Hello from Conyers

Well it has been a great week here in Conyers! Let me start with saying it has been in the high 60s and mid 70s all week! I love the fall here in Georgia! I don't know if I'm going to be able to handle going back to Montana and snow! The weather is AMAZING! I love how long Fall really last here! It has been so nice! there are still leaves changing and falling! It did rain on Monday night and all day on Tuesday but it was still good!
As you may remember I told you last week about the family we have been teaching! Well we had another AMAZING lesson with them! We took the Bishop with us and he bore a very strong testimony, which really brought the spirit! The best part is that both the mom and the oldest daughter had read the introduction, 3 Ne 11 and Moroni 10, then they started at 1 Ne 1 to get the whole story! I love people like that!
Well this is the last full week of this transfer! Pray for me that I will stay in Conyers at least one more transfer! This also means WHEN( not if ) you are going to send me a letter or a little something, if you send it after Wednesday please send it to the mission office just in case! thanks! Well I better go but I want you all to know that I love you all and that I know the church is true! I love this work, even the hardest days! I know this is the work of the Lord that is moving forward! Oh before I forget we had a really cool ward activity! It was a teacher appreciation night. The youth invited there favorite teachers, and they had a very nice formal dinner with a keynote speaker and everything! IT was a ward activity because the RS cooked, the Elders Quorum Served, the High priest escorted,the primary did the appetizers in the foyer the yw and ym set up and decorated! It is a great way to get the community in the Church! this was the 22nd year that the Conyers ward as done this! I think this is something that the 5 ward should start doing! Love you Beth

Sister Snoddy is under the weather

Beth is not feeling well this week. She seems to have gotten one of the many bugs that are going around. She was instructed to stay in on Preparation Day so there is not a letter from her this week.
Also, I have received some new instructions from the Mission President about Blogs, because of this I will not be posting Beth's letters on a regular basis any longer. I hope that I have not offended anyone with my desire to share Beth's mission with those who love her. It was never my intent to do any harm. I apologize sincerely to any who may have been offended or harmed. I have a great desire to be obedient and to help Beth be obedient. Sharlene

New (Green) Companion

Well hello! Things here in Conyers are going great! As for things this week in Conyers. We ( Sister Leavitt and I) dropped off Sister Goodrich and picked up Sister Penrose. She was fresh from the MTC and has an amazing spirit about her! She is very excited to be here and share the gospel with everyone! She is from West Jordan Utah and is the oldest of 4. She has 2 sisters and 1 brother! She has been just what I needed to get me out of the rut I have been in and to remind me that there is no reason for us not to do amazing things! As for the weather, well to put it bluntly it is COLD! The sad thing is it has been in the 5o's and I feel like it is 30 degrees! Stupid humidity! The rain has stopped and the sun is out! Hopefully it will warm up a little this week! As for the work! If anyone has amazing cookie recipes please send them my way! That is about it! I just want you all to know that I KNOW the church is true! I KNOW that Christ lives and his that only way to have true happiness! Love you all Sister Beth Snoddy

Trying to stay dry

Well I guess I will start of by talking about what you have all been waiting for...the weather here in Georgia! Yesterday was beautiful! It was in the mid 60s low 70s! We woke up to rain this morning and it has been raining all day! I have heard that it is suppose to rain all most of the week! I don't know how this will effect the flooding but I sure it won't help it at all! I don't live by any rivers or creeks so I will( should be okay) Anyway enough of the weather! I got a new companion on Wednesday! She is only with sister Leavitt and I for a week because she came a week before transfers! Her name is Sister Goodrich, she is from Kearns Ut but clams St George because she lived there for 5 years before she left for her mission. She was Called to Nauvoo and served there for about 6 months before coming here to Georgia! She will be in Georgia for 6 months! Which I guess brings me to another subject that you have all been waiting for ... Transfers! Well I'm very happy to say that I'm staying in Conyers! With Sister Leavitt and our greenie! That's right we are going to train together! Yesterday was a very stressful day! I not knowing what was happening but hoping and praying that I could stay in Conyers! I love that lady pray that her heart will be softened and that she will at some point be baptised! As for the other work, well things have really slowed down! We don't really have anyone that is progressing, so that is hard! Anyway Pray that we can find a lot of new investigators and that we will be able to see some great success! WEll I want you all to know that I know this church is true! I know that I that Christ lives and that he loves us! I know the Book of Mormon to be the word of God! Stay strong and look to him in all things, he will guide you ! I love you all!Sister Beth Snoddy

Amazing week!

This week as been nothing less then a spiritual feast! We had a great district meeting on Tuesday, then Wednesday we had interviews with President King! We had interviews at the International bike park, it was so pretty up there! I will send pictures of it as soon as I get them. Anyway the Zone leaders planned some pretty spiritual activities, for us while we waited for our interview. Then Saturday is when it really got good! We had 2 amazing hours of Conference, Followed by a baptism of Bloise Avery! The spirit was so strong 1 I know that he was prepared for this time, and that the Savior truly has great things in store for him! The baptism was followed by two more great hours of Conference! Then Sunday was filled with Great conference and a few good lessons! There were so many great talks I don't know how to pick a favorite but I will say that Elder Holland was up there on the top of my list, a long with President Eyring, Utchdorf , Bednar and Perry! I think that conference gets better every time I watch it! Oh President King told us at interviews that there are 6 new sisters coming to the mission on the 14th ! There are 12 sisters right know which means that it will effect every companionship in the mission! This saddens me because I LOVE sister Leavitt and the chances of us stying together are few! He also told us that the sister that is coming to us from Nauvoo will be joining us a week early and he wanted to have her join our companionship for that week! I'm pretty excited for it! A little change is Alas fun! Oh one more thing, with transfers coming and Me not being sure that I'm staying in Conyers I would ask you to send all the mail to the mission office until next Monday when I know where I will be! This will insure that I will get all the great letter that you send me! Thank you! Well I love you all! I want you all to know that I KNOW that the church is true! I KNOW that Christ Lives, I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God! I know that Joseph Smith was Prophet of God and that Thomas S. Monson is a true and Living Prophet on the earth today and as we heed to his counsel and true live the words that we have heard in conference we will be able to stand strong against Satan in these last days! Love you Sister Beth Snoddy

All is well

... As for the rest of the Atlanta area, well that is a different story . There is some very big devastation in certain areas, most of which are not in my mission. Some have said that it is as bad if not worse then hurricane Katrina. I have not seen any of it! It is all just hear say from people in the ward. This is the one time I wish we could watch the news! I have no idea what is going on here! In fact I guess they closed some of the major roads around here on Monday night and cancelled school on Tuesday because of the high rivers that run through town! I had no idea any of this was happening until Tuesday at about 2 Tuesday! Because of the floods they called on the elders quorums and high priest groups in the stake to go to Pouder Springs Stake yesterday and help clean up! The Priesthood leaders that I talked to said it was really bad and very sad. But it also made Church very interesting! We had enough priesthood to bless and pass the sacrament(thanks to the Deacons) but that was about it. It was fast Sunday here so we had a lot of testimonies on Relief Society and how it has blessed their lives and the lives of there families. Then one lone man stood and said "Okay I can't take it anymore I have to stand and tell you all how Relief Society has blessed my life!" He then went on to share a very cool story how have Relief Society has impacted his life! well this has been a very long email but I love you all and what you to know that I KNOW the church is true! I KNOW CHRIST lives! I know that this is his work and that I'm just the mouth piece for the Lord! I know that Thomas S Monson is a true and living Prophet on the earth today! I can't wait to hear him speak! I love you Beth

It's raining in Georgia

Hello all! Well in reading mom and dads emails I figure I better start with the weather today! It started raining Wednesday night and has been raining ever since! It goes through spurts where it will just down pour like I have never seen before then it will be like you were walking under the misters at the grocery store! It has still been in the high 70s/low 80s and needless to say very humid! Last night there was a flash flood warning for the greater Atlanta area ( So basically my whole mission!) that was in effect until 2 pm today I believe! There are some cool lighting and thunderstorms happening though! We haven't had any problem with flooding here that I know of and I have been told that the rain we are getting now is nothing compared to the remnants of a hurricane! So things are very wet but all is well! We had a very cool experience this week. It started on Wednesday night as we were planning our day for Thursday and we couldn't decide what to do from 1 to 2 on Thursday, we talked about a couple different things but none of them felt right but we decided to close planning figuring that whatever we decided to do would be good. Well we were out with a member on Thursday morning and as we were about to go get lunch(so it was about 12 o clock) we got a text message with information of someone that wanted a bible( we call this a text message from the Lord) as we talked to the member about the way the referrals worked and she said, "well call her and lets take her the bible before I take you home. Well we called but she couldn't met with until one! As we went into give her the Bible we started talking about the restoration and the Prophet Joseph Smith, as we taught her she told us that she had met with the Missionaries about 8 years ago in Alabama and had been searching for the same spirit she had felt with them ever since! She also told us that she felt like God had sent us to her! We then told her the story of planning and not knowing what to do at one o'clock! She then started to cry and said that she now knew why she was suppose to be in Conyers and that she hasn't felt that good since she moved her 3 years ago! We have seen her everyday since and she came to church yesterday and loved it! We have set a baptismal date of the 3rd of October! I'm so excited for her! We sent a referral over there for someone to start teaching her! Please pray for our investigators! Well I better go! I love you all! Sister Beth Snoddy!

Creating Memories

This week has been a good one! It started with a busy yet relaxing p-day! I got to take a 2 hour nap! It doesn't get any better than that! However, because of that no one got real letters so I'm sorry! On Tuesday we had Zone Conference! It was really good! Our zone Conferences consist of training with President King, Sister King and the Senior Couple in charge of cars and housing! President King talked about pride and also teaching the lessons more effectively! Sister King taught about staying healthy and told us to get a flu shot! SO I guess I will bite the bullet and get a flu shot! Then we had lunch and Zone Break outs! This is where the zone leaders give their training! It was on Charity and love! It was really good! They encouraged us to truly find love for those that we serve with so that our investigators can see that love! Oh and the best part of the Zone conference is my Comp and I won Cleanest car and also were one of the top in cleanest apartments! Miracles do happen! Wednesday and Thursday we started to paint our apartment in the morning then worked hard at night! But the best part of the week was Saturday when I got to meet Dale Murphy! He is a really large man! In fact I think it would be safe to say he is as big as Elder Oaks if not Bigger! Him and his wife gave a special fireside for just the missionaries first and then opened it up the rest of the public! In his fireside to us he just told us great stories of being a mission president and how much he respects us for what we do! He told us that when he was mission president he tried to live the life of a missionary for a week. He said that he went to a walking area planning on walking everywhere with them and eating only what they ate etc, He said he didn't even make it a day before he was driving them around and buying them food! and even then he didn't make it a whole week before he went home! During the fireside for the public he talked about the lessons he learned while playing baseball! He said one the biggest things he learned is that challenges are going to happen but you can't run from them you just have to face them head on! It was so cool! This will be in the top of my favorites for my mission, I'm sure! Also on Saturday at the fireside I was blessed to run into one of my friends(Rob Bell) from SUU! He just moved to the ATL to go to school! It was a great tender mercy to be able to see him and talk about home a little! Well it is our Zone Pday so I'm going to go play so Volleyball with the Elders.! I love you all! Thank you for your love and support! Love Sister Beth Snoddy!

New companion

Hey All! Well I have my new Companion, and I LOVE her! Her name is Sister Jessica Leavitt! She is from Gunlock Utah. She went to high school with Mike Brown's son Robert in enterpraise! We also found out that she knows and is good friends with my good friend Meliane Keiffer!( Many of you have met her,I think) Oh and her step brother was in my MTC Zone! So we have a lot in common and have a good time while we are out working hard! Speaking of working hard, keep praying for them! Well I love you all! thanks for your prayers and support! love Sister Snoddy!

Staying in Conyers!

Well the calls are in, I'm staying in Conyers for at least 6 more weeks! And I'm not training! Both of these things make me very happy! I love the Conyers Ward and the people in Conyers. I feel that I have a lot of work still to do here! One of the people I feel I need to help is a lady named Ruth. She is the wife of the 2nd counsler in the Bisphopric. She was raised very strict Catholic and has a hard time excepting a lot of the things we believe! Infact until the Sister Shaw and Sister Humphries came she wouldn't even let missionaries in the house and now she takes us to DQ and lets us teach a little on the way. Her husband told us yesterday that when we left their house the last time she said there is something about us girls and maybe she should listen a little more! I'm so excited about this! She could use all the prayers she can get! We are still working with Sherry Gotell! I think that she will be baptized on the 19th of Sept. Her biggest challenge will be getting work off on Sunday! I know that as she makes the commitment to be baptized that things will work out so she can be at church more! As for other things the weather here as been very rainy and humid! It was only 67 degrees it felt so nice! Church was very goodyesterday! We had two youth speakers. They both did a great job speaking on Missionary work and then We (the 4 missionaries and the 2 youth speakers) and the bishops family sang as sister of Zion and Armies of Heleman! and then Sister Humphries and I both spoke! It was a very powerful meeting! the spirit was very strong! Well I need to keep it short today because we have a lot to do today! I love you all! You are all in my prayers !Love Sister Beth Snoddy

Hey!

Lets start with the best news ever! Angella got baptised on Saturday! Last time I wrote I told you that she told us that she wanted to be baptized but wasn't sure when. Well we went to her house on Tuesday and she asked if Saturday was to soon! I was so excited I couldn't handle it! We met with her again on Thursday to finish teaching the 3rd and 4th, and reveiw baptismal interview questions. Well we were going over the interview questions some things came out which meant that President King would have to interview her. So we left the house and called President King to see if there was anyway he could come and interview her before Saturday. He told us he would be here first thing in the morning! So Friday mornig she was interviewed and after the interview President King told us that while he was interviewing her he had very clear feelings and thougths that she would hold High callings in the women's organizations in the ward! Her baptism was amazing the spirit was so strong! I love her so much! She has been a true blessing to me, my compainion and the ward! As for everything else! well it is good! We had apartment inspections this week and we past with flying colors! But we had our bread and chips in the stove( thanks Grandpa Mike!) and the Sister that does the inspections looked at us like we were crazy! So I told her about grandma and why we had it in there and she thought it was so cool and the she said that she was going to write in her Journal! Anway I better go! I love you all! Sister Beth Snoddy!

Hey y'all

Hello Everyone! This week has been a good week! A little crazy but good! We had a some really great lessons and we had some lessons that made us feel like we are teaching in the middle of the circus! Our investigator Angella is progressing nicely! She told me yesterday that she knows she needs to be baptized she just hasn't decided on a date! We our hoping for the 29th! Our other investigator Sherry is still looking at being bapitized at the end of sept! I was thinking that the 23rd would be a great day! I had my first interveiw with the mission president on friday! that was a very good expriecents! He reconfromed to me that I'm serving were I need to be serving and that there are people here for me to teach and touch! I love this work! I can see it making a difference in my life already! It is so nice to also see the Lord working through us and guiding us as we go! Yesterday at dinner I was talking to one of the Zone leaders about my Comp going home in 16 days and he told me that we wouldn't be suprised if I was training someone in 16 days! I was a little over whelmed at that statement and he went on to tell me that in his interiew he talked with President king about how much of a power house missionary I was! I told him it was not nice to lye! It was very nice of him to saw because at times I feel like I need to do so much more and that I'm not reay for my trainer to go home in 16 days! Well I better go! I love you all! I know the church is true and that I'm doing the work The Lord has for me to do! With a lot of love!Sister Beth Snoddy!

Hello form Conyers, Georgia

Well this week as not been nearly as exciting as last week! Which is good and bad! Bad because we have been having a hard time finding people to teach but it is good because no one as yelled at us! Well Sherry Gotell told us that she would like to be baptized in Sept! I was very happy about this! My comp was a little sad because she more then likely wont be here for it becasue she goes home on the Second of Sept! She would be baptized earlier and but she has to work on sundays so she is hoping that she will be able to have more sundays off when things at the Hotel that she works at slows done! As for the other good news our investigator Angela showed up to church yesterday! I was so happy! And the spirit was so strong! She even particapated in the classes! I think that she will be baptized by the end of the month! We started teaching a family of seven! Four of which are older then 8! I'm hoping that things progress with them! they despritely(sp) need the gospel in there life! You might find this enjoyable but I was told I should be a polition! I laughed! So I guess I havent learned something more then blee blar blar during all of those political talks! Well this letter is a little boring but it is all I have! I will blame it on the fact that my brain as been fried in the heat! and I'm still a sleep from the nap I took this morning but I LOVE my nap! I love you all! Beth thanks so much for all your letters! I really enjoy them all!

Message from Sister King

Hello, Families...Hope all is well with you! Here's the latest from the Georgia Atlanta North Mission:1-As you can see from the newsletter, we had 17 new elders and sisters arrive on July 21st! That made for a full house at the mission home...but we enjoyed it! They all returned for a trainer/trainee meeting 10-days later...to hear more instruction from President King and practice their missionary skills.2-We enjoyed three days of Zone Conferences on July 28-30th. We talked about many things--but highlights included discussions on unity, obedience/keeping our eye single toqualify for the blessings the Lord promises to missionaries, and finding people to teach--particularly, this summer, in public places (see the banners we distributed on page 2 of the newsletter) and finished with film clips from President Monson's life on responding to and living by the Spirit.*Thought you might also enjoy seeing one of the most creative "finding" ideas yet! The Conyers missionaries procured a booth at their big July 4th community celebration, where several hundred people attended. Elder Hunter--a former football player who stands about 6'5" tall--dressed up as Goliath while children threw water balloons (not stones!) at him. Bishop Buck helped all day, filling hundreds of balloons. Elder Kilpelainen and Sisters Shaw and Humphries were also involved--and they all worked at gathering people to the booth, telling the kids the story of David and Goliath and putting King David crowns on the kids after they threw their balloons (complete with mormon.org stickers on the back). All the missionaries got many chances to "talk to everyone" about the Church, teach Gospel truths, and build good will in the community. Children even recognized Elder Hunter as Goliath around town later on!

Currently, we are spending time in each zone doing individual interviews with the missionaries. It is great getting to talk to each one personally and hear of their concerns and successes.Again, we are grateful to be serving with the many valiant missionaries who do many wonderful things here in the Georgia Atlanta North Mission. We've also been practicing "We'll Bring the World His Truth" for a potential big event or two this fall...stay tuned! And, please, keep those weekly letters/emails of encouragement coming--they LOVE hearing from home!Love,Sister King

Part 2

Okay to prevent what happend last time I thought would split the email!So i jsut told you about Angela ward! She is amazing! Next we have Bryson Ledfords Baptism! He is an 8 year old little boy that comes from a broken home and a very stressfull life! It was so good! Stressfull but good! the spirit was so strong and testified of the truefuliness for the gospel the whole time! Which is good because his Family is less active and had a big awaking yesterday! So there was same debate as to rather it was a convert baptism or not, but when it was all said and done they decided it was!( will give details of that later!) Then next thing that was so amazing was my first Zone conference! The spirit was so strong there and again bore testimony to me that this is were I need to be! We also had a trainer/trainee trainging meetting! President king ask all 17 of us who had taugth the 4th lesson this week and I was the only on that had taught it! I was pretty please with that! I try to work as hard as I can and do all that we wants me to do ! We have a lady that will have a baptismal date for us on tuesday! I'm excited to she her faith grow and take this step! A week ago she wouldn't even as far as committing to baptism and know she is praying for a date! The work is real and is moving forward! The last piece of info I have is that We( the missionaries in the Conyers ward) put on a musical fireside last night teaching the first lesson! It was very cool! the spirit was strong and touch the investigators hearts! I hope to see the seed that the fireside planted grow into fruit to be harvested! The ward here is very supportive and loving! I have not have to go without because of the love of the ward members. One lady gave us 4 rolls of paper towels and 24 rolls of paper tp! Another guy works for genral mills and give us all the ceral we need! And another member owns a dry cleaners and will dry clean for us for free! these are just few ways I have been blessed! Please pass these blessing on the missionaries in your wards! I love you all! Sister Beth Snoddy!

Part 1

Well this week as been full of ups and downs. Thankfully more ups then downs. I will start with the bad and then dwell on the positives! I think i told you about the Lady Annie that came to church with us last sunday ( July 26th) Well we had a crazy busy week so we finaly made it to see her on friday afternoon. When we go there she was very anger towards us and told us she didn't want to talk to us many more. We didn't understand why she was so mad but as we were leaving she came out and told us that she was mad becasue I had told here that we couldn't take her to wendys on the way home from church! She went on to tell my companion that she loves her and that she (Sister Humpries) was very sincere and loving and the her and sister Shaw were welcome back anytime but not me because I'm not loving and sincere like them! OUCH! I knew that there would be times when people would reject the message I bring but I never really thought they would reject me like that! I was very very upset. I had done my best. Anyway I had the Zone leaders give me a blessing! It was a great comfort to me! I was blessed with a lot things but the two that hit me the most was, Be Humble and of course be PATIENT! He also told me that through this I would be able to have MORE campassion and love, and that this exprience with bless me as i deal with my husband and Kids! ( Hi I have been out a week and I'm being blessed with things that will help me with my husband... and then told that it will help! I would be one thing just to let me learn it but to tell me that in the blessing... how am I suppose to not think about my future husbasnd when he is brought up in in my blessing! help me focus!) Okay on with the good! We met a lady that had called and requested the missionaries! She is behond GOLDEN! She pretty much told us the first lessen minus the first vision. Oh and she quoted president Hinckley! She watches BYU TV all that time! Pray for Angela Ward! she is a choosen daugther of God and satan is going to work really hard on her!

Welcome to Georgia

Well I just spent about the last hour writing you the longest email and I lost it! So you are going to get a really condenced letter! I'm in Conyers inner. The town here is about the same distance of the 5th ward, minus a lake in the middle of it! due the that the ward has 2 sets of missionaries. The zone leaders have Conyers outer! The members feed both set every night! I love the ward here it reminds me a lot of the 5th ward! They are very welcoming and loving! I have to say that the bishops biggest fear come true yesterday and no one showed up to talk. So guess who got to talk! Yep me! So it was me and the bishop! but it went very well! About the my trainer, She is 24, from west Jordan. She has about 5 more weeks left here in the mission. thats right I have to learn all I can about this area and being a great missioary before she goes home! Oh and she can't drive,so I have to! Which is a little scary and a blessing at the same time because I has helped me learn the area alot faster! WE have a baptism on saturday! Our goal is 6 before she leaves! Pray for us! I better go I love you all! I know the church is true!LOve Sister Beth snoddy

a letter from the mission President

Hello...parents of these wonderful new missionaries! Don't they look fantastic? Thought you'd like to see for yourselves!Just wanted you to know they arrived safely this afternoon at the Atlanta Airport. They began proselyting immediately and had a great experience on the MARTA trains...talking to everyone they saw and handing out copies of the Book of Mormon, "Truth Restored"/mormon.org cards and Church pamphlets. We enjoyed dinner (they were starving!), a testimony meeting and introductions to the mission and each other. Each one had an interview with President King (all 17!)...plus they wrote their testimonies, opened your wonderful letters(thank you!) and found out where they'll be serving and who their trainers/companions will be. It was a wonderful evening. You'll be receiving two letters shortly--one from your missionary and another from us with a printed picture for their scrapbooks.Thank you for training up such wonderful young people. They come to us well-prepared, happy and optimistic...with deep testimonies. Please be sure to write them an encouraging letter every week...and they will also write you. There will be many marvelous experiences to share.Any questions or concerns...please let us know!Best wishes,President and Sister King (and 16-year old Connor)Georgia Atlanta North Mission

Last day in the MTC

Well today is my last full day in the MTC! It seems that being on a mission is full of bitter sweet experiences! The first being arraiving at the MTC! Your so happy to finailly be there but so sad to say goodbye then after 3 of the fasted/longest weeks of your life they send you off to start spreading the gospel!(which I'm so excited for!) but at the same time you have to leave everyone you have became fast friends with and you have to face the real world! I'm not sure I'm ready for that! I just want to stay in this nice little bubble they call the MTC! Well Yesterday was the sunday of nothing but meetings it seems. I had Relief Society. Which was amazing! Sister Madson( As in Sister Truman Madson) came to talk to us! Then we had a Disitric meeting then we had a lunch then we had Sacrament meeting! ( you thougth 1 oclock church was bad try 1:45) then we had a little free time! ( I got a nap!) then it was dinner, followed by the depature devotional which was followed by the Sunday night fireside which was followed by an amazing distiric testimony meeting! I know that it seems like I just rambled on for so long but that is how the day seemed, like the longest day of the year! However after the fireside an Elder that my comp and I sat by at the departure devotional came chasing us down and Said "I just want say that you sister have very strong spirits with you! I could feel it just siiting next to you! You will be amazing Missionaries!" What a great thing to hear! I hope that I'm ready for the field! I guess I will find out in 24 hours! I feel that this letter is long and very uninformitive(sp) but it is what was on my mind so I hope you all in enjoy it! I will write more from GEORGIA! Love you allSister Beth Snoddy

More from the MTC

Hey guys! Thanks so much for all your letters! It has helped so much! this week as been so good and went so fast! I have taught the first lesson like ten times! I feel really good about it. However We are teaching that the 2nd lesson tonight and I have no Idea how to do that! We have to much to study and do and never enough time to do it all! I had a really cool experience the other night when we were out contacting people(other missionaries!) We stopped this trio of Elders and started to teach them the first lesson and when I started to quote the first vision the spirit was so strong! I started to cry( I know you are shocked!) and my comp had to finish it but while she was talking I looked at the Elders and all 3 of them were crying as well! It was a really cool experience and they told us that we really touched them! It felt so good to hear that we could make a difference even here in the MTC! We also taugth a teacher the other day and he had no feed back but that we totally anwsered his prayers! WOW ! It felt so good! Again I'm going to run out of time but I love you! I know the church is true and that Heavenly Father loves each of us! Please keep writing Oh I have my travel plans. I leave the MTC at 5 on tuesday the 21st and my flight leaves the SLC airport at 820! I can make one phone call before my flight so mom and dad be home around 7 in the morning on the 21st!

I love you all!Beth

ps My comps name is sister whitworth and she is from Cali! She told me the other day that her aunt is Susan W Tanner! So cool! She is a very sweet girl!We get along pretty good but I have had to get use to having someone with me all the time even just to walk to the bathroom! if you want to email me you can! I will check it on mondays But still write me real letters!

first letter from the MTC

Hey, I don't have a lot of time so I thought I would write everyone one long email this week. well the first 5 days have been good! At first it just felt like I was at an EFY focusing on missionary work but it is now starting to feel a little more normal and like I'm actually here to serve a mission! The spirit here is amazing! The first night when I met with my district and district president I just felt so right! I know this is where the Lord wants me to be! I couldn't imagine being anywhere but here! I have wondered why I waited for so long to come and serve the Lord but all I could think is that this is the time that was right I was part of Heavenly fathers plan for me! There are 3 missionaries in my Zone that leave next Wednesday to go to North Carolina! They will be serving in the mission where Richard lives. I have had the spirit testify to me that they could be the missionaries that can touch Kim and Rich's lives! Please pray that the Lord will lead them to Kim and Rich and that Kim and Rich's hearts can be softened and open to hear the message that they have for them! The forth of July was a lot of fun! They put on a little program about the history of religion and the things that had to take place in order for the restoration to take place! It was pretty cool! I learned that Jane Austin and the Author of Jane Eyre come with the founding father to the st George temple to have there work done! Cool huh! We then got to watch the Fireworks from stadium of fire! It was amazing to stand with hundreds of other missionaries and sign the star spangled banner! the spirit was amazing! I have learned so much and have had the chance to teach a couple of mini lessons! I have had the spirit testify to me so many times that I have no reason to Fear and that everything will be okay! I knew it before It is amazing to learn it again and again! I better go but I love you all! I will write you all letters today! Love Sister Beth Snoddy

She is now in the MTC

Beth is now in the MTC
Here MTC address is:
Elizabeth Ann Snoddy
MTC Mailbox # 254- o721
Atlanta Georgia North Mission
2005 N 900 E
Provo, Utah 84604-1793

this is it!

Well the waiting is over! I report to the MTC in 3hours an 45 mins! I just want to thanks everyone for all your support and prayers! I hope that you will enjoy this journey right along with as you read this blog! Please feel free to write me so that i can enjoy your adventures along with all of you!

my address in Georgia is
Georgia Atlanta North Mission
1150 Cole Dr SW
Lilburn GA 30047

To write me well in the MTC I suggest using http://www.dearelder.com/

The purpose of this blog!

As many of you know there are pretty strict rules about emailing and Internet use in general on while serving a mission. I can only email once a week to immediate family and I can only do that through the churches email service! My mom said that if I would get her a list of everyones email she would forward a letter to everyone weekly. However I don't want to leave anyone off the list or chance getting emails wrong. So here's whats going down, I will email my mom a generic email every week that she will then post here! This way everyone will be able to come and get the scoop from Georgia as they please! I hope that everyone will enjoy this blog and the it will fulfil the measure of its creation!

receiving the call

The cell phones on speaker phone while I read my call!

Of course My call came the one day that week I didn't get ready for the day!

My papers were received in Salt Lake on a Monday(March 16th) and I had received a call from my Bishop that my call was in the mail on Friday(March 20th)! Again things were moving quickly! Of course starting the following monday (March23rd) I would rush home on my lunch break and check the email. And for 3 days I would be so excited as I pulled up to the mailbox and then pull away so disappointed. So on Thursday March 26th I had pretty much given up hope that it would be coming at all that week. However with what little hope I had left I went ahead drove home to check the mail. On the way I got stopped by a train, stuck behind the slowest driver ever! I thought I bet my call is here because my patiences is being tried! And sure enough there it was, 11 days after my papers had been sent to Salt Lake the call was in my hands! I had told my family and friends that I when my call came I would wait until after work to open it so that anyone that wanted to be there could! However it didn't work that way. I ended up driving with my mom into my sister's store, where we met up with my dad, my sister, her husband, Bishop Mangum and his wife and Craig Mergenthaler(however he was too slow and I didnt wait for him to get there before I opened the Call)! It was prefect! I will never forget the moment I read you have been called to Serve in the Georgia Atlanta North Mission. There is a power in the call that reassures you that your call is from the Lord and he truly knows where you need to go!

Making the Decision

Seen as this blog is devoted to my mission I find it only fitting that I share the story of how I came to making the decision of serving a mission!
After being back in Helena for about 7 months I started to feel like I was just sitting here taking up space and not really doing much with my life. I started thinking of all the different things I could do,for example; move back to Cedar City and going back to work at Head Start, Going back to school and getting a degree in Social work, or even just moving to some random place, doing so random job. Yet none of these things seemed to be right. After much pondering and prayer I decided to seek counsel from the Bishop. I met with him on Feb.1st, and in that meeting he asked me if I had ever thought about going on a mission. I quickly replied "yes but it's not for me and besides I'm to old to go on a mission now"! After much talk he encouraged me to pray about it and told me that we would meet again soon. In my mind I was thinking yeah yeah, I'll pray about but I will get the same answer I've received before and end up right back at square one. Well I went home and said a little pray and pretty much said I will do thy will but... I would really like thy will to be... and went onto tell him my will. Over the next week I pondered and prayed about it a lot. By the end of the first week I had come to the decision that either decision was right, but I knew that one had to be better then the other. So I kept praying and pondering. I even call a few friends and family members looking for advice. Hoping that someone would tell me what I wanted to hear. I was fighting the feeling in a huge way! I had a hard time giving up my will and truly letting his will be done, Until I was praying on the Morning of Feb 15Th, exactly 2 weeks from my first talk with my Bishop, when I realized that his will had become my will and that I truly did have a desire to serve a mission. I went the Bishop that day and we start the paper work right away. I had my papers done and in a month! I have no doubt that the Lord has work for me to do and that he needs me to go NOW! There was not time for me to sit around and debate if I should go or not.