Week 71

This week has been a lot of change! I said goodbye to my little golden Sister Bray! She spread her wings and left me here in Duisburg.

 

Last night on the town with Angleika and Sister Bray. Angleika usually comes with us to appointments every week. She leaves on her mission next week!

I picked up my new companion Sister Heywood wednesday night. We spent our first day together on a split with another sister who was spending the day with us until her comp came. On top of that all I was real sick this last week. Poor Sister Heywood had a pretty interesting first few days in Duisburg. We didn't do too much because I was way too sick to leave the apartment.

 

Saying goodbye to Sister Bray :(

Sunday was a pretty crazy day. We spent 12 hours in the church. Yes, 12 HOURS!!! Between church, choir, ward council, eating, more meetings, and then another choir practice......it was just a long day. But the ward loves Sister Heywood and she will do great taking over the area when I leave.

 

Our last pday as a district!

We made a theme for my last transfer and it is Endure to the End. haha! Yep....trying not to let the trunkiness get to me haha!

 

It was so great working with these missionaries! Dont mind me.....I look a little special....
I was so sick.....

I am really looking forward to this upcoming week. We have some good appointments ahead of us and another split. Should be good!

 

New comp....Sister Heywood!

I love you all and I hope you have a fantastic week!

Love,
Sister Madsen

Week 70

Are you ready for my last transfer results?!!!

 

We listened to transfer calls together!

Sister Bray is being transferred to Nürnberg! And I will be getting a new companion. Her name is Sister Heywood. We actually went on a split together about 2 weeks ago haha! She will serve as a Sister Training Leader with me. I am excited to serve with her!! All of the companionships in our district changed. This transfer was crazy! 75 of the 112 companionships in our mission changed. I cannot believe that I will be starting my last transfer! It will be a good one!

 

Angelika had her farewell on sunday and so we had lunch together after church!

This last week was pretty exciting. We had two splits...practically back to back. The first one I was with Sister Parker in Duisburg. She is so awesome. We had a really good split and got to visit some of my favorite members here.

 

Split pic with Sister Parker

And then the next split, I was in Düsseldorf with Sister Jackson. We were together the day before transfer calls. I was just so anxious for the transfer call! We split back and had breakfast altogether as we listened to the call.

 

Spokane Friends! Look who I met when I was on my split in Herne.
She was baptized in the Greenbluff Ward when she was on exchange there!
Small World!

I cannot believe I only have 7 more weeks on my mission. I really want this last transfer to count. I am excited to come home and see my family but I love Germany so much. I love my mission so much! I wonder what will happen these last 42 days.

 

Our last sunday together :(

I hope you all are doing well! Have a great week!!!

Love,
Kaylie

Week 69

Happy New Year!!!!
 

 We went bowling last pday!

Can you believe that it is already 2015! Holy cow how did that happen?? I am so excited for this new year. Sister Bray and I had a pretty hoppin' new years eve.....we had to be in our appartment by 6pm. I think we cleaned a little and I caught up on some journal writing and then we went to bed at like 10pm. We woke up at midnight to the sound of fireworks right outside our window. So LOUD!!!! but I just fell right back asleep.
 

The sisters from the Dortmund zone at zone training!

This week was a lot of zone meetings. Bless Sister Bray's heart....it is probably not that fun being a sister training leaders companion. haha. We had two zone trainings this week. First we had one in Dortmund with the Dortmund zone! It is always weird to be back in that church building. But we had a really good meeting about setting new goals for the new year. Then the next day we had zone training in Düsseldorf. It was pretty much the same kind of topics. Both were really good!

 

The Dortmund zone!

In the midst of all that, we had a split with the Essen sisters! They are so awesome and it was fun to be able to get to know Sister Bates and Sister Sherwood a little better!

 

Split pic with Sister Bates!

Sister Bray and I also were able to meet with some awesome people this week. We went by to visit an old lady in our ward. She lives in an assisted living home. It took us forever to find it but we finally did and it was so worth it. She was so surprised we came to visit he and she was so happy. It just felt good to be there with her. And she just bore her simple testimony to me and it just reminded me why I am here.

 

Düsseldorf zone sisters at zone training!

I am so grateful for this new year. I was reading in the New Testament about when Christ called his disciples and He told them to come follow Him and He would make them fishers of men. What impressed me, is that they left immediately. They didn't hesitate or ask questions. I really want to so that this year. I want to drop all my nets and choose immediately to be a disciple of Christ.

 

Just some MTC homies.....

I love you all so much! I hope you are well!!! Have a great week!

Love,
Sister Madsen

Week 68

This week was Christmas!! YAY!

 

We have snow in Duisburg!

Not going to lie.....Christmas on the mission is really weird and sometimes it doesn't really feel like Christmas but I loved it. I will mostly send pics this week because there is really not too much to talk about!
 

Christmas Eve!

I love skyping my family! It was weird saying goodbye and being like see you in 2 months! haha! I love my family! They are so awesome!

 

Christmas in Duisburg!

Christmas day with the Meyers

I hope you all enjoyed your christmas and I hope you have a happy new year.

I will be stuck in my apartment from 6pm on....yay for being safe!!

 

Jessica was baptized on the 26th! YAY!

Love you all! have a great week!

 

Last pday we got pizza with our district

Love,
Sister Madsen

Week 67

This week has been pretty good. We had a lot of meetings this week so I felt like I was never really in my area.

 

Back in Dortmund baby!

On Tuesday we had zone conference in Dortmund. It was the first time I have been back in my golden area for a year! It was weird to be back in the Dortmund church. It brought back a lot of memories. Especially since I spent last Christmas there. Zone conference went really well. Sister Bray and I sang "O Holy Night" which was fun. I LOVE singing with her. We learned a lot about having no fear and being bold and remembering that we are set apart to do this work.

 

Pic with the APs at zone conference! Love these elders!

I also had another split this week with Sister Heywood. Sister Bray went to Münster and I stayed in Duisburg. Sister Heywood is seriously one of the nicest sisters I have ever met. I loved our split!!!

 

Split pic with sister Heywood!

I also had MLC in Frankfurt on friday. I traveled alone with the zone leaders. Split! haha! It was weird not having a sister around me for a few hours. haha....but MLC was really good. It is always a long day though. We left at 6:30 am that morning and then got home at midnight the same day.
I was pooped.

 

Saying goodbye to Sister Erickson at MLC.

The next day we had a really good appointment with some girls from our ward. They are so nice to us and I really feel like they are my family here in Duisburg. It is really hard to be away from my family for Christmas but I know that I am supposed to be here right now. I love that I have this time to really focus on my Savior and what a huge gift He is for me.

 

Some of my favorite ladies! I heart Dusiburg!

Well I hope you all have a Merry Christmas!!! I am excited to skype my family. We will be eating a lot of food here in Germany! And we also have a baptism on the 26th!! Woohoo!!

Love you all!!
Sister Madsen

Week 66

Sorry I am not feeling too well today
so I am going to skip out on the blog post.......

I will make up for it next week

Love you!!!