November 13, 2012 letter

Coleman playing at the Zone Conference

Happy Early Birthday Mom!

Family and Friends,

Sorry I wasn't able to write yesterday! The public library was closed due to Veteran's Day.

As you've probably seen on the mission blog, we had a Zone Conference last Thursday. This is actually the first Zone Conference I've ever had (not including the multi-zone conference in August. It went really well. The musical numbers I organized turned out. It's hard putting three different numbers together in 20 minutes, but we sang some easier hymns and luckily we have some singers in our zone.

Even though I don't (or at least shouldn't) follow politics on my mission, I couldn't help overhearing the outcome of the presidential election last Tuesday. Tuesday night we were teaching a lesson at an investigator's house, and when we left Florida was tied up with 75% of the votes counted. I was more than slightly disappointed with the outcome, but I have faith that God let happen what needed to happen. I think it's just important that we fast and pray for our leaders, regardless of their party affiliation. We live in turbulent times today, and our leaders need all the prayers they can get. [Did the education measures pass?]

I don't know if I've mentioned this, but as part of my personal study each morning I've been reading 30 minutes of the Book of Mormon. I started a little bit before I got transferred here, and I'm now about half-way through Alma. I think there's something special about reading the Book of Mormon cover-to-cover that you don't get just studying chapters or verses from it. I feel that when you read it in its entirety you really improve your understanding of how it fits together. I've really been enjoying my personal studies lately, especially reading about the Book of Mormon missionaries (Alma, Amulek, Sons of Mosiah etc.).

It has been another kind of slow week. We've done a lot of tracting and have a few new investigators, though none who are really interested in what we have to say (at least yet). We went to Fort Deposit for the first time yesterday, and tracted a little up there. We are still teaching Patrick, although he hasn't progressed very much this week. We've done a lot of service the last few days for a family (members), helping them clean up their house to be inspected later this month. They hope to move into an apartment soon. 

We do have a lot of investigators right now, just not a whole lot who are really motivated to really pray and find out if what we say is true. Some feel the spirit, and feel that what we are saying is true, but we just have got to get them to act on what they feel. The work sometimes is frustrating when people don't keep commitments, but it's still a great work and its great to be a part of it.

I am excited for the Boise Temple re-dedication this week, even though I won't be there for it. I hope that all of the members there have an opportunity to see it.

I love you all!

Elder Coleman Madsen

photos courtesy of Mission President's Blog:

Coleman and another missionary practice discussion techniques

November 5, 2012 Letter

Hello Family and Friends!   We've had a great and amazing week here in Greenville. The work has finally started to move at a faster pace here in this area! Thank you for your prayers!   We had a zone meeting last Friday where they started training us with some very new tracting techniques that have worked in specific missions that we are trying out here. Very different stuff. We are trying to modify tracting approaches so we find those who are prepared, and don't spend a whole lot of time for those who are not interested in our message. A lot of new stuff coming I think.   This announcement about the new mission ages is affecting our mission a lot, as it is the missions throughout the world. President Holzapfel this morning told us that he has been told that in one year the Alabama Birmingham Mission is projected to have 250 missionaries (we have around 160 right now I think). There will also be modification of mission boundaries throughout the world to accomodate the new missionaries.   A bishop from one of the Montgomery wards sent us a referral a few weeks ago that we finally were able to contact. His name is Mark and is probably in his 50's. We had about a two-hour long lesson/discussion with him about the church, and it was amazing to see how prepared he was. He knows a lot of members who have set positive examples for him and his respect for the church was evidenced throughout our meeting with him. He has some health problems and wasn't able to come to church yesterday, but we are excited to continue to teach him and his family.   We also have a new investigator named Patrick, who is living and breathing evidence thatmormon.org cards work. He was probably one of about 200 people we've given mormon.org cards to on the street, but he actually got on the website and was intrigued by what he saw. Amazingly enough, right as he was looking it up his doorbell rang and, lo and behold, there we were tracting at his front door. We've had a couple great lessons with him.  He came to church yesterday and was really impressed by what he saw and felt.   Yesterday we were tracting with the new tracting techniques and met a Hawaiian woman who actually is an inactive member of the church. She wasn't on the records or anything, and hasn't gone to church since she left home probably ten or so years ago. We were able to teach her and her family and hope to get them out to church.Her fiancee and 8-year old daughter haven't been baptized.   We have a zone conference this coming Thursday. By the way Zone Conferences are different than Zone Meetings. Zone Meetings are monthly and are done by the zone leaders, while zone conferences happen less often and are done by President Holzapfel and the assistants. I have to put together a 30-minute musical program for it. Found out this morning. Should be fun.   I went on exchanges Friday with Highland Home and actually got to spend the day in my old area! Got to see a lot of members of the branch there and teach them. Its weird being so close to them but not seeing them ever.   Love and miss yall!   Elder Coleman Madsen