Love Our Missionaries: Happy Birthday, Elder Madsen!

Written by Elder Kolby Madsen, currently serving in the Denmark Copenhagen Mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

OK, this week was great! I honestly could not have asked for a better birthday. Danes know how to throw a party! Anyway, I will get back to that later.

So, this week we invited Alex (name changed for privacy) to be baptized, and he said he would. He just has to receive an answer from the Lord that it's right. And the same with Claire (name changed for privacy). So, the week was looking up right off the bat. We still don’t have any dates scheduled, but it’s not about that. It’s about the people coming closer to Christ and Heavenly Father. Whether a person is an active member of the church, less active, or not a member of our faith, this gospel is all about coming closer to Jesus Christ.

We finally got over the whole sick thing, but elder Hansen is still having problems with congestion. We also got word that Elder Ludlow received his visa and will arrive on Wednesday. He was in Fresno for nine weeks! That crazy time has flown by. I can’t keep up.

I got to go on splits with Elder Christiansen. He came out the same time as me, so it was way fun to get to go out together as fresh, new missionaries who don’t know the language very well. It was awesome! I didn't realize how much Danish I actually know. The Lord has blessed me so much. We contacted for about four hours on the split, and we did great. We could understand, and really just talk to people about the things we love so much, and explain why we came out here.

We met a guy that has met with the missionaries before. He asked us for our number and we got his information. We are going to meet with him tomorrow. It’s going to be awesome. As ineffective as contacting and knocking doors is, you really learn the language doing it, and it’s fun to talk to people on the way to appointments.

So, this week the BIG #19 came up, and it came FAST! I woke up to Elder Simpson jumping on me and wishing me, "Happy Birthday!" It was funny. Then the other Elders went and bought me a tricant. It’s an amazing pastry! After that, President called and wished me a happy birthday. He told me his son, who's currently serving in Tacoma Washington, just turned 19 the same day as me. So we chatted for a little while. It was fun. He is a very great man. I love him.

After my phone call, we went to work and just had a normal day, as expected. That night I was going to go on exchanges with Elder Christiansen in Amager. The second I got off the train, there was a big group of people singing and waving flags. Some drunk people down the way also started singing. It was really kind of embarrassing, but way fun. A member of the Amager congregation told me that I had to eat some very Danish food in order to get my birthday presents. When I agreed, he said I needed to be blind folded. So they blindfolded me and fed me some nasty cheese and liver crap. I will send the video. It's crazy! Anyway, it was way fun, and I would not have it any other way.

I'm so grateful for the Lord making this a way good week. I actually understood about 60% of Sacrament Meeting. It was good. I know the Lord looks after his servants and all His children. I know that He places us in these situations because He knows we can go through them and make a comeback. The scripture that kept me going this week (and has always been in my head throughout the whole mission) is 1 Nephi 3:7, "And it came to pass that I, Nephi, said unto my father: I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them."

I love you, and remember God loves you. Serve Him. Missionary work is not only for the missionaries. It’s a calling to all members of His church. As we are baptized, we take the name of Christ upon us. That includes loving everyone for who they are, and bringing souls back to the fold of God. Help them realize that God loves them, and let them know He just wants what is best for them.

Med Kære Hilsen,

Ældste Madsen

Service and Soccer (July 29, 2013)

It's Not Always Sunshine and Butterflies (July 15, 2013)