THIS is why we don't put Mom in charge of updating the blog.

From Christi:  So yes, I'm a terrible blog-updater.  Terrible.  But here are some of Madelyn's recent letters and pictures.  She's doing great!  Just a warning:  you will cry if you read 3/3.  And you will understand every parent's anguish when their baby girl is so far away and hurting and you're not there to comfort.  It was torture for me, and I'm so glad she's doing so well now.  Because this heart couldn't take much more!

torture for me, and I'm so glad she's doing so well now.  Because this heart couldn't take much more!

3/31/2014
Hello Parents!!

I was watching the Women's Conference and laughed as soon as the Primary President started talking.  I love how the new YW President isn't so smiley. She's like a real person, and I can see her maybe having a dirty home or smacking her kid if he is acting stupid.  The Primary President just smiles sooooo much!  Happy people...  But I thought of your and Giorgi as I watched it, picturing Mom watching it in bed and Giorgi going in and out and asking how much longer it was.  But I was very touched when the choir sang and I just thought of G!  So weird and spoiled, yet a really awesome kid!

OH!  DUH!  Biggest news of the week!  Roldan got baptized!!!  He's so cute!!!!  He bore his testimony after the service and spoke for like 10 minutes, but no one cared, because he's adorable!  He is very smart and very humble.  He mentioned how he is not finished yet.  While he had always lead a good life, now he is going to strive to walk on the straight and narrow and never waiver, because he has to make it to the temple and back to Heavenly Father :)  

So even though that really cool family of 5 I told you about dropped us, we had an awesome week.  Yeah.  The mission is a roller coaster.  Sometimes I'm all like "WOOO HOOOO! Yeah!!" But also a lot of the times I'm just like, "uuuuuuuugh. whyyyyyyyyyy?"  But it's a good balance.  

Our ward mission leader and his wife love us so much!  They really don't like 2 of the elders in our ward, though, because they're not hard workers and they're stupid.  But They always come out with us to appointments, and this weekend we're watching conference with them and they're taking us out to eat :)  Just me and my companion, though.  Like I said, my district leader is being really difficult. 

He and his companion know one of our investigators relatively well, and told him that he would talk to the mission president and see if they could teach him instead of us!  What?!  And they had a lesson with him after Church on Sunday!  They broke so many mission rules, plus they are super rude to us, just because this person lives in our area and they can't teach him!!  And now, the Zone Leaders (who are really awesome) and the mission President (who is also fantastic) are involved because two stupid Elders are stupid. I think Elder Gleason, my stupid district leader, may be going through something, though.  He has been really disrespectful to our ward mission leader, and every one else, and they aren't doing well in their area at all.  Their numbers are half of mine and my companion's and we work in the VC half of the day every day.  He seems like he is depressed, so I'm trying my best to be patient and kind to him.  I'm not sure what he's going through, but he never seems happy.  No excuse to be disobedient, though.  I don't know...  I'm workin on it. 

I love you!!  Talk to you next week!  Can't wait to talk to you for real in a couple of weeks!

3/24/2014

Dad, I don't know how I'm going to tell you all about what happened this week, I get exhausted just thinking about all that we did.  A good start would be that we added 8, count em, 8 new investigators!  Now I'm not really sure about all of them, but we do have this really cool family.  One day we were sitting in our car getting our things ready, when I saw a teenage boy walking towards us.  I hopped out of the car (usually I'm not very spry and energetic to leave the car) and stopped him, and we had a nice, short conversation.  He didn't know his address when I asked him, and just said, "It's the pink house across the street from the firehouse with a split pine tree in front, and a red brick pathway."  It sounded really weird, but I figured that no one would really make that up just to loose the missionaries...  Turns out, it exists!  When we found it, a woman answered the door and she said she was busy washing dishes and didn't have time to let us in.   We told her that we'd be quick and we would just talk while she did her dishes.  We ended up doing the dishes for her, which she protested, and when we were finished 5 minutes later, the entire family was waiting in the living room to have a lesson.  Every one was there, except for the guy that we had initially contacted... Oh well.  But they're really cool and I'm excited to see where they go.  When we invited them to come to church, the mom said that they couldn't because it was her daughter's first communion... We'll work with them!! 

Roldan is set for his baptism this Saturday!  He told us about an experience he had last week where he had taken his Book of Mormon to read while he ate at a restaurant.  The waitress asked him if he was Mormon, because she didn't think there were any Latino Mormons (funny, right?).  Cute, sweet, Roldan answered, "Yes, I'm a Mormon.  Would you like to have the missionaries over to your house so you can learn more?"  HE'S ALREADY A MISSIONARY!!! aaaaaaaaaw :)  He said, "I've tried the Catholics, the Baptists, the Jehova Witnesses, but no!  I'm a Mormon!"  RIGHT?!  so cool :) 

We had a really fantastic stake conference with Elder Packer, the area's 70, and yesterday morning in the Visitors' Center there was a recent convert/ re-activation activity.  Elder Packer lead the meeting, which had about 40 people, and just wanted to know everyone and why they were their.  Sergio, my recent convert, was the first one to speak, and he was so appreciative of the gospel and he said he was there because he couldn't deny the peace and joy of knowing the true gospel.  Roldan spoke shortly after, and he started to cry, Dad!  He said that he knew that this was the restored Church, that Joseph Smith was a prophet, and that he has such a strong testimony of prayer.  He has literally been healed of his sickness through his faith and priesthood blessings, and he recognizes the hand of the Lord in his life every day.  This was literally the best day of my life!  These people are changing!  They are becoming more like the people who God has always intended them to be, and I'm watching it happen.  This is changing me, too.  I know that the things I'm going through are shaping my life and shifting my view on the person I know I can become.  I don't think I believed everyone who said the mission would change your life, but I don't think it's possible to imagine such change until it's actually happening! 

I know you will, but make sure to forward this to Mom :)  I love you both so much!  I love my mission so much, and I am so blessed to be serving these people and the Lord.  I love this work and the people here, and I love my Savior for making it possible for all of us to change. 

Talk to you next week!

Love, Mads

3/10/2014
HELLO!!! :D

Another week gone!  I think I'm doing a lot better with not counting down, so you're not allowed to do it either.  It's just going to be a regular day, and what?  We have to pick up Mads from the airport?  ok.  Time is already going by faster, I feel like now that I have a couple of months under my belt, the rest of the mission seems a lot less intimidating.  I think I had the same reaction my first day in California that I did in the MTC.  The one where I wake up and the first thing that pops into my mind is "What the heck am I doing."  Now it's just second nature.  I rarely need an alarm clock to wake me up, which frightens me just a bit, but I'm almost not a new-ish missionary!  almost.  

I know I said I was doing better with not thinking about post mission things, but I can't wait to see Giorgi in her gymnastics competitions!  I really miss CJ and Giorgi a lot.  I was so used to them and I think about them frequently and can't wait for them to have this amazing opportunity!  

I got your package on Friday!!  There was a hair in the box, and I didn't know if you meant to send a piece of you to California, but I couldn't help but laugh and smile.  Weird. I know.  Don't worry, I won't be sending my hair home for you.  But I love the bread :)   Yes, I put the second loaf in the freezer, but I didn't really need to since it's already out and being worked on.  I was curious as to who Giorgi drew.  I knew that if she drew me, she would draw little dots for the boobs because she's a brat like that, but I also thought that she would draw a picture of herself for me.  I guess I don't give her enough credit, though!  That's very sweet that she drew Emily for me so I don't miss her :)  I love the dress, too!!  I got many compliments on it.

OK!  So do you want to here about probably the best week of mission?!  So I can't remember if I have told you about Roldan yet...  He was a referral from other Sister missionaries who teach in English, and we went to meet him for the first time outside of his work about 3 weeks ago.  We ended up teaching the first lesson outside of a Walgreens and have been teaching him ever since.  Mom and Dad, he is the cuuuuuuutest old man I have ever met!!  He's about 70 years old and works as a security guard and lives all by himself.  He reminds me of Grandpa, but isn't as sassy.  Any ways, the first time we went to his house was with my new companion, Sister Harmon, and we asked him if he had read the introduction of the Book of Mormon like we had asked him to.  He said "Oh, yes!  I'm already to chapter 9 of first Nephi."  whaaaaaaaat?!  He then gave us in depth descriptions of all of the chapters, names, cities, dates, events, etc.  He was like "and then I was reading about the tree and the fruit and I had a dream about it, like Lehi did.  I think it means that I need to eat the fruit to have eternal life."  Who is this??  So we've had three lessons with him so far and we tried to set a baptismal date with him, but he said no.  We were confused because he is SO READY and he reassured us that he's definitely getting baptized.  He said "No, I'm going to get baptized.  I know I have to, I just want to prepare a little more."  Valid.  But then he came to church yesterday and our stake president spoke, and I looked over at Roldan and he was crying!  We talked to him after the meetings, and he said he LOVED it!  He said it felt like home :)  Then we had at least 2 people come up to us to ask us when he was getting baptized.  The ward took him in in an instant!  He has no family, but now he feels so loved and cared for.  Our ward mission leader's wife already invited him over for family home evening tomorrow night.  This is such a special branch.  Also, Roldan has been experiencing some health issues and he recently had some blood work done, but he is very nervous of the results.  We talked to our stake president, and he stepped out of his office, was the first one to greet Roldan, and after the third hour gave him a priesthood blessing.  We had to leave to work at the Visitors' Center, so I'm excited to have our lesson tonight!  I can' t believe I was worried about not loving people!  Teaching Roldan and seeing him progress has filled me with what I can only imagine is a fraction of the love Heavenly Father has for him!  I don't think I've experienced such joy and love on my mission to this point!  He's the first investigator that I've had who I began teaching, and I'm going to be the one to see him through to his baptism, so I am beyond thrilled!   I am so adopting him as my Grandpa when I get home.  He wants to move to Florida, so I told him I'd visit him and have him meet Gram and Grandpa.  There may be a language barrier, though.  Grandpa doesn't show any promise in the Spanish department looking at the letters he's written me.

Some news on the Xochitl front.  I really need to come up with a good Soap Opera title for this family, because it is honestly one thing after another.  It's a good thing I love them so much, because they are freaking difficult!  So not only is Xochitl still married to someone who lives in Mexico, but Ruben, her "husband" is also married!!!  So there needs to be a miraculous recovery for Xochitl because she is really sick, two divorces, and one marriage.  

Is this what it's like to have children?  Some are super awesome, and some are stinkers, but you still don't have favorites?  Or at least you don't admit it.  But I'm telling you that Roldan is my favorite.  

The lady in the VC just came up to me and said "Let me send a picture to your mom!"  She has a daughter out as well and wished people would do that for her, so definitely do that for our missionaries!  Thank you for my package, Mom :)  Those vitamins are awesome and so are the burts bees :)  And Dad!  I love you so very much!!  This week was very much needed and I feel one thousand times better! 

3/3/2014
HI mom!!

Last week was first week of transfers.  I stayed in my area of San Leandro, and I got a new companion, Sister Harmon :)  This is her 3rd transfer so we're both sort of just going with it.  At first when we'd get lost, we'd both get a little frazzled and worried, but now we just say that we go on frequent adventures.  They're getting less frequent, though.  I was really scared.  I didn't think I knew the area or the ward members that well, or even how to be a missionary.  I felt so incredibly overwhelmed at first!  The first three mornings were really hard for some reason.  I think the realization that I was running an area hit me every time I woke up.  During studies my mind would wander and then I'd start thinking of all of the things I had to do, and I couldn't breathe!  I had a 3 day continuous panic/anxiety attack.  It was horrible!!  All the while I couldn't stop thinking about you and how I just wanted to see you and sit on your bed and cry!  And then I cried for real. A lot.  Every time I saw a plane in the air, I'd think about going home!  I couldn't bring the water bottle you got me any where because I'd start to cry if I saw your face.   It was so frustrating!  I knew that I needed to focus on the work and I needed to be strong,  but I also needed relief from my pain.  It felt like my heart was literally breaking.   

I prayed a lot.  Asking for relief and support from Heavenly Father, and asking why I felt abandoned.  And I got this feeling that this was something I needed to experience.  That for some reason, this is something that will shape me for my future.  But I figured I should learn my lesson now so Heavenly Father doesn't think I need to have a re-do.  I hope that's how it works...  I'm doing better, though.  This has just been a really humbling experience and an opportunity to know Heavenly Father and strengthen my relationship with Him and my Savior.  

I can't wait for your mail :)  I'll be sending a package home today, too.  I couldn't last monday because apparently the post office closes at 5. what?  oh well.   I love you!!  Thank dad for his letter, if I don't get an opportunity to write tonight.  I love his insight and words of wisdom.  He really is a very awesome dad, and a great missionary :)  I love you both!!  

2/19/2014

So, we had Temple day today!  Our P-day is today, Wednesday, so if I didn't e-mail you on Monday, it's not because I don't love you!  If you still don't receive an email after today... 

I'm sorry, I wish I could get back to each and every one of you!  This is tough business.  I feel like I'm losing motivation to write large, detailed e-mails as the weeks go on, but it doesn't mean that I'm losing interest where it matters!  It's more that the very thought of writing about every thing that happened this past week and a half makes my brain hurt. 
 I had my first exchange last week and my companion went to a different area, so I was in charge of getting us to our appointments and leading pretty much whatever we did.  San Leandro is still standing, and all of our investigators are still in tact, so SUCCESS!  It was really great to do something new and talk with our Sister Trainer Leader about some things that I didn't feel like talking about with my companion.  I was worrying that I wasn't being a fully committed missionary, because my mind wasn't always in the work.  I would find myself thinking about things like, "I can't wait till I see my parents standing at the gate at the airport waiting for me." and "When I get home, I can't wait to do..."  I was really struggling with this and feeling guilty that I wasn't capable of putting my entire focus on the work, as I was told to do so many times in the MTC and by church leaders.  My Sister Training Leader really helped me by simply saying "Oh, that?  Yeah, EVERY missionary goes through that!"  She reassured me that the first couple of months, I would be like that, but that it's ok!  I sometimes forget the significant change that I recently went through from normal people life to full on missionary mode.  She told me to enjoy while it lasts :)  It's been better as I've sincerely asked Heavenly Father to take away my longing for home and a more focused mind.  I still find myself thinking quite frequently about home and family while I'm studying and at my apartment and when my mind is more free to wonder.  I can't help it that I love thinking about my family, though!  

Like I said, we had the Temple today, which was fantastic!  Usually, you can hardly see any of the bridges that cross the bay because of the gross brown smog over the city, but today when we walked out, it was completely clear!  We could even see the Golden Gate Bridge and the tip of the prison on Alcatraz.  There was also a new new version of the movie!  Not the important part of it all, but still cool.  I feel so blessed to have been able to attend today.  I went in with some questions that I had in mind for a reasonably stubborn recent convert's wife.  I've been thinking and praying about her constantly, but there seems to be little to no progress.  I was able to just sit and feel at peace that I was doing all that I could.  I thought I would try the "open the scriptures to a random page and have all of your questions be answered" thing, not really having faith that it would happen, but willing to try.  IT WORKS! haha I was feeling so frustrated with the investigator for not opening her heart, and frustrated with myself for not knowing what to do, but the thing that I read in Alma 26:27 basically says to suck it up and keep pressing forward and everything will be aight.  Ammon may have said it better, though.  I know that our time here on this earth is a time for refining.  As a missionary, my goal is to help others not only gain a testimony, but become converted.  And that's because what we become is the most important thing.  It's not like there is a heavenly account that we're depositing good deeds into to rack up our points.  Nephi describes the final judgement in terms of what we havebecome (1 Nephi 15:33).  So everything that we go through and do determines the kind of person that we will become, whether we choose to grow and turn outward like Christ, or to turn inward and satisfy our own selfish desires.  True conversion is change and acting on your testimony.  When we choose to act, we're just becoming more of the person that Heavenly Father has already planned for us to be and we grow closer to our divine potential.  I love what Dallin H. Oaks said, "In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the Gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something." 

Wow! I guess I had a bit more to write than I thought.  Sorry.

Thank you for the packages, the letters, the love, and the prayers!  I love you all!

Hermana Smith