transfers :( and :)

So transfers came again! Time to say goodbye! Sister Clark has been banished to Wales! I am staying in Evesham and my new companion is Sister Rose from Utah! She came out a few months ago; I am her follow up trainer. Pretty spiffy eh? Sister Clark will be greatly missed. After 6 months together it will be like losing my left leg.

I am, however, very grateful to stay in Evesham b/c I really love it. It's the first place on my mission where I feel like I fit. We had the cutest goodbye with the Barnes family. The kids usually just beat us up most of the time that we are there, so during the lesson, it was so sweet when little Maddi just came up and snuggled with Sister Clark. Adorable. Sister Clark shed some tears and all the kids wrote her adorable notes. She will be greatly missed. Everyone loves her!!!!

The still small voice

We often ask people how they feel when they pray, read the Book of Mormon, or come to Church. It is almost always a "warm feeling." A Filipino man put his hand on his heart and made an expanding motion. I've seen several others do the same. Sally said she had a "sparkly" feeling. The spirit speaks to all of us in ways that we will understand and recognize. Sometimes we aren't quite sure what the feeling is, and sometimes we fail to connect it with our circumstances! It's not enough to feel the spirit; you must also be able to recognize it. The still small voice will always be still and small. We attune ourselves to it, not the other way around.

lock your doors!!!

Dark night - we pull over and park at the top of a hill in a little pull out place. All our plans have fallen through, and we didn't know where to go, so I offer up a prayer. I finish and while the two of us are sitting there in pondering silence, our back door suddenly starts opening! and someone starts to get in! Extreme panic is really the only way to describe the state of my mind and I can hardly control myself well enough to assess the situation. The assailant/old woman stops, looks at us and says, "Oh! You’re not my ride." She begins to back out, and shuts the door, before we can even say anything. AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Never do that to me again! We told the elders about it, "Did you teach her? Wow, God answered your prayer and you didn't even bother!"

Pfump!

The favorite part of my day was when we were all standing in this less active lady’s kitchen. She’s refilling her candle lighter with lighter fluid and spilling it everywhere... well, she lights that baby up and pfump! Her hand and the lighter go up in flames! She drops the lighter and the floor goes up in flames where she spilt the fluid. After moments of extreme panic, she drops a towel on the flame, and all is well. No one got hurt. It was hilarious! I had just been complaining to sister Clark that it had been sort of a boring day. Not so! The Lord hears and answers prayers.

I love you all! Keep the faith! I know this is the true church. I know the Book of Mormon is true. It has made me happy!

xo
Madie

short, sweet, and to the point....

week: good
spirit: felt
zion: rejoices!
send: my love
thanks for: the prayers
God: is good

I love you!
mad xoxoxoxoxo

Adventures abound!

After two months of reading the Book of Mormon and eating fondue and s'mores with the most adorable 17 year old recently gone less active girl, she came to church yesterday, and read 8 chapters of first Nephi on her own. It's the first time that I've seen her look really happy since I met her. Her countenance was glowing; there was a light and liveliness in her eyes. What a change. What wonderful evidence of what the Book of Mormon and the light of the gospel can do for an individual.

We taught an adorable 72-year-old man who is awfully forgetful. We accidentally lost our mobile phone (English for cell phone) so we called him up from a member's house to see if it was there. "I'll look for it," he told us, we called him back a few minutes later, "did you find it?" "Sorry, what was a looking for again?" Turns out we left it in another 70-year-old ward members bathroom. The fire alarm had been going off for 2 hours, and she couldn't hear our phone going off. Adventures abound!

Unfortunately, the recent converts seem to be dropping off like flies, and the strong are weary, but fear not! My companion and the PEC, as well as I are still active! Zion rejoices!

I had to take my driving practical test, but I failed on the parallel park, (oops, remember when we did it 15 times together?) It's a little tricky to do it when you're driving from the opposite side of the car than you are used to. I also didn't give the guy behind me enough warning when I pulled over - whatevers - pretty good for not taking any driving lessons. :) Next time, next time.

My new district leader is from Tremonton Utah, a fellow Utah stater, his name is Elder Bues, and he knows my dear friend and hero Suzanne "the ooze" Henry. What are the chances? Also, Elder Elgan of Providence, Utah, is still in my district, and the other district leader in our zone, Elder Christiansen, is from Richmond. Good stalk come from that northern Utah, eh? 75% of the mission had moves this transfer, but Sister Clark and I prevail! bwa hahaa.

LOts Of LOvE!
God spppeeeeed!

Sister Benedict Pope

We survived!

Helllo! The plague has passed from us! Hooray. We still have lingering coughs. It was rough to be cooped up for so long, but we got back to work on Thursday. We mainly used the car and drove and took breaks. It completely exhausted us! Pathetic. We are finally picking up more and more speed every day - still not 100 percent, but really close. About 40 missionaries were sick and afflicted, but I think everyone is ok now. Sister Clark still sounds slightly like a man, which is fantastic. Got some new boots today - hope they will last the weathering storms. Fortunately, all the snow melted! What a fantastic surprise, and it's now half as freezing as it was. I hope it lasts for a while longer; the weather is a lot milder right now.