February 11, 2013

Hello Family and Friends!

 

Well, we had three baptisms on Saturday! It was a great way to finish out the transfer. ( Susan :  V---, S--- and S--- were baptized on Saturday.  Can you believe this is all he sent us? You've got to love teenage boys, even if they are missionaries!:)

 

Bad news: We haven't found out about transfers yet. President texted us last night and said our transfer calls will be delayed til tonight. Ill email y'all tonight when I get the word (or tomorrow if its too late).

 

We had a great zone conference on Friday. President Holzapfel gave us some great training. I did a couple musical numbers (a men's quartet and a violin number). Learned something interesting at zone conference: Two elders in my zone (Elder Redd and Elder T_-M_ ) know Kylie. They went to the same high school as her. Thought that was kind of cool.

 

Not a lot of time to talk today. On Thursday y'all should get a letter with the baptism program from Saturday. From now on I'll send those so you can have them.

 

Elder Christoffersen is coming next weekend, and turns out he'll actually be in Montgomery on Sunday! We're all (missionaries and members) really excited for that!

 

Love y'all!

 

 

Elder Coleman Madsen

post script from that evening email:

I will be staying in Highland Home with Elder Cusick for next transfer!

 

Love

 

Elder Madsen

Baptism photos are coming once I figure out our new computer configuration!

February 7, 2013 Snail Mail

Dear Family,

It's been a while since I've updated you via snail mail.  Thank you for the package I received!  I'll take this opportunity to update you about things that I haven't had time to do via email.

Mom, you asked about Elder Christofferson's coming visit.  He will be visiting our mission this month and will be accompanied by Bishop Causse and Elder Soares of the Presidency of the Seventy.  Elder Soares supervises the North America SE area and President Holzapfel reports to him.

Initially, we were going to have 2 multi-zone conferences (1 each day) with him.  Plans have changed and we'll be having a mission conference on one day.  The mission as a whole gathers all together only when an apostle comes, so this will be a unique experience.  We have 30 extra minutes of morning study every day until Elder Christofferson comes.  In that time as a companionship we are studying the talks Elder Christofferson has given as an apostle.

President H hasn't given me details about what I'll need to do music-wise yet.

By the way, next week is transfers.  Odds are one of us will be transferred.  There are a lot of new missionaries coming and most of the mission will be there.

I'm running out of time on my Pdays to write and do stuff. The fist couple of weeks of this transfer were killer.  We set the baptism dates in the first week and then it was all uphill from there.  We had the zone leaders come down a few times--it was stressful. At least we're working hard.

As I've said in my emails, it has been a real mild winter.  The mosquitoes from last summer still aren't all dead yet:\ Our main bug issue is ladybugs (thankfully, not roaches).  BUGS - the top reason why I will NOT make Alabama my home when I have a family (haha).

As I said before, it has been a busy transfer.  I've been more focused on the work, which is good.  Transfers 1-4 I got distracted more by letters or other things.  Now, it's a pain to think of anything besides "mission"--  which is good-- I'm learning to focus.

Being on a mission is just a great experience.  I'm totally satisfied with my life right now.  I'm not complacent though and still trying to improve.  I really feel with V--, S-- and S-- that  they have been prepared as well as they could have.  There are some circumstances which are out of our control, but we can only pray  and have faith.  I'm pretty confident it will all work out.

Well, I'm out of time for today.  I'm sending with this letter a copy of the history of the church here in Alabama.

Love you all!

Elder Coleman Madsen

February 4, 2013

Hello Family and Friends!

 

Well, we've fully recovered! I had a fever on Tuesday and both of us had a lingering cough for a while but we are a-ok now.

 

We are still on track for the baptisms on Saturday. V-- and the grandkids are really excited. Elder Munns (our district leader) is planning on coming down on Thursday from Tuskegee to do the interviews. V-- was out of town yesterday so they didn't come to church. We will probably teach them again tomorrow or Wednesday to get them ready for the baptismal interview (we finished teaching the commandments last week).

 

E--- has also been doing well. We've gotten back into the teaching groove with her this last week (after she's been sick). I got the mission violin back Friday, and E--- and I are planning to do a musical number next week in Sacrament Meeting. We're trying to get her reading the Book of Mormon again.

Stressful last couple of days, but both Elder Cusick and I feel that we've grown from them.

The weather has been back and forth down here. We had a low of 26 a couple nights ago, which I think is the coldest it will get this winter (hahaha).

 

I'm sending a letter your way with two histories of the church, one for the church in Alabama and the other in Highland Home. They aren't grammatically well written but give you an idea of the history of the church here. You could even put them up on the blog when you get them. I find them pretty interesting.

 

I always run of time :/

 

Love y'all

 

Elder Coleman Madsen

January 28, 2013

Hello Family and Friends!

 

It's been a good week this week.

 

E--- wasn't baptized on Saturday :( . She needs a little bit more time to think. She's trying to resolve some of her concerns right now.  That explains the lack of pictures on the blog.  V---, S-- and S-- were all at church yesterday (all 3 hours) and are still on track for February 9th.

 

It has been a "sick week" for the Highland Home Elders. Everyone in our area has been sick, we just, I guess, never considered the possibility that the sickness would pass on to us. Elder Cusick came down with it on Wednesday and I got it a few days later. Nothing serious, just a big case of the common cold.

 

We saw the K-- Family this last week with the Korean Sister Missionaries (Sister Kim & Sister Kim). We taught them about the temple and are working on getting Brother K-- to the temple. Its a really unique experience teaching someone through a translator.   Somehow we got through the week! I had to give a sacrament meeting talk and teach gospel principles yesterday. I thought my sinuses were going to explode, but we made it through it. Getting sick is a shame because it makes you very much less effective as a missionary.   We've succeeded in getting a lot more of the youth out. Yesterday we had 5 young men at sacrament meeting (including S--), which is more than they've had for a long time. At one point they were lucky if they had one or two. Sorry out of time.  That's all for now!   Love you all   Elder Coleman Madsen

January 21, 2013

Been having a great last couple of weeks here in Highland Home!

 

V---, S-- and S--- continue to move closer to baptism! We've been teaching them, and all three were at church yesterday.  We are still planning on a February 9th baptism with the three of them so S-- and S---'s father can be there.

 

We're still teaching E--- and looking at a baptism date this Saturday. She still has concerns but enjoys coming to church and has been reading from the Book of Mormon every day. President Holzapfel is actually coming down and teaching her with us tomorrow.

By the way, you pronounce Honoraville "Huh-nor-vuhl". In the south you say "-vuhl" instead of "-ville" (Greenville, Honoraville, Prattville etc)

 

The weather dropped off very fast. Early last week we were in the upper seventies, then it dropped in 2 days to highs in the upper 40s!

I thought I'd take a minute to tell you about our district this transfer. I realized I didn't tell you how our assignments changed at transfers. We (Greenville and Highland Home elders) have the most random district assignment! We are assigned to Tuskegee District with Tuskegee, Alex City and Wetumpka (Elders and Elder and Sister Windsor), cities east and north of Montgomery. We meet in Montgomery because it is the most central city for all the areas. We have a great district though!   Elder Munns (our district leader) serves in Tuskegee with Elder Taveiuveu (think I spelled it right). Elder Munns came out around the same time as me and is a great district leader. Elder Hunt (from the MTC) is in the district and is training our mission's first 18-year old missionary (Elder Gomez). Elder Hardman and Elder Campbell  are serving in Wetumpka. Elder Kelley is in Greenville and is training Elder Hawley (from Arizona).   I'm enjoying serving with Elder Cusick. We get along really well. We both have experience in the area so we know a lot of the people.   Love you all!   Elder Madsen

 

January 14, 2013

Hello Family and Friends!

 

Crazy week in Highland Home! Sorry I wasn't able to write a whole lot last week - it was a hectic preparation day!

 

The biggest news is that we have four baptismal dates! E---, V---, S---and S--- (all investigators from when I was here before) have committed to be baptized (E--- on January 26th, V--- S-- & S--- on February 9th).

 

I was on exchange with Elder Tolman (one of our zone leaders) when we made the 4 commitments on Tuesday.  It was a really powerful day.  I  think he's from Lindon (maybe knows McGills?).  E---'s was initially this last Saturday (the 12th), so we taught her every day this week. Ended up pushing it back a couple weeks to give her time to breathe though.  It worked out really well because the early date gave her an opportunity to progress. Probably the happiest, most stressed out, and longest week of my mission so far. But I've survived :)   A lot of really spiritual experiences.

 

We've [also] been able to see V--- and her grandkids three times this last week. I saw them on Tuesday (when they committed to be baptized), and then Elder Cusick and I taught them on Wednesday and Thursday. V--- wasn't able to attend the Stake Conference broadcast cause she's back in the hospital. It was really impressive that S-- (her 12-year old grandson) found a ride and came anyways!

 

Big week for Alabama football! I know I've not really commented on sports or my "team affiliation" before now (thought I should focus on the missionary work) but I had a lot of "Bama Pride" after Monday night's game :)

 

Crazy weather this week! Highs in the upper 70s and Low 80s. Seriously!! We've been tempted to turn the AC on but it seems criminal to do that in January. It's supposed to get colder in the next few days though.

 

We had our "Regional Conference" broadcast which included the stakes in the Birmingham, Jacksonville, Baton Rouge and Little Rock Missions yesterday, together with Stake Conference the night before. Elder Cook and Elder Scott spoke.

The main message from Stake Conference and the broadcast was teaching gospel principles in the home, and how the home should be the main place of gospel learning. They talked a lot about how the Book of Mormon is key and doing this, and how families should be reading the Book of Mormon together.

 

It was an exciting weekend for the Highland Home Branch. They organized a high priests group leadership yesterday. The branch now is pretty much now a functioning ward, with attendance averaging in the mid-80s each Sunday.

 

As you know, Elder Christoffersen is coming to the branch soon. There will be some other General Authorities coming with him. 

 

Well, that's all I have time for now. Keep E-- and V---  and S--- and S-- in your prayers! I love you all!

 

Elder Coleman Madsen

January 7, 2013

Susan's note:  Coleman was transferred back to Highland Home January 3rd.  He has a new companion but was able to attend and participate in the baptism of a young lady who he and Elder Kelley had been teaching over the previous weeks.

Hello Family and Friends!

Well S--- was baptized yesterday! It was a really cool experience. She had wanted to be baptized for the last few weeks, but we hadn't been able to get to teach her a whole lot. The whole thing was put together last minute but, overall, it went well. We only got that one picture as they were leaving because we were having "hot water issues" (missionaries' worst nightmare at a baptism) so we ran out of time to do pictures before. The Greenville branch came up here to Highland because they don't have a baptismal font, which worked out well so I was able to be there. It was a really good experience for Elder Hawley (Elder Kelley's trainee) to see a baptism so soon (less than a week out in the field).

Elder Kelley & S. at her baptism

I am gonna compile my journal entries on S--- and send them to y'all so you can get the full story. The whole experience happened on off weeks so y'all probably want to know more. I'll send a baptism program as well.

President N--- baptized her, Elder Kelley and I gave the talks, and Elder Hawley (Elder Kelley's new missionary) confirmed her. President Holzapfel gave us permission to do the confirmation there at the baptism since stake conference is next week.

It has been great to be back in Highland Home!....

These pictures are from transfers on January 3rd:

Elders Hullinger & Forbes from Coleman's MTC District

Coleman with Sister Leifson (She's from Eagle and was one of Susan's Mia Maids!)

Elder Kaupert (Trainer and then district leader)

Coleman's 3 companions so far (Kelley, Kaupert & Cusick)