Week 6 Sept 19, 2016

Hey guys! Transfers just came and I'm staying in El Monte with my companion but, were moving districts. Which is weird because we were the center of the district, but it's cool. Plus the area right next to ours is being cut in half so they won't need their car anymore and it will come right to us. No more bikes! It's a possibility that I prayed about it. Bikes are cool but it's hard being late to appointments because people live so far away, and riding a bike while someone is driving a car right past you at full speeds... It's scary. They come so close you and it doesn't make sense how they can get so close without touching us. 

Last week we didn't have that many members have us over for dinner but this week everyday was filled. A true blessing, plus everyone goes all out for the missionaries and gives desserts too, and extra food that is easy to cook by ourselves. People really do look after us here. Whether or not they're members.  People respect us here and what we're doing, maybe not enough to hear our message but enough to say that it's cool to see such young people do something that isn't for themselves.

Tomorrow is my two month mark, and it's difficult to believe that it has come by so fast. It doesn't feel like it's been two months.  It's a weird feeling, where has all the time gone, but then again it is a true blessing that I'm enjoying my mission and having fun at the same time.

Elder Madsen

Week 5, Sept. 12 2016

I'm doing good here in Cali.

I just got my hair cut this morning by a lady that doesn't speak
English. Well she kinda does but only out loud when she's counting
money.  I haven't seen my haircut in the mirror yet
but my comp says I looks like alfalfa so it's aight.
This week we contacted a man named Norman. I couldn't really hear from
the traffic but we started talking about religion with him and right
away he said he was catholic. When people say that that's usually them
telling us that "I already know everything about the bible and couldn't
possibly learn anything more" or "I'm done talking to you". Only, when
he said that he kept on talking to us which I thought was really weird
and he said he loves Utah and how it such a beautiful place and he loves to go
hiking there.  He said in Utah people told him about the Book of
Mormon and he was really interested because he was "seeking further
truth".  We gave him a book or Mormon and was so excited
but felt bad because he thought we were giving him our very own
scriptures.  We had to explain to him that we have a lot more at our
apartment and when he understood that he got very excited. He told us
also that he's not really Catholic, he just goes there because that's
the only church close to what he feels is right. He then asked us how
can he learn more about our church and we told him he can come to
our church and learn and that we can meet with him and give him
lessons. He asked for a way we could stay in touch and we gave him our
number and we got his number so we'll see how it goes.

Love Elder Madsen

Week 4 Sept 5, 2016

Hello Everyone,

Remember Debbie from last week. We are working with her on the word
of wisdom. She understands that she has to follow the word of wisdom
to be baptized and she is trying so so hard to follow it. Which is
amazing because most people when we get to that point in our teaching
they don't want to quit or change or really put in any effort to be
baptized. Debbie definitely has a desire to be baptized and I am so
lucky that I get to teach her and watch her as she comes closer and
closer to being a member of our church. She has a testimony of Joseph
Smith and of the Book of Mormon plus she's comfortable with saying a
prayer in front of us. A lot of people aren't like that.

Our ward that Elder Phillips and I are over share the same ward
building as a Spanish ward.  They love the missionaries and after four
weeks they've realized that I can't speak Spanish so they come up to
me shake my hand with a really big smile and then they are on they're
way. We don't really ever interacted with them because we simply
can't, so this week when we got a call to come over to a Spanish
members house for dinner it was really weird/odd because they have Elders
and Hermanas  missionaries in their ward that speak Spanish and are
over their ward, but we went nonetheless.
When we got there the Elders and Sister were already there and we
were like ok? Apparently this Spanish couple had a referral for us and
it's their son in law (he speaks English) who lives at the house so
they just wanted us over to get comfortable coming over. I found all
this out after we left and they and the Spanish missionaries told
us. It was awkward because I could tell that they were talking about
my companion and I and how we didn't understand what they were saying.
I'm glad we get to teach him.

Love Elder Madsen

picture of the week!