Week 49: Where are your Priorities?

As we were teaching our friend Nicole this week, we could see how stressed she was. Trying to look for a job, be a good girlfriend, care for her grandma, buy a car, and get back into church. Like most of us, she has a lot on her plate.

 

We opened up to 3 Nephi 13:33, where Jesus Christ is teaching the people in America. Christ understands that we have a lot to worry about, but He gives us the perfect answer for setting priorities. He teaches, "seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." In english, that means, "put God first in your life, and everything else will work out. Your boyfriends, job, schooling, family, etc." 

 

When we read this, it clicked for Nicole. She was filled with peace. She learned God knew exactly how she felt, because this scripture was precisely what she needed to hear.

 

Sister Platt and I learned that God converts people, not us. We didn't know what Nicole needed to hear, but as we followed our feelings we were led. We are merely instruments, and what good is a flute without someone to play it? Like any success in life, the credit all goes to Heavenly Father.

 

I know The Book of Mormon is God's word. I know The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true. I know my Savior lives, loves, and knows each of us. I am happier than I've ever been and that is how I know these things. I am so thankful to be in Alabama!!

 

Love your little southern belle,

Sister Ella Rae Madsen

this week we received matching letters from our matching best friend! we love you drew toolson!! have fun in peru!!!

and we stopped by a carnival!  

exchange with Sister Bailey!! she is straight from the missionary training center! such a champion! so fun! love her!

Zone Training!!! These are all the sisters we get to work with!!! So much loveeeeeeeeee!!!

$1.99 BBQ Sandwiches!!!!!!!! Best day of my life!!!!!!! They were made in a totally random little truck/rv on the side of the road! so classic!

awkwardly modeling with our bikes.... hehehhe

team up with Sister April Cook!! love her!

our lovely friend Br. Mack we are teaching!!! and his sweet daughter. they came for general conference on sunday!

yes. my favorite picture. just a few of the members here in alabama!!!!

all of us watched conference at the church sunday morning. party. hahhahahhahahhah love alabama!!

silly faces with the Nicolas!! They are doing GREAT! So proud of them!!

normal. kind of.

lunch with Brother Gause! he is a pool champion and goes to vegas for tournaments! hahha

We love each other. Nuff' said.

 

Week 48: Southern Showers

Think of the best shower you've ever taken-when the pressure is so hard it hurts.....well that is exactly what a southern rainstorm feels like. And that is exactly how God wants to bless us-with showers not squirt guns. In a recent talk given by Dieter F. Uchtdorf, a counselor to the prophet, he related obedience to rain and umbrellas. We receive blessings by obeying Gods commandments (D&C 130:21), and the windows of heaven are open. Yet we often hold up umbrellas and block them because of our own limited knowledge, pride, and lack of faith. 

  

Many of us don't want to obey God because it doesn't make sense. Clearly, it takes faith to believe in God and it takes faith to obey Him. In the Bible we learn a fabulous lesson of obedience from Naaman (2 Kings 5:1-14). He is a leper who wants to be cured. He goes to the prophet Elisha believing he can be healed, but instead of magically fixing him, the prophet tells him to go dip in the Jordan River 7 times. Naaman doesn't want to because it seems difficult and illogical. The Jordan River was far away and there were other rivers closer and cleaner. Yet he obeyed. After dipping for the 7th time his leprosy was gone.

 

Shouldn't we all follow the example of Naaman? Sometimes God asks us to do things we don't want to. Sometimes we don't see the logic. We think He is asking too much. It is just too hard. But when we humbly obey, we see miracles. Just as we don't know if an unfamiliar dish of food is good until we taste it, we will never know God's truth until we live it (John 7:17)!

 

Sister Platt and I have experienced this like no other this week! We decided to assess our missionary lives and step up our level of obedience. As we've eliminated small and simple things, we've seen great miracles come to pass (1 Nephi 16:29). We have closed our umbrellas and the showers are dumping. A week ago we had no one to teach. Now we have a wonderful family of 5, a classy 70 yo black man, an alternative 40 yo lady, a 39 yo dad with a recent divorce, and a cute young couple with a 3 yo old. All of these people have been looking for a church to go to, are going through a hard time, or simply need the love and peace we offer. As we've taught them the gospel, we have felt the love of God. This is His work and He is directing our paths, no question about it.

 

I've never been happier. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!!!

 

Love y'all. Be good.

Sister Ella Rae Madsen

 

2 of my favorite talks on obedience:

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/if-ye-love-me-keep-my-commandments?lang=eng

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2014/04/obedience-through-our-faithfulness?lang=eng

getting rid of all our old clothes.....

our new friends the copelands. we helped them tie their washer to the back of their car. so classic.

HAHAHHAHAHAH trying to take an awkward typical missionary pic....we succeded.

 

Just our daily dose of Platt and Madsen loving

It was Sister Shattuck's 21st birthday so we made a cake!! Chocolate whipped cream, chocolate whipped cream with chocolate ganache on top!!!!!!!!! SO DELICIOUS!

We found a COTTON field!!!!!!!! We had to pull over and take pictures! It was the coolest thing ever! btw-this is on self timer balanced on a piece of cotton-miracle.

we love all the same foods!  this was lunch during our weekly planning session!!! so yummy!!!

Sister Johnson and I found this random lake while looking for a house.....so beautiful!!

Week 47: Go Big or Go Home!

Many of you probably have memories of seeing the big white Madsen suburban bounce around Santa Cruz, complete with the huge bumper sticker "GO BIG". My dad would always say to us, "go big or go home! dream big!" I like that. We are capable of anything we set our mind to, so why not dream big? Why not set goals and accomplish them? I think we often neglect doing big things because we are so caught up in the fast pace of life...we don't take time to evaluate, assess, ponder and plan. However, we are warned in Proverbs 29:18 that "where there is no vision, the people perish". The Bible speaks truth!!!

 

Gordon B. Hinckley, the former prophet, echoed this when he taught," Limitless is your potential. Magnificent is your future, IF you will take control of it. Do not let your lives drift in a fruitless and worthless manner."

 

I've just learned this lesson, thank goodness!!! Transfers just happened, meaning I got a new companion! After reflecting on the past 6 weeks I sadly realized that I had been surviving. I was floating through life. I was struggling to merely hold on, because life was new and stressful and hard. But now the 6 weeks if over and I am asking myself, "what did I just accomplish?" That is a horrible feeling. Similarly, if we don't stop and evaluate where we are going in life, we will come to the end and ask ourselves the same thing.

 

So what? What do we do?

 

We are here on earth to thrive, not survive. So I invite each of you to ask yourself a few questions...

 

1. Where do I see myself in 10 years?

2. What is something big I want to accomplish in life?

3. How do I want people to remember me?

 

Then ask yourself....

 

1. What decisions do I need to make TODAY to make my future come to pass?

2. How can I improve? Change?

 

Then.....make plans to do it!!

 

I know goal setting is key to going places in life. It helps us feel successful and accomplished. And when we leave mortality, we will know we did our best because we pushed ourselves further than we thought we could go!

 

This is my prayer. May we all fill the measure of our creation!

Sister Ella Rae Madsen

 

p.s. I am now companions with Sister Gracie Platt!!!!! I COULD NOT BE MORE EXCITED!!!!!! She is from Carlsbad, California and is best friends with all my best friends! She went to La Costa Canyon High School, which 4 of my dearest friends from BYU went to! We even met before the mission!!! So we are here in Leeds starting fresh! We are taking control of the missionary work in Leeds and it feels so good! Evaluating, revising, cutting out worthless things, setting goals, making plans, and working hard to make it all happen! WAtch out!!

ye bye Sister Sheffer! Love you long time! She will be great wherever she goes!

first night together. we love each other. clearly. this transfer is going to be full of pictures of us so get ready!!!!!!!!! hahah

homemade pizza!!!!! homemade dough! i am living with the domestic queen! so lovely!!

just adventuring through the woods to find some members of our church!!

relief society activity making wreaths!! could not be more southern! everyone is obsessed! hahhahah

picnic on the side of the road!!!!!! nothing like a pb banana sandwich on a long hot day of hard work!!! i love it!

we biked 20+ miles in one day! whooo hooo!! i love green alabama!

we went to a festival in Leeds and asked a lady if we could help her pack up her stand...she was touched by our kindness so her husband gave us free pulled pork bbq sandwiches!!!!!!! SO YUMMY!

Sister Platt and I made a wall of pictures of our best friends!! It is soooooooooooooo fun!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I cried when we were made companions! No joke. I freaked out in front of all 150 missionaries. hahhaha

Week 46: More Than A Grocery List

This week I met a 10 year old boy named Patrick. Total goofball, little chunky guy. He is a mormon, but his mom doesn't go to church and his dad lives in Oklahoma. We asked him what he knew and he exclaimed, "I don't care what anyone says, I know The Book of Mormon is true!" Shocked, we asked him how he knew. "I prayed about it and was filled with a happy feeling! It made me want to sing 'doo da doo da do yaaaa!'"

hahah how great is that! So simple. So pure. So real. That is prayer. God is our father. He loves us, knows us, and wants the best for us. He wants to talk to his kids. He wants to answer our questions. He wants us to feel the reality of His presence and love.

When I was 9 years old, I learned God was real as I was watching National Treasure at a friends house. As cheesy as can be, I was nervous sick knowing Nicholas Cage was about to steal the Declaration of Independance. In a desperate manner I simply prayed that God would comfort me. The moment I opened my eyes I felt completely calm. I still remember that peace 11 years later.

But to someone who isn't "religious", prayer is a funny thing. We talk to a God we've never seen before and tell Him about our lives. We mention what we are grateful for, what we need, and ask questions. It can be beautiful when we are filled with feelings of peace, joy, and understanding, because this teaches us God is real. On the other hand, sometimes it feels like we are speaking to a wall, leading us to believe there is no God at all. So how do we pray in a way that will teach, lift, and transform us?

The answer comes in Moroni 10:4-we must speak to God sincerely, with the intentions of acting on what we learn, and with the belief that God exists. As we do so, our prayers turn from nonsense to reality. We gain a new sense of who we are and what life is all about.

I've learned that prayer is more than a grocery list. Instead of brainlessly repeating myself or demanding things from God, I've learned to be open and honest. When I think about what I say, then listen and wait to feel His love and answers, my days are truly turned from night to day. I know truth can only be found through prayer. I am only in Alabama because I've prayed to know if this church is true, and I know for a fact that it is.

Love always,

Sister Ella Rae Madsen

the 2 cutest blonde girls I've ever met!! they loved what we taught them so much that they knocked on every neighbors door and introduced us!! SO precious!

so great to see my soul sista sister neufville again!!!

zone conference! thank you to all my southern belles who made us bbq lunch! YUM!

Sister Nelson! We are both staying in the zone! whoo hoo!

some of my favs! one of them could be my companion...we shall see!

my bff kamesha. 14 year old who is so rock solid and is loving the book of mormon.

Loretta was baptized!!! Best day ever!!!!!

love me some Loretta :)

Millionaires, Worts, and Questions of all Sorts! Week 45

Yesterday Sister Sheffer and I biked 6 beautiful miles to go to dinner at Jack Gauses home. Brother Gause is a great guy who doesn't go to church but has a son serving a mission, so he feeds us to show his support. We went through rolling hills of green trees, passed some classic roadkill, sweated a lot, and finally arrived at his precious trailor. As the meat was cooking we discussed The Book of Mormon and how it answers our questions.

 

We asked Brother Gause what his biggest question was in life and trying us, he snickered, "how do I become a millionaire?"  We opened to Jacob 2:18-19, "before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God. And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches." He was shocked. We all laughed. We went to the next person and she asked, "why does God take young people?" We referenced Alma 14, talking about how the righteous were burned for believing in God. Amulek, a good guy, saw this terrible destruction and wanted to save the people by Gods power. However, he was instructed not to because "the Lord receiveth them up unto himself, in glory". We learn that good and evil are both necessary, and justice will come to those who are wicked. We also learn that people are only taken from the earth when their work is finished (:13). Around we went, answering question after question. When asking one of the guys his question he was confused and asked, "why am I asking a question?" With countless options, we showed him 1 Nephi 15:11 and 2 Nephi 4:35. "If ye...ask...in faith...surely these things shall be made known unto you", followed by "God will give liberally to him that asketh". Another asked, "why do I have worts?" and we turned to Mosiah 17:13,16 talking about how Abinadi was scouraged with faggots. The questions were hilarious, and we all sat in amazement at how the Book of Mormon specifically addressed each of them.

 

This morning I decided to do the same thing for myself! Right now I am serving as a sister training leader, meaning I get to work with a lot of different missionaries. I don't know exactly what I'm supposed to be doing, so my question was, "how can I be a better STL?" I closed my eyes, flipped my fingers along the pages of The Book of Mormon, and randomly stopped on Alma 37. WOW! The Lord sure does answer prayers! I gleaned endless insight as to what the Lord would have me do! I need to teach the other sisters to be obedient, diligent, hard working, and humble. I need to be teachable and willing to change. We need to recognize when the devil is getting us down and kick him out! We need to pray hard and work for miracles. Most importantly, we need to go outside and share the joy we have experienced!  

 

It was so cool to see how Heavenly Father answered all of our questions through the scriptures! I've heard this quote, "we speak to God through prayer. He speaks to us through scripture." This is remarkably true! I love The Book of Mormon with my whole heart! It helps us answer the practical and personal questions we each have. God cares about us and the details in our lives, and I am always filled with His love and happiness when I study!!!

 

I love my life more than I can express! Alabama is the best ever!!!

xoxo

Sister Madsen

Sister Gimmesen and I found a cute little pond in Gadsden!

 

PERSERVERANCE lane!!! that is the defintion of missionary work! just keep swimming! thank you dory.

our wonderful district!! whoot whoot!!

Sister Nelson-my sould sister best friend-and I dancing in the rain!!

Blue Bell factory with a few of the sisters!!! They make the most PERFECT ice cream ever. And it is only 50 cents a scoop!!!

we went to a wedding. and sister sheffer caught the bouquet......hahhaha! 

i had to throw down a few dance moves in the parking lot....i just couldn't keep it contained!!!!

The Starfish Thrower: Week 44

Yesterday I gave a talk in church, so fun! I love public speaking, thanks to Greg Madsen being my dad!! I shared a story about the starfish thrower.

A young boy is walking along the seashore amongst thousands of starfish. Knowing they will die on the sand, he starts picking them up one by one and throwing them into the ocean. As he is doing so, a man approaches him and asks, "why are you bothering to throw the starfish back? there are too many, you will never make a difference! stop wasting your time!" the little boy looks at the man, picks up a starfish, throws it back in the water, then replies, "well I made a difference for that one, didn't I?"

I love this story! There are so many lessons to be learned. One is to resist the negative. Oftentimes I am tempted to give into the little voice (Satan) who tries to tell me I'm not making a difference. Stop trying so hard to help people in Alabama...everyone is stuck in their ways and already goes to church...you'll never make a difference. Then I remember how much each starfish, or each person, matters. We are reminded in D&C 18:10, 15 that the "worth of souls is great in the sight of God".... "and if it so be that you should labor all your days...and bring, save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy!"

Not everyone is going to accept what we have, but for the few that do, it's all worth it. Two of those special people we are working with right now are Loretta and Jim Nicola. Loretta is the sweet lady from Watsonville whose door we knocked on a few weeks ago! They are doing great. Loretta is flying through the Book of Mormon and loving everything we teach her! They love the peace and happiness that naturally flows from the gospel. It is so darn precious to see their excitement radiate! They went shopping and Jim got 2 new suits and Loretta got 4 new outfits! And boy did they look classy at church yesterday!!! It was Jims first time back in 40 years. Incredible.

I love seeing people learn and grow and change. I am grateful to be a starfish thrower. Each day I get to bend down, pick up peoples hands, teach them the truths I treasure, and help them on their journey back home to their Heavenly Father. I am willing to get a little wet for them, to sweat, to bike, to pray, because I love them. I love everyone in the south. I love the people who hate me. I love the people who think Mormons are crazy. I love the people who are overweight and toothless. Because of this love, I will go out and serve all my days!

I invite each of you to become a thrower. Trust that you are making a difference wherever life takes you. Help people out. Reject the negative and fill your heart with love! In this I promise you joy.

Sending my dearest love back home to yall!

XO

Sister Ella Rae Madsen

young womens activity in the Sylacauga branch! they only have one girl. the other is a friend. so precious.

Sister Nelson. Love this girl.

 this perfect Alabama day in locus fork. we had a district meeting there and I had to soak up the scenery! this is in the church parking lot. hello country! hahha

Opening lovely gifts at Cracker Barrel on my birthday! Huge THANK YOU to everyone for their love and kindness and generosity!!!

LORETTA!!! Love this woman so much!!!!!!!!

The Messervy's made me this delicious cookie cake for my birthday! Best members ever!

hike with the zone to noccolulua falls!!! before this we played capture the flag in a huge forest with flour-filled nylons!! such a rad adventure!!!

sister clark and I at dinner in Anniston! these sweet girls are from Nepal! shout out sister kate hargadon!!

Sister Gimmesen and Allred! two of the wonderful sisters we get to work with!!!

sister sheffer and I. we love each other.

sister Carlson and casperson.....sonic milkshakes on our exchange! hahahha crazy kids!

sister Williams at church....trying to explain taking a selfie.....I guess it wasn't a thing in her generation...hahha!!! LOVE HER! she is such a precious old lady!!!

we walked miles up this crazy driveway in the middle of nowhere to find a house....but then it had a gate... :( so sad. we left a heartfelt note and enjoyed the scenery!