Another week in Camobi!‏

Hey Family!!

How is everyone?? I loved all your pictures and videos, and especially everything in the packages you sent last week!! The sweaters will be amazing for winter, and the letters and picture from Carrie were the highlight. And....I´m pretty sure you´re trying to kill me with all the candy you sent!!:D I thought I wouldn´t be able to finish it in this whole transfer, but then between S. Lopes and I....we´re almost done with it already, in a week:/ So I´m pretty sure that´s not good for a person! But thank you so much, for the Oreos especially:D

So I guess I should tell you a little more about S. Lopes! So she´s on her third transfer, she arrived with S. Draut. She was trained by S. Pinkston, who is amazing, so she´s already a rock awesome missionary. She´s from Piaui, a state way in the northeast, and has a different accent and everything. She´s the only member in her family, and has only been a memer 2 years! After she met this missionaries for the first time, she was baptized 2 weeks later! And has been a firm member ever since. She´s super fun and laughs a lot, but is also really organized and likes to clean. We´re working really well together, I already love her! :)

But what can I tell you about this week? It was a little difficult in terms of work. I don´t know why, but we just haven´t been able to find many new people to teach. It´s been a huge challenge - we´re knocking a lot of doors and getting a lot of rejections. So I´m kind of going through a hard time on the mission, but that´s what it´s for, right? It´s not supposed to be easy. And it´s teaching me a ton. I just hope we can improve next week, and start finding people who want to listen to us.

But the highlight of the week was this Young Women´s activity on Saturday night. It was their New Beginnings (remember that when I did it?), and it was so touching in so many parts. It´s hard to describe exactly how, but...I just looked at all of them up on the stage doing their songs and presentations, and thought about how long each one of them had been a member. Of all the young women and their leaders, only one was born in the church. And it was just amazing to me how strong they all are, the leaders married in the temple and helping raise the next generation....the young women preparing to do the same thing, all despite having only known the church for a short while. The part that touched me the most came after, in the Talent Show that came after the spiritual part. Patricia, one of the leaders, and her husband Fabio did a presentation with their twins and baby daughter. At first, they spread out this mess all over the stage: toys, a laptop, clothes etc. and all walked around agitated and busy while this children´s song played on a CD about a "funny house" where everything was upside down or something. They had asked ahead of time for our help, to come out and pretend to clap at their door after the song ended. So we clapped, she said "Come in Sisters!" and the curtain closed. We ran around cleaning everything up, they had us whip out our scriptures, and we sat down like we were giving them a lesson. The curtain opened again, and they all began to sing "Families Can Be Together Forever". I got tears in my eyes looking at their 5 year old twins, who were singing it from memory.

Patricia and Fabio met the missionaries only two years ago, and are already sealed in the temple, and Fabio is a counselor in the bishopric. The missionaries clapped at their door literally right after Patricia said a prayer asking God to help her find the truth. So it was really really touching to see their presentation, of their life before and after the gospel. It made me remember why I´m here, and made it a little more difficult the fact that we couldn´t find many new people this week, but made me realize the importance of finding the people who the Lord has prepared. I know we will, and I know the gospel will change their lives just like Patricia and Fabio. I´m so glad to be here, being an instrument for the Lord to bring people that kind of happiness.

Thank you all so much for your support here in this experience. I´m growing and learning so much, and I hope that all of you are too. I look forward so much to hearing from you, and can´t wait to talk to you on Mother´s Day. Thank you for being the most amazing family anyone could ask for. You´re always in my prayers.

Til next week!

Sister Madsen:D

P.S. Thank you for the birthday box, Lola!!!:D I got it today, and it made my day! Thanks! :D