Beth's Mission Sept 25 2017 Round Rock TX

Hello!!

It was so good to talk to you on Wednesday!!! It had been such a crazy overwhelming and stressful morning and I was so grateful to hear your and Dad's voices! Thank you for your love and example and the strength that you give me!! I love you so much Mom!! So much!!

And thank you for the package!! The dress is perfect!! (I'm wearing it in my Facebook photo) and the bra is super comfortable!! If you ever buy more I would definitely take another!! Thank you!! Also, there are skirts on Amazon called Trendy United Skirts that I would like a couple of if possible at some point in the future. Thank you thank you for everything!! 

I'm so grateful that Sister Christiansen sent you the picture of us!! They didn't have us e-mail home and the I was completely occupied with other things, but after we had dinner with them she was like, Ok, picture time so I can send it to your moms! I was so grateful!! Haha I started to cry a little bit, but I didn't let them see haha I think the blog is from Sister Duke -was it a picture of us on our bikes? That is so great though- the Lord truly knows what we need when we need it! Oh and then on Sunday, Sister Christiansen showed us the messages from you and Sister Watt's mom on her phone during Relief Society and it was so good to see! Haha again I started crying- but all good things!! 

I love hearing your stories from working at the distribution center!! That is so cool about the scriptures! and the missionaries!! Such neat experiences!!

And the Primary program!! That is so awesome!! I love the primary!! The primary program in the ward we are in will be at the end of October and I am so excited!! They have such a huge primary!! I think they said 110 kids!!! So crazy!! Haha the chorister or primary president (i'm not sure what calling she had) was drawing up a plan for how to get all those kids plus adults to fit on the stands haha- so crazy!

This week has been so great!! It has been packed full of crazy adventures and many tender mercies!! It might be a long letter today I apologize.

First, I'm in Texas!! I'm really here! 

Wednesday We made it safely to San Antonio after a crazy morning of alarms not going off and waking up to a very loud pounding on the door and then making it to the Airport with time enough to call you! The plane ride was great as always! They had all of the missionaries sitting basically together and there were quite a few empty seats! We made it to the San Antonio airport and went to get our luggage when we saw President Polley and Sister Polley and the Sister Training Leaders and Assistants to the President coming up to greet us! The Polley's are so great!!  After getting our luggage situated we headed to the Alamo to hand out our first Book of Mormons! We all "crossed the line" symbolizing our commitment to be All in as missionaries and then the 29 of us new missionaries went out and talked to people around the Alamo! Sister Holt and I decided to be companion's one more time and we talked to lots of people, got two refferals, and handed out two Book of Mormons! It was so awesome!! Great start to being out in the Field!!

The rest of the day we were at a Stake Center in San Antonio doing training and orientation and we had our first Texas BBQ! It was so yummy! And we were all starving so it was the best thing ever! That night all of us sisters slept at the Sister Training Leaders apartment and it was so good to get some sleep after the long day! 

Thursday we got up at 5:30 and after getting ready we went to walk around the Temple with President and Sister Polley! The San Antonio Temple is so beautiful!!! Then we went back to the Stake Center and I had my first interview with President Polley! He is such a great man and truly cares about us as missionaries and about the work. After some more training we finally got to go in and meet our trainers and find out our areas!! The sister's were assigned first and as we were sitting there I was just waiting to hear my trainers name and then my name- it wasn't alphabetical or anything, and I was the last Sister to be assigned. My trainer is Sister Watt and the area I am serving in is the Walsh Ranch ward in the Round Rock Stake!!! Round Rock, Texas!! After being assigned, we got all my stuff and my bike and Sister Watt and I left for Round Rock! Sister Watt is so awesome!! She is from St. George, UT and has been out for 6 months. Funny enough, she has been in Walsh Ranch for her whole mission!! Due to that she has never really been in San Antonio and didn't know how get from San Antonio to Round Rock so we had to follow the Elders- The Elders were not the best of drivers... First they were speeding, and then one of the bikes on the back of their car fell off... luckily we had all pulled off to the shoulder of the freeway, but we still had to slam on the brakes in order to not run over the bike! And then we almost got lost, but we finally made it to Round Rock after dropping off some other missionaries' luggage. 

It is so beautiful!! Yes it is humid, but it really hasn't been that bad so far! I'm loving it!! We are on bikes and it has been quite the adventure! Since Sister Watt has been here for 6 months, she really knows the area and the members and for the most part I follow her everywhere, but I'll get familiar with everything soon!! Sister Watt is so awesome though, she really wants me to have a good experience and has already helped me learn and grow so much!! We have had dinner at a member's house every night so far and it has been great! I think there are only two days we don't have dinner with someone this week! The Ward is so great!! It is quite large, but everyone is so awesome and they all really want to help us missionaries and it is so great! One of the members is a Recent Convert whose name is Bill- he is so awesome and loves learning all he can about the gospel! Last week he got to go do baptisms for the dead at the San Antonio temple for his Dad, Grandpa, and Great-Grandpa and he was telling me all about it! He is great.

As Sister Watt and I have been out biking we try to talk to at least 10 people everyday and so far everyday except for one we talked to over 10 people! It has been so great! I'm not the best at just starting conversations with people, but I'm working on it! And we have found 2 new investigators just while I've been here! Gabe and Tajes. I'm excited to meet with them and their familes and help them learn the gospel! It has been so great teaching lessons and brief messages and feeling of the spirit so strongly!! And this is only the beginning!!

This weekend is General Conference and I am so excited!!! This past Saturday was the General Women's meeting and due to a dinner appointment that went a little late, we weren't able to watch it sadly, but we are planning on watching it soon!!! I've heard so much about it and I can't wait!! I love General Conference so much!! I love hearing the inspired messages and listening and learning what the spirit has to teach! It is such a privilage to listen to the apostles and prophets!! As the week goes on and General Conference, I invite you to think of a question that you have and pray about it. As you watch Conference, I know that your answer will come. I have done this in the past and am planning on doing it this General Conference as well and I can't wait to learn and grow from the Lord! 

D&C 1:38 "Whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same."

 There has been so much that has happened so I feel like I'm skipping so much, but this e-mail is already so long! Feel free to ask any questions- I'll try to answer them!! 

God is Good y'all! Through the good times and the hard times, He is there! And He truly knows us and wants what is best for us!!

I love you all!! Thank you so much for your prayers and support!! I have felt them in my times of need and it has truly brought me strength!!

I hope you all have a wonderful week!!! 

-Sister Broadbent

My address is 

Sister Broadbent

2410 Great Oaks #702

Round Rock, TX 78681

Beth's Mission Sept 12 2017

Also, I was talking to an Elder from San Antonio and he said that I could definitely use my peacoat for when it gets cold. Do you think you could send that to me later when I get to Texas? It's in one of my boxes upstairs. Also, I didn't realize how any T-shirts I would be using due to exercising and sleeping and I am wondering if you could send me some of my T-shirts that I packed away? Or should I just buy a couple? It's kind of crazy, I thought that I brought a lot of clothes, but I really don't have that much and especially compared to the other sisters in my room. Also with that, how much money is on my Card? There is an outfit I am thinking of buying, but I wanted to check how much is on my card first. Also! If you want to find me another flower dress with pockets I would love to have another of those! That's a lot of requests, but whatever you think is best will be perfect! I love you Mom! Thank you so much for everything! I hope that everything at home is going well! I love you!!

This week was quite the week!! Full of ups and downs and lots of learning and the Spirit!! God is good y'all!! 

Last Tuesday for the Devotional we had Elder Oaks and his wife speak to us! It was so incredible! He taught about Changing, achieving, and becoming and how we can do hard things if we will but trust in the Lord! I truly know that He is an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ! 

For the Sunday Devotional we had Chad Lewis and his wife speak to us! Also so great! These devotionals are truly inspired! We have another one tonight and I can't wait!

In one of our classes this past week we were talking about prayer and how we each personally receive answers from the Holy Ghost. In Preach My Gospel there is a whole chapter on Recognizing the Spirit and its amazing! I know that Heavenly Father truly does listen to and answer our prayers! If we will but ask, He will answer!!  

D&C 4:7

Ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. Amen.

 I am so grateful for prayer! We pray more times a day then I can count and it is so incredible how the Spirit helps us in everything that we do! During a lesson our teacher decided to have us do a little Personal Revelation activity- it was so powerful! We went to a quiet space (the new building has areas on each floor that are called "ponder spaces" that have music and beautiful windows and its amazing!!) and we just talked with Heavenly Father. I invite you to try this! Find a quiet area and then pray to Heavenly Father with a question in mind. After you finish your prayer (make sure you have paper and pencil with you) just wait and listen. Write down any and all thoughts that come to your mind! It is so incredible and I know that Heavenly Father will answer your prayer!!

So a couple of crazy awesome things happened this week! First, We got our travel plans!! We will be leaving for Texas in 8 days! So crazy! The time here at the MTC has flown by! It has been so incredible to learn and grow and feel the spirit so strongly testify of the truthfulness of what I am doing! I am so grateful to be here and to learn and teach by the spirit. 

Also! Sister Holt and I have been assigned to be the Sister Training Leaders in our Zone for the Week!! It already has been so fun and tomorrow we get to welcome two new districts into our zone and we are so excited!!!

I love this gospel much! We are a part of such a great work and I am so grateful for the honor it is to truly represent my Savior Jesus Christ and teach his gospel and share his love! I know He knows and loves each and everyone of us and it is so incredible to help others to know and feel of that for themselves! 

I love you all!! Thank you for all of your love, support, and prayers! I have truly felt of them this week! I love you! Have a wonderful week!!

Love, 

-Sister Broadbent

Beth's Mission Sept 19 2017 Last day of MTC

Last MTC letter!  She's on her way tomorrow morning!! 

Hello from the MTC one last time!! These past three weeks have literally flown by! The first about 5 days seemed to go on forever, but now it's already time for us to leave! I am so grateful for the time I have been able to spend here at the MTC learning and growing and coming closer to my Savior.

That is so awesome that Joe blessed the Sacrament! It brought tears to my eyes! I know he did so wonderfully and righteousy. I am so proud of him and the strong valiant young man he is!

It's crazy to think that I will be in Texas tomorrow!! We've gotten emails from the sisters who left last week and its crazy now that it's our turn! I am so excited and slightly terrified haha but I am so excited to meet the people of Texas and help them know of Heavenly Father and Christ's love for them! We are so blessed! 

This past week was such an awesome crazy one!

One of the things that I have loved about the MTC is the devotionals! Last Tuesday we had Elder Kearon from the Presidency of the Seventy and his wife come talk to us. Then on Sunday we had the Provo Temple President and Matron speak to us- such inspired messages! I'm excited to listen and learn from whoever comes tonight for the last one! 

        As Sister Holt and I had the opportunity to be Sister Training Leaders this past week- we definitely we kept on our toes! We had a few crazy moments with the phone and having to run to find sisters but everything went well! It was always so fun to "do our rounds" at night and talk to them about their day and tell them how much we love them. The new sisters that came in on Wednesday are so cute! We got two new districts in our zone and it was so exciting to welcome 8 new sisters!! I truly came to love each and every one of them!

           Crazy thing that happened- One of our Elders wasn't being so smart and had to get four stitches in his finger so that was exciting! Haha I have loved my district so much!! I know that it wasn't by chance that we were all thrown together as a district. Last night we had a testimony meeting together and it was just so great! Our Elders are so great and I'm grateful that they were respectful and obedient- for the most part. I wish them the best of tidings on their missions! 

            Also a crazy thing that happened last night- us sisters were writing together in our journal circle when the Fire alarm started going off!! At first we thought it was a joke, but them everyone was evacuating the building! It was crazy to see all of the sisters from the whole building head outside in their PJs, some crying, some laughing, some taking videos and pictures- and no one had any idea what had happened!! As we were all outside- a group of sisters started singing hymns and it slowly grew until almost everyone was singing together. It was so powerful! We still aren't sure what happened, but we got the ok to go back in and just as we were writing in our journals again the alarm sounded again! But only once this time- then there was an announcement about an electrictian coming to fix it- so as far as we know it was just a faulty electric problem- All is well!!

            As I've been here at the MTC, I have truly felt so grateful for Heavenly Father's plan for each of us! I know that He truly knows every detail of our lives and He will help us along the way if we will but turn to Him and follow Him. I'm not going to lie, these past three weeks have definitely been hard- but I have learned to rely on my Heavenly Father and my Savior Jesus Christ in all that I do and it has changed my life! This past Sunday- one of our teachers invited us to truly ponder on who the Savior is to us during the Sacrament- it was so incredible! What can each of us do to better represent the Savior? Also on Sunday we got to do our last temple walk! It was awesome and so beautiful! And we get to go to the Temple later today! So excited!!

Another really cool experience that I have loved is doing Book of Mormon reads as a district in class. Since yesterday was our last day of classes, in our last class, Brother Alley had us read the last chapter of the Book of Mormon. It was awesome! That chapter has such power and truth in it as does every word of that wonderful Book! As we were talking and pondering together, I had a calm yet super strong feeling come over me that the Book of Mormon is truly the word of God. I know it. I know that as we read it and pray to know if it is true, the Holy Ghost will testify over and over of it's truthfulness and power- it truly is the keystone of our religion.

I have felt so blessed over the past few weeks- to have felt the spirit constantly so strong and to have learned and grown so much, I know this is only the beginning, but I am so grateful and I can't wait to see what Heavenly Father has in store! I am so grateful for each of my teachers here and for the lessons that I have learned.

I am so grateful for each of you for all of your love and support and for being such incredible example to me! Thank you for everything!! I am so grateful for the incredible opportunity I have to literally represent my Savior Jesus Christ and to go out and serve the wonderful people in Texas! I am so exctied and I know that with God, no trial will be too big. I have already felt so much love for so many people that I haven't even met yet! I am so excited to meet them! We leave bright and early tomorrow morning and the next time I e-mail it will be from Texas!

I love you all so very much!! Thank you for everything big and small that you have blessed my life with. Thank you for all of your love, support, and prayers! I hope you all have a fantastic week!!!

God is good y'all!!

Love,

Sister Broadbent

P.S. We met a guy who was on the first set of District films!! He went to San Antonio on his mission and now works at the MTC! It was so neat!

Beth's Mission Sept 2017

First email for Sister Elizabeth Broadbent - MTC Sept 6, 2017

 The District 32-C Sept 2017 - Sister B is in the middleish

 Sister B's Selfie!  I thought we'd have to go without these great pictures for 18 months - great to still see she's got it!

 Beautiful new mural in the new classroom building - Moses parting the Red Sea

 Sister B & Sister Holt - MTC Comps

 TSAM MTC Sisters - Sister Schofield (Farr West), Seegmiller (Syracuse), Broadbent, &  Holt (Pleasant View)

 View of MTC flags view from classroom

 Sisters Holt & Broadbent

 TSAM Sisters

This week has been quite the busy adventure!! I feel like I have already been here for so long because we have literally been going nonstop between classes and studying, preparing, exercising, eating (the food has been pretty good! We even got Chick-fil-a yesterday!), and everything in between, but it hasn't even been a full week yet! Everyday has been so full and overall so great! Everyone is so kind and all want to serve the Lord! I have learned so much in these last few days and I've felt the spirit like I never have before. It is indescribable and such a blessing.

So! My companion is Sister Holt who is from North Ogden! She is so amazing and has such a strong desire to do what is right and what the Lord needs her to do! I am so grateful she is my companion! We have had so much fun and have been through so much the past few days and I don't think either of us could have done it alone! Heavenly Father truly knows every single need that we have even if we don't recognize it! I am so grateful!

My district here has three missions with 4 Sisters and 12 Elders. All of us Sisters are going to the Texas San Antonio Mission!! We are so excited to be serving together! I love them all so much and we have tons of fun together! The Elders in our district are split between the Nevada Las Vegas Mission and the Ohio Columbus Mission! They are all so awesome! They have such strong spirits and for the most part stay on task, they're great. They have even commented on how other Elders are disobedient and they don't want to be like that, such good examples! I've caught what they call the MTC plague while here and Sunday was probably the worst of it (it's not that bad though don't worry). I felt like I needed to ask for a blessing and it was a great comfort to know that I could trust my Elders enough to do that for me. We have already become so close, like a family really, I am so grateful for each and everyone of them, and we have decided we will have to have a MTC District 32-C reunion! Haha So great :) 

Our Branch is amazing as well!! Our Branch President, President Thompson is so great as well as the counselors! And their wives are so kind and loving! And our Zone is so great too! We have Zone Prayer together each night and they are all just so amazing! I'm so grateful for all the love and good times we have!

Our teachers Brother Alley and Sister Pito are so great!! Sister Pito served in the TSAM!! She was so excited and so were we! Sadly with BYU starting school this week she won't be our teacher anymore :( But we have learned so much from her and I know that the teachers here truly are inspired from God!

We have had the opportunity to prepare lessons for some investigators and as Sister Holt and I have been preparing and praying so much (I am truly so grateful for prayer! It is such a blessing to be able to communicate with our Father in Heaven) and just really trying to listen to the spirit, it has been incredible to feel words flow through us and to hear thoughts come to mind and feelings to your heart. I know that as we sincerely pray and diligently study, we will be guided by our Heavenly Father. We had a couple of our "appointments" fall through this past week and it really helped Sister Holt and I to humble ourselves because we truly needed to rely on the Lord more. This is His work! We are here to serve Him and do His Will!

It is so incredible how much there is to learn! And yet it's all so simple and all comes back to our Savior Jesus Christ. I know that He truly did atone for our sins and all of our pains, afflictions, and shortcomings. He knows and loves each of us personally and individually! As we have been preparing for lessons and learning to truly listen and teach by the spirit, it has been such a humbling to know that I truly can't do this alone. And I don't need to. None of us do! Our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are always there for us if we will only turn to them and be obedient to what they've commanded. The gospel of Jesus Christ is so true!! It is such an honor to wear His name on my chest and I pray constantly that I will be able to truly be a representative of Him so that others will be able to feel of His Great love for them.

God is Good y'all! Us TSAM sisters have had that along with Every Sister, Every Elder All in! As our mottos. It has been so great! Definitely a learning and hard experience, but I am so grateful for all that my heavenly father has blessed me with! He is truly always there and He knows each of our circumstances personally and loves us more than we could ever imagine! 

 I apologize for my scattered thoughts! There is so much that happened and I wish I could tell you about all of the amazing experiences and lessons I have learned,  but then this email would be practically a novel which it almost already is. 

I know that this Church is true!! Our Heavenly Father has blessed us so much!! 

Alma 26:12 expresses my feelings pretty perfectly: 

"Yea, I know that I am nothing; as to my strength I am weak; therefore I will not boast of myself, but I will boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things; yea, behold, many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land, for which we will praise his name forever."

I love you all!! Thank you for all of your support and love and prayers! 

I hope you have a wonderful week!

Love, 

Sister Broadbent