Madie in Madrid: March 16, 2015

Hola Mi Familia :)

So fun to hear from you all this week! Everyone sounds like they are doing great. So fun to read about my babies too! So excited to get another little girl in the family :) Thank you for all of the pictures and updates!

This week was a really great one. I know I say that every week, but it really was great! I am really happy to be serving in Alcorcón with Hermana Finch and Hermana Berry. So blessed to have them. I forgot to tell you a few details about Hermana Berry. She is exactly like steph in the regard that she does NOT like meat hahaha we get fed meat SO much and really don´t have a choice of eating it or not. I keep telling her that steph has gotten so much better and then just giggle :) She is great though. She loves cooking which is a huge plus for me! It´s been really fun to be in a trio and I have learned so much from training. Very blessed sister missionary over here!

Okay today I want to start to tell you guys a little bit about Ike. Ike is from Nigeria and speaks no Spanish. We found him contacting and he is great! Every lesson he has so many great questions and he takes notes! What?! Who is this guy haha! He has come to church 3 weeks in a row now too :) The only problem about that is we are a Spanish branch so someone needs to translate for him... Scary haha! Hermana Finch and I switch off and it´s been a fun experience for me. He is great I am excited to see his progression!

Rolando had his baptismal interview this week and he is ready to go! I am just hoping that everything goes well with his Dad coming back in time. He only has 2 days before he has to leave town again so it will be tight, but we can do it! I really love teaching Rolando he is a completely different person from when I met him. So amazing to see this change in him and I can´t believe he is getting baptized this week! He always asks about missions too which makes my heart real happy :)

I know I talk about him a lot, but I just can´t say it enough how great I think Paulozky is. Every time we have lessons he comes so prepared and ready to learn. Every time he shares his testimony I can´t stop smiling. I feel so blessed to get to teach him! The Lord really does prepare people.

The Elders baptized a mother and a daughter a few months ago, but were having a hard time finding men to help them in lessons so they decided to have us start teaching them. They are incredible!! We had an awesome lesson on temple work this week and she said that she wants us to start teaching her son :) I´m really excited about that! They really are so fun and so good to us- I love the people here.

We had intercambios this week and I was absolutely terrified. Hermana Finch left and the girl that came is only in her second transfer meaning that I was the oldest... yikes haha! I was so nervous about spanish especially but I am happy to report that all went well :) We had some awesome lessons and it was so fun to get to know Hermana Welcker better.

Miracle happened this week. We were going to the chapel for Noche de Hogar (which was awesome by the way) and my companion looked in her bag and couldn´t find the keys anywhere. We went back to the piso, searched everywhere, and decided to put our words into practice and say a prayer. It only took us 2 minutes to find it after that :) The Lord hears and answers our prayers!!

One more story! We went to go visit Carmen this week (the menos activa that got in an accident and doesn´t remember anything) and when we got in she asked us the normal questions like how are you, how´s your family, how´s the work, etc. After we answered she goes and how´s thomas? We were so confused haha who is Thomas?! And then she goes you know that guy on the video from last time! OH president monson hahaha!! He´s doing just great :) Then we talked about how general conference is coming up and how she can listen to thomas and she was estatic. She´s already talking about what she needs to wear and how to do her hair so she can look her best :) Hahaha her and Thomas are best friends. So great!

I think that is about it for this week! I am doing really well here in Spain :) The weather has been absolutely beautiful this week. We started to go running in the morning and we lots of ice cream haha :) This letter has turned into a novel I am so sorry. If you made it to the end of this- go eat a treat. You deserve it! I love you all so much thank for all of the love and support you send my way :) I feel so blessed for the opportunity to be a missionary! Until next week!

xoxo,

hermana marsh

Picking up Hermana Berry :)

Picnic day with my two best friends!

Some pics from Alcalá :) So fun to see Hermana Santiago again!

Here we are in front of the house of Don Quijote. We think we´re funny :)

FRO YO!

Here we are in front of the castle!

This is Raquel. She may or may not be my new favorite member. She is absolutely incredible! She invited us over for american chocolate chip cookies, strawberry shakes, and a reference :) What more could a missionary want?!

I got the st. patty´s package!!! thank you so so so much it has all of my favorites :) My companions and I feel very blessed!!

So this one time I let my companion chop off all my hair... even though she has never cut hair before... don´t kill me allie!

Short hair!!!!

I received the best letter of my whole life this week from my dear sister. Still laughing over it! It says...

I know that training is a bit of a thriller, but it doesn´t matter if your companion is black or white (or green) Just start with the man in the mirror. Take a look at yourself and make that change. Take the gospel and heal the world, make it a better place. Just beat it and hit em like a smooth criminal. If micheal doesn´t get you pumped up, I don´t know what will. Love you!

who is this girl?!?! hahahaha Love you steph you´re the best :)