Josh's Mission March 30 2015

Hello Family!!

it looks like you had a great time with Camryn!! like I said, she is getting so big!! It's so crazy, and it sounds like you had a really good time too. :) I can't believe that Jaylee is that big either, wow :) 

that is so awesome for Austin!!! That's super exciting!! :) tell him good luck from me :)

wow, that's really awesome that there was a baptism in the ward :) it sounds like it was quite the event :) but hopefully everything goes well for Lane :) he sounds like a good kid. He'll definitely help his family a lot :) 

women's conference sounds really great!! I'm gonna have to watch it for sure. it's so true that when we keep ourselves full with living the simple principles of the gospel that we are able to stay strong against the powers of Satan. And I really like that statement from sister Oscarson, that's really powerful and important to remember that our first responsibility is to the Lord, and then to everything else. 

I'll definitely look out for Mary in conference! Good luck in singing!! 

thank you so much!! I was thinking when you said that last bit, that I just normally share things that I have learned, and that I hope others can learn from as well. I definitely know that I'm very weak and there are lots of things that I need to work on. that was a huge focus for me this week. It's a very interesting feeling only having 6 months left. it's a very long time to keep working hard, but it's also very short! and if it goes as fast as the rest of my mission has, then it'll go by way to quickly.  it's really amazing actually that the Lord has blessed me so much with this time to serve Him, and that was just very apparent to me this week.

So much has happened this week I'm not really sure where to begin. We were really blessed to find a few more people to teach this week. We are seeing so many miracles throughout the zone as well!! Yesterday there was 2 baptisms in our ward that the sister missionaries here helped with. The baptisms were for G and K, both spanish people, members of the same family but different houses. they are both super awesome and the service was really great!! it was totally in Spanish, so I didn't understand a lot of the words, but I definitely understood the spirit :) it was really powerful.

Then this week as well, we got to spend the day with some elders in our zone. Elder B (the elder that I was with) and I taught this awesome couple from Chicago that they found last week. they are so accepting and humble. they want to get married and will be next week. they are going to be baptized really soon as well, they are just very open and accepting. :) it's really amazing to see the success of the Lord. and we also taught this guy named R. He will be baptized next week as well, so that's really exciting!! He's been taught for awhile and finally committed to doing everything that he needs to, to live the Lord's commandments and the Heavenly Father is really blessing him, it's such a miracle to see him change and see the Elders work with him.

Just a couple more things: on Thursday we went and gave a blessing to a little baby in the hospital. it was so amazing! especially because it was someone that I knew from Dubuque. :) she is the daughter of a Marshallese couple that I knew, she was born early, and so we got to give her a blessing. it was really amazing, the veil can be really thin around Heavenly father's precious little Children. it was an amazing experience!!

I've also been reminded this week that I can not do anything alone. Heavenly father helped me to realize and reminded me that I need to rely on the Savior, and those that he has placed around me, for support and help. it's so easy for me to think that I can just do anything by my self, but I defnitely know that it is only with the Savior and the love, joy and peace that come from living the gospel through the feelings of the holy Ghost that I am able to do anything. 

I just want to thank you all for your love, support, and especially your prayers. it means everything to me to know that we are all in this world together. I know that Heavenly father loves each of individually. I know that the Prophets and apostles are men of God and I can't wait to hear their words. I love you and I hope and prayer that all is well.

ij iokwe eok!!

Je teaime beaucoup

Elder Broadbent

 you probably have seen this already but I thought that I should add it. 

#BecauseHeLives is such a wonderful video. make sure to check it out and to share it with everyone!!

Josh's Mission March 23 2015

Hello my wonderful family!! 

thank you so much mom, for your wonderful insight. I often think about how I can stay moving forward and not let myself slip and fall, but I think that something you said rings very true. In life we do slip. there will be icy patches in front of us, all around us that cause us to fall, with no real fault of our own. But what we can choose is whether or not we let the ice keep us down. we can choose to get back up. I really like in what pres Uchtdorf said about that, "you can do it now!". it's true that we have to gain the strength to get back up, and then keep going forward. I sometimes forget that there is still more to do and that I have to keep trying despite the trials and blessings that come. Keep moving forward! that's what life is all about :)

it is really good, like you said when things aren't to hectic. I'm the same way, that in the easy times is when it can be the hardest to keep doing the best things that we need to, to stay on the path. and I like what you said about getting to know your neighbors, move forward and make sure that she knows she is welcome. we're all working together and sometimes we don't always see what someone else will. I just thought about something, that when, lets say elder Parry and I, talk to someone we don't both say or do the same things, but Heavenly Father knows what we can do. We all have different abilities and things that the Lord needs us to do, it's when opportunities come and we don't see them or we don't take them that we need to repent and do better. When we do listen to the promptings we receive all will be well. that's something that I've been thinking a lot about this past week, it that we need to realize that there are so many opportunities around us to be Heavenly father's hands. We are in the work of Salvation, we are trying our best to take care of Heavenly Father's Children, and in this work, He will not let us fail. If we desire he has called us to the work. and I know that when we try our best, keep the commandments, qualify for the Spirit of the Holy Ghost, Heavenly Father will make the way before us clear. We act on Faith every day. that is how we will move forward. when I say the word we, I mean everyone who has taken upon themselves the name of Christ. I have just thought a lot about how I need to do better to see the opportunities that are around me and let Heavenly father use me in the way that He sees fit, like it says in Mosiah 3:19 "become as a little child, submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon him, even as a child doth submit to his father." that's really powerful and I know that's what Heavenly Father wants for all of us. :) He loves us and he will take care of us if we let Him. 

that's great that Michael spoke!! how is he doing?? and that the missionaries spoke, for some reason, that's something that we don't really do very much in this ward. but we have fast Sunday next week, so that's a great opportunity :) and then General conference the next weekend, which I can't wait for! I can't believe that it's come so fast!! time just flies by... I'm trying to come with some questions and thoughts for conference. does any one have any ideas?? because I haven't really been able to think of any yet.

yes, please do send pictures :) that would be wonderful :) 

thank you sister Butterfield!! I really appreciate that. :)

 :) I'm really grateful for the wonderful family that we are all a part of. Heavenly Father's family is amazing and I'm grateful that we are all brothers and sisters. :) it's wonderful to feel the love the Lord has for each of us, it's very individual and personal. I know He does care for us as we do His will :)

it has been a really wonderful week! it's started to warn up (although today it is colder than it has been all week... still not bad though) We've been able to get out a lot more and walk around. We are trying really hard to find people to teach and help them to feel Heavenly father's love. Elder Parry and I get along super well, and he is so great!! He makes everything so great!! I;m super grateful that I can serve with him. We've been seeing a lot of miracle all though out the zone and We're excited to get into spring and warmer weather. :) next week there will be 2 baptisms in the zone, from the same companionship, so we're getting ready for that.

This last week we also had zone conference down in Nauvoo. it was so wonderful!! I've been to Nauvoo more times then I thought I ever would. it's so great!! it's such a wonderful, powerful place. the Spirit of the temple and the memories there are really strong. it was great to be around places where so much has happened, both for the church and for our family. :) I want to spend some time there actually and just walk around and see things again, because usually we don't have much time. but it's all good.\

Well, I am again, just really grateful for everything that you all do. I'm especially grateful for your love, prayers and support. I hope that all is well!! I love you!!!

ij iokwe eok!!

Je teaime beaucoup

Elder Broadbent

ps here's a few different pics of e parry and I at Nauvoo,  the Nauvoo temple from the hill, me in front of the temple, and the statue of Joseph and Hyrum

Josh's Mission March 16 2015

Hello Family!!

First, I just have to say, thank you so much for your love!! Dad, when I read that last bit that mom wrote at the end about you sending hugs, it just really hit me how grateful I am for the love that is felt across all distance, it means the world to me, thank you. 

that's a really powerful story about the leper colony as well, I love that it shows how powerful the sacrament can be. it can definitely be a time of great change, when we remember the covenants we've made and repent and do better. it's been a really great week for that!

 I've been thinking a lot about the things that I have done in my life and especially in my mission, and I've been trying to look forward to what I still want to do. I've also realized how good Satan can be a getting us down, but that when we turn to Heavenly Father and have Faith in Jesus Christ and the Atonement everything will be alright. Yesterday we taught a lesson in gospel principles class (which always reminds me of the blessing that it was to teach that class before my mission) about Faith, and something just kind of clicked to me and it's been on my mind a lot. Faith in Jesus Christ is the center of our everything that we do. Having that Faith guide us. When we follow our Savior and repent, everything will be well in the end, as we do press forward in the end. Repentance can be hard, but it is in the end, the easier way. When have Faith and strive to always exercise it, we will grow. Like when we work out our Physical body, and exercise our muscles, it can hurt. We get really sore and tired, but as we continue to work out and get stronger we are able to do harder things and work out better and pretty soon that things that seemed hard at the beginning are not very difficult. So it is with our Spiritual Body. Exercising our faith and turning everything over to Heavenly Father can be very hard. it can hurt sometimes. sometimes we get very sore and we get tired, because our sins can weigh us down. Working out our faith can be very hard, but as we grow and continue to work with Jesus Christ, we are strengthened. We are able to do harder things and we meet trials with hope and happiness. it's not an easy process but it does get easier. I've also realized that it won't necessarily get easier right away, or maybe not even in this life, but keeping an eternal perspective is essential. I'm not very good at it, but that's just something that I realized this week. Fully repenting (which means turning everything over to Heavenly Father) is hard, it's a process that takes time, but it is possible through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

Which kind of leads in to our week. Things have been going really well. the past week has been a huge growing time for me though, just trying to more fully put my faith in Jesus Christ and not in myself. We've done a lot of finding, knocking doors, and talking to people. The Weather has been so nice so we've been out and about just trying to find people to teach. It seems like everyone that we are finding or talking to, just is too busy or they are really comfortable with where they are at. I know that the Lord will lead us to His children who need the gospel, sometimes it just takes longer for us to find them. We are trying to work with our ward members better and be a resource for them to use, that's something that we've thought a lot about as well, is just that as members of the Church we are called to do Heavenly Father's work. everything that we do in the church is towards the end that we all reach the celestial Kingdom and Bring as many of our brothers and sisters with us. As missionaries we are called to help the members of the church specifically to bring people to the waters of baptism, we are to help them with the work of Salvation that we all have a responsibility to be a part of. It's such a wonderful blessing to be a part of that!!

again, I am grateful for your love and you support! I  really appreciate your prayers and for all of your help. it's really amazing to see the Love that Heavenly father has for His children and I know that as we come closer to Heavenly Father we will be able to see how the gospel has blessed us and we need to share that with others,

I love you!! and I hope and pray that all is well. 

ij iokwe eok!!

Je teaime beaucoup

Elder Broadbent

Josh's Mission March 9 2015

Dear Family! it's been a super great week! wow, the Lord blessed us so much!! we had a great meeting with all of the Mission Leadership in the mission, then an awesome meeting with our zone, Saturday there were 2 baptisms in the Zone (an awesome Nepalese family), our zone is doing such great work with the help of the lord and then on Saturday we met a lady named E who came to church and is looking for a church, so that was really sweet!!

It's so wonderful to see the work of the Lord go forward no matter what happens. Something that I've been thinking about is from a quote that I heard at church. We can't afford to stick our heads in the ground and wait around for things to happen, we have to raise above the smog and see through the trials and make the Lord's work go forward. I know that is so true! 

So at our MLC meeting we talked about the need to get back to the basics of the gospel and really learn, live, love, the doctrinal foundations that have been restored. It's so important to remember the restoration of the gospel and how wonderful it is to know that we have a Loving Heavenly Father who really knows us personally and individually. I love in the Restoration, who the very first thing that Heavenly Father said to Joseph Smith, is "Joseph..." He knew him personally by name and He knew exactly what Joseph needed to do. that was just something that really stood out to me. Something that also really stood out to me yesterday at church, from a talk, is that a huge purpose that Jesus Christ had in coming to the earth when He was born was to reveal the divine and loving nature of Heavenly father. it's so powerful to me that as we look to our Savior for His example, the we see that He did everything that the Father would have Him do.  

that is so great to hear that there was some snow!

Ward conference sounds like it was awesome!! that's such a great story, agency can definitely be a huge obstacle , but it' such a blessing as well. It's so wonderful when someone that we meets accepts to learn more about the gospel, but then it just breaks your heart when our brothers and sisters don't accept it. but I know that it's all a part of Heavenly father's plan. Something that I realized this morning is just how essential the Atonement is, to the Plan of Salvation. a thought that I had was, when we learn about the Restoration, we understand that the POS (plan of salvation) revolves around the DOC (Doctrine of Christ). 

thank you so much for everything!! I really appreciate your love, prayers, and support. I know that everything happens for a reason. I love you and I hope and pray that all is well!!

ij iokwe eok!!

Je teaime beaucoup

Elder Broadbent

Josh's mission March 2 2015

Hello family!!

It's been a super great week! slow at times, but really good. We shipped elder Porter off on Thursday at transfer (I'm so sad to see him go home, but super excited at the same time), I got a new comp, Elder Parry ( he is so awesome!! He's changing my life already! I'll tell ya more about him in a bit) and then the spanish elders in our zone had a baptism on saturday, so that was a great way to finish up the week.

I always love and hate transfer week, but it was all good. It was hard to send elder porter home 'cause I love him so much, he was a wonderful companion. But I really love my new companion as well! Elder Parry is so great! He is from Tremonton UT, really not too far away from our home, so that's cool. He has been out 22 months, is a stud of a missionary - he works so hard and has a great time! We get along super well already, we have a lot of the same likes and personality, so I'm super excited for this next transfer. I'm gonna learn to so much from him! he's really helped me a lot to change just in the few days that we've been together. 

I also really loved Fast sunday. I bore my testimony as well, definitely didn't anticipate doing so, but I'm super glad that I did. It was really powerful. I just want to share a little bit of my thoughts. I talked about how amazing Iowa is! :) it's such a sacred place. this is where the pioneers started their journey. Iowa City is the place that everyone came to before they left for the West. Nauvoo is such a sacred place as well. it's so powerful to think of the legacy that is here. I am so grateful for the wonderful legacy and examples that I have to look to. I'm really so very grateful for the wonderful family that we have! It's such a blessing to have a great family that has followed the Lord so much! I love the examples that we have in our family and also especially of our Older Brother, Jesus Christ. I know that He is our Savior. I know that he Lives!!

I'm so excited for conference coming up! it's gonna be so great!! I was rereading the talks that Pres Monson gave last conference, and it's really amazing to me to see his abilities as a prophet of God.He knows what is going on. He knows what the world needs, because Heavenly Father lets him know. I know that we are lead by our Savior and the he loves us so much! He wants us to be happy and to return to him again. I know that He is the Way that we will have the greatest gift of all, eternal life. I am so grateful for this gospel. it's so wonderful!! :)

so, in response to you email mom:

That sounds like it was a really great sunday!! Thank you so much for your wonderful example!! it's really amazing to hear about the examples that you have had. I do remember hearing about Leon. I didn't know all that about your dad though. I was just thinking this week, because Elder Parry asked me, about Grandma and Grandpa Hatch. I know that they were wonderful, because they raised you and their family right. :) 

that's really great to hear about the missionary work that you are doing!! family history is so great! it can take awhile, but it's so good. and that's wonderful that you'll be having the Call's over hopefully, keep me updated about them, I'd love to hear any miracles that happen. :) 

I'll definitely keep in my prayers that Utah needs more snow, or water I guess. I really hope that it gets better. the Weather here is warming up, it's still been really cold, but it's all good. We're super grateful that we havea a car and everything so that we don't have to walk in the cold all the time. it's a huge blessing.

again, thank you so much for everything!! I love you all so much!! please know that I appreciate your love and prayers so much!! have a great week! Love you! 

ij iokwe eok!!

Je teaime beaucoup

Elder Broadbent

ppss so the first pic is elder parry next to a sign we found. it's a true statement. the other one is a great Iowa sunset