February 4

I have not posted in a long time! The idea of having someone post for me while I was on my mission did not work out so well. Ha. Oh well. I have been home for almost a year and a half. Since I have been home I have pretty much just worked. I am assistant manager at Seagull Book. I have a niece, a few friends married and a few babies, my mom is getting married, had leg surgery, I turned 24 four days ago... and I am out. I have a lot of friends that blog about their lives. I don't really have much to tell. So I decided to write a book review blog. I write about books and authors I like, book signings at work and new books coming out. All sorts of fiction books. I stay pretty well in the loop. I might post on here once in a while but you should check out my book blog!!!

thecrazybookgirlandherthoughts.blogspot.com

November 8

Wow this week went fast and I have a lot to talk about and not a lot of time to do it. We had zone meeting on Tuesday and so we went down and staying with theMillington sisters Monday and Tuesday nights. It was fun to see Sister Miller again. We did splits with themTuesday night and I got to go out with Sister Miller again. It was weird, I have changed a lot as a missionary since then. It was really fun. We then went and got our new car from down in Memphis. It is a brand new 2011 Malibu and it is NICE!! The other Elders in the district are jealous because they still have really crappy cars. I told them that if they were sisters they would probably get a new one. Oh well. Ha ha
We will be moving this week. To a nice apartment building not too far from where we live now. It is really nice and a lot more roomy but I will miss our little shed. This week will be busy and we actually have appointments... awesome. Good but tiring too. Ugh we helped this recent convert family paint their new trailer and wow gross. So many cockroaches. I almost freaked out. Ew ew ewewewewewewew. Everywhere. Not the big old ones. But little ones but still so gross. We had a family here feed us stake for dinner one day this week. Awww my favorite. And a less active lady fed us too. She just works a lot but she is a chef so she is working on it. Basically she is awesome and in a lot of ways a brown version of me and I love it. We have so much fun talking as Sister Kirkpatrick listens. It's fun. She made us chicken and awesome cuscus. So good. Her name is Marci. She is cool. We have driven so much this week I am so sick of it. Ugh that's all right this next week will be bad too. We went down to Millington monday, then Frazier in Memphis and back up to Millington tuesday. Then down to Germantown (further into Memphis) and back to Dyersburg Wedenesday. Friday down to Jackson and back for President interviews on friday. Ugh. And today we went down with the Relief Society President to go to the temple!!! Awesome. That's why I am writing so late. It was great. Sister Pabst and Tuneti were there too. It was great. It is such a small temple so it was a cool different experience. And last but not least. Daylight savings was awesome and I have been waiting so long for it. The extra hour of sleep was amazing. Sister Kirkpatrick and I really enjoyed it. This week is going to be really busy too. Ugh good times. I'll tell you about it next week. And that was this last week in a nutshell.
LOVE FROM THE SOUTH
SISTER BROADHEAD
P.S. It has been getting really cold here. Freezing at night. Of course no snow but cold. President told us to be careful because northern Tennessee gets really bad ice storms. Cool. The picture is of me pointing to a 31 mph sign. Only in the south. We saw it driving to Trenton to meet the Elder's this week. Silly Trenton Tenessee.

November 1

Wow this week has been interesting. Lets see. I found out that Amy Hall in Camden got baptized. I knew she would because she is a rock star but it still makes me so happy. Also I heard that another guy we found and were teaching (who was super promising) in Camden moved to Jonesburrow but is getting baptized too!!! That makes me so happy. Planting seeds and it is nice to know they did something. It has been getting pretty cold here. Not like snowing in Utah cold but now I have a new spectrum of hot I don't know cold very well anymore. But it does get a little cooler here than it seems because of the humidity. But it has been nice.

First on Monday I wanted to carve pumpkins and so we did and had a lot of fun doing it. They are basic but we had fun. And I made cookies. They turned out good but a bit crumbly. Here is words of wisdom. No matter how poor you are, flour from the dollar store is probably not a good idea. we get fed so well here. Which is funny because it is a branch but they love to. And Sister Kirkpatrick loves to bake and cook so it is awesome. Even though we do not have a dish washer here I do help with them. This week was also her birthday on Wednesday and I am pretty sure it is one that she will never forget. So we went to that baptist revival. Eek!!! It was weird and not comfortable but definitely an experience. Oh wow. It was just like I thought it was going to be and that shocked me. We went to New Life Missionary Baptist Church and it is a little bitty black baptist church of about 30 members. Oh wow. We were the only white people which was fine really but we just already stood out. Man they wanted to save us and there was a lot of fire and damnation. Oh wow. They used the saved scriptures in Romans (if you read more it explains what it really means). Wow the guy doing that stared at us the whole time. Trying to save us. I am like I am good dude. It all just made me #1 kind of scared and #2 sad for them. That is all they have and there is so much more. The preacher screamed the sermon at us. Almost seemed like he had turrets when he would randomly burst out with an amen. I swear I could see the veins almost pop out of his neck and forehead. It concerned me. I just could not feel the spirit. It was too much and then the spontaneous southern baptist singing with clapping and amens. Strange. I am very open minded but it was just too much for me. But worth going once. They invited us back and we said we had to check out schedule. Luckily we were busy. Then we went home and Sister Kirkpatrick made the best chocolate cake I have ever eaten. Oh my gosh!!! So good!!! We ate it all.
We had a branch Halloween party on Friday. It was pretty fun. It was a chili cook off that we were judges and one guy loves spicy chili. He used 5 hobenyeros (I have no idea how to spell that but they suck!) I had half a spoonful and my face was on fire. My face does not like to be on fire. Ugh!!!! He did win hottest. Gross! A little spice is all right but that was awful. Also one was temp. hot so it burnt both our tongues for like three days. Not cool. But that party was fun. There was a cake walk too and one Sister in the branch always makes a cat little cake. It tastes good but really looks like cat litter and Sister Minton's son got it and she hates that cake. So she gave it to us. I think it is kind of funny and needed a picture of it. I'll send one. We also trunk or treated. I went as Sister Kirkpatrick and she went as Sister Broadhead. It was pretty good. The girl in the picture with us in the granddaughter of a Recent convert here who loves us. If you look closely we have switched name tags.
I am excited about this lady we are teaching right now. We taught her three times last week and it is going awesome, but her husband it not really for it so I hope all goes well. She is so awesome and genuine. I just love her. I am just praying about it now. That's all I can do.
OH I turn 8 this week. 10 months to go. This week should be good to. We are getting a new car and we have Zone Meeting so we are going to be staying with the Millington sister for a couple days. Fun. Sister Miller is there. I have not seen her since we were comps. It will be good. yay.
LOVE FROM THE SOUTH
SISTER BROADHEAD

October 18

Hello, there will be no letter writing this week. I am off to another somewhere else on wednesday. Transfer calls where this morning and I am leaving Mississippi. I think I will be going to Dyrsburg Tennessee (northern Tennessee) with Sister Kirkpatrick but I am not 100% sure. I will have to let you know next week where I am. I was totally not expecting to be transfered but oh well. I am kind of glad. This area is wearing on my nerves. I need a change. But that means I have to start packing. It is stressful because there is so little room and you end up having to leave things and squish and squeeze to get everything in. I will be glad when winter is over and I can send all my winter things clothes and extra blankets home and I will have more room. There is not that long of winters here so it will only be like a few months from now.
I was totally planning on staying and being here for Halloween and Thanksgiving because they are both next transfer and then Christmas the next one. Well I guess it is all right. I am off to another adventure and Sister Kirkpatrick is really cool. I think I am going there because her companion is moving and me and I think that is all for the sisters. Sister Miller and I called all the sisters and I think that is it. So I pretty much know where I am going. So that is nice. Grocery shopping will be easy today. It is good because I hit my limit of stupid people (mostly closed minded-slam-the-door-in-your-face-baptists). There are probably some in Dyrsburg too but oh well.
Ha I was talking to Sister Miller this morning and she told me that President Drewes can't read me/figure me out. And it is driving him crazy. I don't tell him my feelings. Shocking I know. I mean. I don't talk about my feelings to like anyone. And I barely know him. Anyway. I think it is pretty funny. I can see in interviews how hard he tried to tell what I am thinking. But he just can't. It is very entertaining. He tries so hard to get things out of me. But you know how stubborn I can be if I don't want to. He asked me last time if I would rather him not pry but I told him that it doesn't really matter because if I don't want to say anything I won't. Ha.
The church's are so weird down here. They refuse to practice Halloween because of how it can be construed as "demonic". How silly. A lady asked us what the church thought about it and I told her that I think that is silly. You can make anything demonic and that as long as halloween is done the right innocent way dressing up like princesses is demonic. And the more that you oppose it and the more you make it seem demonic that more it will be portrayed that way. The ward here is having a drunk or treat on the wednesday before and a ward dance on the saturday. While all the other church's are having "fall festivals" or "fall carnivals" so silly.
Anyway, the weather is still weird. Getting up into the 90's during the day and 50's at night.
So I just found out that there is a super duper poisonous spider that is in the south. A banana spider and we have seen 3 of them this summer. We heard that they we harmless. Apparently not. Ugh. They are huge and yellow and probably the size of a tennis ball. Gross. Here is a picture. Gross I know.

And then I enclosed a picture of the district this last transfer. The picture last week was of the Elders in my last district and then is sisters.

Then last but not least. Sister Pabst and the awesome skirt her mom sent her that she made. That is like three sizes too big. She wears it anyway. Lets just say I make fun of her a little.

LOVE FROM THE SOUTH

SISTER BROADHEAD

October 11

Hello everyone. Here are some pictures. One is of me and my current companion Sister Pabst and I and the other is the Elders from last transfer being stupid. It was pretty funny though.

Lets see. This week was nice weather until the weekend where it spiked up to the 90's. IN OCTOBER. What the crap!? Weird. At three yesterday the car said that it was 99 degrees. UGH! Hopefully it will go a little bit lower than that soon. The south is so weird! On Monday we had dinner with Sister Oravis, she is very interesting but a good cook. She gave both Sister Pabst and I new skirts. Last time we where there her dogs (she has huge, really furry dogs) that basically made huge holes in her skirt. So she felt bad and bought us new ones. Mine is black. I always wear black skirts when I am there. I don't mean to but it just seems to happen. A lady in the ward gave me two black skirts and they are too big for me but still fit mostly and they are super comfortable so I wear them a lot even though I really don't like black that much. So now I own 6 black skirts. Oh well. They are all different. So that is nice. The one she gave me will be nice in the winter. It is super long and will hide lots of layers underneath. She is a really good cook too. Even if she is a little weird and WILL NOT COME TO CHURCH OR GIVE UP HER COFFEE AND WINE!!! We had an lady/girl? Anyway she lives in Memphis. She is like 26 and went on a mission to Russia. Anyway we met her at the General Relief Society Broadcast. She really wanted to come out with us so she came down friday. No one was home because of the fall break so it was a long day. She came tracting with us and we got a few new things to try from her. It was fun. Well this has been a long week. We helped the Hoopers move away, that was sad. And I am pretty sure Gina is dodging us. Oh well. It wasn't too bad of a week. No one few us because of general conference and the calender was not passed around so that was sad but sometimes people would feed us when we went to their houses. Sometimes investigators or member. That's cool. Transfers are next week. I doubt I will be going. I bet I will stay for another 3 months but you just never know. After this next transfer I will be half way done with my mission. Cool.

LOVE FROM THE SOUTH

SISTER BROADHEAD

September 27

All right lets see for this week. We are teaching this new lady named Gina. We tracted into her and have taught her a few times. She is pretty promising. She is married and has two cute children. She said she won't be rushed but I think she is curious. She goes to a non-denominational church here in Southaven so she is not focused on what she was raised in but she is afraid of corruption. Anyway. We are working on it and she said we could come back some time this week. So that is good.
As usual it is a lot of meeting with less active people. Working on that and the weather this week was divine. We had zone conference on Friday here in Southaven. That was good and the Relief Society broadcast was just awesome. If any of you relief society friends did not see it. It was great. We went up to Memphis for it.
Oh on Saturday we tracted into this lady. Her husband is cousins of some active members here that they like a lot. I think she was trying to save us. Yeah she was kind of rude as we tried to explain all the things that she just could not understand. I just laugh about it because she would tell us to show her where it is in the scriptures and then we would. And then she would tell us to read it in context and read all the verses around it to get the whole picture. And I told her I had and just stopped talking about that subject because... sigh. She was still nice eventually after she told us we were deceived and Joseph Smith was an evil corrupt man. I laughed at that one. Yes I have read MANY more things on him then she has. Then she fed me lunch. Ha weird baptists.Good times.
Oh my gosh. Gospel principles was a nightmare on Sunday. There was this less active guy and almost everyone else was recent converts. The topic was eternal families. He had a lot of questions. All of them concerning DEEP doctrine that you just should not bring up in a gospel principles class. I spent the whole time stressed out trying to do damage control as the topics got more and more weird. No there will never come a time when God runs out of spirits to send down and so a baby is born without a soul. He is God! Really?!? Polygamy, how we can potentially become gods, when babies receive there souls before they are born.... etc. And the teacher has only been a member about 5 years. Poor guy. It was awful. Oh gosh.Good times. Luckily it did not cause too much damage. That all from me for now.
LOVE FROM THE SOUTH
SISTER BROADHEAD

September 20

Holy crap. I either have 1 year left from today or 10 1/2 months. Sister Missionaries since we go home at 18 months instead of 2 years our 18 month mark is in the middle of a transfer. So we can either come home the first one or the last one. So Either the beginning-ish of next August I will come home or the 20th of September. Probably September so I have One year left TODAY! I will have a new mission president by then (for my last transfer or two) so I really don't know. The one I have now, President Drewes, would probably keep me. He is pretty cool. But intimidating. He was a three star general in the Air Force. Hard core. But he is kind of like Christ. He does everything in a loving way so it's not too bad. We don't have super strict rules either. Which is nice. Still missionary but not as bad as it could be.
Let's see. This week has been not bad. We got fed pretty much every night which is nice. We did not catch most of our "progressing" investigators which kind of sucks. But of well. We will work on it this week. We did meet a few more people tracting that said we could come back. Yay. Oh my gosh it is still in the late 90's here. Crazy. It is the middle of September and it is not cooling off hardly at all. It is so weird. It is better then August but still. This is crazy!
The new Elder here is annoying. But in a sincere way so it is a little hard to make fun of him... but not much. The only people I can make fun of are my companion, poor Sister Pabst and the Elder's so I take advantage of it. Elder Rubio does make it too easy sometimes. But he sometimes does not get it so that makes it entertaining. He doesn't get that I am making fun of him so I just look at Summers and he and I just laugh. Good times. Oh I remembered something. Ha ha Rubio told me that they were getting ready one day and blasting Sister Fry's music and they had someone call the cops and complain. I would too whether it was loud of not. Her music is awful. You cannot understand the full extent of the awfulness until you hear it yourself. Sister Fry is a lady in the ward who writes her own music. The Elder's have a copy of her church music Cd. It is so painful to listen to but it gets stuck in your head and you find yourself singing it ALL THE TIME. The pure awesomeness of it is that it NEVER rhymes. Ever. How is that even possible? It is so bad. And she uses the same repetitive melody for like half of them. Ugh!!!! Anyway, the cop looks into their apartment and starts asking them questions and they have to explain that they are missionaries (they have a big map and pictures on the walls and pins with little names on them in the map like they are planning something). Suspicious looking. Ha good times. I thought that was pretty funny.
There was a pretty good moment when we went back to this lady's house that we tracted into like 2 months ago. Well no one answered the door. So we were just talking about what we should do next when a guy came out the back door and saw us standing there. We had been there about 5 minutes. We just thought no one was home. I was like, "wow, this is awkward. I am sorry we are creepers." He was like oh no big deal. It was the lady's husband and he has family that has joined the church. He said we could come back so score. They are "really busy" apparently though so ugh! Just set an appointment will you!!!
LOVE FROM THE SOUTH
SISTER BROADHEAD

September 13

Well this week has not been very eventful. A lot of going to people's houses and having them... surprise not home. We have been doing a lot of tracting in the new oh so wonderful not deathly hot weather. Which is nice. We had an appointment with John the Calvinist that was... great. He is annoying. Their view of religion is kind of depressing. He will find out some day how wrong he is.
This has just been a long week. I don't know. What else... the new elder is weird. Very odd and he never had to go the MTC. Never got to experience the good and the bad. He had a few classes. Like once a day for about an hour and a half for a week. Then right into the field. I am pretty glad I did not do that. I was terrified enough after studying and preparing for three weeks and adjusting to missionary life. He got to jump right in. Weird.
Well.......................I'm still here. Love you all and miss you.
Oh I forgot. The Elder's tried to get us back by having a member, the Stone's, make burned waffles (as well as other food) and said he heard those were our favorite. Yeah sure. Well as missionaries we are supposed to eat everything we are given. Well I knew what was going on and yeah I did not eat the waffles. I would not give them the pleasure. Sister Pabst probably would have. Gross. Nice try Elder's but I was on to you.
LOVE FROM THE SOUTH
SISTER BROADHEAD

September 7 Letter

Happy Labor Day yesterday y'all! I am e-mailing this week on Tuesday because yesterday everywhere was closed to e-mail so I get to do it today instead. It is alright though because we do not have any meetings this week because it is transfer week. Everyone that does have transfers goes to the meeting but since neither Sister Pabst or I are getting transferred we don't go. So this would be a very long week if not for e-mailing this morning. Elder Robinson is getting transferred to Little Rock. He is not an AP. Elder Summers is staying and getting a greenie so that will be fun. Elder Andersen is getting a companion because his companion died (went home) but we do not know who the new one will be yet. Probably a ZL and Summers will be DL or Andersen will get a DL and our ZL will be in another part of the Zone. We will find out tomorrow I guess.
So we had a good Sunday. K... so we concocted a plan to get the Soto's (a less-active family) who lives up in Whitehaven (just south of Memphis, pretty much in Memphis, but in our area) to church. Every week we see them and they say they will and then... nothing... nothing... annoying... anyway. So we decided to do something about it. We decided to show up at there house and bring them breakfast. How can you say no to that. So we had some pancake mix and eggs so we thought pancakes and eggs. But then we were like. Waffles would be so much better. So we asked if we could borrow the Elder's waffle maker. Elder Robinson said no.. just because he is annoying. Anyway they let us but we went to their apartment after dinner and they did not have time to come with us so they just gave us the key. Well you know me we had to do something. I am not THAT mean so we just took off the door to their oven (which is actually really easy, you just pull it right off, so it is a easy fix too) well we hid it in their bathtub. It was pretty good. They are chill Elder's or I would not have done it. Anyway we made waffles the night before and went to their house. Well we did tell them a few days before that we had a surprise for them Sunday morning at eight but I don't think they really thought we would do it. So SURPRISE. So Brother and Sister Soto came to church. We watched them in our rear view mirror the whole way. And one of their daughters. The other kids were out of town but it was a start. Sister Soto was like oh that was so nice. And brother Soto was like. Don't encourage them or they will come back next week. I looked at him and said, "We would". The Lambs came to church too so it was a good Sunday.
Yeah we are getting two new sisters this transfer so I thought President might change his mind and switch us but he is putting the new permanent sister with Sister Miller in Millington, TN and switching her new greenie. Who has been out only one transfer and she is taking the temple square sister and they are opening Momel, AR. Crazy. I have been out 6 months and I would be freaking out to do that. Good thing it is not me. Oh sister Pabst is so sweet. Sunday night she was like. I have an idea. I have a surprise for us to do tomorrow. I was like alright... what is it? She was like I am not going to tell you. I was like is it something you would like... or something I would like. You will see. Uh So at six-thirty we got us (that is not unusual) but I am not a morning person. I can barely walk right. We walked all across the apartment complex. Which is huge to the swing set to swing as the sun came up. Anyone else would enjoy that. I would as well if it was at a normal time of day. Not at six-thirty. I am awake at six-thirty but not liking it. She is so happy in the mornings. It annoys me. Love her though.
The weather this week has been sooooooo nice. Like 85 degrees. No humidity. Heavenly. Tracting was not painful. Still eeee. But not painful. I am glad I am going to be staying in Southaven. I do like it here. That's all for this week.
LOVE FROM THE SOUTH
SISTER BROADHEAD

August 30 Letter

Well, this week has been good and bad. I got a cold/the flu and I have not been feeling very well. But it has been a whole lot cooler too. Which is super nice! I mean it is still in the 90's but the humidity has gone down and it has just been nice. So I felt like crap but would have felt worse if it had been hotter. Man I think I have run into some of the most annoying people this week while I have been sick. It is frustrating. They are argumentative and usually I am fine but when I don't feel well. You might want to look out. This one annoying "reformed" baptist (which is stupid, he is still baptist which is a lazy religion) was so arrogant with his only the bible is correct and I rather nicely told him that he was limiting God because that is not what the revelations scripture means. Man he did not like that. Yes it was a little harsh but the Book of Mormon says it pretty much like that in 2 Nephi 29, so I don't feel bad. He was rude.
Anyway I found a plot and the Elder's did not believe me until the very end. But you know me always thinking up weird things. Well, the ward has a lot of younger couples with small children because there is a really good optometry school here in Memphis so a lot of couples come from Utah for four years while they are in school. Well this last week all the houses we went to Sunday- Thursday where second year optometry school families and all of them served us chicken Alfredo. All of them. Five nights in a row. I mean don't get me wrong I love chicken Alfredo. But they had to have planned it. It was just too weird. Then now that we all thought about it. They would say things like. Have you eaten a lot of Italian lately or ask us who we had eaten with. The Elder's thought I was just weird until the last night we walked into the Winter's house and guess what we were having... chicken Alfredo. I have not had it once before on my mission at a member's house. Not once in six months. Then five times in a row and all the guys know each other. Yeah I am right. We are trying to come up with something to do back to them to let them know we figured it out. But we can't think of anything.
So yesterday after church we were sitting out in our car in the parking lot eating our meager lunch. We bring lunch's with us a lot because we live so far from the major part of our area and we can't waste miles. Well we were hoping that someone would sign up from dinner at church. No one did and the Elder's can just go home and make something. Well we did not bring much for lunch and dinner so Sister Pabst had some bread and an apple and I had fruit snacks and chips oh and some gold fish Elder Robinson gave me because he did not want them from a package from home and so they were in the car. Anyway a member saw us and was like. No!!! No that is not all right! You are coming to our house for lunch! It is not like we were there because we wanted that to happen. We felt very pathetic. Like oh poor sister missionaries have no food. It is true and I did not feel that bad because it was good food. It was pretty funny though. Anyway... things are going good here. I had a President's interview this week. I'm thinking Sister Pabst and I will probably be staying here another transfer but we really never know. We have another week then we will find out. I can't believe I have been in Mississippi for almost a transfer all ready. Elder Robinson will be leaving for another area is what it sounds like which will be sad because we all get along so well. He only has one more transfer anyway before he goes home.
That's about it for this week.
LOVE FROM THE SOUTH
SISTER BROADHEAD

August 23 Letter

Wow, time is flying. This week has gone pretty fast. It has been a little cooler which is really not that much cooler but I have new standards. ha. Not a whole lot significant has happened. We are just working on the area a lot. I am about ready to hurt some less (happy) actives. So I might be getting a little blunt in days soon to come. One fun thing was it was Elder Summers 20th birthday. We have a lot of fun with the Elders and I thought we should go get him "presents". Sister Pabst agreed. And due to our very tight budget and well it is just funner we headed to the dollar store. We knew he would have fun with it so we bought him some of the most ridiculous stuff. A stick with a dinosaur head on it. Like one of those horse toys kids have and some fairy slippers (he likes to prance, it is really funny). Lets just admit it most of the time I come up with ideas and end up paying for them. Oh well. It was so worth it. I also got dollar rapping paper with toys on it and big green bows. We had dinner at a members house that night for his birthday and they also cool awesome stuff. And for dessert oh my gosh Teramisu (not really, that has espresso. She put berries) it is really creamy and just one of the yummiest things I have every tasted. We then gave him his birthday presents. Elder Robinson said he was scared. It was a big success. He then proceeded to bug Elder Robinson with the Dinosaur head and named him. It might be one of those had to be there things but it was super funny!
We also had a few interesting missionary moments. We went back to Sister Oravis's. The less happy lady to made Sister Pabst cry. It was much better. She was so much nicer and apologized but her huge fuzzy dogs were still all over me and you just can't get all the long white dog hairs off of a black skirt. Ugh. That was a good visit though. We tracted into a few Buddhists and Hindu's this week. I have no idea how to approach them. I am so used to the Bible belt where everyone believes in Christ already. Oh we go and teach this old Catholic black lady in Horn Lake. I don't think she has any idea of what we are talking about. She is missing a leg and has these long creepy fingernails. She was complaining how she can't get to a salon to get them painted. So loving sweet Sister Pabst volunteered to do it. She ended up getting roped into clipping them too. They were long like claws. One of them had fungus and they oozed this green/grey stuff as she clipped them. GROSS!!! I am not that loving to do that. I think I would have to sanitized my hands and then light them on fire. ewwwww
Oh the Elders have some drama with investigators that we almost got roped into but not quite thank heavens. Sister Caulson called us and wondered what we thought about Miss Bonnie Ivey (investigator from a crazy very southern family, her husband is a member now coming back to church and 3 of their grandchildren,who live with them, just got baptized). Well Miss Bonnie was sitting with the Caulson's at the linger longer and Sister Caulson felt like she had an Evil spirit as they talked about missionary work and the church and then jumped up and went and hugged Elder Summers and whispered something in his ear. And she was concered that it did not seem to concern him. I said he was probably just keeping his cool and I don't know the situation with Miss Bonnie. Well I called the Elders to give them a heads up that she had already talked to the Bishop about it. They told me Miss Bonnie does not specifically like the Caulson's (Brother Ivey, her member husband, does though so that's they sat with them). She does not like them because #1 her granddaughter wants to date their son and #2 Sister Caulson is black and Brother Caulson is white. Awesome. Good old southern racism. So she will not listen to anything they say. I was just taken aback. It did not even occur to me. Wow, how exactly should they explain that to her. Poor Elders. Ah
That's about it. I am a bit frustrated with people this week. Freak just come to church!!!! Other than that things are good here in Mississippi! I like the ward and the area.
LOVE FROM THE SOUTH
SISTER BROADHEAD
P. S. I am almost at six months! Yay!

August 16 Letter

Sorry I have not written for two weeks. Due to our visit to Graceland last monday I did not have time to e-mail. So here goes. Man these last two weeks have been busy. We are getting our teaching pool up and were able to visit a lot of people. Things are going great. I really love this area, my companion, my district. I am just doing great.
Graceland was good. It was the beginning of Elvis week. Today is the anniversary of his death. We went at the beginning of it so it was not too crowded. There were a lot of people dressed up like him though. Elvis was an interesting man. It was nice to go back again. Brought back memories and it is always fun to hang out with the Elders. They are pretty funny/weird. I am so glad the summer is winding down. I have never been so hot and sweaty in my entire life!!!!! Summer lasts a long time here but I just want to got over this crazy heat. It is no fun to be tracting in 107 degree heat with the heat index at 120 degrees. Yeah not fun at all. I got heat exhaustion the other day. I have to drink SO much water not to get sick. And we don't go back to our apartment during the day. It is on one side of the area and we mostly work on the other. We do not have the miles to go back. So we take a lunch and just do the best that we can.
This week has been the beginning of leadership training meeting in the mission. I don't have to go because well I am not an Elder and cannot be a leader but I also am not training. Neither is Sister Pabst. I am not a greenie and neither is she so we did not have to go but Elder Robinson (here in Southaven) and Elder Low (in Sanetobia, just below us, he is our DL) had to go. They all stayed in the Elders apartment and the two went up to Memphis for the day Friday and Saturday. Well they forgot to leave the keys to the car they left so Elder Summers (the other Elder here in Southaven) and Elder Andersen (the other Elder in Sanetobia) could drive around and still see people. So they called us and we got the pleasure of driving them up to Frayser (North GHETTO Memphis) to go get the keys from them at the meeting. Well the GPS was in the locked car and we don't have one. So we got to map it and the south. I don't know. It was interesting. Oh well. We had so much fun! Then stopped and got lunch. Anywho. Another day in the life of Sister Broadhead.
Oh district meeting was super fun this week. That is a little sarcastic but it was funny too so that is all right. Elder Low brought "The Box of Mystery". He basically went and bought a bunch of props. We did roll plays. One missionary would go into the hall and we would decide what the situation would be and we had to roll play contacting. Well I suck at roll playing but it was super funny in the other ones. The first one was Elder Robinson who dressed up like an old woman. Well you see. He can do a spot on impression of Mrs. Doubtfire. I was DYING is was laughing so hard. He is totally in character and he even looks like robin williams a little. Oh my gosh. I was in pain I laughed so hard. We went over for how long the meeting us supposed to be but that is all right. We had a quick lunch. It was worth it. The last one they pretty much were goofing off. Pretending to be old men that actually live in Monticello (kind of by Camden). I never met the men but I heard all about them from Elder Andersen and Elder Robinson served over there too. I never met them but I knew lots of people like them in Camden. It was really funny.
Oh man sometimes missionary work is so awkward. And I have no idea what to do. I am not very good with awkardness but better than Sister Pabst. We went and saw this less active lady. She is pretty interesting. Well anyway. She went on a rant about how she would rather go to hell than give up her two cups of coffee a day and using excuses to justify her drinking wine. I HATE when people use Christ as an excuse. It's like really people. What do you think he would say about that. Expecially since he is the one that gave us the Word of Wisedom and you know it. Anyway. I felt like telling her that. But of course I did not. And then there was the most awkward silence I have ever experienced in my entire life. It is really funny looking back at it now. And Sister Pabst says it is a lot less awkard with me than Sister Eckardt. Sister Pabst was so frustrated and Sister Oravis was like is something wrong. And Sister Pabst started crying. Sister Oravis did not realize it was because she was frustrated with her. We were so tired. She felt really dumb afterwards. And you know how I get when people cry. It just made it all worse. Oh good times.
Anywho. I can't think of anything else really to talk about so I will end it for this week.
LOVE FROM THE SOUTH
SISTER BROADHEAD

August 2 Letter

Well this week has been eventful. I found out I was getting transfered and usually we do not get to know where we are going until we get to the transfer meeting that is in the area we are going to. Since the sisters have a lot less options I pretty much figured out where I would be going and then weedled it out of Sister Miller. Well I am now in South Haven/ Olive Branch, Mississippi. It is about 20 minutes south of Memphis just in Mississippi. Our apartment is in Olive Branch but only a small amount of Olive Branch is in the ward we work in. The South Haven ward. We (and a companionship of Elder's) cover a huge area. South Haven, White Haven, Horn Lake, a little Olive Branch, part of Memphis and a couple other little communities. My companion is Sister Pabst. She is REALLY nice. Just sweet and quiet. That is an adjustment. I now have to pretty much lead conversations now. And have to the outging one but oh well. It is a good combonation because I rock at teaching and she is good at planning and making decisions. So it is going well. And she never bosses me around at all. It is great.
It is definitly different here. It is clean and organized. There are actually places to go and stores. We get fed pretty much every night because it is a ward. That is awesome! We usually eat with the elders at peoples houses and it is nice to be around other missionaries all lot. In Camden the closest Elders where over an hour away. Next monday a member is treating us to Graceland. Cool. It has been a few years (8-ish) since I have been so I am excited. It is only about 10 minutes north. The work is a little harder here. We are supposed to concentrate on part member families, less actives (or as Sister Pabst puts it "less happy" ha) and recent converts. It is going good but it is hard sometimes to catch people at home so we still do a lot of tracting and that falls on me pretty much now. Oh well. It is just tiring and oh so hot! I have gotten so much sun (where it is possible).
Sister Miller and I are such better friends now that we do not have to be around each other all the time. We actually talk on the phone or leave messages for each other. I like her as a friend. But she is just too bossy as a companion. I have my 5 month mark tomorrow. Can you believe it? I have been out 5 months!!!! Crazy! Oh and our apartment is SUPER nice! I have a queen size bed. Which rocks. Everything works, nothing leaks or stops working, we have an ice maker (I never thought I would be so excited to have an ice maker), we have ceiling fans. That's just nice, and new, and clean. Ahhhh!
Anyway, I think that is about it this week.
LOVE FROM THE SOUTH
SISTER BROADHEAD

July 26 Letter

I am getting transferred. Over the river (Mississippi). I don't know where. Either Dysberg, TN, South Haven, TN/MS, or Millington, TN. But I don't think it will be Millington. But maybe I don't know. Sister Miller and I are both going. They are moving us both due to the fact that there are 2 new sisters this transfer and two came last time and there is a shortage of trainers. I could train if I had to but I only know one way of doing things. I really want to have another companion who knows what they are doing first so I can choose what way works best for me. So I will let you all know where I am next week. I am excited for a new experience, companion, area, everything.
Don was baptized yesterday. That was awesome. It sure took some pulling to get him there but we were super excited. I am sad I will miss Amy's baptism. Really sad about that. We have been working on her for a long time. But she is going to in a few weeks. Oh well. They will HAVE to send me pictures. Oh, Amy was interviewed for Baptism. Her husband and her are getting along and he consented to the discussions. Right as I leave. But at least our prayers where answered. I am just extemely grateful about that!!!! I will really miss the members in the area too. The Hilson's, Martinez's, Arthur ( I will miss them a lot!) Anywho this old guy decided to start talking to me and I had to explain the Book of Mormon to him and that took up a lot of typing time. Always a missionary. Even on p-day. I am just kind of relieved. I don't feel so much responsibility for the people here. All the one's we have been stressed about. They are the new sister's responsibility. But it will not last for long. I will have a new area on Wednesday and it will start all over again. I hope it is a bit cooler in Tennessee from here. Because it is HOT here still. That's all I have time for really.
LOVE FROM THE SOUTH
SISTER BROADHEAD

July 19 Letter

Wow this week has not been bad but interesting. It has been nice and humid but we have been so busy we have not had a whole ton of time to tract. So that is good. I get headaches when we tract in this sweltery humidity. It was not too bad when I got here in March but man is it hot now! We did have some random rain a few times and then the other times are just awful hot. It rained so hard tuesday on the way to District meeting in Pine Bluff that is was hard to drive. The road where sometimes almost like a small river. I have never seen anything like rain here before. I am excited for when the summer is over and it is getting there. I can't believe July is almost over. And we have transfers next week and I am pretty much sure that one of us is out of here. We are getting two new sisters and losing one. I think Sis. Miller will go but you can never be sure. I could just as easily be me. I have been here almost 4 1/2 months myself. You never know with President Drewes and the Lord.
Arthur is doing so much better!!!! He was even at church yesterday. It was awesome! Don was interviewed on Saturday and he is getting there he is just a bit hard of hearing so that presents problems and he has a bad memory so we have to teach and re-teach him. Oh well. In two weeks he is almost done with 2 Nephi so that is cool. We went outside when he was getting interviewed with Elder Morgan (one of our ZL's in Monticello) and it was raining so hard then too. His companion asked us if we knew anything about the major changes that are going on with all the missions. We were like no... well it is secret and he heard because he is comp. to one of the Zone Leaders. He was sworn to secrecy but this Elder is not well known as a good secret keeper and might have held his own if he had not been against Sister Miller. He is no problem for her. Ha. He spilled what he know. That was pretty funny. We got a call later from Elder Morgan, "Were you Sister grilling my companion, ha?", "No of course not Elder Morgan, we would never do that." Don't mess with the sisters. Ha
Oh we got a call on Thursday from Amy. We were in a appointment with a member so we listened to it later. So it was like, "Hey I have good news and bad news. The bad news is my husband kicked me out and we are getting a divorce but the good news is I can come to church on sunday." Sad huh. She seems all right with it because he was a total control freak and she did not like that but it is still sad. She it totally getting baptized soon. She is rock solid. She moved to Louisianna with her parents but she is thinking of moving to Hot Springs, AR. It is nice up there, a bit bigger and she said one of the deciding factors is that there is a big ward and building up there. Ha I love her a lot! She did come to church on yesterday and saw Kathy's baptism. It was great!
Yeah so Kathy was baptized yesterday. It was a wonderful baptism and the spirit was so strong. She is going to be a great member. Better maybe because she waited until now. I would not suggest it because she was denying herself blessings but maybe this time it was all right. Anyway it was great! Don came and one of our new investigators, Casey. And we had a good pot luck. I love those here but I always hurt afterwards. I eat too much, but it is sooo good.
Yeah so this week we had tracted into 3 pastors from this one church in town. Victory (it is Assembly of God, even though most people don't know that. Even a lot that go there, they just know it is Victory). Anyway, let me try to paint a picture. When I first got here I asked Sister Miller if it was a casino. And I am not the first Sister who thought it was. All the other one's did two. The last 4 at least. It is big and colorful and the sign looks like one. I had no idea it was a church. It is just showy. A lot of poor people go there because it is almost like they are bribing them with free stuff and it is just entertainment. It was more like a concert stage with lights, a band, microphones. It is so loud I don't know how they can feel the spirit. I am not a fan of it. The principle of it bothers me. I try not to judge though and last night did not change my feelings that much. A little, she quoted from the KJV bible and did a decent job using it in the right context. Sometimes as she was preaching I was like, uh... that's not right and Sister Miller and I would look at one another. A member and her husband when with us. Brother and Sister Daniel. I love them. She is so funny. Well it was an expecience. Don't worry I think I will be sticking with our church. It was good experiencing though but I just couldn't feel right about it. Most was all right. They had truth's but in the wrong context sometimes. Oh they had a baptism too. It was interesting. They wore street cloths and they just dunked them. And they just start spontaniously praying and the last time we were talking and had no idea they were praying. Woops. The preacher lady had an interesting view on speaking in tounges but not as bad as the penticostals. MMM It was interesting.
Anyway... that was my interesting week. Better than last.
LOVE FROM THE SOUTH
SISTER BROADHEAD

July 12 Letter

Wow, this week has been just awesome! So lets see. Tuesday I jammed my thumb playing basketball. It still hurts freaking bad and turned purple. But other than that monday- thursday were not so bad. Wednesday the Ap's came down and came to some appointments. That was chill. They are cool. Thrusday was all right but then friday on sucked. We finally got a hold of Lavette but than when we were supposed to meet with us she sent us a text telling us not to come back. And some recent converts ditched on us and told us pretty much the same thing. They want nothing to do with the church anymore. Great...
Arthur is awesome but was hospitolized saturday and almost died. We sent Pres. Olson over to give him a blessing saturday. That was a good idea because the only keeping him alive at that point was the defibrilator. He is doing better now and is waiting to have his pacemaker put in in Little Rock. But he gave us a scare. So pretty much this week was ugh! At best. I am pretty sick of people. Kathy Hilson is getting baptized on sunday so that is good. Sigh I am just tired. Oh and the AC went out again for two days. And we have a leak from our sealing. mmmmmhhhhmmm
LOVE FROM THE SOUTH
SISTER BROADHEAD

July 5 Letter

HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY YESTERDAY!!!!
Wow, this week ha been something else! K, to start off we had this appointment on Monday... well she called us to verify the appointment which never happens. Anywho, she invited her "friend" from church. Church of Christ. Great. They are an intense bunch. So, her friend invited us in and asked if we wanted to borrow one of her bibles to study with. We brought our own. She started out (it was weird, we usually do) and offered a prayer. Well we know very well that Church of Christ does not believe that there is any other books but the bible. So I knew where she was going with it. Yeah so she pulled out scripture after scripture teaching us as if we were totally ignorant. We just listened and mostly agreed as she read and preached to us. Until finally Sis. Miller just interrupted her a was like, "Do you know what the book of Mormon is?" The lady was like, "Let me finish." She just went right on talking. Then we started not "bible bashing" but debating a little. Mostly Sis. Miller and her but I was a little annoyed. I just don't like being treated like I know nothing. Yeah, so eventually we just agreed to disagree and the lady we came to see said like a sentence the whole time we were there. We left just spiritually drained. When we got in the car I was like, "We were ambushed. They ambushed us." Uh! Yeah that was only the first. Another trinity lady who tried SO hard to convert us to the idea. And a lady who... ah man. I can't even describe her. And a few Baptists. Oh Baptists. Long long long week.
Then with the 4th of July hardly anyone was at church. Members and investigators. I think we had like 20 people there all together. And everyone was gone so we had nothing to do yesterday. And there would have been no reason to tract because no one was home. Oh fun stuff. Our apartment has decided to revolt. Last weekend the hot water was off. Nice cold showers and the fixer guy only works Monday-Friday and of course it decides to stop working Friday night. Well they came and fixed that but this weekend the air conditioner decides to stop working. Awesome. It is so hot. So... we have stayed the last two nights with members, the French's. They have a giant house and only the two of them. So they don't mind. It is actually nice. They have queen beds and it is so nice and cold. MMM and last night we went and celebrated the fourth with the Martinez's. They lit off some fireworks but it was funny. We had to stop when we saw car lights because it is illegal to shoot them off in town because of the forest. Man and you have not barbecued until you have in the south. That is everywhere. Ha it wasn't us. It was fun though. We had a good time. I have been out a few days and four months. Yay.
LOVE FROM THE SOUTH
SISTER BROADHEAD

June 28 Letter

My 4 month birthday is going to be on the third. This week. It is hard to believe I have been gone for four months. It was stake conference this week. I have never been so excited for stake conference before. And we got to road trip (road trip to me out here means any drive over an hour) up with Sister Cummings. We are always running low on miles. Stake conference was up at the Otter creek building and the stake that I am in is the whole southern part of Arkansas below Little Rock. Since it covers so much area there was not a huge attendance. In fact it was about the size of my ward in Utah but that was nice. It was like home. Not a lot of members from our branch went. It is a far way to go. And we did not have any investigators able to come but the Little Rock elders had about 30 which was great. We had an area 70 come and talk to us. He gave a great talk too.
So an interesting, busy week. So we tracted into this man last week on friday?... anyway he was not interested but he gave us his wife's information and we were not very confiedent that it would go anywhere becuase that happens sometimes and the wife usually says no. Well we called her and set up a time to come talk to her. Well we go and we are like. "Have you ever seen missionaries like us before?" She was like,"Yeah I was baptized 20 years ago." Yeah she is an inactive member. I guess she joined the church with her mothers when she was 19 and moved to Milwakee. When she moved back she never had her records moved back. She had 4 kids, was married a few times. Well she wants to come back to church and we are teaching her twin 17 year old daughters. Carol (the mom) has a smoking problem but we will work on it. Anyway. We get a call the next day. Their house almost burned down. Not an hour after we left a 14 year old boy lit it on fire. They lost all their food, clothes. A lot. Sad. Well we did what we could. Anyway. I am glad we met them. The one daughter, Andrea is really sweet and so willing to learn. Her sister Ambrea (yes their names rhyme and they are twins) is a little more quite but nice too. So we have been doing a lot with that.
It is the fourth of July this week and I am excited we are going to be doing things this weekend with members. We have zone conference on tuesday in Little Rock. That is always interesting. It has been incredibly hot. Ah, record breaking summer so far and we are not even to the worst yet. Just my luck, my first summer here. And another one to go. Yay. Anywho yeah that is what is going on with me.
LOVE FROM THE SOUTH
SISTER BROADHEAD (AMY)

June 21 Letter

Ok week number 2!!! Of the transfer! So... let me think. Wow this week has gone so fast. Lets see. Oh funny. So we are teaching this one lady named Amy and she is super into the gospel but her husband is anti. Anywho this baptist preacher (from a church that she does not even go to) heard that she had been meeting with us and felt the need to come to her house and warm her not to meet with us anymore. Haha I honestly thought it was kind of funny. Who does that. She just thought that is was not very christian (which is isn't). I am kind of sick of it sometimes. It is annoying sometimes. Sigh. Oh well. 14 1/2 more months.
I don't really know what else to say this week. We are just busy doing missionary week. Happy fathers day to everyone. There was slim pickings at church because everyone was gone for the holiday. But next weekend is stake conference in Little Rock and I have never been so excited to go before. A lot of members in one place and in a normal building. he he Oh Utah. Kathy Hilson should be getting baptized in 2 weeks because of stake conference and her family in law are going to throw a big party. They are super excited! I would be too they have been waiting for this for 10 years. Yay.
Ben wrote me a letter. YAY! He will be coming home in a few months. He is a much better letter writer now that I am in the south and he is curious how my mission in the south is. Since he is down here too. Ha it actually sounds like him. He asked me if I had bashed with any baptist (which I actually have not, maybe a jahovah's witness, but only a little and in a nice way) and then he said, isn't the food down here awesome. Can I get an amen. What a nerd. ha How has he not been shanked yet. In two years. Weirdie. I miss that kid. I miss everyone. Anywho. The south is good.
LOVE FROM THE SOUTH!
SISTER BROADHEAD (AMY)

June 14 Letter

Today was the day we got transfer calls. Sister Miller was super nervous. I was not really. Whatever happens happens. I would suck if she left because I would have to take over the area with a new sister and things would be different and I like the way there are most of the time. I just have nothing to compair it too. Oh well I love Camden and I get to be here for the fourth of July. That will be fun! We will obvously go over to the Martinez's and would probably not have if I was with someone new so that is good. But this will be my third transfer in Camden. Well the only other sister areas are Millington TN (which is a hard area I hear) or the new sister area New Haven which is right on the border of Mississippi and Tennessee. So I could so be there at some point which would be cool. The area covers some of Misssissippi so that would be cool. There is one Sister who is leaving after this transfer who never got to come out of Tennessee her whole mission. Which is funny since the mission in Arkansas.
Oh man there is this AWESOME member who just is one of the greatest ever. Sister Rose Hilson. Who's family is from the Italian mafia. AWESOME I know. Her great-grandfather was a high up mafia guy in Texas and there was a lot of shady stuff in her family history. SO COOL! Anywho she made us an awesome dinner. Very southern. White chicken chili (Awesome. I am getting the recipefor all of it. It is super easy), hot water corn bread which is just the best corn bread ever! and fried green tomatoes! OH it was fantastic. What a great night. She is just a neat lady. We just love going over there and eating and talking. We know when we go over there for the night we will be there until almost curfew. Ha Her husband who is just funny and the greatest Sunday school teacher ever drives trucks so he is gone during the week. So we just chill with her.
Ah sunday was Branch conference and the stake presidency came down from Little Rock and it was just a great meeting. Jarred and his dad came this time. We were so beyond thrilled and they really enjoyed it. I think we have almost gotten to Don and Jarred just needs a little push but six weeks are finally paying off. They stayed for the pot luck and got to know the members. It was fantastic food as I knew it would be. The members here are such good cooks. I was super excited. Oh and Kathey Hilson is FINALLY going to get baptized! We were walking out with her, her husband and their little family and his mother in law (Rose Hilson) and he told us she was going to "take the plunge" soon. In two or three weeks. We were super excited. This is YEARS in the making. We were excited but you should have seen Rose's face. Her mouth just dropped. Well they got in their car and left and Rose like freaked out, she could not contain her excitement anymore. It was super funny.
Oh Elder Andersen is getting transfered. That makes me sad. Since I have known him the longest of anyone out here. Oh well. I will miss him when he is probably over the river in Tenessee. We get to restock our supplies today. We are like totally out of everything because we did not know if we were leaving ha. Anywho. Pray for me not to die of heat stroke. ha LOVE FROM THE SOUTH
SISTER BROADHEAD (AMY)