Hello family!
It sounds like there are a lot of good things going on at home!
Congrats to Alisha and Rachel!  How exciting! And I'm so excited to
hear about how trek goes!  I guess I'll have to wait a couple more
weeks for that though!  I'm sure it'll be great!  Mom, I'm also
postive that your talk and Dad's were wonderful! I can just imagine
how much the members at the Gardens loved hearing about Grandpa!
I can't believe you're just barely picking cherries!  We've been
eating cherries for at least a month and I think all the ones from
around here are pretty much gone now!  We've moved onto watermelons
and apricots.  Since we're so many people here in Artashat have
apricot trees, almost everywhere we go they give them to us!  I don't
think I've ever eaten so many in my life, and they are SO good, so
I'll just continue to eat them! We bought our first watermelon last
week, we had heard they were a little expensive, but very delicious,
so we decided to try.  We ended up paying 2500 dram for it-so about a
little over 5 dollars! It was more expensive than we were thinking,
but it was SO good!  Mmm-I love all the fresh fruits and vegetables!
This week was pretty good Knar came back from Georgia this week and
then left again yesterday, so we taught her everyday, but no matter
how we tried, she wouldn't read the Book of Mormon on her own.  Every
lesson we read with her instead of teaching new material.  Then
yesterday she told us she didn't want to meet anymore and didn't want
to read the Book of Mormon at all.  I feel so disappointed and sad at
her decision, but at the same time I feel at peace with it.  I've felt
how important it really is to read the Book of Mormon-every day!  For
our sake-so we can learn how to gain a better relationship with Christ
and our Heavenly Father, so we can really gain our own testimony of
the gospel.  Sometimes it is so hard to accept the decisions that
others make!  I am amazed at the love I feel for these people! As
we've visited with people of all different status, I have felt love
for each of them.  And more than that, I've felt that Heavenly Father
loves them so much, whether or not they recognize Him or His hand in
their life.  I feel like that is at least one reason why we share the
gospel.  So people can learn of the precious relationship we can have
with our Heavenly Father, so they can feel His love, recognize it as
His love, learn how to become like Him, and to learn and do the things
necessary to return to Him.  More and more I feel so blessed to be
apart of this gospel!
I had a couple of people on my mind this week-Cortney and the
Chadwicks-how are they?  Have you heard from them recently?  Just
wondering how things are.
I love you all!  I hope you all have a great week!

Love, Sis. Broadbent

Ps.-Happy late anniversary Mom and Dad!  Love you! You're the best!

Barev dzez family!

  

This week was good-since you requested, I'll try to tell you a bit about where we are-I'm not sure I can describe it, but I'll try.  Artashat is HOT!! We think the high this last week was around 110 F-but we think in general it's been closer to 95-100.  I'm amazed at how bearable it's been-I'm positive the Lord is helping us, so we don't feel that it is as hot as it really is-and I am SO grateful!  We have this little city, surrounded by little neighborhoods.  People either live in apartments, like ours, or seperate houses.  In general, if they live in a house then they have a hyat, or garden-and its generally pretty large-they grow a lot of things that we do at home, but they are convinced that all the fruits and vegetables here are better than anywhere else in the world-I can't say for sure, but I'm beginning to agree!  We were able to eat the first pickings of apricots, and even though they weren't fully ripe, they already taste how ours at home taste! Delicious!  We are so grateful that there are so many fresh fruits and vegetables!  I'll have to send some pictures of our Artashat-most of the side streets aren't paved, and once you get into the little neighborhoods there are fields of trees, grapes, and wheat, etc.  I love it!  Life is so hangist-so calm-and the people are so welcoming (for the most part).  I'll have to send pictures so you can see it.

We met the neatest lady this week!  We were out contacting, had stopped to talk to this man, and as we finished we turned and felt this lady watching us.  We decided to talk to her-she ended up telling us about how her two sons had died, how she recently found out she has breast cancer, and how she felt this need to change and be cleaned in her life.  As we testified-she began to cry.  Despite being in the middle of the street, the spirit was SO strong!  We've been to teach her a couple of times, and she's been so open and accepting!  She feels so prepared!  We're praying that her heart remains open and that she gains a testimony of the gospel.  I'll try to remember to update you next week on how it goes.

Yesterday we had district conference, with all of the Armenian members.  Elder Schwietzer and his wife came (the area authority-it was their last assignment, before going back to Utah) and then Bishop Stevenson and his wife (the new presiding bishop).  The meeting was so good, but even better was the meeting we had with them and all the missionaries.  They taught us about diligence-about how diligence is more about the persistence and quality than the pace we go.  Elder Schwietzer taught how diligence is sincerly praying, one prayer at a time; keeping the commandments one day at a time; following the promptings of the spirit one prompting at a time-taking it moment by moment, but giving our all as we do so.  He talked about how in the daily diligence and persistence that we grow and become who we need to become.  Bishop Stevenson talked a bit about it too, and then talked about the song Brightly Beams our Father's Mercy (a group of Elders sang it and it was absolutely AMAZING) and how we are the lower lights.  He talked about in how important our diligence is, so that we can be the light that helps guide people to the Savior.  What a sacred responsibility we hold!  As missionaries and members!  We are so blessed!  And because of what we have and hold so dear, the Lord is asking us to help others come to Him!  How neat that the Lord has asked us to work alongside Him!  He doesn't just sit and give us directions in the work; doesn't expect us or as us to work alone.  He works with us and through us!  Can you imagine!  The Savior of the world working near us and guiding us?! Wow!  I truly know this is His work!  I know He loves us!  

I love you all!  I hope your week is wonderful! 

Love you!

Sis. Broadbent

Mary's letter June 11, 2012

Just a little side note - the first bit is in reference to Mary's best friend Callee, whose father past away this weekend, very unexpectedly.   Because Callee and Mary are like sisters and both sets of parents have often been referred to as Mom and Dad by both girls, we decided we needed to let Mary's mission Pres know about Bill's passing.  The Carter's were very understanding and I had the opportunity to have a nice chat with Pres Carter on Saturday.  They decided that since Mary would be opening the email at an internet cafe, that that wouldn't be the best place for her to hear about Bill's death, so they called her Sunday morning.

We are so blessed to have a loving Father in Heaven who cares for our every need and helps us through all things!

Barev dzez!

I can't begin to tell you how I feel about Bill-Pres. Carter called me
yesterday, both he and Sis. Carter talked with me.  My heart just
aches for the Griffins, knowing their Grandpa recently died, but I
feel so at peace-because we have the gospel.  We are so blessed!  I'm
especially worried for Callee-a little tender mercy about that.  As I
was finishing talking to Pres. Carter I was thinking about writing
her, and how much easier it would be to email.  I almost asked, but
decided that rules didn't need to be bent for me, so I determined to
write a postcard and send it, since they get there faster.  About 30
minutes after our phone call had ended, Pres. Carter called back and
said he felt like it would be a good thing if I emailed Callee-so he
gave me permission.  The Lord truly knows!
I'm so grateful the Lord is with us!  And what a blessing for Darren
following the promptings of the spirit so he could be home with the
family!  And I was thinking about what a sweet reunion in likely was
for Bill and their little boy!
Will you be sure to give them all lots of hugs for me and let them
know I send my love and am praying for them?

This week has been good-it's been fun getting into a routine with Sis.
Tolman-and so fun to introduce her to the people that I've come to
love.  It's funny, I didn't realize how much I already love them until
I was able to tell her about all of them.  Sis. Tolman is great-such a
hard worker! She grew up in Logan on a farm-so she's quickly fallen in
love with Artashat because of all the fields, gardens, and farms.  I
feel like I'm already learning so much from her-she has brought a
great perspective!  We both feel like there is so much potential here
and are working to find those who are prepared for the gospel.  I
can't remember if I told you about Virab-but we visit him daily.  He's
one of the oldest members here and for years they held church in his
home.  We always go with the intent of sharing a spiritual message,
and he ends up teaching us!  We had a really neat experience the first
day we went after Sis. Tolman came.  We had thought about what we
could share with him, prayed about it, and decided on a couple of
scriptures.  When we got to his home, he was working out in his hard
and was too busy to come in, but his daughter, who was visiting,
invited us in.  We started chatting and felt like we could share our
scriptures with her.  As we shared them and talked with her about
them, she started to cry.  She was so touched.  Through her tears, she
expressed her thanks for us and for the scriptures we had shared, she
said it was just what she needed.  Sis Tolman and I talked about how
amazing the spirit is-and the tender mercies we receive.  Since we had
prepared our lesson with Virab in mind, but we had really been able to
help his daughter.  It was the neatest experience!

So, as I thought of humility there were a few things I decided on-that
humility is recognizing the greatness of God and His hand in our
lives, it's trusting him, doing as he asks without murmuring-and it
fits with so many other things like patience, faith, charity,
knowledge.  It's also like dad said-becoming the Sons and Daughters of
God.  As I've read from the Book of Mormon this week, I've decided
that to really become a child of God-we have to have that change of
heart.  We have to become converted.  And while we are all His
children-it is different to BECOME His Sons and Daughters.

Just about out of time.  But I know-I've felt more than ever the past
couple of weeks-that God is our literal Heavenly Father.  He knows us,
He's aware of us, and He is near us.  He gave us His Son!  And because
of His Son, we have the opportunity to be with our family forever!
The Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ-He gospel in its fullness has been
restored to the Earth and we are apart of that blessing! I know it is
true!

I love you all!  I hope this next week is great!

Metz sirov,

Kuyr Broadbent


ps-I just realized I didn't write about Zone conference-but it was amazing!

Love you!

Mary's Mission letter June 4, 2012

Barev dzez im sireli untanik! (so I don't know what this means because she has written it in "English" and you can't translate it unless it is written in Armenian! Barev dzez means dear family)

 It was fun to see you write a bit in Armenian, and it feels so neat to understand it!  The one, մէծ սիրով, that you said means big love-its really more of "with a lot of love".  If that makes sense.

A little bit of housekeeping before I jump into the week....I recently found out that we're not supposed to even read emails from anyone other than family-I guess it provides too much of a temptation to write back...I know it's a challange for those not family, especially considering the mail system, but I also know there are blessings with obedience.  But we get DearElders regularly, which is basically the same as email.....  On that note-will you let Callee know that a letter is on the way-en route-but I really have no clue when she'll get it-and while I can't read her emails anymore, I appreciate her love and support and assuming she started her papers-congrats! I am SO  excited for her!

Last week we had a lot attend church-this week-almost half of what we had last week-shat kich-but it's not really in our control.  Even though we were small in numbers, it was a wonderful day! We have a senior couple that comes to our branch and the wife is trying to learn Armenian-she bore her testimony in Armenian and it was so sweet! All of the members loved it and were SO happy with her!  Sis. Bailey also bore her testimony for her last Sunday here-it was so good, not to mention all of the other testimonies.  A lot of the members testified about the importance of our trials and how we learn from them-I am also so impressed with our members, especially with that perspecitive; I often feel like they have so many more things that burden them, maybe not more, but different.  Our trials are all so different, for each of us individually, specifically tailored for our needs, so we can be taught.  Truly, I know the Lord knows us-He is always near us, and He wants for us to learn from our trials-to grow and improve.  I was reading in Mosiah 23 today and there were a couple of things that stood out-1st, verse 15-it tells about how Alma taught that we need to love our neighbor as ourself-I love this! The teaching itself is good, but more than that I love how scriptures like this really show that The Book of Mormon is another testiment of Jesus Christ-how it teaches of Christ, leads us to Christ, and how it shows that the Book of Mormon is true! More than 100 years before the coming of Christ, and Alma teaches the same thing that Christ would teach-using the same wording-coincidence? Not at all! There is no way the prophet Jospeh could have possibly written it!  Only translated through the power of God!  So amazing! 2nd-verse 21-it talks about how the Lord chastens His people and tries their patience and faith-thus trials.  But how He does it for our good.  A member the other day was saying that something bad that had happened couldn't possibly be from God-and maybe He didn't make it happen, but He allows things to happen for our benefit, so we can gain that experience and knowledge.  Knowledge is such an amazing thing!  2 Nep. 15:13 talks about how the people were brought into captivity because of a lack of knowledge.  This also reminded me of D&C 131(?) where it says that we cannot be saved in ignorance.  But on the other hand in D&C 82 it says that he who sins against the greater light receives the greater condemnation.  Knowledge is SO powerful!  I was thinking about how there are a couple of really important keys with knowledge.  The first is that we must gain it; through studying, pondering, receiving revelation from the Spirit:  really seeking knowledge.  The 2nd is the responsibility we carry once we have knowledge:  to share what we know, and as we've been taught from the apostales, as we share what we know our own testimony is strengthened.  We also have the responsibilty to act according to our knowledge.  Can you imagine being filled with spiritual knowledge- knowing how we need to live, what we need to change in our life, how to change, all of the secrets of the God's kingdom and such-and just sitting on the couch, not even thinking about it or doing anything about it?  It just doesn't fit.  When we have that knowledge we need to act accordingly, so we are not condemned because of what we know but aren't doing.  So many things revolve around our actions, desires, and how we change (faith, patience, charity....)they are all so connected.  I also really like what it says in the bible dictionary about knowledge "...are given....to know what to worship and how to worship..." our knowledge helps us with those two things.  I was thinking about how we know that we worship God our Father and His Son Jesus Christ-I think that in doing so, we come to know our Father better and our Savior better-we learn about their characteristics and we learn how to emulate them-so we can truly become like them, which in the end is our goal.  I don't know-kind of cool-food for thought.  And since knowledge is the only thing we can really take with us after this life....why not do what we can to gain it?

With that in mind...there's a couple of things I was thinking about studying this next week.  The first is humility.  What does it mean for be humble?  How do we become humble and remain humble?  Why is it important for us?  The second is becoming a son and daughter of God.  I know we are all children of our Heavenly Father, and that He loves us because we ARE His children, but all through out the scriptures it talks about becoming a son or daughter of God.  What does that mean?  We already are, so how do we BECOME?  What does the life of a son or daughter of God look like?  Food for thought....

And the big news of the week......brace yourself, it's big-and unexpected for all the sisters here.  As you know, Sis. Bailey is going home.  Sis. Burnham is also going home.  And it's transfers this week.  We thought a couple, maybe a few companionships would be affected, but alas, all of the sisters have been switched a bit.  Sis. Beal, who has been here 12 weeks longer than us, will be with Sis. Bobzien-both are VERY nervous since they are both so new.  This was VERY unexpected since we though Sis. Tolman would stay with Sis. Bobzien and at least finish her training.  As it is, Sis. Tolman is coming down here with me to finish my training.  I am SO excited to work with her!  Then another sister is going up to take Sis. Beal's place.  There are two sisters who will have mini missionaries (members from the branches) until the new group of missionaries gets her in July.  It'll all be so great!  I know some of the other sisters are nervous, geeze, I'm nervous, too, but I know the Lord knows what He's doing!  He is guiding this work!  I know Jesus Christ is our Savior-He knows us each personally and has felt all that we feel!  We saw a car accident the other day that ended up killing one and injuring others.  I was thinking about how much peace we find through the gospel; through the Book of Mormon, through our families, through prayer and through the Savior.  Knowing our relationship with God and knowing that He has a plan prepared for us.  We truly are blessed beyond all measure!

I love you all!  I hope you all have a fantastic week!

ձեզ շատ եմ սիրում (I love you)

մէծ սիրով (? direct translation is mets with, we'll have to ask her on this one too!)

Քույր Բրադբենթ  (Sister Broadbent)