Sweet Home Ellabama : Hump Day! Week 37

Tomorrow I officially hit my half way mark!!! I only have 9 months left! That is so crazy to think about!!!

This has caused some serious reflection to take place!! 9 months ago I left my loving family, fun friends, best college ever, and perfect summer job to move to Alabama.

Most of y'all are probably sooooooooo curious about why in the world I would ever do such a thing! Well I don't blame you for asking that question, I ask myself too! hahha

You're probably wondering, is Ella having some mid life crisis that made her move away for 1 1/2 years to go tell people about Jesus? Is she on some kind of weird spiritual journey? She must be super religious to do that.....something not many of us find favor with.

Well I will tell you why I am here! I am here because The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true! And this knowledge makes me HAPPY! I want everyone to feel it!!! God sent us here to find joy, and that is the ultimate reason for everything we go through.

I've had my fair share of trials out here in Alabama, all of which are different than I was expecting. I thought waking up at 6:30am, being with someone 24/7, and not seeing my family would be the hard part. Boy was I wrong!! That's the easy part! hahha

The hard part is retaining a "perfect brightness of hope". I often wonder why in the world I got sent to the buckle of the Bible belt. I could be in South America helping many humble people find the happiness I have, but I am in Alabama where hardly anyone is open to learning. Staying positive after getting rejected day after day is more of a mental challenge than anything! But I love the challenge!!!!!

I don't have the answers to many things I wonder about, but I found this cool bible verse, "for my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts." (Isaiah 55:8-9)

Heck! I don't know why things happen in life! I don't know why some of go through huge trials and why some of us seem to have seemingly perfect lives! But it does not matter, because I have learned to TRUST GOD!! I have felt His love uncountable times on my mission. These feelings carry me day by day, for I know God is aware of me.

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!!!!!!! The hard times make me stronger and I am unfathomably grateful for each experience. I love my life and my family and my friends and everyone reading this! God loves you too!!!! YAYYY!

Sister Madsen