This week was a struggle

This week. Man. This week was a struggle. But we are starting a new one and that's what I'm happy about! 

We have been working a lot on finding new people to teach. So that has been the goal of the last week and this new week.

It has been really cold here in Georgetown. Supposed to snow tomorrow and wednesday... Hopefully our double wide can handle it! :) 

Something I've really learned about this week is the Atonement and how real it is. I'm not perfect. Not even close. But through the atonement we can gain that step closer to perfection. And the great thing is the atonement can be used for more than just cleansing ourselves from sin! It can be used in all situations of trouble. Jesus Christ loves you. He does. He did what he did in the Garden of Gethsemane so you wouldn't have to feel the sting that comes with living a mortal life. He did that so you wouldn't have to suffer. The price of sin has already been paid. Please don't pay double. Don't procrastinate the day of repentance. Help and happiness are on the other side. Just do your best and rely on Jesus Christ. Through him you can gain strength, humility, comfort, courage. The list goes on. Use the atonement. It is for you. It is meant to be used. The atonement is the light at the end of the tunnel. It's the knowledge that the sun will rise in the morning after a long, dark night.

I know the atonement of Jesus Christ is real. I know of the joy and hope it can bring us. Use it.

I love you all. And I am so grateful to be a missionary. I love being a missionary. 

Love, Sister Broadbent :)

My first full week in Georgetown

Sister Roundy and I out on a missionary adventure

All the days blur together... This week was good! My first full week in Georgetown. My area includes Georgetown, Pawleys Island, and Murrels Inlet. It feels like I've been here forever! I like it, but I miss Greenville a lot. It's been hard to leave. But Georgetown is good, too! Just got to get used to it. Something cool: most of the Patriot was filmed in Georgetown. The part when they burn down the big white house? That area is in my area. It's got a no trespassing sign, but sister roundy and I want to go check it out real bad. So we might accidentally get lost down that street ;) The place is called Mansfield Plantation. I'll let you know how that goes. 

This what most of the trees look like here now,  

Mostly dead and covered in Spanish Moss.

Most of the people interested in the church live right around the block from us. They are funny people. :) Those baptists definitely keep us on our toes! ;) They are good people and I love them. I can't really remember any particulars from the week... I need to bring my journal so I have something to tell you!

A lady we are teaching is on date to be baptized on the 8th of February, so we've been working on that. She came to church yesterday, which was crazy because it was branch conference. So there was a lot of manifesting peoples' callings and  then they talked all about the temple and baptisms for the dead. So I'm sure she will have lots of questions for us tonight when we go see her. We've pretty much only taught her the restoration, but she basically has the Bible memorized. That can be difficult at times, but it has been very cool to see how the Holy Ghost really does testify of truth and brings understanding to her. 

This week I have been reading in Mosiah. I really love chapter 24. It's a really good one. I highly encourage you to read it. I don't have much time left to email otherwise I would go into more depth, but I wanted to make sure I got to send you something this week. So, my commitment to leave with you is: will you read Mosiah:24? I know that it will make you happy and lift your spirits because it sure has for me. 

This is Bella. She looks like a stuffed animal.

Welp, family and friends and any one else who reads my emails,  I hope you have a great week! I'm going to have a good one here in Georgetown! 

I love ya! Love, Sis Bro :)

New Area

Transfers were this week and I am now in........ GEORGETOWN!! I'm in a branch, so that's a new experience. It's just a really, really, really small ward. My new companion is..... SISTER ROUNDY!! Guess where she's from. Paradise, Utah. Yep. She graduated from Mountain Crest in 2009. We know a lot of the same people, so that's been kinda weird but cool.

Nothing much has really happened other than transfers. It's been a really long week. Just trying to get to know the area and the people. We have run into a lot of people who want to argue. That's been interesting! People know the Bible like its the back of their hand and are just dying to prove us wrong. It's funny when you catch them in their own logic. Usually we just let them talk though. Bible bashing doesn't invite the spirit at all.

Georgetown is mostly country, but it doesn't look anything like up north. Up north has lots of thick forests everywhere. There are still forests here but they aren't very thick and its a different kind of tree. It's a lot warmer here, too. It was 70ish degrees yesterday, but two people told me I was going to get sick if I didn't put a coat on. It's really cold to them... :)

We have part of the coast in our area.

This is the Atlantic Ocean. I look like a noob.

It's been a weird week. I don't even hardly remember what happened before Thursday. I guess I just said bye to a lot of people in Greenville. Hmmm... yep. It's been a long week!  Georgetown Branch is a lot different than Greenville 3rd. But I like it so far!

Welp, I hope you have a blessed week- that's southern... Love ya! Sis Bro

Transfer Time

So... not much exciting has happened this week. Other than the fact that I'm getting transferred! Yep. It was proabably one of the most stressful weeks of my life, that's for sure. But I'm leaving the Greenville 3rd ward. I don't know where I'm going yet. Transfers are this Wednesday. It will be okay. If not, I'll make it okay. :)

 

I am officially out of training. I've been out a little over three months, which is crazy. Does it feel like that long to you? It sure doesn't for me! It's nice to have somewhat of an idea of what is going on though. I'm very grateful for the few months of experience I have. It makes some aspects of missionary work easier.

 

Something I've really noticed this week is change; specifically the change I have seen in myself. It's only been three months but I have changed so much. I remember some of the things I said or did before I left and think, "I would never be caught dead saying/doing that thing now." Not that anything was bad, it's just that my perspective has changed dramatically. I've learned so much about myself and who I am. But more importantly who I want to become. All I want to do is be the best missionary I can be. All I want to do is be a faithful, diligent, and obedient servant for the Lord, Jesus Christ. That is all I want right now.

 

The change that can take place in the hearts of man is my absolute favorite part of the Gospel. I have seen in myself and in the lives of others that if we put our whole heart and soul into the Gospel we will change. We will become the person that we were destined to be. The person that our loving Heavenly Father sees us becoming. Hopefully, it's the person we want to be, too. Change takes action though. We have to step out of our comfort zone, which isn't easy. But it is so totally worth it. To be able to look back and see the growth that has taken place over the space of time, continually walking further and further from our comfort zone, is so completely worth it.

 

I know that if you choose to fully immerse yourself with the goodness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and act on that righteous desire, your heart will change. Your mind will change. Your wants and needs will change. And your soul will change. You will be one step closer to the person you were predestined to be. The person that you CAN be! I know that is true. Just do the things that you know you need to do to the fullest of your ability. And that change will happen. It's inevitable.

 

I love this Gospel. It is real, and is meant to be used. And I love being a missionary. :)

 

Love, Sister Broadbent

Happenings of December 30, 2013

On our hike

We went with the Hammonds on an adventure in the "mountains" most of the day. We hiked to a bunch of waterfalls. They were all super pretty! I love the Hammonds. They are great people. We were about 10 miles from the North Carolina border, so pretty far north! Definitely the country. There are still some people out in the boonies that fly a confederate flag. Good ol' SC! I love it. I haven't worn jeans in so long. One thing I failed to tell you on Christmas was that I have the sickest calf muscles in all the land because we walk so much.

Ceasar's Head

Beautiful twin waterfalls

Us and Sister Hammond on our hike today.
She is the bomb.

 Andrea got baptized on Saturday. That went well. She was so excited to get baptized. She kept running around in her jumpsuit round house kicking the air and saying, "I know karate!!" So, ya... She was super excited.

Us at Andrea's baptism.
It's got a big white thing because
 she was being a ninja.
This is the best one we got.

I feel like we skyped about seven years ago, but it was just this last Wednesday. I was so glad I got to see y'all. The fried turkey was very good. We went caroling in downtown that night again. We are on lockdown on new years eve. I think it starts at 7ish... So we will probably just watch Legacy. AKA the greatest show in all the land. It's super cheesy and over dramatic. Just the way I like it!

Hmmm... Transfer calls are this Saturday. EEK!! We will find out who will be staying and who will be leaving this area. I have mixed feelings. Our district thinks Sister Titus will leave, but our ward thinks she will stay. We'll see how it goes.

I don't really have anything else to tell y'all... So, I love ya! And I'll talk to ya next Monday! By then I will know my fate for the next transfer... It'll be fine.

Oh! Something to be excited about. After this week I will be done with training. Woot, woot! It's crazy how fast the last three months have gone by. I've been a missionary for three months. CRAZY!! :) I love it!

Peace and blessings, Sister Broadbent