Week 35

First of all, this week was awesome! life is sooooooo good out here in Alabama! I never want to come home!!!! I love the people so much-they are so friendly and fun!! I love the weather even though its like doing a bikram yoga 24/7. I love the food because everyone has a fresh garden! I love the lake and the greenery! and most importantly, I love the message we bring to people!!!!!

on Wednesday we were baking cookies with a lady named amber who has been a Mormon since she was a little girl. in her teenage years she drifted away from her standards and stopped going to church. now at 35 she is trying to figure her life out again. as we baked cookies in her apartment we discussed how life is short, so the decisions we make are vital. we helped her understand that she will have eternity to look back on her earthly life.

she knows she needs to come back to church, but told us she never could because her double shift on Saturday would leave her exhausted. she also felt unprepared and nervous to go again. we knew she needed extra strength, so we called the boy missionaries to give her a blessing. just as Christ blessed and healed people by the power of god (called the priesthood), worthy men in our church do the same thing.

as these good missionary boys laid their hands on her head the spirit flooded into the room. the words elder hunt spoke came directly from god. He had never met/heard of her before, but the blessing addressed every concern and situation she has ever brought up! it was so crazy! amber shed tears of joy as she was overwhelmed with feelings of hope, love, peace, and comfort. these feelings inspired her to come to church on sunday. as she sat in that building once again she felt gods love and remembered what "home" felt like.

she realized the decisions we make in life are crucial, so she can't delay making the right ones. instead of being apathetic, she committed to acting on what she knows is right! What an incredible experience-people can change, god loves us, and his power is real. these things i know!

Have a great week y'all!

Sister Ella Rae Madsen

 painting nails and doing face paint at the park! this man got auburns logo painted on his toes with orange and blue polka dots! HAHA these southerns are hilarious! then we did tons of roll tide and Alabama As on little groms faces! so fun!

  brother burton! KATE HARGIE baptized him in mcminville, Tennessee and then he visited our ward!!!!!!! crazy connections!

 the Guntersville ward missionaries!

i brought this friendship bracelet from home...finished it....then attached my watch face bc my leather strap broke! got to keep the summer fever alive out here!

Week 34

HAPPY FATHER'S DAY TO ALL Y'ALL DADS!

What a great topic!! I love thinking about the role of fathers-to protect, love, guide, teach, support, provide, correct, care, know, and trust their children. And you know what is soooo cool.... just as we have earthly dads, we have a heavenly father!!! Our Heavenly Father is another name for God. He has the same role-to protect, love, guide, teach, support, provide, correct, care, know, and trust His children. God is the father of our spirits, so everyone on earth is a child of God.

This parallel relationship amazes me. I love it soooo much!! Both my dad and my Heavenly Father want me to learn, develop, and eventually leave their presence so I can become something better. For my dad, that was letting me go to college and move to Alabama for 1.5 years! God has done the exact same thing! We lived with Him before coming to earth. He sent us here to learn and grow and become like Him. Without experience we would never develop, that is why life is hard. And I quote, "what doesn't kill you makes you stronger!" So true. Therefore, being born on earth in families is a micro version of God's macro plan.

Even though I am not in heaven, one thing I am learning over and over again is how close God is to us. This week I was stressed out and worried about life, but as I talked to my Heavenly Father in prayer I was comforted.  

I felt this comfort in the temple, which is the best place ever!!! Most of us are familiar with churches, but temples are even more special!! They are literally the house of the Lord. In them we are taught about our purpose on earth and God's plan for us. We are united as families forever. As I said a simple prayer in the temple I was filled with peace. In the Bible Christ makes a promise to his followers, "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you." (John 14:27) This is exactly how I felt. A sense of peace I have never found in the world came flooding through my body.

I know God is aware of us. He understands and knows the details of our lives. Because He is our Father, He cares, loves, provides, trusts, and knows us! He wants to talk to us through prayer. I promise that you will feel His love and reality as you say sincere prayers. 

I hope y'all have a great week and you ponder how incredible fathers are-both our earthly dads and heavenly father! I am so grateful for both of my dads!!!!!!

Your Alabamian Girl, Sister Ella Rae Madsen

 I LIVE IN THE MOST GORGEOUS PLACE EVER!!!!! and I love my life sooooo much!!

 roasting mallows :)

 hahha just trying on this sun hat! so fun!

 I love all the sister missionaries here ridiculously much!!!!!

 president and sister hanks!!! love them SO much!!

 exchanges with sister dockstader!! so fun!

 I love picking flowers. they are so beautiful!

Week 33!

Well Sister Brassfield and I are having some crazy times down here in Guntersville!! We have literally been talking to every human and getting rejected by them ALL. It is 5 trillion degrees and so humid! While biking this week we have sweat bullets and also gotten drenched in the pouring, literally pouring, rain. To top it off, we have crazy swollen bites and stings all over our bodies. It is SOOOO hilarious and fun! 

Needless to say, we are learning to have PATIENCE. I always thought of patience in regards to dealing with other people, but we need patience in all things! It "is the capacity to endure delay, trouble, opposition, or suffering without becoming angry, frustrated, or anxoius ... you must wait for the Lord's promised blessings to be fulfilled." When we are doing everything we possibly can to live righteously, we can still face trials!!!!!!!! 

In the Book of Mormon there are 4 brothers who are super rebellious and go around destroying the church. Eventually they recognize the truth and turn their lives around. They are so pumped on the truth that they travel to share it with everyone! Despite the trials and rejection they face, they keep going. The Lord tells them to "be patient in long-suffering and afflictions, that ye may show forth good examples unto them in me, and I will make an instrument of thee in my hands unto the salvation of many souls." (Alma 17:11)  

Sister Brassfield and I are trying to follow their example. Despite the temptation we have to feel like we are wasting time since no one wants to listen, we must still go out! We must still leave the apartment and share our testimonies! We must be patient! Most importantly, we must continue to be Christlike and loving to all. We wear Christ's name, and nothing should hold us back from aligning our thoughts, words, and deeds with His! As with the sons of Mosiah, I know the Lord will strengthen us to help other people! 

We will make it another great week no matter what!!! 

Love your little Alabamian missionary, 

Sister Madsen 

 we were biking and a terenchal downpour just came out of nowhere!!

literally soaked. we had to ring out our clothes before we went inside to our friends home. HAHAH!

 our lovely day at the park!!! lake guntersville is soooooooooooooo gorgeous! i am so lucky to be here!!

 us at the park trying to make a sign for "free art"...not looking so hot. sister brassfield is white as can be and was shading herself from the scorching sun. meanwhile i got a wasp stuck in my skirt and was getting stung over and over. and i was in public so i couldn't take it off...

 the south is soooooooooooooooo weird!!!!!!!!! like what is this?!?

some of the silly art we are working on....trying to mix life up, get creative, and share our talents!! go greg madsen for giving us the idea!!