Iokwe Baamle!!

That sounds really great! Shish Ka bob, I miss that. i was thinking about vernal the other day, but I can't remember why right now. Oh and I told the story about the pine trees in the city that is close to that (he's talking about Heber, where Grandpa Broadbent helped plant pine trees around the city county building when he was little, with his Dad), in priesthood yesterday. We were talking about the Legacy of faith that we are leaving, and that came to mind. I really love how our family has such a great legacy, it really helps with people out here who are mostly 1st generation converts. it helps to talk about how we often don't know the impact that we have on people and rarely will we see really the influence that we have on people. I am so grateful for the wonderful family that we are blessed with. It really just amazes me. I think that I've really come to appreciate what a good family really means and the hard work that it can take. I was thinking yesterday about all the great lessons that you and dad taught all of us. One that just came to mind is working in the garden and on the house. there was a lady at church yesterday that was talking about how she just doesn't have time to do a garden. I sure am glad that you took the time to have us work on planting and weeding and everything like that. It was just a lot of fun and it really helps me to realize all the blessings that come from working. thank you!

Is everyone getting excited for the temple dedication? isn't that coming up pretty soon?

this past week was really good! A lot of blessings and miracles and also surprises that we didn't really expect. So, I guess to start off, reindeer meat is delicious. :) also elk bacon is pretty great. Combine all that into an omelet, add some ranch and hot sauce and you've got a great breakfast! Some members, who moved here from Alaska and had all that meat, fed us breakfast! it was really great! then they gave us a bunch of fish and other great stuff, oh and tamales! :) really a huge blessing.

Lets see on thurdays we went up to Des Moines and had a really great meeting with all of the missionaries who are training in the area. Just a couple of things that I really liked that President Jensen and the assistants talked about: the mission is just a preparation for the rest of eternity. Elder Holland said that his mission meant the world and more to him and the it prepared him and everything that he learned on the mission has helped with his life. President also talked about how being on a mission allows heavenly father to bless so many people. being on a mission and serving Heavenly father will bless our families, the people we come in contact and ourselves, more than anything else that we could be doing. there are so many people that have very important missions, that heavenly Father has for them. there is a member here that was only on his mission for about a month and a half. He said that he just had a really strong feeling that he needed to go home. he didn't want to but heavenly father told him that his mission was for a different purpose. So he went home. He found out a little while later that he had cancer and had to go through treatment, and he also found out that his mom had cancer, which she passed away from about a year ago now. But always tells us that we have no idea that impact we have one people and that we are where we are for a reason. Everything Happens for a Reason!!

Also, this week we were really blessed with 2 new investigators!! Alyssa is a former that was taught by some sister missionaries that served in Pella about a year ago. She is really great!! and is really excited and ready to make changes in her life. it was a really huge miracle that we found her actually. because she had moved from her address that we had. While we are finding, we knocked on her door and were finally able to meet with her this week (we found her when Elder Blackburn was here).

Well a little update on Isaac. He is moving in the middle of September to Las Vegas. He also told us this week that he doesn't believe in God. he said that because of his experiences he just can't accept that God is there. but he still wants to come to church and learn. we know that Heavenly father is preparing him to accept the gospel and he has really felt the love of the members here. So when he moves to Vegas, we'll send some missionaries to him.

thank you so much for everything that you do!! I can't tell you enough how much i appreciate your love, support and prayers!! I know that the lord works in his own time and that everything happens for a reason. And as we actively exercise our faith, he will lead us to do his will. 

Oh and if you haven't seen this, you should really check it out. Elder Bednar gave a really great talk about the use of social media and a lot of other really great things. You should really check it out!!

Kajoor ilo Christ

ij iokwe eok!!

Elder Broadbent

Josh's Mission Aug 18 2014

Iokwe Baamle!!

 we've had a number of people here that have gotten baptized and then left right away, and it makes it really hard to get them back. But I know that everyone has their agency. that's something that I've really realized lately though, is that EVERYONE has their agency. especially those who choose the right. When we are keeping Heavenly father's commandments, we are free to choose liberty and eternal life, or to choose captivity and death. Agency is also really amazing because we have the privilege to choose to help others come to Christ through our actions. I really love what D&C 28:16 says heavenly father tells that "thou must open thy mouth at all times, declaring my gospel with the sound of rejoicing." heavenly father expect us to share this great news and just like Enos we should "desire for the welfare of my brethren...wherefore, I did pour out my whole soul unto God for them". those are all things that we must choose to do. Heavenly Father doesn't force us to do anything. but he does expect us to take responsibility for our actions. And I love that, because if we choose to follow him and his commandments, then our faith will begin to be unshaken in the Lord and we "shalle see his face with pleasure, and he will say unto [us]: Come unto me, ye blessed, there is a place prepared for you in the mansions of my Father." (Enos 1:27)

Sorry, that was a way long tangent :) I know that everyone has agency and that they must choose to come to church. It's super important that they come a few times so that they can really get that conversion. it's happened quite a bit in the past in Knoxville, where someone is baptized and then they fall right off, and that makes it really hard to help them back. Church is great because the spirit is there and as we go looking for answers, we will find them and our concerns will be resolved. and it's the same for investigators. Luckly the Lord has really blessed us with Isaac and taika. they Both love coming to church!!

Unfortunately we weren't able to meet with taika and her parents at all this week, but she still came to church so that was a huge blessing. Her parents told her that they don't want her meeting with us, but they will still allow her to come to church. She thinks that they won't let her get baptized either, but she really wants to. so she said that she'll have to wait until she turns 18, in April. We're praying that her parents hearts will soften and we're going to try and help her to have the courage to go through with it.

Isaac is doing really well too! He loves coming to church and is getting very close to his baptism. His sister who is a member and lives in Idaho, seems to be supportive but not really in his picture. So we might have to work more with that. He is just struggling with recognizing his answers, but he has an outstanding desire to keep looking for them and he really wants to keep learning and growing. When we asked him if he wants to know if God is really there for him, he said yeah!! I really do.

It's a really great week and the Lord has really blessed us! It's amazing how when you work hard and really it's more than just working, but working diligently and faithfully, blessing come and the Lord just opens the way for his children to find him. Last night we were introduced and gave a blessing to a friend of a less active. Her name is Cristiana and is just really going through a ton of hard things. She has awesome faith despite her trials though. And we really hope to meet with her on Wednesday.

thank you so much for everything!! I love you and I'm so grateful for your love, prayers, and support!!

Kajoor ilo Christ

ij iokwe eok!!

Elder Broadbent

Josh's Mission Aug 11, 2014

Iokwe Baamle!!!

It was a really great week! I am feeling much better, thank you for all the prayers!

that is really cool that you got to talk to elder stoddards dad :) facebook is a wonderful thing. Which while I'm on that topic, we recently got some information and more to come in September, about us getting online proselyting, using facebook, and getting ipads. We still aren't totally sure when everything will be happening, more info in September, but we do know how much the ipads will cost, because I will have to buy it. each will be $400, If I remember, and the church will be able to help with paying for it if needed. But I get to keep it after my mission, so that's really good.

Yeah, I noticed the moon a couple of days ago, and elder Stoddard said "wow, never seen it like that before" It really is amazing all of the wonderful blessings that the Lord has given us. We were with the elders in our district on Sat. down in Centerville, IA, and elder Sjoblom (he's a new missionary, from south...somewhere, I can't remember, it's really close to Ogden though and if you remember the Hansen's that used to help out with the bagpipe corp-Zack Hansen and his mom-they are from where e sjoblom is from) but anyways, elder sjoblom and I were talking about the blessing that we receive, and We were talking about how sometimes, on those bad days, all you can say is, "we didn't get in a car crash today, thank you Heavenly Father" we talked about how it's important that we are grateful, and strive to have that "attitude of gratitude"

So this week has been really great! We have been trying really hard to just get everything organized, to make things easier to work with. And to do that, we are still trying to help our members here come up with family mission plans - forget if I've already talked about this before, but it's on my mind :) - so we are just trying to help the members do missionary work and help everyone realize that doing missionary work is really simple and easy, just like it says in Alma 37:40-47 (I know that I've said this before but I really like it :) )
"40 And it did work for them according to their faith‍ in God; therefore, if they had faith to believe that God could cause that those spindles should point the way they should go, behold, it was done; therefore they had this miracle, and also many other miracles wrought by the power of God, day by day.
 41 Nevertheless, because those miracles were worked by small‍ means it did show unto them marvelous works. They were slothful, and forgot to exercise their faith and diligence and then those marvelous works ceased, and they did not progress in their journey;

 42 Therefore, they tarried in the wilderness, or did not‍ travel a direct course, and were afflicted with hunger and thirst, because of their transgressions.

 43 And now, my son, I would that ye should understand that these things are not without a shadow; for as our fathers were slothful to give heed to this compass (now these things were temporal) they did not prosper; even so it is with things which are spiritual.

 44 For behold, it is as easy to give heed to the word‍ of Christ, which will point to you a straight course to eternal bliss, as it was for our fathers to give heed to this compass, which would point unto them a straight course to the promised land.

 45 And now I say, is there not a type‍ in this thing? For just as surely as this director did bring our fathers, by following its course, to the promised land, shall the words of Christ, if we follow their course, carry us beyond this vale of sorrow into a far better land of promise.

 46 O my son, do not let us be slothful‍ because of the easiness‍ of the way; for so was it with our fathers; for so was it prepared for them, that if they would look‍ they might live; even so it is with us. The way is prepared, and if we will look we may live forever.

 47 And now, my son, see that ye take care‍ of these sacred things, yea, see that ye look‍ to God and live. Go unto this people and declare the word, and be sober. My son, farewell."


this work isn't meant to be hard on us, Christ said "take my yoke upon you, for behold, my burden is easy and my yoke is light". He also said in Matt 16:25-29

"25 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me.
 26 And now for a man to take up his cross, is to deny himself all ungodliness, and every worldly lust, and keep my commandments.

 27 Break not my commandments for to save your lives;‍ for whosoever will save his life in this world,‍ shall lose it in the world to come.

 28 And whosoever will lose his life in this world,‍ for my sake, shall find it in the world to come.

 29 Therefore, forsake the world, and save your souls;‍ for what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?"

I know that if we lose ourselves in his work, no matter where he are, that we will be happy and we will be amazed at the miracle and blessings that the Lord has prepared for us.

Alright, so on to our investigators: taika Is doing very well, she was able to come to church again this week and is loving it. it was really funny, she said "I have to bring my big bag just to carry all of the stuff I need for church". Awhile ago, she was having a lot of questions about if God was really there for her, and she told us this week that she really feels like He loves her and is actually there :D it was awesome!! she also told us that her parents want to meet this week, so that will happen. Unfortunately though, her parents don't want her to be baptized...yet :), so hopefully we can help them to understand and feel that this is right. But if they don't let her now, she said that she will be baptized when she turns 18, no matter what, that's in April though.

Isaac is doing very well also. He loves coming to church and actively participates in classes and stuff. Unfortunantly though, he is thinking of moving to Las Vegas to be with his family, which is good though. We just don't want to let him go.

things are going  very well, I'm just still trying to figure out how and what to do to train a missionary...I sure am glad that the Atonement is real, because I know that I couldn't do this with out Christ's help.

Thank you so much for all your love, support and prayers! I love you!!
Kajoor ilo Christ

ij iokwe eok!!
Elder Broadbent

Josh's Mission Aug 5 2014

Iokwe Baamle!!

So my new companion that I am training, is elder Stoddard, unfortunatly I can't send a picture because these computers won't let me. He is fresh out of high school, he's from Puyallup, Washington. He is the oldest in a family of 4, all younger sister. And he is super prepared. He's taken 4 years of mission preparation and is very smart. I love him!!

Unfortunantly, I got sick a few days ago, from e blackburn and so yesterday we had to stay inside while I tried and failed to get some rest. but I'm feeling a little bit better today, I don't think the fever has quite gone away though.

So Yesterday, Isaac came to church again! He is just the best! He was answering questions, asking tons of questions, and just loving it. He is really starting to get into enjoying the branch, and everyone is accepting him like family. We super excited for his baptism date in september, but we are thinking that he will be ready before that, so we will have to see. He's just awesome!

Also Taika came to church again, she's been out of town for a few weeks, but got back this week and came to church with her boyfriend, who's a member. Hopefully we will able to meet with her this week, as well as her parents, who would like to meet with us.

Mary, another investigator, is doing very well. She really wants to get baptized, but her brother who has power of attorney for her, won't let her come to church. And she isn't sure how her parents would feel about it, because they were both Baptist before they passed away. but She is very willing to keeping learning and really wants to come to church.

So, one thing that is really awesome, that we are trying to do with our Branch members, is to create a family mission plan for everyone, that will allow them to help in the work of salvation. We are trying really hard to focus on the hastening the work broadcast and help everyone to understand that we all can be missionaries. I know that the Lord wants to bless us all, but blessing require us to take action. Like it says in D&C 130: 20-21

 20 There is a law, irrevocably decreed in heaven before the foundations of this world, upon which all blessings are predicated—

 21 And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.

I know that the lord will bless us as we make the necessary sacrifices and endure with faithfulness to the end.

That is a  really amazing experience to help with the open house! And that's awesome that you got to meet elder Cook, it really is amazing how so many times we put them on these high pedestals, and think that they are beyond us, but really they are just normal people.

I love the picture in the baptistery, it looks so awesome, I love how the river flows from all three pictures. And I love the look of all the rooms, that is just really awesome!! How are the preparations going for the celebration?

I really love those quotes, I especially love the one from elder Bednar, it reminds me of something that a missionary here wrote, but I don't remember it all, so I'll have to send it some other time. I a really love the one from pres Monson, It is so true that love is the essence of the gospel. without charity we are nothing. like it talks about in Moroni 7. 

(these are the quotes he is referring to:

"There is no physical pain, no spiritual wound, no anguish of soul or heartache, no infirmity or weakness you or I ever confront in mortality that the Savior did not experience first. In a moment of weakness we may cry out, “No one knows what it is like. No one understands.” But the Son of God perfectly knows and understands, for He has felt and borne our individual burdens. And because of His infinite and eternal sacrifice, He has perfect empathy and can extend to us His arm of mercy. He can reach out, touch, succor, heal, and strengthen us to be more than we could ever be and help us to do that which we could never do relying only upon our own power. Indeed, His yoke is easy and His burden is light."

—David A. Bednar

"Love is the very essence of the gospel, and Jesus Christ is our Exemplar. His life was a legacy of love. The sick He healed; the downtrodden He lifted; the sinner He saved. At the end the angry mob took His life. And yet there rings from Golgotha’s hill the words: 'Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do'—a crowning expression in mortality of compassion and love."

—Thomas S. Monson  )

I love you all!! thank you so much for everything! thank you for your prayers, love and support!
  

Kajoor ilo Christ

ij iokwe eok!!

Elder Broadbent