Week 59

This week has been all about having patience for crazy people. 

 

Found this sign in Erlangen!

I know I know.....I feel like I write every week about how we deal with so many crazy people, but this week put me over the edge. Sister Wahlquist and I were in an appt with an investigator. She was going OFF about Ebola.....and who knows what. I turned to Sister Wahlquist and just gave her this look of "I can't really do this right now." Luckily she knows me pretty well and started leading the discussion. I am thankful for Sister Wahlquist. She has been really patient with me as I have been learning to be patient with others. Oh life lessons......

 

Sister Wahlquist and I had matching scarves for the day!

I have some funny stories for the week though:
Saturday we went and helped with a street display in Erlangen. 

 

This was the display right across from our street display. As they were building their tent we asked them what their display was about and they were like "you won't like it." and that's all they said haha

On the way home we got some lunch and I got some Chinese noodles in like one of those Chinese take out boxes. On the Bahn ride home Sister Wahlquist and I fell asleep HARD. The girl sitting across the way from us was out too. Then all of a sudden we here a loud sound. I was so asleep that I dropped my takeout box of noodles. A few noodles spilled. All three of us woke up, looked at the noodles, and went back to sleep. HAHA so funny! On Sunday a member came up to Sister Wahlquist and I and told us that we looked like we needed about 3 more hours of sleep. Yep....how about 20? haha!

 

Caroline, a member, came teaching with us on her day off from work! She is so awesome!!!

Love these ladies!!! Vvivian is from Portugal and Caroline from Kenya. We have too much fun together!

Overall, I am doing pretty good. Being a missionary is awesome! Sometimes just the weirdest things happen to you. Sometimes you are dead tired but still the happiest you've ever been in your life. I love it! 

 

Some members from Feucht visited the Nürnberg ward on Sunday!

We had ward conference on Sunday and it was wonderful. They talked a lot about serving others. And how when we serve others we are showing our love as well. I am so grateful for this time I have to serve and to show God how much I love Him and this gospel. 

 

The missionaries in Nürnberg got a "comp" item last pday. The elders have matching sweaters and the sisters matching sweaters. Here's the Nürnberg missionaries.....Lindgrens included!

Elder Allen, Elder Ward, Elder and Sister Lindgren, Me, and Sister Wahlquist

I love you all so much! I hope you have a great week!
Love,

Sister Madsen

Week 58

This week has been really special. I was pretty sick for the first half of the week and then Natürlich Sister Wahlquist got sick. So we have just been the sicky companionship. Really special....But everyone is getting sick right now. Hard to avoid.

Livin' the life

Last pday we had a sisters pday. We went with Sister Gardner and Sister Ferris to lunch at Vapianos. Delicious! Then we went shopping a little bit and then came back to hang out with the elders at the church. I love sister pdays! That night we taught FHE but I was so congested that I could barely breath. Oh man.....my German sounded so......not German. haha

Sisters pday!!!

My brother went into the MTC this week! Oh my goodness! I have been thinking about hime all week. I literally told everyone I saw on wednesday that my brother went into the MTC. We had district meeting and Elder Boam was like does anyone have any announcements. I was like yes I do.....my brother went into the MTC today!!! WOOOOOHOOOOO!!! I even wore the same shirt that I wore when I went into the MTC in honor of him! 

The day Elder Madsen went into the MTC. notice the shirt.....

We met again this week with our investigator who can only speak greek and turkish. He has ok English but it's not good enough to teach him. So we teach him using google translate. Technology is amazing! He is making so much progress and he plans on being baptized when he returns to Istanbul in December! He came to our ward activity on Friday and a member who served her mission in Greece talked to him in Greek. I was so grateful and he was so happy to be able to speak greek with someone.

We had dinner with Jens and Sabrina on Sunday. They were sealed in the temple last week! Love them!

So yes....we had a ward activity this week. The theme was fall the church was decorated all fall..ish. I loved it! We had three investigators there. Awesome! Bishop taught everyone how to country line dance.....which is funny because he's german. I so wish I could have joined in haha! Let the Americans show them how to country dance haha! Overall it was a really good activity!

Country dancing at the ward activity

Having Chandler enter the MTC has made me think a lot about my time in the MTC. It seems so long ago but also time has gone by so quickly. I feel like I have changed so much since then. I am so excited to see the progress and growth of Elder Madsen! I am so proud of you Chan!!!

Well I hope you all have a great week! Love you!
Sister Madsen

Week 57

This week was pretty good! And it is starting to look like fall now. And I LOVE fall. It is so pretty in Germany!! I feel so blessed to be able to serve here. What a beautiful time of the year.

Last pday we went to the castle in Nürnberg!

Good times!

We had zone training this week in Bamburg! Bamburg is about a 45 min. train ride from Nürnberg and it is such a pretty city. Zone training was pretty good. Afterwards we did a finidng activity. Sister Ferris and I hit the streets together. We talked to some young people and got a number of a girl who was pretty interested. I love having Sister Ferris around! She is so cool! Plus she fills me in on everyone from Spokane! Love it!

Of course we got some Eis! And yes I have a spider bite on my face. Actually somehow I acquired a total of 7 bug bites on my face this week....classy....

Nürnberg is beautiful!

 Sister Wahlquist and I were also the Birthday committee with the Lindgrens this week. We went with them to tell some members in our ward Happy Brithday! We literally did something with the Lindgrens every day this week and I'm not sorry about it. I love them!! They are the coolest senior couple in the mission! 

We went on a walk with the Lindgrens, Hildigarth, and Filip!!

 We also had a street display this week. There was a BMV display literally RIGHT in front of our display. We can't compete with free pens and mints and legos!! Oh my......kind of a slow street display. But it is still always an adventure to see what crazy people will talk to us.

The ladies at the women's broadcast! Some of my favorite people!!!!

 And of course it was General Conference weekend. We got to watch it all at the church and in english! yay! They also broadcast the women's broadcast. Some members from Feucht were there for that. It was fun to see them!!! 

Eating in between conference sessions!

 On Sunday and member made all the missionaries food for in between the sessions. Soooo much food! Unfortunately I have been sick this weekend with a cold of some sorts. I just coughed and sniffled my way through conference. Made it somewhat difficult to focus because I maybe just wanted to let my head explode from the congestion. But it's all good.
I LOVE conference!!!

Sooooo much cake!!!!!

 I just love how each speaker is so different. There are so many different people watching conference. People who have been members there whole life, maybe recent converts, or even people who aren't members. And yet we all can learn something from conference. That was something that really impressed me as I was watching it this time. Each speaker has a unique style and is able to connect to someone in a way that maybe another speaker could not. Love it!
I hope you all are doing great!!
Love you!
Sister Madsen