September 3, 2012 Letter

Hello Family and Friends!!

 

Well, I survived Hurricane Isaac! The Friday before the projections showed it heading straight towards central Alabama so it was kind of crazy here for a few days, but by Monday it was pretty obvious that it was gonna hit west of us. We got very little rain (for a hurricane), less than 1.5 inches from it. We had some exciting, suprising weather though! Hurricanes, as you know, often produce spinoff tornadoes (or, as they say in the south, "tornaders"). 4:00 Thursday Morning we were woken up by a suprise Tornado Warning, so we headed for shelter. We later found out that sirens went off in Highland Home, so I think they detected a funnel cloud, but no tornadoes touched down. We had a tornado watch the next day as well.

 

We had a really good lesson with Cubert and Becky this week on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Everything just seemed to fall into place. Becky has a sewing shop connected to her house that she runs with Wanda her daughter. Wanda is an inactive member who hasn't been to church for years, and is often in the shop when we teach her parents but she never comes and listens. This lesson she invited herself into the lesson, and was a very active participant. We talked about the importance of the sacrament with all of them, and I feel like it really sunk in. It was the perfect lesson for all of them.

 

Virginia is doing better, and she and Gary were both at church Sunday. Virginia actually got up and bore her testimony, it was a touching experience. The branch has been so good to both of them. They both love coming to church, they just need to be baptized.

 

I've not mentioned Sondra in the last few letters because we've not been able to contact her since that first lesson. She is in Mississippi right now helping family members who were hit by the Hurricane. Her husband should come back from Saudi Arabia in the next one or two weeks, and hopefully well be able to teach them and their children together.

 

Because of the holiday weekend, our Saturday in Greenville was really unproductive. We weren't able to get one lesson! Our investigators in Greenville are dropping like flies (pardon the expression). We've had amazing first lessons with people, even sometimes baptismal date commitments, but every one of them seems to fail. Its too bad really. But we'll keep trying there.

 

As missionaries we have the opportunity to teach the gospel essentials class in the Highland Home branch when we are there. Its a neat class and a neat program to help teach the adults who don't know as much, whether it's because they are recent converts or because they were once less actives. Its good to be able to refine my class-teaching skills since missionary lesson settings are very different. I had the opportunity to teach yesterday (this was my second time) about eternal families, and it went really well. I look forward to continuing being able to teach.

 

All to report now (or at least all the time to!)

Elder Madsen