Ain't nobody home... They all workin.‏

That was the common response this week while we were out knocking. People watch us like hawks! They see us and are like, "oooh... look at dem white girls in skirts. Somethins goin on." haha! They always let us know that their neighbors aren't home.

Welcome to the South! these signs are all over.

 These 2 are on an old barn.

It has been a good week! Just some trivial stuff:

A. I found out that lamb is not a good thing for me to eat. And of course we had it three days this week from different people. Not a good idea, Sister Broadbent.

B. We saw a bunch of baby alligators in the pond behind our branch president's house. They are so cute.

C. We went to a Gospel choir concert in a Baptist church. That was super cool. Definitely not something they do out west. All those times we tried to sing gospel songs in choir? yep. We had no idea what we were doing. I got to go to the real thing. It was the coolest.

D. We shared a scripture with a member about slavery... We didn't realize it was about that until we were reading it to her. Then it was super awkward. If you thought that racism was dead, come to South Carolina and you will find it is still alive and kicking.

This week we found four new investigators. It has been super slow the past couple months, but it looks like it is finally picking up. We found a lady named Tina who at first thought we were Jehovahs Witness, so she told us to go away. After we had left and knocked on another house she called us back. She said she wanted to ask us a couple questions. The first one was, "Are you JWs?" the second was about heaven. She said she just really felt like she needed to talk to us for some reason. Little does she know! Anyway, we said a prayer with her and she bust into tears. At first I thought she was going to start speaking in tongues. Thankfully she didn't do that. That is something I have not seen yet and am grateful for it. She was really glad we came back, and said we made her feel a lot better. Thank you Holy Ghost!! We are going back tomorrow to talk with her some more. I have a good feeling about her. We gave her a hug before we left and she was shocked because we are white and she is black. That happens more than you would think. Racism is silly and makes no sense.

Mom, you will like this one. We were talking to this lady, Veera, who when we gave her a pass along card and saw the finding faith in Christ video on the back said she had a copy and wanted to watch it the night before, but couldn't find it. We didn't have a copy in our car, but we went home and got the one you sent me and delivered it to her the next day.

We got to go to the temple this week, too! We went to a sealing of someone that Sister Seaman had taught. It was super awesome. I love the temple. Now I can say I have been to a sealing in the mission field.

I tried boiled peanuts this week- really weird. They taste almost like re-fried beans. I also decided that I like strawberries. Another food update: I like tomatoes on sandwiches. I still hate ketchup, though. So, yep.

Those are the highlights of the week. I love being a missionary. And I can't wait til mothers day in a couple weeks when we can skype. We will figure out logistics soon, and I will let you know ASAP. I love y'all! Have a blessed week.

Sister Broadbent. :)

Hey y'all!

Hope ya had a good Easter.

I wore this new outfit to church on Easter Sunday!

 I love it! Love you mom and dad!

You're the best humans.

Just a heads up- when sending mail you don't need to put Sister at the beginning. There have been some problems with mail, so they are asking us to omit that part and see if that helps.  It has been a strange couple of weeks. We went to the beach. I got some new shells to add to my creepy shell collection! That was fun.

We went to the beach for lunch one day.

I love the beach!!

That night we dropped the Camerons. They are a family Sister Roundy and I had been working with for a good bit. It just wasn't working out, though. She was hoping to convert us to the Lutheran church. She has told us we are going to Hell and we aren't Christians. So, that was a bit of a blow. They are no more. I cried after as we were walking back to our car. I don't even know why. I love them so much. I just know how much happier they could be, but they won't accept it. That was tough. Good news after the Camerons: we are going to the temple on the 26th!! Sister Seaman has a convert from her first area that is getting sealed to his family so we get to go. I am super excited! We are getting a ride from Sister Roberts- a lady in the branch. She is excited as well. 

The sisters in my district.

Sister Johnson and Sister Makin are in Moncks Corner. 

We have been doing a lot of tracting. No luck yet, but we are still working hard. Lots of people think we are Jehovah's Witness. People in the South don't like Jehovah's Witness...  We went to Zaxby's and Cook out this week! Two super good restaurants they don't have out west. You'll have to come out here sometime to try them!

We were able to see a lot of people who aren't really investigating the church, but we go and visit them. They like us. We also did a lot of knocking. I might have calluses on my knuckles soon... No luck yet, bet we will keep trying. We don't have any progressing investigators. Just a lot of people who like us to come over, but aren't really interested in joining the church. We love them. They love us, too. But that is what we are working on- finding new people to teach who are actually interested. We are also working with the branch members to try and motivate them in regards to missionary work. It's been a struggle on that end... But we are still working on it.

 

This is a giant nasty moth we found on

our door when we came home one night.

We have tried something new. We like to sing hymns for the people. Active members, less active members, non members, just anyone we feel like. There hearts are softened almost instantaneously because they can feel the Holy Ghost so strongly. Then we can get somewhere with them. I know for a fact that the kind of music we allow ourselves to listen to makes a huge difference in our spiritual sensitivity. I'm not saying you have to listen to just church music. I'm just saying it's a good idea to pay attention to the way you feel when you listen to any type of music. Then take the leap of faith to not listen to the kind of music you know is wrong and dulls you spiritually. I know if you do, you will be able to feel the Holy Ghost's presence more abundantly in your life. I just want y'all to remember the covenants you have made- those sacred promises with God. Remember that fulfilling your callings is part of those covenants. I know that when we keep our covenants and remember them daily, we are given so much more help from the Holy Ghost to make it through the crazy days that come. Our covenants, if kept worthily, are an anchor when the stormy waves of life beat down upon us. Honor those covenants. Y'all could study up on what those covenants (baptism, temple covenants) really mean, and just gain a better understanding of them and the responsibilities that come with them. Use the scriptures, Preach My Gospel, words of the prophets, prayer, etc. I know if you do it will deepen your conversion and make your anchor more capable of holding its place when those waves do come. 

This is what a missionary who has

 no idea what to do because all her

 plans didn't work for the day.

We saved some puppies! They were all tied up and tangled and didn't have any water. So we tried our best to untangle them and we gave them some water. We are going to go back and check on them. They acted like nobody has ever loved them. When they realized we were just trying to help they calmed down and let us pet them and fix their chains.

That's pretty much all that has happened.  Nothing too exciting. Other than the time we walked straight into the men's restroom at Wal-Mart. We got all the way to the stalls before we even noticed. I saw the urinals and thought, "That's new. I've never seen those in a women's bathroom..." Once we finally realized we quickly ran out. Luckily no one was in there/coming in...

I love being a missionary. Even when I get to knock 50 kabillion doors in a week. Even then I still love it. I don't always like it, but I always love it. 

Have a blessed week y'all.- as a true southerner would say. :) 

Love ya!

 

 

Sister Broadbent