Elder Coleman Madsen's Mission Blog: July 30, 2012

Elder Madsen in Alabama

Hi Family and Friends!

This week has been a good week. No doubt you've seen the pictures on President's blog of our Pioneer day extravaganza in Highland Home.

Its been really hot! The heat index (which combines the temperature and the humidity) has been over 110.

Where he lives

The work here in Highland Home has been really successful. Cubert and his wife Becky accepted a commitment to be baptized on Friday. It was the first baptismal committment that I, personally, extended. In Highland weve been trying to motivate the less active to come out to church. Here in Alabama there are more (or at least it seems like there's more) less active than there are active, so we as missionaries spend a lot of time with them. This area isn't generally known for a lot of baptisms, but we have been making a lot of progress in the last couple weeks. We've had good sacrament meeting attendance in the branches too!

We had my first district meeting last Wednesday. There are only six of us: Elder and Sister B---, a senior military relations couple serving in Montgomery, and Elder C--- (my district leader) and Elder D---, who serve in the Capitol ward, also in Montgomery. We normally have to drive up to Montgomery for district meeting, but because everyone is so short on miles the couple missionaries drove the Capitol elders down here since they drive their own car. We talked a lot about how to integrate service into our routines. We have a zone meeting in Montgomery this Wednesday, which I think will take most of the day.

Everyone down here is "kin". Its kinda different because, through marriage, the Highland Home branch is pretty much one giant extended family (literally!). The hardest thing is trying to memorize/internalize how everyone is related.

Our tendency, now, is to each week spend one day in Luverne, one or two days in Greenville, two days in Honoraville, and the rest of our time in Highland Home. Its really interesting that, although its not the largest town, 90% of the members in our area live in Highland Home, which is probably like 40% LDS (including inactive).

We cover a whole lot of area (two and a half counties), and still somehow manage to stay within our quota on miles. Weve gone on some pretty insane bike rides. Ill wager (and im not exaggerating) that Elder K and I ride our bikes more than any other companionship in the mission.

Saturdays we usually go over to Greenville and focus our efforts there. Every other weekend (this last weekend) we spend the night in the upstairs of the church to save miles, and then attend sacrament meeting with the Greenville Branch. The branch pretty much consists of President N and his family, his parents, one other couple and their son, and a few less actives. So we had 16 in branch yesterday, including us, which was above average. Elder K and I gave the sacrament meeting talks. Really nice people.

I included a picture of our "poolhouse" where we live . The people here have a lot of land. The M--- (family they live with) have a forest and a pond and more outbuildings than I can count. Brother M--- collects a whole lot of old items. He has covered wagons and handcarts and cotton gins and a whole lot of other things that I have no idea what they are. I have only seen a small portion of the property but what I've seen has been very impressive.

Alabama is the 2nd poorest state in the nation (or so I've been told), and this particular area of Alabama is one of the poorest. There are a lot of people, mainly older people, that work the land and have been here a long time, and they are some of the hardest working people I have ever met. Different areas have different problems. I stand by what I said last week though, that these are some of the nicest people that I have ever met.

I have to thank the Allens for the Subway card they gave me. It saved me when I was really hungry a couple of days this week.

They have these really pretty flowering bush/tree/plant things here called crepe myrtles. They are my favorite thing in the wildlife I've seen so far.

I feel like I am becoming a better missionary, and am enjoying my time here! Thanks for all the letters family and friends, its good to here from you all! I promise that, if Ive not responded to you yet, that I will soon!

Love you all!

Elder Coleman Madsen.

(Susan: The following are some photos off the mission blog. Thanks to the Mission President for posting them. You can see more at alabamamissionupdate.blogspot.com)