A Huge Surprise from Bug! One of the most amazing couple missionaries, that I follow here on blog world are the ********. They are the blog link called "*******" Elder ****** wrote the book "The Color Code" and I am a huge fan. I read on their blog last week that they were going to be meeting up with the mission president in Madagascar and posted how excited I was that they would be meeting my son Bug. ******* wrote an email to me asking me if I would like them to share anything with Bug when they met him this week. I will post about that later after I hear all the mushy details. Long story short..when I came home from work today I was stunned and so excited to recieve this in my email from ********.. It is my birthday this weekend and there is nothing that could have been a better present! Thank you for being such kind and considerate people and for absolutely making my whole day!
Wednesday, August 31, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
Lemur attack
I have been playing with this one all afternoon...I think it is done.. haha
Bug absolutely loves the lemurs in Madagascar and has sent a few pics home... these were the last set of pics..aparently they are pretty friendly!
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Monsoon in Mahajanga
Another layout for Bug's mission book...finally having a productive day!~
Tia Ko Be Bug,
mom
layout for Bug
One of the things that Bug was most excited to see while in Madagascar was the Baobab trees. He sent pictures of them this week. Here is a layout for his book that I am sooo behind on doing,.
Letter home 8/28/2011
Hey,
So this is sapposed to be my normal email day. haha But this is the first Sunday we havent been swamped up to our ears with work to do. I have not yet gone to Mahajanga, I will go up this Friday. I will make sure that I send some pics of him. From what I hear though he is doing good. He loves it up there, but how could you not. It is one of the coolest areas on the island. I am so excited to be able to go back up there. I am also sending some pictures of us with the other Elders like you asked. Here is one that I really like alot. It is when i went down to Antsirabe.
Today was really cool. I got to go to church in Mahamasina my first area, and also see people from Akorondrano, my second area. It was really cool to be able to see all of my old investigators again. It is interesting to see the members that are still really active, and also to see the ones that are not. It is alittle sad to see some of my old investigators that are no longer active. Some of them really suprised me. I thought for sure that they were rock solid in their testimonies. But everybody has their agency.
Things are going good though. We are just catching our breaths here before we head out again to Mahajanga. I am really excited to be able to go back again though. I miss it so much up there. I am also really excited to be able to see some of the members up there. That will be really cool to go see. It is wierd to think that I have almost been in the office for two months now. Man the time really does go by fast now. What is also really wierd is that ******* should be getting home in just a couple more weeks. Wow. That is really wierd. But ya you should send me more pics. Here I will make a deal with you. If you send me pictures I will send you pictures. haha I like it. Also tell Josh he should write me. The butt. And Dad too. They both havent written in a while. Josh in like forever.
I was also wondering. Do you still stay in contact with ****** mom anymore. I have not been able to write ******* back since he left on his mission, because I am not sure where to send it to. I was wondering if you could see if you could find his address from me some time. If so that would be awesome. I would love you forever. I am loving things here. There is not really much to tell you this week. We have just been taking care of things in the office. We no longer have an area but just work in the office now. It is a lot less stress. I think my hair is starting to grow back in. haha for a while there we were just sprinting to get everything done. I am so glad to actually be able to breath for at least one day out of the week. We are starting to get everything together for when the apostle comes. We are having a musical fireside for one of the nights, and I am going to play one of my piano pieces. It is good to be able to play the piano for alittle bit. I really miss the piano. Esspecially Lafanda. Sigh.
The dogs are really cute though. I have already showed president and he is in love with them. That is also good to hear that you are still in contact with ******. It seems like she is starting to respect you all alot more as well. Sigh. The things we do for those we love. SOOOOO.....Ya..... I am running out of things to talk about. I made tacos today.. . . I am thinking of making chicken crousants some time this week.......... I like rice.
OH ya and about when I go home. There is still no release date. Sorry. I was also wondering about your opinion on me extending :) ...... Just curious.......
love ya,
Elder Madsen
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Emails finally whohoo
Hey,
Sorry you havent heard from me in like forever. I have been really really busy here in the office. Man they really put you to work here if you know what I mean. I have been running around like a chicken with my head torn off. We have been introducing a new in field training program for all of the new missionaries that come into the country. It has been really cool. I really like the program. The new missionaries that are coming in are just getting better and better. It is making me feel like I was an idiot when I came in. About three weeks ago we had ten new missionaries come in. Haha so when we went to pick them up to my suprise none of their luggage had shown up and they were also missing two missionaries. Haha Ya they had lost two of the missionaries back in London or in Joberg I am not sure which one. The one had lost his passport while he was in the airport and so they would not let him leave the airport... obviously. Haha so the church had to send some people over and gotten it taken care of. The one came in the next day and the other came in the day after. Haha ya know my suprise as I had to walk back and tell ******** that we didnt have all of the missionaries. Also we are still missing one of the missionaries suitcases. I went out to the airport yesterday, because records say that the suitcase made it here to Madagascar, and I made them show me all of their back rooms to find this suitcase but it is not there. I think that it may have gotten stolen, that or it is in Korea or some place like that right now.
We also just got back from the mission tour where we interviewed and trained all of the missionaries in the south of the island. We stopped in an area called Isalo and took a pday. Wow let me just say that wow. If you ever come here that will be the first place I will take you. It will blow your socks off. I am trying to send you pictures but once again the computer is being stupid. But you should just look it up. Isalo Madagascar. You will be amazed. It was by far the coolest thing that I have ever seen in my life.
We also went to a new city called Tuleara, and started looking for members so that we can organize a group down there. My companion and I were the very first missionaries to ever go down there in history. We taught the very first time down there, and held the very first organized church meeting down there. I was like a pioneer of old. It was pretty neat. I have given mom a more full length version story so you will have to read her email due to time I will not be able to type that again. But it was probably the coolest thing that I have ever done. When I take you to madagascar, when I am rich and you are old and on a cane, I will know where to take you. We also drove through this rain forest called Ranomafana. You will have to look that one up as well. It is one of the Largest rainforests here in Madagascar again I have pictures but the computer is being stupid... sorry
So how is ***** doing? She tells me that her old roomate is learning from the missionaries. Also how did her move go? Did she get settled into her new place ok.? Also how are the puppies. Are you going to sell them or keep one of the boys. I would sure like one of those puppies but I would never be able to take care of them while I am going to school. I will just have to pray that Mumu is still pushing them out when I have kids of my own that can take care of them. haha. maybe. So how are the perspectives looking lady wise. Do you think there will be any girls even left when I get home. I am hearing that everbody is getting married. haha oh boy. I will tell you this much I am not going to be very good at dating... not that I ever was. But hey we are hoping for miracles.
Well I hope that you are going good and not too stressed with work. I love you tons and miss you like crazy. What is way scary is that I can count the months down on one hand now. Yikes. I think I might extend.
Love,
Elder Madsen
Hey,
I am baaaa aaaack!!!!! Did you miss me???? I am so glad to be back. It is so nice to be able to sleep in my own bed again. Oh goodness. The trip was very cool, but very very very long. We were in the car for almost 40 hours. It was so long. But we were able to do a visit to the missionaries in Antsirabe, (where I got to see ******* again, that was cool) Ambositra, and Fianarantsoa. Then we drove the rest of the way down to Tulear. On the way down you could see tons of Baobabs. It was really cool. I actually sent you a picture of that. Also ******* took a ton of pictures and he will be sending that to me so I will be sending you more pictures throughout the week as well.
It was really cool to go down to Tulear. We were like the pioneers. My companion and I were the very first missionaries in history to step foot in that town. And we taught the very first lesson in that town as well. How cool is that. We spent the majority of the time looking for the members that had moved down there. There was about 17 of them. Two of them have the Melchezideck priesthood and had been to the temple as well. It was actually really cool how we found them. There were about three different families down there that I already knew and had taught in my previous areas. One of them was *****, someone that I taught up in Mahajanga. It was so cool to be able to see him again. Also there was a family from Akorondrano that I taught and baptised and also a woman from Betongolo that I knew as well. I thought that it was really cool to see how the Lord had been preparing me throughout my mission to go and help these people. I thought it was a cool blessing in my eyes to be able to see that. Also one of the men that we found works for the ministry government. He was baptised in England back in 1999 and he moved to Tulear in 2000. He was shocked when we walked into his office. When we told him that we needed his help to organize the church, he told us that in his Patriartical blessing that it says that he would be the one that would build up and organize the church for the Lord. He said he always knew that we were coming, and he was just waiting for us. It was really cool for us to see that esspecially when he said it looks like I am finally going to be fullfilling that part of my blessing. It was really neat to see that.
There was one lady down there who was also extremely excited for us to be there. Her name is ******. She moved down there in about 2004. She almost cried when she saw us and literally followed us the entire time showing us where her family and friends live. She would come and wait for us in the lobby of the hotel and help us until we were finished at night. So it was alittle difficult because we have no church building down there. So our one goal was to first find all the members and those that were interested and second to find a place where we could hold a meeting. So we looked and found a little tiny school. On thursday the 18th of Aug the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints had its very first organized meeting at 3 o clock. It was so cool to be a part of that, and so spiritual. We didnt know how many people would come because we had only been there for two days, also it started to pour. But they started coming. Some of them were just random people that we street contacted. Some of them were presidents of their township, the Branch president from Reunion just happened to be there on vacation as well as the branch president from Tamatave. Some of them had been waiting for the church for years so that they could be baptised. In the end we had over 60 people crammed into that little tiny classroom. Well the power was out, but right after we said a prayer it came back on and we were able to show them the Joseph Smith video. I have never felt the spirit so strong in my life.
I dont know why but the Lord keeps giving me so many blessings that I feel I am not worthy of to recieve. I do not know why he allowed me to be able to witness such an amazing moment of history. I feel to honored and indebted to the Lord. I will never be able to pay off my debt to him. I am forever inserviced to the Lord. I feel so much love for my savior. All of the little things I have been able to do or even see is just innumerable. And I just wonder why. I just hope that I can pay him back in my service to him.
I also recieved one other blessing you might be interested in. (taken out for personal reasons) I know that this church is true with out a doubt. I am forever indebted to my savior.
Sorry to take so long to write. We have been running like crazy to get caught up since the trip. Let me tell you this much. The Office has definately made me learn how to handle many things at once. The hard thing is is that I am realizing the missionaries that are truly my friends and the ones that are very fake. Many people have been trying to use me to get transfer news, or they get upset when they didnt get transferred to where they wanted thinking that I would pull some strings for them. But I have definately learned to just say, I did my part I know what I did if they dont like it that is their problem. They will have to argue that one with the Lord. But I must say we have been extremely busy. We had more new missionaries come in that we had to do an orientation for, a transfer, a missionary in the hospital that we have to visit three to four times a day, and a zone leader training. All in the last 3 days. Haha, ugh and we have missionaries that say that the Aps dont do anything. Haha and today we started organizing everything for when the Apostle comes. I will be the senior AP when he comes to Tana so I am running the show in getting everything ready on the missionaries side. I am really excited for him to come. I am alittle nervous, but excited.
Things are going very good though. I absolutely love the mission. I love ******. I would love to get more pictures of the puppies if that is ok. ******really wants to see more of them as well. Let me know how everyone is doing. As of right now we still do not have a release date, but i will let you know as that gets closer. It is still far away. . . . kinda.
Well I love your guts,
Love,
Elder Madsen
Sorry you havent heard from me in like forever. I have been really really busy here in the office. Man they really put you to work here if you know what I mean. I have been running around like a chicken with my head torn off. We have been introducing a new in field training program for all of the new missionaries that come into the country. It has been really cool. I really like the program. The new missionaries that are coming in are just getting better and better. It is making me feel like I was an idiot when I came in. About three weeks ago we had ten new missionaries come in. Haha so when we went to pick them up to my suprise none of their luggage had shown up and they were also missing two missionaries. Haha Ya they had lost two of the missionaries back in London or in Joberg I am not sure which one. The one had lost his passport while he was in the airport and so they would not let him leave the airport... obviously. Haha so the church had to send some people over and gotten it taken care of. The one came in the next day and the other came in the day after. Haha ya know my suprise as I had to walk back and tell ******** that we didnt have all of the missionaries. Also we are still missing one of the missionaries suitcases. I went out to the airport yesterday, because records say that the suitcase made it here to Madagascar, and I made them show me all of their back rooms to find this suitcase but it is not there. I think that it may have gotten stolen, that or it is in Korea or some place like that right now.
We also just got back from the mission tour where we interviewed and trained all of the missionaries in the south of the island. We stopped in an area called Isalo and took a pday. Wow let me just say that wow. If you ever come here that will be the first place I will take you. It will blow your socks off. I am trying to send you pictures but once again the computer is being stupid. But you should just look it up. Isalo Madagascar. You will be amazed. It was by far the coolest thing that I have ever seen in my life.
We also went to a new city called Tuleara, and started looking for members so that we can organize a group down there. My companion and I were the very first missionaries to ever go down there in history. We taught the very first time down there, and held the very first organized church meeting down there. I was like a pioneer of old. It was pretty neat. I have given mom a more full length version story so you will have to read her email due to time I will not be able to type that again. But it was probably the coolest thing that I have ever done. When I take you to madagascar, when I am rich and you are old and on a cane, I will know where to take you. We also drove through this rain forest called Ranomafana. You will have to look that one up as well. It is one of the Largest rainforests here in Madagascar again I have pictures but the computer is being stupid... sorry
So how is ***** doing? She tells me that her old roomate is learning from the missionaries. Also how did her move go? Did she get settled into her new place ok.? Also how are the puppies. Are you going to sell them or keep one of the boys. I would sure like one of those puppies but I would never be able to take care of them while I am going to school. I will just have to pray that Mumu is still pushing them out when I have kids of my own that can take care of them. haha. maybe. So how are the perspectives looking lady wise. Do you think there will be any girls even left when I get home. I am hearing that everbody is getting married. haha oh boy. I will tell you this much I am not going to be very good at dating... not that I ever was. But hey we are hoping for miracles.
Well I hope that you are going good and not too stressed with work. I love you tons and miss you like crazy. What is way scary is that I can count the months down on one hand now. Yikes. I think I might extend.
Love,
Elder Madsen
Hey,
I am baaaa aaaack!!!!! Did you miss me???? I am so glad to be back. It is so nice to be able to sleep in my own bed again. Oh goodness. The trip was very cool, but very very very long. We were in the car for almost 40 hours. It was so long. But we were able to do a visit to the missionaries in Antsirabe, (where I got to see ******* again, that was cool) Ambositra, and Fianarantsoa. Then we drove the rest of the way down to Tulear. On the way down you could see tons of Baobabs. It was really cool. I actually sent you a picture of that. Also ******* took a ton of pictures and he will be sending that to me so I will be sending you more pictures throughout the week as well.
It was really cool to go down to Tulear. We were like the pioneers. My companion and I were the very first missionaries in history to step foot in that town. And we taught the very first lesson in that town as well. How cool is that. We spent the majority of the time looking for the members that had moved down there. There was about 17 of them. Two of them have the Melchezideck priesthood and had been to the temple as well. It was actually really cool how we found them. There were about three different families down there that I already knew and had taught in my previous areas. One of them was *****, someone that I taught up in Mahajanga. It was so cool to be able to see him again. Also there was a family from Akorondrano that I taught and baptised and also a woman from Betongolo that I knew as well. I thought that it was really cool to see how the Lord had been preparing me throughout my mission to go and help these people. I thought it was a cool blessing in my eyes to be able to see that. Also one of the men that we found works for the ministry government. He was baptised in England back in 1999 and he moved to Tulear in 2000. He was shocked when we walked into his office. When we told him that we needed his help to organize the church, he told us that in his Patriartical blessing that it says that he would be the one that would build up and organize the church for the Lord. He said he always knew that we were coming, and he was just waiting for us. It was really cool for us to see that esspecially when he said it looks like I am finally going to be fullfilling that part of my blessing. It was really neat to see that.
There was one lady down there who was also extremely excited for us to be there. Her name is ******. She moved down there in about 2004. She almost cried when she saw us and literally followed us the entire time showing us where her family and friends live. She would come and wait for us in the lobby of the hotel and help us until we were finished at night. So it was alittle difficult because we have no church building down there. So our one goal was to first find all the members and those that were interested and second to find a place where we could hold a meeting. So we looked and found a little tiny school. On thursday the 18th of Aug the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints had its very first organized meeting at 3 o clock. It was so cool to be a part of that, and so spiritual. We didnt know how many people would come because we had only been there for two days, also it started to pour. But they started coming. Some of them were just random people that we street contacted. Some of them were presidents of their township, the Branch president from Reunion just happened to be there on vacation as well as the branch president from Tamatave. Some of them had been waiting for the church for years so that they could be baptised. In the end we had over 60 people crammed into that little tiny classroom. Well the power was out, but right after we said a prayer it came back on and we were able to show them the Joseph Smith video. I have never felt the spirit so strong in my life.
I dont know why but the Lord keeps giving me so many blessings that I feel I am not worthy of to recieve. I do not know why he allowed me to be able to witness such an amazing moment of history. I feel to honored and indebted to the Lord. I will never be able to pay off my debt to him. I am forever inserviced to the Lord. I feel so much love for my savior. All of the little things I have been able to do or even see is just innumerable. And I just wonder why. I just hope that I can pay him back in my service to him.
I also recieved one other blessing you might be interested in. (taken out for personal reasons) I know that this church is true with out a doubt. I am forever indebted to my savior.
Sorry to take so long to write. We have been running like crazy to get caught up since the trip. Let me tell you this much. The Office has definately made me learn how to handle many things at once. The hard thing is is that I am realizing the missionaries that are truly my friends and the ones that are very fake. Many people have been trying to use me to get transfer news, or they get upset when they didnt get transferred to where they wanted thinking that I would pull some strings for them. But I have definately learned to just say, I did my part I know what I did if they dont like it that is their problem. They will have to argue that one with the Lord. But I must say we have been extremely busy. We had more new missionaries come in that we had to do an orientation for, a transfer, a missionary in the hospital that we have to visit three to four times a day, and a zone leader training. All in the last 3 days. Haha, ugh and we have missionaries that say that the Aps dont do anything. Haha and today we started organizing everything for when the Apostle comes. I will be the senior AP when he comes to Tana so I am running the show in getting everything ready on the missionaries side. I am really excited for him to come. I am alittle nervous, but excited.
Things are going very good though. I absolutely love the mission. I love ******. I would love to get more pictures of the puppies if that is ok. ******really wants to see more of them as well. Let me know how everyone is doing. As of right now we still do not have a release date, but i will let you know as that gets closer. It is still far away. . . . kinda.
Well I love your guts,
Love,
Elder Madsen
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
letter home today 8/9/2011
Hey,
Oh my Gosh they are way cute. Now are they the children of Sam's Bull dog? They are really cute. I want one. Haha ha. Mail it on over. Haha. But no they are really cute. I hope that ones back leg straightens out. That would be way sad for him. How is Mumu doing though? Is she fine from the c section. That is crazy to think that a dog needs a c section. Haha poor thing. That is great that ***** is coming over as well. Did she tell you that the missionaries tracted into her? I definately think that was an answer to prayers. I got two dear Elders from her and she sounds like she is doing ok. She talked alot about her belief in God. That is definately good. I am praying for her ever day. Also for Mumu I hope that she heals ok. That would just crush*** if anything ever happened to Mumu. But those puppies look very cute. They definately got alot of white from their dad. But I think that they will grow up to look very nice. I think that I will definately want a puppy in the distant future. But I think that it will be quite a while until I will even have half the time to even take care of one. But hey a dream is always good to have.
Things are going good. We went to an area called Moramanga to see if they were ready to recieve missionaries and got to look at a real rainforest while we were there. I am sending pictures. It was so cool. I have never seen so much green in my life. We also got to play around alittle with some lemurs. That was really fun. I really enjoyed that. I am also sending a picture where I am holding four lemurs at once. There were actually five on me at one time, but we didnt get the camera ready. But it was really fun. The lemurs would just jump right up on you. It was unreal. They were really cute as well. I really loved it. I think that it has probably been one of the funnest things that I have ever done. If we ever go back to Madagascar in the future, that is where I will take you. To see the rainforest and the lemurs. It was really fun.
I also got to pick up a missionary that was returning home from South Africa. I actually knew him from when I went over for my surgery so that was really cool to be able to see him home. He was not very happy to come home. Haha. We had alittle panick attack in the car. haha oh boy. Foreshadow. Haha. But it was kinda neat to be able to see him do that.
We also had a baptism this week. The baptism went great. The man that got baptised is named ********. He reminds me alot of dad. He is a Mechanic for a living. He also tries to act all big and tough all the time, but he isnt really. But he also has the same humor as dad. Haha I really like him alot. Their whole family reminds me of you all. Their daughter esspecially reminds me of *****. I think I might have already commented about that though.
So it is going to be a very very very busy month. Tomorrow we have a group of ten missionaries coming in. I am really excited for that. But because of all the new missionaries that also means that we had a GIANT transfer. So we get to figure out how to get all of the missionaries to their next destination. The transfer meeting was really neat though. It was really spiritual. I know that ****** is called of God. That is for sure.
We will be heading on our big giant 10 day trip on this sat. We will be visiting all of the missionaries. I am not sure if I will be able to write or not during that time. So dont be worried if you do not hear from me. But I will try to write you. I am just not sure what the plan will be. We will be on the road quite a bit. But I will definately take alot of pictures.
I hope that everyone is doing ok. Tell Jenny he needs to write me or he will be in big trouble. Haha but I will to get him an email today as well if I get some time. We got a couple seconds to breath so I decided to shoot you an email.
Also I got to talk to ******* today on the phone. She is the family from my first area. It is so cool to see the growth in their family. ******* is the second councilor of the bishopric now. They are begging me to come over and visit them. haha but I just dont have any time. I am going to have to see them before I leave though. That is for sure. I really love that family.
Well I love your guts,
Elder Madsen
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