MOM!

     I have found 
the way into the Iban’s hearts... Eat ALOT of their food and speak 
Iban! The Iban’s LOVE when white people eat their food.  Whenever I go to their house, I always pray in Iban
--even though it is a very simple prayer--and they love it! Word is
 getting around the branch that I will eat anything and alot of it; so, the 
members have been inviting me over to their homes to eat Biawak and all
 types of crazy food this week!! It has been fun!  I feel bad for my companion though.  The members make fun of him, hardcore, because he refuses to eat vegies and--for some reason--he isn’t a big fan of the raw fish
 and worms that the Ibans feed us.  He also always asks for silver
ware, which is really weird here. So usually at the members’ houses, he will
 eat a little bit of rice and that’s it!  I am over there shoveling
 food down with my hands and eating anything that they put in front of my face.  The members always ask
 me in Iban, "Elder, why doesn't your friend eat?”  “You eat his food, Elder?” 
 “Elder Madsen, why are you so fat and he is so skinny?" I love the people
 here so much. I could stay in Miri the rest of my mission and be totally fine with that! The members are just amazing!!

     The work
 here is also going well! The three Iban kids we are teaching are 
progressing really, really well.   We are still trying to get two of them
 to stop smoking though!  Also this one girl, who reminds me
 a lot of Kristen,  randomly walked into the church on Wednesday right after I had an interview with President Mains.  So one of the APs, Sister Mains, and I taught her a way good lesson--we will have to wait and see how that goes. 
  Tonight, I have to go to a village to give a baptismal
 interview to a woman who members have told me they saw drinking a few days ago. Hopefully, she won’t be too upset if she doesn't pass.  I am
 really worried about that.  The last thing I want to do is tell her
 that she needs to wait a couple of weeks and then have her get mad and not want to be baptized anymore.

Niah Caves

     We also went to the 
Niah caves this week!! (Limestone caves)  It was a lot of fun and I went all out!! While everyone else
 stayed on the trail, one of the zone leaders and I were running in the jungle,
 swinging on vines, and climbing through the caves!

     

     (Let me preface this next part by saying that one of Elder Madsen’s traits is to approach life like he is in the NBA finals and he is determined to win at all costs.  Every week I plead with him to not kill his new companion, because—as we all know—not everyone wants to live life quite that intensely.)  My new companion is
 improving every day.  Every morning, I give him a one or two minute 
part, in advance so he can practice, that he can teach that day. He is getting 
a lot better, although it has been pretty stressful. He always gets mad at 
me because I am "too hard on him when we role play," but I am just trying
 to help him!

      Elder Stroufe's (my first companion) parents are coming this week to get him!! So, yea, he is 
going home this week!!   But yes!! a couple more weeks
 and we will be Skyping!! I love you so, so, so much mom and don't worry, I 
love it here!!


Elder Madsen