"Your eyebrows are so bushy I could hide in them and get across the border."

If ye love me feed my sheep. Have the gospel written on your heart at all times. Ask and ye shall receive. The church is true. Love your neighbor. Go on a mission. The gift of tongues is real. I understand more Spanish than I think. Every effort counts. Don't give up. Fight. Yesterday you said tomorrow. GO FIGHT WIN! This is my week at the CCM. I am in the last grind. The last week. The final mile. The golden mile. The home stretch. I leave Tuesday morning at 2 am to go to Puerto Rico and I am sooo excited. We got to hear from Elder Christofferson and from an elder with an amazing story about trials. I know I am supposed to be on a mission and I know that God will protect me if I am obedient. I love this gospel so much! I am so sorry this is short. I love you all! I know fasting works. Keep moving forward with good things! Next email will be sent from Puerto RICOOO!!!

Picture 1. My district with the flags.

2. Hermana nelson (I did her hair)

3. My dad sent me nutella and a can of carmel bacon spam that is not featured. Got to love Craig.

4. Elder Leemaster and Elder Stellway needing a haircut

5. Hermana Bates my companion. On our way to email

This is Madison's District Leader with the bushy eyebrows :)

WEEK 5 IN THE CCM!!

I GOT TO GO TO THE TEMPLE! This is the last time that I get to go to the temple for 18 months. I love the temple soo much and it makes me sad that I will not be able to go for a while. The temple is a beautiful place! Always go to the temple!!! 

Also we had an amazing speaker come and speak to us. John C. Pingree Jr. of the 70 came and told us some great things. Some of my favorite things he talked about was how every companion will prepare us for our lives. Whether it be through challenges or through good experiences. He talked about when he was a mission president he watched a sister change so much over her mission. Every email she would start with, "This week the atonement of Jesus Christ helped me to....." and by the end of the mission she was able to change into this refined missionary and woman. Also the speaker called me out over the stand because he said something awesome and I gave my companion a fist bump because of how cool it was and He goes, "thats right !! That was awesome and deserved a fist bump! What is your name?" and I had to yell my name from the crowd. Haha kind of weird.  I know the Atonement of Jesus works but we have to actively choose to use it. Search the scriptures everyday and think about what you can change to become closer to Christ. 

My life is great and nothing really is going on in the CCM.  I love you all and I would love to hear from you guys! 

Pictures are Hermana Hahne and I, My comp Hermana Bates taking picts of me, and then all the Hermanas in my district. Neilsin, bates, Mehlhoff, Jones, Hahne! I love them so much!

VIDEO CALLLLIIINGG

What a fuuun week! THE BIGGEST THING is being able to video call my family. THIS HAS BEEN SUCH A BIG BLESSING. I have been sick for most of this week and that has been hard but I feel so much better. I have used all my time face-timing my family so I am sorry for the really short email. I love my family soo much!!!. Valentines day was kind of depressing. We called it friendship day instead haha got to love the ccm.  My companion and I got to heart attack our district for the holiday though. The lab is full of people who are facetiming.

One thing that I really wanted to share is that Elder Cook and Elder Soares are amazing speakers. They are apostles of God. I know that Christ lives and that He loves each and every one of us. I have felt so much help as I learn the language and study the gospel. I love learning about how much God loves each and everyone of us. I was able to testify of this to a volunteer member who came into the CCM and even though my Spanish is hard I was able to say what I needed to say. I love speaking Spanish and I love speaking to the investigators because that is when I am able to speak my best Spanish.

I LOOOVEEE YOOOU BEAUTIFUL PEOPLE! MISSIONS ARE AMAZING

"Donde were you Hermana?"

What an amazing week! This week has been full of strange quotes, haircuts, and Spanish. A little stressful at times but I have loved all of it! A little more about my companion, she is one of the weirdest most beautiful people I have ever met. I have never seen someone laugh so hard and have so much joy. She is so amazing! We are both going to Puerto Rico and are both so excited! The weather out here is to die for. Though I am still a white/red ginger with no tan. Elder Cook is coming tonight for a devotional and I have never seen a campus SO CLEAN! these people go all out for Elder Cook and making sure it is perfect. Everything has been power-washed and repainted. EVERYTHING. This is the most beautiful MTC. I have an unbiased opinion and therefore it is correct. 

Also, Being at the CCM where everyday is beautiful and we do the same things everyday is really messing with my mind. I feel like I am in a strange limbo state. We play a game in my district where we try and remember what day it is and what happened on what day. It is hard to explain but I feel like I am reliving the same day. I am just getting better and understanding what happens everyday.  

 On another note, In one of the lessons I taught I was asked why people got through hard things. This is one thing that is hard to explain. The scripture that came to my mind during this moment was D&C 98.3 ``THEREFORE, HE GIVETH THIS PROMISE UNTO YOU, WITH AN IMMUTABLE COVENANT THAT THEY SHALL BE FULFILLED; AND ALL THINGS WHEREWITH YOU HAVE BEEN AFFLICTED SHALL WORK TOGETHER FOR YOUR GOOD, AND TO MY NAME´S GLORY, SAITH THE LORD.. I don't feel like I ever really read that scripture before and it was really comforting to know that we go through hard things for our own benefit. Spanish is hard, I already know it is better than English, but I get to go through hard things to become better and to add to the glory of God. That's pretty neat. 

I love you all!! have a great week!!!