Week 71, Lilburn, GA- English Speaking

Thank you for the best birthday ever!!! I am so blessed! Thank you for
all of the kind notes and emails.
So my birthday: Spanish elders got me a cake; lunch with Donna and
Harland, and missionary work!
This week we've been doing a lot of finding. Talking with a lot of
people. We found a family from India that's pretty excited. They are
so sweet, but we are definitely being led by the spirit in how to
teach them!
Women's conference was amazing, like always. It's so wonderful to hear
the words of living prophets and apostles. It made me wonder, "Why
have I chosen to not partake of the living words of Christ until my
mission?" It's truly a miracle. As I've been able to study on my
mission, much of what I've learned that changed me has come from
studying talks from General Conference. I would say the biggest thing
is learning that God's whole plan is centered on Jesus Christ and
focused on the family. I'd always heard it, but I never really
understood it. Additionally I know that the speakers are inspired to
share with us the things that we need at this day and time. A friend
with whom we do service even came and loved it! It was very sweet as
she said she felt that Elder Uctdorf's talk was written just for her.
I know that Jesus Christ lives and that His church is here!

I know I'm where I'm supposed to be. It's amazing, the peace that we
feel when we choose the Lord's ways over our ways.
Sister Selch is cute, 
Chickens! Wow. I'm happy for William!
You're amazing. I love that your stake did a SERVICE ACTIViTY. 
Checked up on my arm today. I will start pt next week!
Just FYI, I woke up with a stomach bug, so if you want to pray for me
with that, that would be awesome.

Thank you for all the support and love!
Love always,
Hermana Wallis

If you want to write to Madeleine:
madeleine.wallis@myldsmail.net

The missionaries gave her a cake!

This is sweet Donna and her husband Harland who drove 1 1/2 hours to 

bring me my birthday packages!  She is also the angel that rescued her after

her bike accident- we all love her!

 My great new companion Sister Selch:)

 Two of my favorite people Donna and Harlan

People are so NICE- look at that cake!

Week 70- Transferred, English speaking. Lilburn, GA

So on Thursday I received a call from president. And essentially was told
we needed our trio to be broken up.  So, after some contemplation I volunteered
to be the one to go to the new area. This has been so sad. I honestly have been partially at a loss. Life
happens. I already talked about God's will and sacrifice.  I guess
this is the moment when I really realize that the mission is not about
me. At all.
I called president Sunday morning: " I know I volunteered for this...
But this is really sad... I just need some reassurance..."
He said he knew I was inspired to volunteer because first off my
companion needed me. I was wanting
specific blessings like " for this sacrifice I promise I you ...." But
instead Luke 17:32-33 came into mind.
"Remember Lot's wife.  Whosoever shall seek to save his life shall lose it; and whosoever 
shall lose his life shall preserve it."I loved Spanish. And my heart is still broken because I will end my mission in 
English, but I can't look behind
me. I can only offer my heart to the lord and he takes it. I'm happy,
honestly. The members are excited and my companion is really sweet.
We've been talking with a lot of people and one of our investigators I
even taught with president while I was recovering from surgery. She's
so sweet. I don't really know what's ahead, I just have to trust the
Lord.
I've realized that I think the blessings of being humble before being
compelled to humility could just mean that we are in a better place to
accept and be at peace when we have trials. There is no " trial-free"
tickets for life. But there are always blessings! The senior
missionaries took me out for lunch for my birthday and president said
I could do special assignments with the Spanish branch...although
we'll see how that works with the gas shortage...  We're now walking
everywhere. 😁
I'm grateful for the opportunity to serve. I know this is a great work.
I'm love you.
Hermana/Sister Wallis

Week 69- Roswell, GA. Update: I'm still in a splint. My wrist is still brokenish/ healing. It still hurts sometimes.

Update: I'm still in a splint. My wrist is still brokenish/ healing.
It still hurts sometimes.

Anyways! This was my first full week back! And it came with full
force. There were bible bashers and doors slammed while at the same
time there were free lemonade stands, Puerto Rican testimonies,
commitments to keep the commandments and hearts began to mend and
heal. How much better can it get?
We found an apartment complex full of just Hispanics. They weren't too
excited to see us the first time we came to visit, but we went back
later in the week and decided to just love the people. It's amazing
what love can do. We were received by a family who asked us to come
back before we were finished!
This weekend we worked a lot with a family of recent converts. The
daughter told us about there mom's word of wisdom struggle. It was
crazy because on Sunday the word of wisdom was the Sunday school class
and then the relief society lesson on honesty became a lesson on
living with integrity and somehow that connected to how difficult it
was for everyone to quit coffee when they met the missionaries. This
mother stood up and bore her testimony about how she knows the word of
wisdom is revelation from God because of how difficult it has been to
change and keep! The commandments really are there for our protection.

I know I've said this, but Having a broken arm is really humbling. (I
know, back to the arm...)Sometimes I just want to take off my splint
and just be normal again, but then my arm hurts if I try to move it
and I realize I don't think it works that way. I think the Lord will continue to show
his hand in other ways while changing and strengthening me. (I could
always use a lesson on humility...) It's really crazy because over a
year ago I wrote about how in the MTC I was struggling hard core. Then
at a devotional this woman spoke about miracles. She said that 2 weeks
after she'd had her 7th baby she fell down the stairs and broke her
right collarbone. She was put in a cast for two weeks but she as a
mother of 7 children under the age of 12 and an infant, she was not a
good patient. So they had to rebrake her collarbone and completely
immobilized her right arm with this pin pole thing. She was devastated
as she felt so helpless with just her left hand. Then she was reminded
of Mormon 9:18-21. As she said prayers of gratitude each night
miracles began to happen. She was able to accomplish many things with
just her left hand such as tying a shoe! God didn't immediately heal
her arm, but he gave her miracles and the strength she needed to
endure.
Flash forward some error time... To me. And I've found myself in a
somewhat similar, though definitely not as drastic, situation.  The
Lord has definitely come forth and shown his hand in so many ways. (I
can now tie a shoe with just my left hand as well, in case you were
wondering...)
I feel so privileged to draw closer to the savior through this
experience. I feel a greater amount of empathy and understanding for
others on so many levels. I'm grateful for a Heavenly Father who is
loves us enough to inflict us. He sees the beginning and the ending.
He is all knowing, and all loving.

I love and miss you dearly. Thank you so much for the kind notes of
encouragement.
Love always,
Hermana Wallis

{Chick fill A
Carne Asada with members
Service!
My attempt at a heart.}

Week 68- Post operation

I am so grateful to be here in Cherokee. Since the moment we got here
I have felt so much love from the members and my companions. Last
Monday night I returned to be with my companions. On Tuesday I was
exhausted still so I stayed with some members while my companions
worked. I did the same on Wednesday. On Thursday we did service at the
Shiloh food pantry. I wasn't much help other than emotional support...
But on Saturday I was able to open the door for the people who come to
get food! Even though It's hard, I am so grateful to be here. I don't
have to look hard for opportunities to just "get over myself" and
focus on helping others. On Sunday I translated for sacrament meeting.
It was fun because I discovered that my Spanish was improved a lot! We
had a free lemonade stand on Saturday and yesterday. My arm has made
some great contacts: "what happened to your arm?" "You know those
Mormon missionaries on the bikes?" " yea.." " I was one of those... I
fell off the bike" it makes for a good laugh and has made for some
great conversations about big questions like "why do bad things happen
to good people?" And the importance and loving and serving others (my
complete dependence on my companions). And humility. This week I kind
of discovered that I can't do a lot of things I used to doing on my
own. I'm figuring things out though. But it's been very humbling and
has provided a lot of growing experiences. I really don't like asking
for help, or being dependent in any way, so it's been a big change.
Especially because I came here to serve others and now I have to be
served. I am just so grateful to work now because it's when we work in
the service of others that we forget about ourselves and grow closer
to the savior.
 Luke 17:33

This week I realized how much my arm actually hurts. I feel really grateful because we were on top of the pain medication. The last time I took prescription was Saturday after the surgery. Now I think all the pain meds have left my body, yea. It hurts. Sleeping is awful. But ibuprofen helps. 

More than anything has just been realizing the difference in the quality of life I'm living now. I can't do many things that I could do before. In relief society we sang " love one another" acapella and I just started crying because that was my favorite hymn to play. 

But I'm figuring things out. I was put in a sling on Friday so now I can shower. This weekend I was finally able to wash my own hair ( left handed). I'm figuring things out. I'm just grateful I still have an arm and that this won't be forever. 

And I'm grateful to be here where it's not hard to look for service opportunities. Well just not focus on myself in general. Because if I were home I'm pretty sure I'd just be watching that movie about the girl who's arm got bit off by a shark on re-run feeling sorry for myself. 

"President Thomas S. Monson, who has understood and lived the
admonition to love, said: “I believe the Savior is telling us that
unless we lose ourselves in service to others, there is little purpose
to our own lives. Those who live only for themselves eventually
shrivel up and … lose their lives, while those who lose themselves in
service to others grow and flourish--and in effect save their lives.”-
He asks us to be His Hands, April 1016
I know that Heavenly Father has a plan. The plan of happiness. He
loves us and truly wants us to be happy. I am so grateful for our
Savior Jesus Christ, and to know that because of him, everything will
work out.
I hope you all have a great week!
I love and miss you!
Hermana Wallis

Week 67- Recovering from Surgery

Hahahaha I broke my arm.

I have been so blessed
to have been surrounded by so many wonderful people throughout
all of this. To start, my companion is one of the most selfless people
ever. In fact, before, I had to set boundaries with her and often comp
inventories were "stop doing everything for me!" My mother was wise
when she advised me to "graciously allow others to serve [me]" at this
time. It has been humbling, and my companion has had no problem with
it. Additionally I'm grateful for wonderful people like Miss Donna,
and all the members who have taken care of me in some way. Above all
I'm grateful for a wonderful mission president and his wonderful wife.
They have done more than I can describe. It's a privilege to serve and
I think that, with love, service is what it's all about. We are here to
develop the character of Christ, so we must constantly turn outwards
and look for the small ways we can serve others.

We were riding our bikes home last Monday night and I was going
downhill and hit some uneven sidewalk and was flipped over the handle
bars of my bike. Haha I saw my arm brake in the process. I'm lucky it
wasn't worse. My companion came whizzing behind me and she claims she
ran over my hair.
We were at the ER until about 1 am. They told me I needed surgery and
basically there wasn't anything they could do until then. So they
wrapped it up, broken.  On Tuesday I was grateful to get in with an
orthopedic first thing in the morning, and then we had lunch with Miss
Donna.  We tried to teach, but by 4 pm I was done and just went home
and cried it hurt so bad. I later received a priesthood blessing from
my branch president. On Wednesday we had district meeting and all the
elders gave me a blessing. Then we went to the surgeon. I feel
extremely blessed because I get to stay and finish my mission.
Normally with a procedure like this, and with especially how little I
have left on the mission they would have sent me home. I have been
blessed however for my diligence and obedience. Because of that, the
mission president wanted to keep me. And it probably only happened
because I had said I wanted to stay until December. If I were going
home in October I bet they would have just sent me home.
My biggest concern was about how the work would continue. We were
barely opening the area for sisters and we didn't have enough Spanish
sisters for someone to replace me. Thankfully we had a visa waiter in
Mexico get her visa! She arrived on Wednesday just in time to replace
me. On Thursday my mission President's wife took me to a surgical center where
they fixed my arm. I even had a visitor that knew me from when I was 

little, Rebecca Castleton!

 And I've been really just staying at the mission
President's place since. They put in a plate and 8 screws. I've been
better but I could be worse. Haha I went to church and a baptism
yesterday. That wiped me out. I'm hoping it's not much longer before I
get back to work. Until then ..... I'm catching up on years of general
conference.


Thank you so much for all the kind notes and emails. They have really
lifted my spirits.
It's kind of funny, just last Monday I wrote about sacrifice and how
the Lord asks us to sacrifice our will for his. When I saw my arm
brake my first thought was of Elvira and how when she was baptized she
said "Sea tu voluntad". "Thy will be done."

At first when I was sitting on the sidewalk holding my broken arm, I
admit I was a little confused. Was I not obedient enough? Maybe if I'd
prayed more. I should've said an extra prayer and this wouldn't have
happened. But then I thought of this little line from Mosiah 3:19
which says "willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit
to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father." The
fact is we live in a fallen world and trials come to everyone. I think
about the people in 4th Nephi who had 200 years of peace. Just because
they were so happy, I don't think it means they had 200 trial free
years. When we have the companionship of the Holy Ghost our hearts are
prepared and we are better able to confront whatever life throws at
us. I have a better understanding of that now. While this hasn't been
a pleasant week, I have felt peace and happiness from His spirit. I
have felt peace and joy while in times of trial and testing. That is
the promise of this gospel. That's why what we do is so important.
This peace and joy I feel can only come from the gift of the Holy
Ghost which is only possible through sacred ordinances performed by
the proper priesthood authority of God, which was restored by the
prophet Joseph Smith. I am able to feel Christ's complete succor (alma
7:11-14) because I have completely come unto Him. His gospel didn't
stop at faith and repentance for me. Because of the restored
priesthood I was baptized by the proper authority and have been given
the gift of the Holy Ghost. Each week I continue to practice faith and
repentance so I can come to church ready to renew those promises I
made at baptism, so I can have the promise of His spirit when I
partake of the sacrament, performed by the proper priesthood
authority. I know that this gospel is true. I know that God lives and
Jesus Christ is His son, our Savior and Redeemer.  I love this gospel
and I love this work. I hope to be back at it soon enough. 🙃

I love and miss you! Thank you for everything!
Love,
Hermana Wallis

The fixed arm!

Sister Greenman, Madeleine and the new missionary from Mexico

Bicycle accident and broken arm

This is a letter we received from a wonderful woman in Madeleine's mission, describing the bicycle accident she had last evening.  This lady is truly an angel from heaven:)

Hi Folks,

Thought you might like more details on the events of last night.   The girls called me immediately after Sister Wallis fell.  I jumped in the car and headed out to get them.  At the same time a biker on the other side of the road had seen the accident.  Now...the amazing part...his first thought was...girls on bikes in dresses....they must be Sister Missionaries.  He got across the street at the same time the girls got off the phone with me.  Not sure what all the conversation was but he knew the girls would need help getting their bikes back to their apartment.  His Mom was not far away at the store and she said she would come with her truck and help the girls.  Small world....they are Mormon...In fact they had just had Elders to their house last night for dinner.  They brought the bikes and I took the girls to their apartment to get their car.  Super nice people...the Mom served a mission when she was young.

The girls didn't leave for the hospital until after 9:00 pm.  They were there until around 4:00 am.  I'm sure you have an update on Sister Wallis' condition.   We had already had plans to have lunch today and they still wanted to go.  We met a out  12:30 and had a nice lunch.  Sister Wallis insisted that she didn't need to rest so they were proceeding with their scheduled lessons this afternoon.   I am sure they will both be crashing early tonight.

At the time they didn't know whether the surgery would be done here or back home.  She really wanted to stay so I was so glad when they called later this afternoon to say she would be staying.  I plan to go to the hospital with them and be there through the surgery and for whatever they need.  They are going to call me tomorrow after they meet with the surgeon with details and we can make plans.  If there is anything I can do they know all they have to do is call.  I live very close to their apartment.

I am sending a separate email with pictures.  Also, a text so you can see and hear that they are fine.

I know how hard this must be,  it please know that I will do whatever they need to get through this.

Sincerely, Donna

Subject: Pictures Sister Wallis picked these...thought her brothers would really like the X-rays

Week 66-Roswell, GA, Spanish Speaking

Things have been so good. I love this branch. Really, it's been like a
dream come true.

Yesterday we got to bare our testimonies in sacrament meeting. I told
the story about Irma and her conversion. Anyways while up there I
could see everyone. This woman who lives in Roswell, but comes here
had brought a friend to church. So immediately after sacrament meeting
I grabbed my companion to go meet her.
The friend recognized me! I had tracted into her before! It wasn't
until her member friend talked with her that she came to church. The
member was working in the nursery, so we took her friend to Sunday
school. When we got there, there was no one. So we decided to just
teach her the class! Haha The lesson was on sacrifice. It talks about
how back in the Old Testament times, the people had to sacrifice their
best animal, but after Jesus Christ came we no longer have to do that
because He is the Ultimate sacrifice.
3 Nephi 9:
18 I am the light and the life of the world. I am Alpha and Omega, the
beginning and the end.

19 And ye shall offer up unto me no more the shedding of blood; yea,
your sacrifices and your burnt offerings shall be done away, for I
will accept none of your sacrifices and your burnt offerings.

20 And ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken heart and a
contrite spirit. And whoso cometh unto me with a broken heart and a
contrite spirit, him will I baptize with fire and with the Holy Ghost,
even as the Lamanites, because of their faith in me at the time of
their conversion, were baptized with fire and with the Holy Ghost, and
they knew it not.

21 Behold, I have come unto the world to bring redemption unto the
world, to save the world from sin.

      22 Therefore, whoso repenteth and cometh unto me as a little
child, him will I receive, for of such is the kingdom of God. Behold,
for such I have laid down my life, and have taken it up again;
therefore repent, and come unto me ye ends of the earth, and be saved.

She then asked what a "broken heart and contrite spirit" are and we
talked about how
"The submission of one’s will is really the only uniquely personal
thing we have to place on God’s altar,” said Elder Neal A. Maxwell
(1926–2004) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “The many other
things we ‘give’ … are actually the things He has already given or
loaned to us. However, when you and I finally submit ourselves, by
letting our individual wills be swallowed up in God’s will, then we
are really giving something to Him! It is the only possession which is
truly ours to give!”

And
"The healing of our heart begins when we submit to and worship God.
True worship begins when our hearts are right before the Father and
the Son. What is our heart condition today? Paradoxically, in order to
have a healed and faithful heart, we must first allow it to break
before the Lord. “Ye shall offer for a sacrifice unto me a broken
heart and a contrite spirit,” the Lord declares. The result of
sacrificing our heart, or our will, to the Lord is that we receive the
spiritual guidance we need. With a growing understanding of the Lord’s
grace and mercy, we will find that our self-willed hearts begin to
crack and break in gratitude. Then we reach for Him, yearning to yoke
ourselves to the Only Begotten Son of God. In our brokenhearted
reaching and yoking, we receive new hope and fresh guidance through
the Holy Ghost." Neil F. Marriott

She said, "that's something I want!" So we invited her to be baptized.
She's planning on September 17.

This week was incredible as well. While visiting Maria (our favorite
:)) she expressed how she was scared to die and how sad she is about
all of the war that is going on in the world. She is amazing and loves
serving everyone. (Literally, she has rooms of clothes she plans on
taking back to Mexico and was so concerned about what she could do for
Syria.) but her concerns were very real and causing her a lot of
anxiety. Finally we were able to sit her down and read some scriptures
with her such as Romans 8:28, revelations 21:3-4, And Alma 40:11-13,
23. And We talked about how this life here is such a short part of our
eternal existence. It was amazing to just see her body filled with
relief. Especially as she told us, "I remember the elders talking
about this! Now I understand."
 I know that God has a plan for each of us and that we are all here as
a part of His Great plan of happiness. It isn't easy, because quite
frankly, it wasn't meant to be. But I know that because of Jesus
Christ, all of the wrongs in the world will be made right for those
that Love Him and Follow Him.
This is an amazing work.
I love and miss you!
Love,
Hermana Wallis

Ps. Members made us leave with their coats because it was raining so hard.
Also, I have never been given so much food in my entire life. (This is
all from yesterday.)
Kind of looks like we just robbed the area...

Madeleine would love to hear from you madeleine.wallis@mldsmail.net