Beth's Mission Dec 11 Round Rock 12

We did get transfer calls today!! Sister Watt and I are both staying in Walsh Ranch for another transfer!! We will be in Walsh Ranch for Christmas!!!

This week was a great and crazy week!! It is always so strange and amazing how the days feel like months, but the weeks feel like days!! So crazy! But it is such a blessing to be able to be busy serving the Lord!

This week we have had more people say that they want to get together with us to have a Family Home Evening, or go on visits with us, or have a neighbor night, or cottage meeting, and it has been so great! Our Ward Council is really starting to show their support and desire to help us and let us help them in this great work! One thing that we have talked about is that we as missionaries really can't do anything without the members! The best way for us to find those who are ready and prepared to hear the message of the gospel is through the members who are friends with them! We have seen that with many people and how important it is for those who are searhing for the truth to have friends who are there to support and uplift them! As our dear Prophet President Thomas S. Monson has said, "Now is the time for members and missionaries to come together, to work together … to bring souls unto Him!" What a blessing it is to share the joy of the gospel with others!!

That is the case with our investigator Bailey! She is so awesome and has a lot of friends in high school who are members of the church. She wasn't able to meet with us yesterday or ome to church, but we are praying for her and are grateful for the miracle of friendship!

We also have a new investigator this week who's name is David! He is a referral from a member couple in the ward who just met him 2 weeks ago! We had a lesson with him on Thursdayand -we were on exchanges so I haven't been able to meet him yet- Sister Watt said that it went great! He knew a lot of members of the church growing up and is interested in learning more! We have another lesson with him this Thursday and we are so excited and blessed with another miracle to witness!

Also on Thursday another miracle occured. IT SNOWED!!! That's right, it full on snowed!! I think they said it hasn't snowed in 7 years!! Sister Hill and I were together and we were up in Taylor with a family for dinner and when we walked outside it was snowing!! The kids were so excited and we took pictures and just couldn't believe it! The whole ride to our next appointment (where we also played with the kids in the snow) we were just laughing and in awe!! It was kind of funny too to see the people who didn't know how to drive in it haha I was driving and it really wasn't coming down that much, but people were going so slow! Haha definitely something you don't see everyday in this part of Texas! And it stayed until the next morning! We made a little snowman haha it was so great! Definitely a miracle to remember!

With the Light the World initiative, it has been so awesome to notice even more opportunities to serve and to see others serving as well! I would love to hear about any of the experiences you have had finding ways to serve or how others have served you! One of the greatest things about the chance to Light the World is that it doesn't have to only be these 25 ways in 25 days! We can light the world everyday of our lives if we will look and pray for opportunities and get out and serve!

I was reading Sister Bingham's talk "That your Joy might be full" from this last conference and this quote stuck out to me:

"Jesus instructs His disciples to keep His commandments because He knows that as we follow His example, we will begin to experience joy, and as we continue on His path, we will come to a fulness of joy. He explained, “These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full.”"

I know that as we truly seek to become like Him as we seek Him, we will have such joy! And we will be able to help others to feel of that light and joy that we feel!! Who is someone that could use a little uplifting or that could use a smile or a kind note? I want to invite you to think about someone or multiple people and do something for them! I know that they will appreciate your kindness and that you will be able to feel the joy of service in your heart! 

I am so grateful for all of you and for the strength and support that you give me!! You all mean so much to me and I am so grateful for your examples and the light and love that you give me! Thank you for everything! I love you so much!!

I hope you have a wonderful week!!

Love,

Sister Broadbent

 

Pictures:

1) District Meeting- Vista Ridge District

2) Round Rock Zone

3) Snow with the Lopez family!!

4) Our little snowman!

5) It was so cold!! We put socks on as mittens and wrapped ourselves up!

6) Snow and the sunrise

7) Sister Watt and I back together again!

8 - Sister B and Sister Watt with a family

Beth's Mission Dec 4 Round Rock 11

It's snowing!?! That's so awesome!! I'm not sure I miss the snow haha, but it is weird not having snow when Christmas is coming! It's basically fall here haha the leaves are starting to fall on some of the trees and it's beginning to get a little chilly at points, but honestly it's not even cold! It's weird! And everyone says that it's not normal for it to be this warm this time of year, but we're not complaining! It doesn't quite feel like "the holidays" though- definitely a different expereince!

This week was a pretty great week!!

We had exchanges on Tuesday and Friday and Sister Hill and I got to be together again! She is so great! I love her and it is a privilage to get to serve with her! On the Tuesday exchange we had a lesson with one of the families they are teaching in the Spanish Branch and we got to read a chapter with them in the Book of Mormon! I read in Spanish and it was awesome! They helped me along and said I had a good accent haha One day I'll be fluent! ;)

On Wednesday we had Zone Conference! It was the Christmas conference and it was so amazing!! There were a lot of musical numbers and I got to play the hymns and for one of the musical numbers and it was so fun! The trainings were amazing and we talked a lot about working with members and having ministering visits and using the Book of Mormon in every teaching opportunity. So good! It was a great Zone Conference up here in the Austin area!

This past weekend was our stake's Stake Conference and it was so great! President and Sister Polley spoke in the Adult session on Saturday and they, along with the Stake Presidency, apparently talked a lot about missionary work and how members truly need to work together with missionaries to increase the work! We weren't able to go, but we heard all about it and have had over five families already schedule cottage meetings and ministering visits and we are so excited!! It truly is a miracle!! And Sunday we had a mission wide fast for ministering visits and claiming the blessings from them. We have already seen blessings and miracles occur and I know that as we continue to work with the members- because we truly can't do this great work without the members!- we will see even more blessings and we will be able to help more and more people feel the Light and Love of Christ!! What a blessing we have to be a part of this glorious gospel! And what an even greater blessing we have to share it with others!

One way that we have loved sharing the gospel is with the Light the World initiative! It is so amazing!! It has been one way that the members have been able to reach out to others and serve as our Savior served! I think the most important part of this Light the World is that it reminds us that we can serve and Light the World all year round! It is such a blessing to look outside of ourselves and serve! I know as we serve others we will be blessed and strengthened in all that we do!

On Saturday our townhouse neighborhood had a service/beautify day and we got to meet a lot of our neighbors and serve with them as we fixed some things in our complex! It was so great and for the Light the World, we brought water for everyone to have! It was such a great service day!

A favorite quote that I found in my studies from this past General Conference is from "Turn to the Lord," By Bishop W. Christopher Waddell:

"True enduring happiness with the accompanying strength, courage, and capacity to overcome the most challenging difficulties comes from a life centered in Jesus Christ. … There is no guarantee of overnight results, but there is absolute assurance that, in the Lord’s time, solutions will come, peace will prevail, and emptiness will be filled.”

Knowing that Heavenly Father is there for each of us has helped me a lot this past week. One thing President Polley told us is that we should be Praying as if everything depends on the Lord and then working as if everything depends on us. I love that so much! Trust in God, work hard and everything will work out!

I am so grateful for all of the support and prayers I feel from each and everyone of you! Thank you for being a part of my life and for helping me to be who I am today! I love you all so much!!

I hope that you all have a wonderful week and that you can find your own ways to Light the World!

Love,

Sister Broadbent

Pictures:

1. Texas Ornament passed down from previous missionaries

2. Austin Zone Conference

3. Baking Cookies for our neighbors!!