Week 21

Guten Tag! 

I'm going to mix it up a little this week 

and just share mostly pictures with a few highlights. 

Just some highlights:

Went on another split Sister Diethelm! She is awesome!

Sister Diethelm and I on our split.....don't ask.....

Helped the Schwartz family move. 

President was there to help because it was his daughter moving! 

Gave a talk in Sacrament meeting. My German is so special and I doubt anyone understood me but at least I put the effort in! haha!

The group at the museum.

Visited a Holocaust museum with some other missionaries in the zone. 

Kind of a depressing and dark museum but very informative!

Listening to depressing things at the museum.

A family in the ward invited us over for FHE. They put the kids to bed and then practically sat Sister Miller and I down to have "grown up talk." We could talk about whatever we wanted to. We all just ended up crying and the dad just bore testimony to us about how much God loves us. 

Um.....it was muchly needed! Such an amazing family!

Playing Ninja Destruction with the Feucht Elders.....seriously love them!

The next day the mom from that family went with us to a visiting teaching appt. I had a really hard time giving the lesson in German and I was beating myself up the whole lesson. Then we got in the car and on the way back the mom turned to me and told me that I did a really good job in there and that I really brought the spirit. She said that it doens't matter if my German is perfect....just as long as the spirit is there. She was definitely prompted by the spirit to say that! I was crying haha!

Our ward building is so pretty inside!

Had an unexpected interview with President. 

He is such an inspired man and definitely told me things I needed to hear.

We made snowmen on the walking on the way to church.

Had our first snowfall!! and snowball fight with the elders! 

The snow outside our apartment.

I have just been thinking a lot lately about how much God loves His children. It is amazing to me that he loves someone I meet on the street just as much as a general authority or something like that. 

The baptismal font

I don't think I really realize how much God loves us. 

But I can testify that I have felt just a glimpse of His love and he truly knows and cares about each one of us.

Spent the p-day today with the Nurnberg sisters!

I hope you all are doing well!!! I miss you! 

Thank you for your thoughts and prayers!

Until next week!

Love,

Sister Madsen

Week 20

I am currently sitting in an internet cafe in Nurnberg with like 6 other elders typing away. It's hilarious because we are all typing so fast and then every now and then an elder will laugh at something he read and the rest of us just keep going haha! Special....so much typing.....

Well this week has been pretty interesting. After spending only 4 days in my area. I was shipped off to go on a split with Sister Diethelm in Coburg about 2 hours north of Feucht. My comp is a Sister Training Leader and she along with Sister Diethelm's comp and the zone leaders had a meeting in Frankfurt. They also needed to plan for zone training which we had on Friday. So basically I was on a split from Tuesday to Friday. It felt like I spent more time in Coburg than in my actual area. But it was really fun to work with Sister Diethelm. She is Swiss and she is hilarious! 

On my split with Sister Diethelm!

They ride bikes in their area. So that was definitely an adventure for me. I was just flashing the world as I rode the bike. plus I looked so funny with my massive winter coat. My bum was so sore afterwards. Oh boy.....I'm glad we don't ride bikes in Feucht (although we probably should because it takes FOREVER to walk places). 

Yep.....just embarrassing myself riding a bike.....

Once Sister Miller and I were finally back together we took some time to make some new goals and plans for our area. It took a lot of time but I am grateful we did it. We came up with some good ideas on how to work with the ward and other missionaries. 

We were so excited for church because we had 3 investigators that were planning on coming.  But none of them showed up! We were pretty bummed. We had a potluck after church and it was really great to get to know some of the members a little better. I really love the President's children. They are so kind to us! 

Just on a Bahn with Sister Miller

Today for Pday we are gong to check out a Holocaust museum here in Nurnberg. I'm excited to spend the day with my old MTC companion Sister Fowlke! I really love her and it is such a blessing that she is serving in Nurnberg because we get to see each other often.

The view from our balcony!

 I've kind of had a hard time with this transition to a new area and companion. Actually it's been a pretty rough couple of weeks. But I have really been studying lately about how I can really enjoy my mission and to not be so overwhelmed. I was studying and I came across a scripture in Alma 37:45-47 and it says:

45 And now I say, is there not a type in this thing? For just as surely as this director did bring our fathers, by following its course, to the promised land, shall the words of Christ, if we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise.

46 O my son, do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way; for so was it with our fathers; for so was it prepared for them, that if they would look they might live; even so it is with us. The way is prepared, and if we will look we may live forever.

47 And now, my son, see that ye take care of these sacred things, yea, see that ye look to God and live. Go unto this people and declare the word, and be sober. My son, farewell.

I am learning to "look to God and live." I have such a strong desire to really love my mission. I know that I can do this only through the help of my Savior. I need to rely on His grace and Atonement. But I know that He is always there for me. 

Yep, this is our life.....

I am grateful to be a missionary. There is nothing better than seeing the Atonement work in someone's life. Even though this is the hardest thing I have ever done I am learning so much about God's love for His children. 

I hope you are all doing well! I love you!

Sister Madsen

Week 19

Greetings from Feucht!

I can't believe I made it here! We left our apt in Dortmund at 6:30 am and as I was walking down the stairs of our building, my wheel fell of my luggage. I was like "Really?!" Luckily there were always elders around to help so I just made them drag my suitcase around haha! My MTC comp, Sister Fowlke, was being transferred to an area right next to mine, so we got to talk for like 5 hours! It was really great! What a tender mercy. It kept me from crying (too much) on the bus ride to Feucht! We finally arrived in Feucht around 6pm. It was a long day......

Waiting for the bus!

Feucht couldn't be more different than Dortmund. It is such a small city and the missionary work is moving at such a slower pace. We spend a lot of time traveling and walking. It's crazy! We took a 2 hour bus ride and then about a 45 min walk to meet with some investigators. Plus it is really cold here! Holy cow! I have busted out my huge puffy jacket that is probably a little too big for me. I look like a marshmallow!

On an adventure in the cold with my new comp, Sister Miller!

The ward is tiny and half of it is practically our mission president's children and grandchildren. But they are super friendly! And way into missionary work! The bishop already assigned me to give a talk in sacrament meeting in a couple weeks.

Our ward building in Feucht!

It is really beautiful here. The architecture is so German. 

It just looks like a little German city. I actually feel like I'm in Germany!

Yep......so cool!

...and the inside.....It's a church in Nurnberg.

This transition has been really hard for me. I really miss my old area, ward, companion. But I know that I need change in order to progress. My new companion, Sister Miller, is so loving and patient. She just let me cry on a train for like 30 min. That's fine! I'm definitely learning to rely on the Lord and to be patient with myself while I transition. It was hard to say goodbye but I am looking forward in faith. Sometimes I forget that what God has planned for me is always better than what I planned for myself. I would much rather take what God has in store for me. 

So beautiful here!

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

Love,

Sister Madsen

Week 18

Happy New Year!!!

This year has just started off with a bang for me.

First off, we had Sister Happel with us for the week. She is a member from Darmstadt and is seriously so good at contacting people. That is definitely her strength. She will just walk up and down the trains and practically hand out BoMs. It's crazy! I think in a 1 hour span of time we gave out 13 BoM. And this week it was a total of 28 BoM. Let's just say Sister Kearl and I were exhausted by the end of the week!

Just giving out BoM like no other on the street!

For new years eve we had to be in our apt but 6pm. Which is fine with me because there would probably be tons of drunk people out. There's already so many drunk people all the time that I can't even imagine what it would be like on new year's eve. Drunk people are hilarious though.......anyways..... Sister Kearl, Sister Happel, and I talked about this past year and new goals we wanted to make for the new year. 

I'm excited for what 2014 has in store for me!

We had a sisters Pday with the sisters in our zone! Party!

And then came the crazy! Saturday we had transer calls and guess who is getting tranferred?! Yep....me! Totally caught me off guard but I honestly didn't know what to expect. I am being transferred to an area on the complete opposite side of the mission. It's called Feucht and it is near Nurnberg. I hear it is really beautiful there and the ward I will be serving in is actually where our mission president is from! Fuecht means "moist" in german. I know....gross.....I hate that word! and it also sounds like a cuss word. When I found out where I was going I was like "What the Feucht?!" probaly not very missionary approprriate.....my bad. 

But wait it just gets better......

I am going to be companions with Sister Kearl's trainer. What the?! So strange! My new companion is the Sister Training Leader so I'll be able to get to know a lot of the other sisters in the zone! 

Our last district meeting altogether :(

I don't do very well with change (who really does?!) so when I found out I just cried pretty much all day Saturday. I am so sad to be leaving Sister Kearl! She has seriously been the best trainer I could ever ask for. We were talking and we have spent the last few months 24/7 together and we never once had negative feelings towards each other. We think that's pretty cool! 

My last sunday in Gemeinde Dortmund. So sad....

I'm excited for a new start though! I have no idea what to expect and while that is kind of scary, it can also be exciting. Who knows what experiences I will have in Feucht! Or people I will meet!

The man from our ward took us out to chinese again.....saweet!

Change can be hard but it is definitely needed. I think I was getting a little too comfortable in Dortmund and I think in order to progress and grow as a missionary I needed to be pushed out of my comfort zone. 

He takes all the missionaries from the ward to a chinese buffet every month.
Seriously the sweetest man!

New year, new start, new area.....Feucht (still don't like the name......)

Love you all! Hope you are having a wonderful start to the new year!

Love,

Sister Madsen

Week 17

Skyping!

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! It's so weird because there is all this build up and then it's just gone. Just like that! Wow! It was so great to be able to skype my family! I skyped before Sister Kearl and I wasn't too emotional until Sister Kearl was saying goodbye to her mom......oh boy many tears. We just cried walking to the bus and then we got home and we were fine haha!

Skyping my Family! Yay!

Like I predicted, I ate so much food this week. Oh meine gute! It was horrendous! We had a total of 5 eating appts in 3 days. And of course at every appt they feed you like you' haven't had a meal in months. We were at our appt thursday afternoon and Sister Kearl and I almost puked. they fed us like 5 courses! one of which was like meat jello......um.....and the man just took a bottle of vinegar and started pouring it all over my plate. I usually try to be polite and eat everything people feed us but I couldn't do this one........

Us and Sister Boning :) She is hilarious!

At Sister Boning's for 24th!
Elder Weidmann is special.....Christmas party at Sister Raphael's!

We spent the afternoon of the 24th with Sister Boning. She is the member who fed me cow tongue my first Sunday here. We ate goose and duck.......and it was just kind of a stressful afternoon. She has a pretty small appt and she invited all the missionaries over and then some so we could barely fit. Then that evening we were at the Wojcichowski family. It was really nice! We sang some songs together and read a christmas story and then ate dinner. They are so friendly!

The Wojciechowski family had us over for Heilige Abend!

Christmas morning!!! Matching PJs!

On the 25th Sister Kearl and woke up and opened our presents!
We totally wore our matching pjs that night. So precious....
Then we made nutella and crepes for breakfast (of course).
Later that day we went over to Birgit's house. She is a member and she invited us and the zone leaders over for lunch.

At Birgit's Christmas day :)

The 26th is pretty much another Christmas in Germany. We spent the afternoon at the Pelcs. They are polish and the husband is a butcher so we just ate a lot of......meat. I love Sister Pelcs! She is so sweet to us and she always gives Sister Kearl and I presents. That evening Sister Raphael had all the missionaries and some ward members over for a party. There was soooooo much food! Sister Kearl and I could barely walk home.

With the Pelcs on the 26th!

Overall it was a really good Christmas! The members really show their love by inviting us into their homes for their precious holiday time!

Elder Hallman gave me pens for Christmas because I always lose my pens
and then I ask for his pens and then I lose his pens .....my bad

Elder Weidmann gave me nutella fro Christmas.....very wise gift!

In other news.....Sister Kearl and I are in a trio for a week! yay!! It brings me back to my MTC days haha! She is from another city in Germany and she is on a mini mission for a week. She is actually from Sister Kearl's first area, Darmstadt. Her name is Sister Happel and she is such a good missionary! She is so good at just randomly talking to people. We gave out 11 BoM in just two days. That's kind of crazy!
Sister Kearl and I are learning a lot from her.

Our new companion for the week! Sister Happel!
She makes us food.....at least we'll eat more than crepes this week!

We had a pretty cool experience together. This last friday we were waiting for our apt to show up and since he was running a little late we decied to do some doors. Since everyone lives in appts here we just would ring the outside klingle and then wait for someone to ring us in and then we would work our way through the apt building. We rang this one bell and this African man told us to come in. He had us sit down with his whole family and they brought us drinks. We told him we had a message! We started talking about Jesus Christ and he pretty much agreed with everything we said. He had some questions about the godhead that we were able to clear up and he was so grateful we could answer his questions. We gave him a BoM and then said we would come back Sunday.

So we came back sunday and after we just sat down the door bell rang. In walks another African family. It turns out that this was his pastor. We were a little nervous to stay because we didn't want it to turn into a bible bashing party so we told him that we were going to leave and maybe come back another time. But then he said that we wanted us to share a message before we left. So we taught the resotration. Everyone there was pretty receptive about. There was a really good spirit there. It was just a room full of like 10 Africans and then the three of us sitting on a couch answering all thir questions. It was really cool! We are meeting with them again tonight so we'll see how that goes! Sometimes you just end up in the craziest situations as a missionary.

Just a random pic....The Pelcs showed me these eggs their chickens laid.
Pretty cool.......

Anyways.....I hope you are all spending the last few moments of 2013 wisely! I can't believe it's 2014 already. It's weird to think where I thought I would be in 2014.....graduated from college perhaps.....never thought I would be serving a mission in Germany. But here I am! I can't believe that the entire year of 2014 will be dedicated to my mission! Here's to 2014! Here's to making new goals! Here's to being a better person!

"My name's Kaylie, and I'm a Mormon."

I love you all! Thanks for the prayers and love and support! You know you can always just shoot me an email at kaylie.madsen@myldsmail.net and that would be totally fine! haha! 

Love you!

-Sister Madsen

Week 16

Merry Christmas! 

The time has finally arrived! I am so excited to be able to skype my family! Probably the best christmas present right now! We have member appts scheduled for the 24, 25, and the 26. It's just going to be a lot of eating.....German food.......

We had a Chinese family home evening last week.....

Just playing ping pong with a member at our Chinese FHE...

Chinese Abend FHE

This week flew by! I had a split with the Sister Training Leader, baked Christmas cookies with a member, got my Visa, went caroling with the Elders in the freezing cold, and...just a lot more things I can't really think of right now.....

Baking cookies at a member's house!

She made me wrap like 50 presents......

This last Saturday and Sunday were a real changing point, though, in pretty much how I've been feeling as a missionary. We had interviews with the Mission President on Saturday. He is such an inspired man. Literally everything he told me was exactly what I needed to hear. 

I told him how sometimes I feel so overwhelmed with everything I need to improve that I don't feel like the best missionary I can be. He told me to stop talking to myself that way. He told me that I was a great example to all the missionaries I am around. Pretty much he just made me feel good about myself haha! I decided that I need to stop worrying if I am good enough and just realize that what I am doing is enough.

It sounds pretty simple when I type it out.

Split pic with Sister Miller....comps for the day :)

Later that day Sister Kearl and I decided that we needed to have a little "district inventory" at our coordination meeting with the other Dortmund Elders. We just have noticed that we lack a little unity and such......the details aren't important...........but we decided to bring it up. It ended up being like a therapy sesh....super special........but it really helped to get everything straightened out. Things are SO much better now! The elders just told us they don't really know how to interact with sisters. 

And I was like "we're just making it so you'll be better husbands some day....you're welcome!" 

We had a little Christmas party with all the Dortmund missionaries. Elder Weidmann organized a secret santa gift exchange and then he made us lunch. Seriously so sweet!

Sunday we had Marion's baptism! She was rebaptized into the church but it has been a 14 month process for her to prepare to be baptized. Sometimes Sister Kearl and I felt like we really didn't do anything to help her get to this point. So many missionaries are responsible for this baptism. We were kind of having a bad day and feeling like what we were doing wasn't good enough for our area. We prayed together one morning that we would be able to know how God felt about our missionary work.

Our secret santa gifts under the tree

Later that day we had an appt with Marion. We were getting everything squared away for her baptism and she was very emotional. She told us that there was a reason that we were her missionaries right now. She said that she knows that when we speak that we are sincere. She told us that we were the best missionaries. Now I don't wirte this to say that "Oh we're the best missionaries lalalalalala look at us!" but I know that what Marion told us that day was answer to our prayer and that it was what God wanted to tell us. Of course I was just balwing while she was telling us that......that's fine! Her baptism went really well! Sister Kearl gave an amazing talk!!! 

I was so proud of her.

Marion's baptism!

Later Sunday evening Sister Kearl and I were talking and we just realized that all we can do is our best and that is enough for God. I'm realizing that every missionary has different talents and it's not fair to compare these talents. One of Sister Kearl's talents/strengths is that she is really good with people one on one and is really able to develop and strong connection with people who most don't take the time to get to know. While another elder in our district is really good at contacting people on the trains. They are so different but that doesn't mean one is a better missionary! 

Sister Kearl and I had nothing to eat Sunday night but I had your package in our apt. And I thought maybe you sent some mac n cheese. So I made Sister Kearl open the box, take out the mac n cheese, and then tape it back up. Kind of desparate times.......

Anyways.....it was a good week! I hope all is well back home!

I wish you all a wonderful Christmas! Thank you for the emails! 

Love,

Sister Madsen

Week 15

It has been a crazy week!

Some legit street musicians.....love it!

Sister Kearl and I have suddenly turned into the musical number touring companionship. You would be so proud of me mom! I sang in front of 3 different groups of people! I know you are all thinking....."Well she's a Madsen blah blah blah"........but that's kind of a big deal for me! haha!

At the Evangelical church!

The Bishop's wife first invited Sister Kearl to play her violin at her children's kindergarten Christmas program. We got there and it ended up being in this old Evangelical church. It was way pretty inside. The Bishop's wife asked me if I would sing one of the songs. I was like, ok! When would I ever have the opportunity to sing in a German Evangelisch church?! so I went for it. The pastor/priest man totally looked like Harrison Ford and he was rockin the classical guitar. So there we were, two sister missionaries performing in front of a German Evangelisch congregation with Mr. Harrison Ford rocking out on his guitar. It was so cool! It ended up being a really good missionary opportunity for the Bishop's wife because everyone came up to her afterwards and asked her who we were! 

It was really pretty inside!

The outside of the church

Later in the week, Sister Kearl and I were practicing for the Ward Christmas program and again the Bishop's wife asked me if I would sing a song. This time it was Silent Night. Oh boy......let's just say I'm not a soprano but I decided to do it anyways. The program was on Saturday and Sister Kearl played some numbers with the choir and a couple by herself and then the very last number was Silent Night. I was just singing in front of the ward in German. That's fine! Special times......

Santa giving us our presents at the Ward Christmas party!

Delicious German Gingerbread....it has a special name.....can't remember it/spell it.

After the program the elders had a baptism. The man being baptized is Romanian and doesn't know any German. So we had the translation system hooked up to the phone and on the phone was a German to Romanian translator. Sister Kearl and I prepared a musical number for the baptism. We did Savior Redeemer of My Soul and we spent the night before writing a violin part for the music. Sister Kearl is a boss at transposing music! No one could accompany us on the piano except another elder in a neighboring area. So he came to the baptism. Except they came like 5 min before it started so we only had time to run through it altogether ONCE! 

After the Baptism. John (in the middle) was baptized!

I was nervous to sing the song because there were people there who only knew romanion or chinese or german and my song was english. But as we performed the song I looked down at the man who was baptized and he was bawling. Even though not everyone understood the lyrics, the language of the spirit was universal! It was a very amazing experience! I'm glad we decided to do the muscial number even though it was a little stressful to prepare for it :)

Our awkard christmas family photo.....

I also had a split this week. It was my first time taking control in Dortmund. So I had to make sure I knew my way around and that I had appts planned for the day because Sister Kearl was in Herne with the Sister Training Leader. I was a little stressed but it made me realize how much I can actually do on my own. And it also made me appreciate my trainer a lot! 

My split with Sister Clendon. We bought some delicious crepes at the end of our split :)

I hope you are all doing well and excited for Christmas!!! I miss you a lot but I am doing well! I can't believe Christmas is next week! 

It will be a little different this year but I am thankful for this time to dedicate all I have to the Lord!

That man from our ward took us all out for lunch again today. We go to this Chinese buffet every time haha!

My pet elephant......

Love you all!

Sister Madsen