Josh's Mission April 21, 2014

iokwe baamle!!!

What a great week! full of miracles, blessings, and it went by way too fast! We had Interviews this past wednesday with president and sister jensen. We had a great baptism service for Cindy. and a wonderful easter!

I really love president and sister jensen! they are both so great and I am so glad that I can serve with them. Interviews were great. President told me that E Underwood will most likely be leaving this next transfer. He's been in Knoxville for 10 months. But either way, it will be great. I feel like I am just starting to get to know the people here, and I feel like there is so much work to do here. So I hope that I can stay. the people here are so great! we have a great branch here! they are all so loving!

This week we went around sharing with everyone the easter message! I love easter so much! It's just such a great time to refocus and center your life on Christ. I truly do know that Christ Lives!! There is a wonderful video on mormonchannel.org, it's one of the newer ones, I think that it is called "because of Him" it is so awesome!! It talks about everything that is possible because of Christ. I know that through Him all things are possible. It always amazes me how much Christ loves me. He sacrificed everything for us, and the best part is that he is still there for us. He knows what we go through. He know the suffering that we have to go through every day. and He knows the only way that we can be truly happy is by following Heavenly father's plan for us.

I was thinking about the resurrection earlier this week and I had a thought: the resurrection isn't the end of Christ's atonement. Christ's atonement is infinite and eternal. The resurrection was the final act of the atonement. it completed it. Christ lives! I know that He does.

We also had a great baptism for Cindy Snook yesterday! it was so awesome!! SO just to tell you about her story a little bit. E Underwood and his trainer had been tracting in her apartment. when they were about to leave E Underwood said that he felt like there was someone that they needed to talk to. So they went upstairs, knocked on her door. when she answered, she told them that she had been praying that they would come back. Apparently, Cindy had been taught something like 14 years ago. She had almost been baptised, but had been pushed too hard and anti-ed by some friends. They started to teach her again and has progressed very well. She was so prepared for it this time. the really great part is that her dad and her step mom are both converts and have been such a great support to her. Her dad was able to come down from Chicago area, with her step mom, to baptise her. it was such a wonderful service! the spirit was so strong the whole time. Cindy was glowing, her dad was beaming, it was just so great!

it was such a great blessing to be a part of her story. and then Next saturday we have another baptism, for Mandy. Her story is almost and in some respects just as amazing. But I'll tell that next week.

I know that this is the Lord's work! and I know that He is truly hastening His work.

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

ij iokwe eok!!

Elder Broadbent

PS

 Couple of pics :Cindy, her dad, E Underwood and me, and E Underwood and I

Josh's Mission April 14, 2014

Iokwe Baamle!!!!

What a great week!!!! We were very blessed! We saw so many miracles!

So we've been staying really close to Cindy (her baptism is on Sunday), she is doing great on not smoking! and is very excited for her baptism!! Her dad is going to come up from Kentucky I think to baptise her. She is going to be interviewed finally, this week. It's been so great to see the miracles and blessings that have been happening with her. We gave her a blessing and she has had pretty much no desire to smoke since. She has been really stressing with her job and her family though, Satan is working very hard on her, but she is staying strong and is so ready for baptism.

 Mandy (her baptism is on the 26th) is doing great too!! We had a great lesson with her this week about temples. She has been really stressed with work, school, and her family and Satan is working so hard on her. She has been really down, because she realizes that she needs to read from the book of mormon, but hasn't been every day. It's so amazing how well Satan knows us and our weaknesses. He works so hard on us to make us doubt our selves and have fear. and it's interesting how people go through different things so differently. It's really like the analogy that there is only one gate that we can enter in by to receive salvation. We all have different ways of getting there but we have to decide whether or not to enter in that straight and narrow gate and follow the iron rod. After we talked to Mandy, she has a stronger resolve than ever to do what is right. She is going to North Dakota this weekend to visit her mom and talk to her about her baptism. She is so prepared and very ready and willing to do what is necessary for baptism.

We were also blessed with a new investigator this week! His name is Chuck. He's 14 years old and loves to learn about the gospel. We met him on exchanges with the elders in our district. when we knocked on his door and started talking to him, we realized that we had to go, because we had a dinner appointment. So we gave him a pamphlet and told him that we would be back in about and hour. When we came back, he had read more than half the pamphlet and had so many questions to ask. He has been through a lot in the last while, he lost his dad to lung cancer and has turned to Heavenly Father for help. He is really awesome!! and we're super excited to teach him.

I am so excited for Easter!! I've been thinking about a scripture in Mormon 7:5-7 and Moroni 7: 45-48. I think that they are perfect for easter! the one in Mormon talks about the resurrection and how because of what Christ went through we can have eternal life and happiness for ever. We shared that one with a lady who has some mental problems, and she told us that she didn't want to hear that right now, that she is going through things that are too hard for that to be true, but it is true!! Christ knows each of us perfectly and because he suffered for us we can be happy for ever! it just struck me, that we do need this wonderful message that Christ loves us, even if we don't think that we do.

The one in Moroni talks about charity, and how important it is to have love for everyone. and that we should pray to have charity! with easter, it also reminds me of this great bible video online at mormonchannel.org called "he is risen". The easter message is so great! I know that Christ lives and that He truly is risen!! I know that He loves us all and that He knows how to help us with anything and wants to help us as long as we go to him. It's so important to share this message with everyone and pray to have the charity for our brothers and sisters that we will share it with them. Easter is a great time to again refocus on Christ! I know that my Redeemer lives and that he loves us!

Thank you all so much for your love, your support, and especially your prays!!!

ij iokwe eok 

Elder Broadbent

Josh's Mission March 31 2014

Iokwe Baamle!!

So even though I am no longer in Dubuque I am still going to try and learn Marshallese. I don't know if anyone remembers, but back when I sent in my papers I said that I didn't care if I went state side, or even if I didn't learn another language, as long as I learned one in the field (bad stipulation, Heavenly father does have a sense of humor) so I am going to learn Marshallese.

So, I am in good old Knoxville IA. It's way down south of Des Moines, so basically on the other side of the mission. I am serving in the Knoxville branch with Elder Underwood. He is from Washington, but originally from Germany. He is probably knows more about anything, than anyone I know. He is way smart, especially about the gospel. He is actually a visa waiter of about 11 months, so I kind of think that he is going to get it soon. but something kind of crazy is that Knoxville is his 1st area, so I definitely think that we are only going to be together for this 1 transfer. He is really great though and I am way excited to get to know him better.

We have a really great district here as well. the ZL's are in our district and then 1 other set of elders, so relatively small district. and everyone is at least 30 min away from each other, so that's way different from my last area where everyone was with in the same city.

We have a  really great small little branch. Our whole building is probably about the size of the Gym and chapel back in Ogden. so really small. I don't know an exact number but we probably only had maybe 50 people there yesterday. they are all really great though!!! testimony meeting was so awesome and the spirit was super strong!!! they have a great love of the gospel and of each other, so we are working with them to expand that to everyone they know.

We have a good area too. we are working with 2 people that have bap dates for this next month. Cindy, her date is the 19th of april, is really awesome!! she has been an investigator for more than like 10 years, but has finally decided that she is ready. and our other one is Mandy, she is so awesome, she has such a strong testimony!!!! if I didn't know her I would have guessed that she was a member.

I love you all so much and thank you so much for everything!!!! I know that our savior lives!!!! and that he loves us!! I know that because I know that the Book of Mormon is true!! I know the Heavenly Father really does want to hear from us and that he knows what is best for us and as we follow his words and the words of the prophets, we will be blessed.

Thank you so much for your love, prayers and support!!

ij iokwe eok!!!
Elder Broadbent

Josh's Mission March 24 2014

iokwe baamle!!!!

Wow! that's really all that I can say about this week. It's been a week full of many blessing and disappointments, and surprises as well. I really feel like I don't know what to say, but I have so much that I want to say.

so at the beginning of this week on tue we were walking to an appointment (that fell through) when we saw these two kids running down to this park with a basketball. So I don't know if I told you but e Kay LOVES basketball. He played in college and is really really good. So after we tried the guy that we were supposed to be having a lesson with, we ran down to the park and asked the kids if we could play with them, we did and e Kay totally dominated them. after we won, we were like Hey since we won, we get to teach you about Jesus. so we taught them and they are now 2 new investigators!

 

they are great kids, both 14, black and ready to take on the world. Terry, is really awesome! He said that he goes to church, prays and likes to learn more about Christ. He was asking a ton of questions, and was really interested. when we asked him if we would be baptized, he said that he had already been, but that if he really knew that God wanted him to change and get baptized again that he would. The other one, Alpachinoe, wasn't so interested. He said that He didn't really know if God existed, that he had gone 14 years with out Him and he was doing fine. But I think that he is trying to resist for the sake of being a rebel. But they are both really great kids and we haveing been trying to meet with them again.

So the rest of the week went by pretty normal. People keep cancelling on us, but that's missionary work for ya. One thing that I am really coming to understand more and appreciate, is Christ's grace. Yesterday in Church one of the speakers talked about how we need to give everything to the Lord and let him take over, because he is the one that is really in control. it reminds me of the talk the 4th missionary. We need to give ourselves to Christ so that he can make a new us. Everything is only possible through Him, his love, and his grace. Brad Wilcox gives a great talk in a devotional at BYU about how Christ grace is sufficient. I think that he wrote a book about it as well. He says something that I really like. "Christ doesn't make up the difference, He is all the difference.' In the scriptures it talks about how it is on;y in and through the grace of God we are saved, after all we can do. In 2 nephi 2:6 it says  "Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth." I really love that. I know that I can't do it without Christ. It is only because of Him that we are saved and able to obtain the greatest treasure: eternal Life.

We did have a marshalles wedding for an investigator that the other elders are working with, and he (batrie is his name) is getting baptized next week if all goes well. it was really great!! they sure love to party and love food.

So yesterday, after church we went out with a member (darrin) to see some people. the appointments that we had set up fell through, but we did stop by this lady (jacki) and we taught her and her roommate (michelle) and they are both 2 new investigators! so that was really awesome! they are both very catholic, but really only because they grew up in it and they are going to school at a catholic college in town. they both really liked what we talked about and they love learning about Christ! but, being catholic they were skeptical of the apostasy and Joesph Smith. but I know that they felt the spirit and that they will come around.

yesterday before church started, we got a call from president. Immediately my heart started racing. So he told e Kay that he would be staying in Dubuque and training an elder who needs some special help. i thought alright that's awesome, i get to be in a 3 some companionship, and then pres told him that he would also be getting another new companion!! So after hearing that I was leaving dubuque it was really hard to focus the rest of the day, but i learned so much in church. I really just love how sundays recharge you for the rest of the week. So this morning, pres called again and he told me that I would be leaving, which I already knew, but that he wanted me to be district leader as well!! So I will being going into a new area as a district leader. I definitely know that heavenly father will help me to have the strength to do His will, but I'm a little nervous. I'm super excited though!!!! it will be a great learning experience.

The house looks great!!! that is really awesome how the Lord blesses us so much as we are faithful! I'm positive that he love each and everyone of us!! I am so grateful for such a wonderful family that is such a great example to me!! thank you so much for you love and support!!

ij luukkun iokwe kom!!!!!

Elder Broadbent

Josh's Mission March 17 2014

iokwe Baamle!!

wow, I can't believe that it is P day already! this week went by really fast, I really don't even know where it went. It's kind of interesting how Heavenly Father he allows you to have trials, expects you to be faithful, and if you are then he gives you blessings.

I definitely know that this is Heavenly Father's work and we are all his instruments. I've also been thinking about how wonderful this restored gospel is! it's so amazing that we have the knowledge that Christ went through the atonement for us and that he lives for us! There is a great bible video onmormonchannel.org called "he is risen" (here is a link for it http://www.mormonchannel.org/bible-videos?v=1548356253001 ) that we've been sharing with people lately, as well as a scripture in mormon 7:5-7. One part that I really like about the video that I was thinking about the other day, is when Christ finds Mary weeping in the tomb he asks her "why weepest thou?". We have the restored gospel! we have the knowledge that Christ is risen for us! that is happy news!!

So this week we had exchanges with our Zone leaders as well as with the marshallese elders. We had a pretty slow week for teaching, because everyone kept cancelling or we could get a hold of anyone. So pretty much all week long we walked around and tried to contact people and just talked to people. on exchanges we were blessed with  finding a bunch of new potential investigators, so we'll be looking for a bunch of new investigators this week.

Oh, we were able to meet with Mary, an investigator that we've been working with for awhile. She is very strongly catholic, but she loves meeting with us. She also has been reading the book of Mormon, so that is really great! it's been really awesome to see the change in her the past couple of weeks as she's been reading more. she has also stopped smoking for almost 2 weeks now, which is really great!!

Yesterday though we were really blessed. we had a great lesson with some members with an investigator that the sisters in our ward are working with, so that was really great! and then last night, we went to try this potential and we had a great lesson with her and her boyfriend. Ebony used to meet with missionaries back in 2012, and her boyfriend Quincy has talk with them as well a little bit. they both really like to learn and they are really great! Quincy I know really felt the spirit he was asking a lot of great questions and when we went over the first vision you could see the spirit working on him. When we asked them if they would be baptized, Ebony was really hesitant, but Quincy said that he would. He said that if he knew that it was true and that God wanted him to to it, then he would definitely get baptized.

The Holy Ghost is really amazing! E Kay and I have been talking about him a lot. about His role in conversion, how we feel his influence and just how important he is as a member of the Godhead. People feel the holy ghost all of the time, elder Bednar talks about the Holy Ghost in a couple of mormon messages that I really like called "patterns of light".

Yesterday in church we talked about the how important the sacrament is and how we need to realize the significance of partaking of the sacrament. the sacrament is a sacred ordinance where we renew our own covenants with Heavenly father. I am so glad that we can go to church every sunday and take the sacrament, repent and try to do better.

I this gospel so much!! I know that it is true, that Christ is our savior and that he lives for us. I know that the Book of Mormon changes people, and that there is a spirit about it, because it is true! thank you so much for you love, support, and prayers. I love you all so much!!

ij iokwe eok!!

Elder Broadbent

Josh's Mission - just a good letter!

Iokwe Baamle!!

It's been a pretty good week. It kind of started of slow, but we were blessed this week! first I just have to say that I love being a missionary!! I love being a member of this church and have the great privilege to share it with others!! I love being able to go to church and partake of the sacrament and feel of the spirit. Yesterday in testimony meeting a lady said that she loves the good news of the gospel! I know that this good news that we need to share with others is true!! this really is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ! Joseph Smith say Heavenly Father and his Son and did translate the Book of Mormon! The Book of Mormon is the true word of God and contains the fulness of His gospel. and I know that as we share that with others that our Joy will be full.

I've been thinking about how there are different levels of joy and love. Heavenly father puts us in families and we experience great joy and feel immense love with them. We also have the joy of the gospel, the love that we feel from Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Another level of that is when we help our brothers and sisters around us to feel that same love and joy that comes from living the Gospel. I just love this gospel so much and I know that it is true!

That's pretty awesome to hear that the stake camp is getting going. I can't wait to see it all! I bet the Kitchen looks great.

So Joe got braces?? I bet that is awesome! :) I remember how awkward they were, I hope that he doesn't have to have them as long as I did. but I sure am grateful that I had them and that we have a great family to help with that.

So this week has really warmed! it's been around and above 30 all week! which is just great!! E Kay and I were saying how crazy that is to say that 30 is nice weather, but compared to the negatives, it really is great!! we've been able to walk around everywhere and see people we haven't in awhile. although we weren't able to meet with everyone that we wanted to.

So, Jennie and Daniel, I don't know if you remember them, we've been teaching them for awhile now,  but they are actually in the first ward. and we are in the second ward. so we are making a transition to have them be taught by the sisters in the first ward. I really love that family and I hope that they will continue to progress towards their baptism date.

We still haven't been able to meet with Carlina, a mashallese lady who we are working with to get married. but hopefully we will this week.

We were really blessed with a new investigator this week!! her name is Jennifer, she is in her 20's, black, so humble and ready for the gospel. The first day that we knocked on her door, when we asked her if she wanted to learn about Christ, she said that she had been talking to her brother about that earlier and really wants to change her life and have Christ in her life. She told that she was a little freaked out when we knocked on her door, because it was like God heard her. Which I know that He did. She is very prepared and I pray that she will progress and make those necessary changes.

I am so very grateful for this gospel!! and for such a wonderful family!! thank you so much for everything!! thank you for your love, prayers, and support. I love you so much!! and I pray that all will be well.

ej iokwe kom!!

Elder Broadbent

Josh's Mission 3 March 2014

I have to tell you that it is so great to have a wonderful family that it in full faith with the gospel and to feel your love, support, and the great spirit from you , is just so wonderful. This week I've really realized how much family means to me and how grateful I am for such a great family!  thank you so much for everything!! I am truly grateful to heavenly Father for blessing me so much!! I know that family is so important!! it is truly the fundamental unit of the gospel. it's hard to have a strong foundation in the church with out a strong family. It is absolutely possible to be a great member of Christ's church with out the fundamental family unit, but it is much harder. I am eternally grateful that we have a gospel centered family.

So this week was kind of weird, but went by really fast. we had a couple days where the weather was pretty bad so we couldn't drive and then we had about 2 days where we couldn't go outside at all because it was too cold and snowing really bad. we also had zone conference. so we essentially had 4 days where we couldn't really do a whole lot. Fortunately Heavenly Father blessed us so much!!!

We had some great lessons with members this week and with less actives as well. we were also able to meet with Daniel and Jenny this week and we are now teaching their whole family, they have 4 kids, but we are still trying to help them get married.

Unfortunately we weren't really able to see many of our investigators this week so we are really going to try hard this week to see everybody.

Zone conference was great!!! it's about 3.5 hours down to Nauvoo, so a way long drive with 4 elders in the car. but once we got down there it was just a spiritual high all day long. We had great trainings by President's Assistants on Finishing. They focused on working hard all day for your whole mission, so that we don't waste any time. I also got thinking about how that should apply to the rest of my life. We are all disciples of Christ, when we were baptized we covenanted with Him that we would take His name upon us and Keep His commandments. It's so important that we share the Gospel at all times, in all places. I really love what pres Uchtdorf says "At all times preach the gospel, and sometimes use words." being an example and serving others is one of the best ways that we can share the gospel.

President talked about a lot of things. One thing that really stuck out to me though is that we need to do everything that we can to help people understand the importance of the gospel and living the commandments. Heavenly Father has given us commandments because he loves us and really does know what is best for us. Even though the world accepts things that are wrong and right, that doesn't mean that they are. We are truly living in the last days, in a time prophesied of. now more than ever people are accepting the bad and dis disregarding the good. We need to stay strong. Hold to the Iron rod. keep our testimony growing by doing the simple things: going to church, praying, and reading the scriptures.

We also had Stake conference this weekend. that was really great!!! we had Elder Spackmen come. He is really great!!! he loves to talk. something that I was thinking about is that it always seems like the general authorities have so many stories to tell. It makes me wonder how much in my life to I disregard or not think about that is really a lesson that I should learn from or a blessing from Heavenly father.

Oh, I almost for got sister jensen talked about coming closer to Christ and serving others and told us how we can have the most JOY. it's to put Jesus first, the Others, and then You. I really like that.

Again thank you so much family for everything that you do!!! I love you so much!!

ej iokwe eok

Elder Broadbent

PS here are a couple of pictures from Nauvoo. Me and E Kay and our District

And this past Wednesday I had the best text ever!  I didn't recognize the phone number but I did recognize one of the people in the picture - Josh!

This is Elder B, Elder Kay and the Hayes children.