday!....even if we couldn't go on any roller coasters :)

At the Volksfest.......We made it through the fun house alive!

I have decided that missionary work is a struggle during summer break. EVERYONE is on vacation and no one wants to meet with us......oh special times. But we had a lot of really good appointments with some ward members. I am really growing to love this ward. There are a lot of really great members here.

Sister pic at the Volksfest

We also had transfer calls on Saturday.

Transfer call breakfast!!

Sister Wahlquist and I are staying together in Nürnberg and so are the elders. This will be their 5th transfer together. WOW! That's a long time. Good thing they like each other haha. Sister Diethelm was transferred to Mannheim, a city in another zone! I will miss her. Sister Gardner is training! And Sister Hamner is coming to Coburg!!! yay! she will be my sister training leader. So excited to see her!!!

I love winning bets for transfers!

This week we will be traveling to Frankfurt for a mission conference. Yep....the WHOLE mission will be there. Elder Ballard will be speaking to us. I am so excited for it and to hear what he has to say to us. Probably the only time I will hear from an apostle on my mission. Stoked!

We cleaned chairs at the church for a service project!

Thank you all for the emails and for the support. It has really meant a lot to me. Especially for a whole year. I have been reflecting a lot on this past year. I have learned so much about myself and about my Savior. I have learned to turn to god when things are hard. One of my favorite scriptures is in 2 Nephi 22:2. It says "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also has become my salvation." The Lord has truly become my strength.

We taught indexing at institute and Andreas was the only one who showed up.

YAY! haha! so we had an indexing party......

I love you all! Hope you have a great week!

Love,

Sister Madsen

Week 52

It may be kind of sad to say but I think the most exciting thing that happened to me this week is that I got food posioning. haha! This week I got to go on a split with Sister Diethelm to Feucht. So much fun!!! I miss Feucht a lot! 

On my split in Feucht!! Janis is so awesome!!!

But we went to an eating appt. with the elders. Let's just say......we ALL got sick. Let's just say.....Sister Diethelm and I had a rough night. The next morning we were supposed to give a lesson in zone training. We didn't think we were going to be able to do it. But all went well. 

those who suffered from food poisoning......

We survived our thema......so sick......

We gave our "thema" (sorry I literally cannot think of the equivalent english word) on zone unity. We made everyone a headband and we named our zone the "Nürnberg Nephites." Kind of cheesy but so awesome!!! It kind of felt a little like girls camp. But I am not sorry about it. We all looked so legit with our headbands. We luckily made it through zone training without any problems but afterwards Sister Gardner and Sister Wahlquist went to our appts while Sister Diethelm and I were confined to the apartment. 

Elder Nilson and I are homies!

Our district after zone training with our cool headbands!

We also helped with a street display in Bayreuth on saturday. There were a lot of missionaries there helping and it was really successful. I always loves talking to the other missionaries at the end about some of the rudest people we encountered. I said 'Guten Tag' to one man as he walked by and then he proceeded to hiss at me like I was some cat that he could scare away.
So funny! People are funny! 

Sister Wahlquist and I on the way to Bayreuth.

In Bayreuth!
This dinosaur was right in front of our street display....

But one thing really hit me as I was talking to complete strangers in Bayreuth who where sometimes really rude to me. I am so grateful for my knowledge of this gospel. My testimony is strengthened so much whenever I have the opportunity to introduce someone to the Book of Mormon. Even if they aren't the nicest to me. I feel so blessed to be able to share my testimony daily! I am so grateful to be a member of this church!!

Our zone! Nürnberg Nephites!

Well....I hope you all have a fantastic week. I will be hitting my year mark on Thursday!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is so crazy!! One year! Time is flying by!!!
Trying to soak it all up!

Love you!!

Sister Madsen