¿Qué es invierno?

"What is winter?" Literally winter here lasted for about 3 weeks... and now it is really hot again. haha!

The most exciting thing that happened for me this week was the baptism of a very dear friend.  Emma Murillo isn't one of my investigators, but she is someone very special to me.  Little by little her family is accepting the gospel. She finally got baptized this last Saturday and I was so happy to be able to attend. I think as members maybe we take baptism for granted sometimes. To be out here and see the changes people make in order to make covenants with God is incredible. I am really starting to see that God has his timing for everyone, and even if I don't have any more baptisms on my mission, I am seeing changes in everyone I teach, and seeing changes in myself. I know I am not the one really doing the work. This week some miracles I saw were my "eternigators" were starting to testify for themselves and are starting to grow testimonies of the Book of Mormon.

Something super super helpful in the mission is when members give us references. The people we contact through members are those who know a little about the church and have seen the influence of the church in the lives of their friends. We had a fun activity this week where the members all brought desserts to enter in a contest, and brought investigators to judge the desserts.  It ended up super awesome and we got a lot of new people we can go teach=)

The weeks are going by SO FAST. Everyone said after 6 months that time flies, and I didn't really believe them until it happened. Also I have been asked a lot if I miss home, and I am not gonna lie I totally do. But every time I am able to testify that I am willing to leave all that behind for a year and a half to serve God.  I am willing to give up the past me and become who God wants me to be. Like Elder Holland said this last conference, "Come as you are [but] don't plan to stay as you are."  

I love Bolivia, I love my companion, I love my mission.

Fun Facts:

- So all the houses have a wall surrounding them, and you just have to knock on a big metal gate and wait for them to come out. And it is not like at home where everyone runs to the door within 1 minute. We wait outside for 5 minutes sometimes because they decide 2 minutes after we knock.

- So when we get references, the directions of the houses are very hard.  They all seem to be like this: No street name, without number, one block "that way" from the dirt road next to the store, brick house, two stories, with a metal door. (haha that rhymes=))

-- Don't count the days, make the days count!

~Hermana Madsen

¿Testigo de Jehova? ¿o Misionera?

{Jehovah's Witness, or Missionary?}





Let's see, this week was pretty awesome. We worked this week more than anything to follow the spirit.  I know that when we follow the spirit and open our mouths they are filled.

We got a whole lot of doors shut in our faces with the typical, "I'm Catholic" or "not interested."  But we also had a lot of people listen to us that seemed at least half-interested! Really the people here are very open to learning more about Christ and letting missionaries talk to them. This is a good thing for us, but also bad sometimes because it means they also let in Jehovah's Witnesses. We get asked daily if we are Jehovah's Witnesses, and it didn't help that I wore my sombrero for a couple days, because that is usually how the JW dress when they walk around preaching... haha! But our message is so much happier, and it's true.


{Here we are Catholic
And we are not going to change religion
Please don't insist.  Thanks
I'm very surprised that you have moved so far from God, that you call yourselves by Christ in his goodness, and you have moved on to another religion.  What's happening is that there are some who stir you up, and who want to upset the religion of Christ. Galatians 1:6-7}
{I see this as a fervent statement of devoutness to their religion, and a testimony that Catholicism is the only true religion of Christ, and why would you ever want to stray from it?  Strong, good people}

One thing I absolutely love about the church is that we INVITE. It is always an invitation to everyone to attend church, to read the Book of Mormon, an invite to pray and to know for themselves. We don't convert people. I learned that very early on. We can only invite the spirit to touch their hearts with the words we say.

One example is our amazing investigator Oscar. He was prepared early on to accept our message. We just gave him the information, then he testified of the truthfulness of the doctrine. He is so willing to change to be a better person and a part of the church.  He said his friends at work and on his soccer team started making fun of him for listening to "The Mormons," and at first he was ashamed, but now he says (with a pump of his fist), "Yes, I am a Mormon!" He is amazing and I can really feel the spirit in his home.  The scriptures we share with him are completely inspired on the spot, and he loves them.  He keeps all the commitments we extend to him (which is like a huge deal in Bolivia), and he is always thinking about God.

I know the spirit guides and protects us as missionaries.  All we have to do is accept the promptings and act upon them.  I still lack A LOT to be the missionary I want to be and that God knows I can be.  But I am growing every day and loving the mission more every moment =)

Fun Facts:

- I ate llama jerky this week! And it was SOOO GOOD. There aren't llamas in Sucre, so if I want more I need to ask someone to bring it to me from somewhere colder like Potosi.

- Something I love here is that there are little snack shops on every block, although it is a huge temptation to just buy a little cheap snack whenever.






-- Don't count the days, make the days count!

~Hermana Madsen

6 Months!!!!!!!

Ok where do I even start? I have 6 months in the mission! I just have 1 year left! That`s a little insane! Time is starting to fly by.  



This week was probably the very best and most exciting week of my mission.  First we had Zone conference with our new President Montoya and his wife.  He is AMAZING, so in tune with the spirit, and so smart. His conversion story changed how I view a lot of people on the mission, and I completely trust him to lead us by the power of the Holy Ghost so our mission will only be what God wants it to be.  I learned a ton from Zone Conference and have been applying what I learned.  Like not being afraid to go outside the norm to be better.

Then after Zone Conference I had the opportunity again to serve with Hermana Saari, my companion from the MTC! We were in a trio for a couple days with Hermana Camacho while our companions were in Cochabamba. Hermana Camacho is from Ecuador and I love and respect her so much.  I learned a lot from her about being strong and being my own person.  She is such a powerful teacher because she makes it personal.  She shares her knowledge and her heart with everyone. She was a HUGE blessing to our area.

Finally, my favorite part of the week was divisions with the sister training leaders. I was with Hermana Lopez and all we saw were miracles.  To start out, we knocked on a random door because we both felt impressed to do it. But nobody answered. So we turned the corner and contacted this woman at her car who was not the least bit interested, and ONLY because we contacted her did we decide to take a street that led us to one of God's elect children.  We talked to a boy named Luis Ángel who accepted a baptismal date during our very first visit! I testify that God has His hand in every detail.  We would not have found Luis without listening to and following the promptings of the spirit.

Then we were going to visit a less active family and we decided to take a certain path that was a little scary because it has a million dogs. But we felt impressed to do it.  We ran into a bunch of little kids in our path and decided to try to contact their families.  Turns out none of the parents wanted to leave to talk to us, but we didn't leave the kids like I normally would have.  We decided to talk to them, and I felt impressed to teach them to sing "I am a child of God" and it was absolutely amazing.  I understand why Jesus loved to be around little children so much. They just have a special spirit.  And even though none of them are going to be baptized right now, I have hope that someday in the future they will remember that experience with us.

This week was a miracle week in my mission.  God answered EVERY SINGLE PRAYER.  I know He is listening. I know when I listen to Him and not to what the world, or my natural man, is telling me, that I will succeed.

I learned this week that I am a strong missionary when I listen to the spirit.  I can totally do this for another year.  I wouldn't rather be anywhere else=)

Fun Facts:

- There was this dog who decided to mark his territory... on my skirt.  So the rest of the day every dog in the street came up and sniffed my skirt and almost attacked me!

- In Bolivia they have this annual fair that lines the streets for a couple blocks and they sell everything you could imagine, but in miniature size!!!













-- Don't count the days, make the days count!

~Hermana Madsen

Give your all, but Don't Give Up

Welp... I don't really know what to say this week.  It was a hard one.  We didn't have any new investigators this week and a lot of our old ones are stopping their progress. But something that helped me was to think that literally every single missionary has days and weeks like this one, and that we just have to keep pushing on.  There is no point in dwelling on what happened in the past when we can only change the future.

Also, if I haven't emphasized it enough, God answers prayers.  He literally listens to every word we say, and if we have faith he gives us every single thing we desire=)

Also, it is FREEZING and they say it is only going to get colder.  But it's okay because I bought a really nice fleece blanket in the street.  That is one thing that is super different is that their shopping is just a bunch of stands or shops on the sides of the street for a couple blocks.  You just have to walk through and find what you are looking for.  I love it=)

Today for Pday we went on an adventure=) It was a tour called "Los 7 Maravillos de Sucre" or the 7 wonders of Sucre.  Some super cool places that are ancient and a part of Bolivian history! Mostly I loved it because it was a lot of hiking around big rocks and it made me feel like I was back home in Southern Utah on an adventure!
{pictures much later.  you'll know them when you see them!}

The work is coming along slowly but surely. The most important thing is that I am feeling more confident in myself everyday! It has been hard to find people because they are all on winter vacation. But I'm not letting it get me down.  Something I like that a member said this week on Sunday was that our trials are either a punishment or a test.  I know that if I am doing everything I can, then it is just a test , and my trials are things that will help me grow.

I still lack a lot, but I am giving my all, and will continue to give more. Love you all!

Fun Facts:

- Here they don't put the toilet paper in the toilet after using it.  They put it in the trash next to the toilet.

- There are people dressed as Zebras in the main square to help direct traffic.







-- Don't count the days, make the days count!

~Hermana Madsen