Josh's Mission April 27 2015

Hello Family!!

it sounds like you had a really great busy week!! it's always wonderful when things go well, you get to the end of the week and you just sit back and reflect on everything that happened, and you realize everything that did happen.

man, homemade popcorn, that's the best ever!!

When you do go, you'll have to let me know. when is Memorial weekend?? Are you gonna be going down to Vernal this year?

I can't believe that Shantel gave her farewell talk!! that's so great though that she's leaving soon!! that will be such a blessing to their family!! I know that everything will turn out good for them! How is tyler doing??

Just a little thought about what you said about the Primary kids and hoping that they retain what theya re taught. We had dinner with a great member family last night and talked about that actually with them. their name is the Gerling's. they are both converts to the church, of about 45 years. they talked about how some of their children have gone less active and how they wish that they could share with their children everything that they feel. We kept talking and they mentioned that one of their children used to live in an area that E Wardle served in, he told them that their son's family had been meeting with missionaries for awhile. they were reminded that a few weeks ago their son had visited and he had been a lot more receptive to doing gospel activities with them. it was really great to talk to them and to see them realize that everything that they had taught to their children had stuck with them. sometimes we forget a lot of what we learn, especially when we aren't actively applying it. It reminds me the story of Alma the younger, especially when he says that he remembered the words that his father had taught about Jesus Christ. and it's also like Enos, when he goes to the woods to pray, he remembers the words that his father taught, and he prayed about them. I know that everything happens for a reason and that Heavenly Father will do anything he can to bring His children back to him. all it takes some times is for us to keep pressing forward with a steadfastness in Christ, and invite others to come unto Him.

Which kind of brings me to the Marsten Family. I think I told you about them last week, but they are this really sweet family who the father is a returning member and his wife and kids will be baptized in June. We had a really awesome lesson with them this week about the Plan of Salvation. it was so great!!! such a blessing to be helping them. Right at the beginning bro Marsten said that he wants his family to be sealed in the temple so that they can all be together forever. it was really sweet!! We talk about how everything is possible when we live the Gospel and that Heavenly Father wants us to be with him,  as a family, forever. It was really wonderful!!

and this week end, Kaylah Robertson was baptized!! it was really great to be a part of. the baptism service was very simple and powerful and just really wonderful!! :)

other than that, not much change in everyone else. things have just been going really well!! We are trying to find more people to teach though out the zone and just have a good time working hard. :) it's just really great to be in the service of our Lord :) E Wardle and I the other day were just marveling at how great it is to be a member of the restored Church of Jesus Christ and just how much happiness it brings us :) it's so great!!!

please tell the Williams hi for me!!! they are so great!! That's so crazy that Ben is 10 months out already!! I can't even believe that :) I'm sure that he is doing wonderful!

So this week we're gonna be going down to Nauvoo for Interviews with President Jensen and then afterwards we are going to go on a tour of Nauvoo, with a recent convert. it's going to be great!! I'll send some picture next week. I was wondering though, isn't there a house in Nauvoo that Jeremiah Hatch used to own, or something like that??

Thank you so much for everything!! I love you all so much!!! I can't tell you enough how grateful I am for your love and prayers. They are definitely felt. One last thing, yesterday during sacrament meeting I was just overcome with thankfulness for the Atonement of Jesus Christ and everything that the sacrament means, I just felt so strong the love that He has for us, the love that you have, and I just want to express my love for Him and you!! I love you!! thank you so much for everything!! 

ij iokwe eok!!

Je teaime beaucoup

Elder Broadbent

Josh's Mission May 3 2015

My dear family!!

it was really a wonderful week!!! We saw a lot of really great miracles and blessings :) it was wonderful to go down to Nauvoo this week for interviews. I was also down in Keokuk on exchanges with an Elder down there. We had a great week full of meeting good people who the Lord really blessed us to meet with. 

So we went down to Nauvoo and had great interviews with Pres and Sister Jensen. we also were able to take a little time and walk around Nauvoo, unfortunately we didn't have a whole lot of time, but it was still really great! elder Wardle has never gone all around to see everything, so hopefully we can go another time to see more.    oh okay, I couldn't really remember where they were, but next time we go down there, we'll have to look for them. That'd be really great to try and find Hezikiah's grave as well. Oh, so yesterday we met a new couple missionary that is serving in the temple, but is assigned to the Burlington ward. He said that he is related to Emer Broadbent, so that was really cool! :) I forget what his name is though.... I'll have to let ya know next week. also, there is a member here, Brother Forest Rackum that served in Dad's mission, but it would have been after he was there. But that was really cool to have that connection with him :) 

So I have to tell you about the exchanges that we went on. I was with an elder down in Keokuk with is right across the river form Nauvoo. We just saw a lot of really great miracles and wonderful things happen. We met this member who is going through a lot of really hard things; her daughters are going to be baptized next week though. While we were there with her, we were able to give her a blessing to just get through the hard things that are happening. it's was really wonderful, then the next day we went over to her house to clean her entire house, because she was having some inspections, it was a messy service project but it just made me think about in Mosiah 2 where it talks about serving others. :) it was great! I don't describe very well what happened, I just thought that it was a wonderful opportunity that we had  to serve a good sister who i trying to come closer to Christ. that is really what it is all about. :) 

Oh, and then yesterday in church, we talked a lot about the Priesthood, especially about the power and authority from Heavenly Father that we have on the earth. It's so amazing to think about how blessed we are, this power will never be taken again from the earth... ever! :) it's so great to be living in this day :) I also just realized that the power and authority are inseparably, like it talks about in D&C 121, and I also really like the scripture that says, "the power of god is manifest" in the ordinances that we perform. it's so wonderful to have a weekly reminder of the covenants we have made with Heavenly Father, but it's more than a reminder, we recovenant with God every week to take His name upon us and to live the commandments and covenants we've made. I've never really thought about thinking specifically about the ordinances throughout the week, that's a great Idea though!! :)

So, we did get the doterra box, thank you so much for that!!! it is so wonderful to have those again. :) 

and about next week, we should be skyping around 4 (our time here), hopefully... that's what we have planned right now. does that work alright??

the women's conference sounds like it went great!!! those are really great thoughts!! thank you so much for sharing them :) I especially love the last one about Joseph Smith and asking questions. Pres Jensen always says we need to be more like Joseph Smith, he was the great question asker, is what he says. And also, yesterday there was the YSA devotional, which was so great!!! Elder Robbins of the presidency of the Seventy spoke and he talked a lot about that actually. Especially about how we need to ask questions and that they should lead us to faith building experiences, they should not steer us to doubting.  it was really wonderful!! 

Well, that's it for this week really :) the Lord truly does bless us so much as we faithfully endure to the end. It's so amazing to see the work of the Lord move forward, there is so much for us to do and no time to waste at all. thank you so much for everything that you do!! I can't express adequately how much I love and appreciate you!! I hope and pray that all is well!

ij iokwe eok!!

Je teaime beaucoup

Elder Broadbent

Josh's Mission May 11 2015

Hello Family! 

yeah, this might not be the longest letter either. 

it's was so wonderful to talk to and see everyone yesterday!! :) honestly, such a blessing!! :) like I said yesterday, I just am so grateful that Heavenly Father has allowed me to be in such a wonderful family, and to be in such a great part of His vineyard. 

it's so true that there is a special spirit here. and I think it's true that we can feel that more because the Lord has allowed me to serve here, but that's truly the blessing. I know that everywhere we are  we can feel of and see the vision that He has for that place. I think of the section in PMG where is talks about how the Lord has a reason for putting us where we are. He has suffered us to come to this place for a reason. Where ever we live, where ever we work, go to school or do anything, He needs us to be there. There are so many of our brothers and sisters all around us who need help, and we need help from so many people around us as well. We all need to be with Heavenly Father forever, we can't do it alone. although salvation is an individual process, exaltation is a family journey, and we are all a part of God's family.

that's something that I was really thinking about this week, especially as we went to the Nauvoo temple to do a session. it was such a wonderful time in the temple! it was great to be able to to help a brother progress along the path Heavenly Father has for him. I just felt so strong there, that we are all connected in some way. It was really amazing. elder Wardle saw people there that he knew from previous areas and there were actually a couple people from past areas I've been in as well. it was great! I know there was a reason for it. :) Heavenly Father knows us. He knows what we need and what we need to do to help others get what they need. :)

I think that the best thing that we can to help others is to invite them to come closer to Christ. all we can do is to try our best to explain the blessings that come from living the gospel and then invite them to try it out. I think with JR that he needs to know the why, what, how behind blessing the sacrament. I can imagine it's really scary for him, but maybe it's cause he really doesn't know what it's all about. it's true that it's a great responsibility to bless the sacrament, but it's a privileged and blessing and we learn so much from it. 

Well, I think that's it for this week. I love you all so much!! thank you for everything!! i know that Heavenly Father loves us and that he has blessed us so much! :) it's amazing. I know that everything happens for a reason. 

thank you for you love, support, and especially your prayers. 

ij iokwe eok!!

Je teaime beaucoup

Elder Broadbent

Oh and check out these dear that were right next to our car 

and the nauvoo temple.

and there was a crazy rain storm, the picture doesn't show very well, but there was so much water!

ij iokwe eok!!

Je teaime beaucoup

Elder Broadbent

Josh's Mission May 18 2015

Hello family!!

it's been a really wonderful week! we've been a lot of blessings from the Lord! it's so wonderful to be in His service. 

Yesterday in Church I was thinking a lot about the experience that Joseph Smith had when he was in Liberty jail and especially when the Lord tells him in d&c 122 that  "if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good."  

that is really powerful! I was thinking that when this happens we need to open our hearts, and allow the spirit of the Holy Ghost to enter in to our souls, and everything will work out. we have no need to fear! I know that the Lord has us in His hands and that He truly takes care of us. It also reminds me of when the Lord strengthens the people of Limhi in Mosiah, as they are faithful and remember the Lord. I was also thinking a lot about how when the Lord asks us to do something, to serve others, it's because we need to be doing good, not nesicarily that we are doing bad, just that He needs us to do more. He knows what is best and He has a plan of us and all of His children. there is a great mormon message about this as well that just came out, definitely check it out. 

That's really great mom that you are seeing all of the tender mercies that are around us. sometimes I struggle with that as well, it takes a constant effort to look for, seek for if you will, the blessings that are all around us. thank you for the rememinder of how important it is to always look for them. :) you are a wonderful example to me, and I can't express enough how much I appreciate your love and example. :) 

So I guess just quick update on our investigators:

the Marston's are doing so good!! they are such a great family!! we talked about baptism and expectations and also the Word of Wisdom this week with them. they are so willing to just follow the Lord in everything that they do, they are trying harder to do what is right. they're wonderful :) they're very excited for their baptism in June

Collin is doing a lot better this week! pretty much since I've been here, it's been a struggle to get him to pray and read the scriptures. but something has changed for him, he's really really excited for his baptism on the 30th :) it'll be so great!! 

it's so true that there are tender mercies all around us. I know that the Lord provides everything for us. I know that when we are faithful and struggle to do what the Lord would have us that everything will work out just the way that he needs. sometimes it's hard to see that (for me at least) but I know that he loves us and that he truly is our Savior. 

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

ij iokwe eok!!

Je teaime beaucoup

Elder Broadbent

Josh's Mission May 27 2015

hello family!!

Well I don't have much time but I'll just respond real quick to everything.

that sounds like it was a great week end! I was thinking about all the time we went down to vernal and Heber the other day, those were always such great times!! Everyone looks so great!! so Joe, I definitely didn't realize that you were taller than dad?? that's crazy... and beth you look so much like Mary it's scary. I guess I didn't really notice that during skype. but that's great that everything went well and great.  that's a really good idea about taking pictures of the graves.

well to quickly tell ya everything that has happened this past week.

Elder Wardle and I are staying together, and this week we got really sick with the flu or something, it was pretty rough for a couple of days, but we just slept it off. We got sisters in the ward, so that's really great!! we also got a truck (picture attached), it's way fun to drive :) lets see, we were supposed to have a baptism this next saturday but the mom of the boy that was getting baptized thinks that he needs to learn more. We've been hoping and praying that she will soften her heart and allow him to be baptized, but it's not looking good so far. which kinda brings me to a thought I had and it's also about the meeting that all the mission leaders had yesterday.

Our mission mom, sister Jensen, talked yesterday about how faith, agency, and opposition all work together. We need to have the faith to over come opposition, which when we do we are using our agency and our faith is strengthen and usually we will experience more opposition.  it's very much like mercy and justice though. Mercy can not rob justice by Justice can not deny Mercy. so it is with faith and agency. we need to have more faith that others (and our selves too) will use their agency righteously. 

yeah, other than that, everything is going really well. thank you so much everything!! I really appreciate your love and prayers!! I hope and pray that all is well!!! I love you!!

also, there has been crazy storms all week long and they should continue through this week, it's been great!!! I've gotten some great pictures :)

ij iokwe eok!!

Je teaime beaucoup

Elder Broadbent