April 22, 2013

Hello Family and Friends!   We've had a great, wonderful week in Madison Alabama!   I'm really enjoying our new tripanionship! Adding a third person definitely changes the dynamics (especially with teaching) but things have been going great, and we get along really well.   Our weekly exchanges took me to Decatur, where I worked with Elder Swan (one of our district leaders) while Elder Oslapas and Elder Cowan were in Athens. Not a lot of appointments set beforehand but we found them quite a few new investigators. I probably mention this every letter, but I really enjoy going on exchanges. If you go into the exchange with the right mindset and are focused you can get so much out of it. After the exchange Elder Oslapas and I trained at the Decatur District Meeting.   Awesome Missionary Experience: We had a teaching appointment with M------ on Saturday, and when we got there D------- (M's girlfriend) was there as well, and we ended up teaching her a first lesson. She had been coming to church with him the last few weeks, and we had been trying to arrange for her to meet with the sisters, but she was always busy and it didn't work out. Last weekend, however, she was in Boston running the marathon when all that drama with the bombs happened. She had finished the race about 30 minutes before the bombs went off [so she was fine] but she definitely was still shaken by the experience. Anyways, the lesson went really well. We answered a lot of questions she had about the church and gave her a Book of Mormon. The relief society has given her a lot of fellowship, and she and M------ both have been involved with YSA activities.   E---- has been doing well since his baptism last weekend. We've had a few teaching visits with him, and have introduced him to more members of the ward. There are a few members living in the same apartment complex, so that should really help him with the adjusting to "mormon life".   We have another mid-transfer in our zone today. President Holzapfel has assigned our new sister training leaders, and Sister Murray (serving with us in Madison and previously served in Montgomery when I was down there) is leaving today to serve as a STL in the Tupelo Zone with Sister Leifson from Eagle! (Sister Training Leaders serve with other STLs just like zone leaders). We'll be getting a new sister to take her place. We won't have STLs in the Madison zone yet but the ones in Huntsville are also assigned to work with our sisters. This whole Sister leaders thing is new and different but we are really excited for it! [almost as excited as the sisters :)    President and Sister Holzapfel will be coming and teaching with us and the sisters tonight!   I can't believe that this first transfer in Madison is almost over! It has flown by so fast! I wanted to (belatedly) thank you for the wonderful packages and things you have sent me! I loved the bag that the easter eggs were in! The Raspberry Chipotle sauce that yall sent me while I was in Highland Home I saved and opened just a couple weeks ago. It's a big hit, both Elder Oslapas and Elder Cowan really like it.   Mom and Dad, I loved your photos of your trip. I'm honestly jealous!   Rachel, I'm excited for your choir tryouts. Are the callbacks just for PB or for Sonous as well?  Elder Oslapas is a pianist, and we've definitly been taking advantage of that. We performed at E's baptism, and Bishop B (3rd) and Bro C (1st) liked it so much that we played yesterday in both of their wards as special musical numbers. Love yall!   Elder Madsen --  Elder Coleman Madsen Alabama Birmingham Mission 194 Shelton Rd #116 Madison AL 35758 colemansmissionblog.blogspot.com