Mary's Mission June 24, 2013

Hello im sireli family!

First things first-CONGRATS to Josh! (for those who don't know - Josh is going to DesMoines, Iowa and leaves Sept 25!) That is so exciting! I'm excited to the time we'll have together before he leaves-hopefully multiple sessions in the temple :) I know I've said it before, but there is nothing better than being a missionary (I'm sure Dad, Cari, and Kris would all agree).  I feel like we have stood toe to toe with satan this week-I don't know how to describe the many kinds of opposition we have seen, I think satan must be a bit frustrated with the progress of the church through out the world! It is always so interesting to see the oppostion that comes-and while it is hard, frustrating, and disappointing, I know that the Lord's work continues to go forward and that He continues to bless us with miracles.  We have experienced many here and I know that Lord will continue to bless us, so long as we are doing our part.   

This last week as I was studying about Helamen's 2000 soldiers and their firm and solid faith, their lack of doubt, I realized how I had been doubting in our work.  The Lord always has a way of teaching us and I am so grateful for the reminder that Elder Smith gave during our district meeting.  He talked about Elder Holland's talk "Help thou my unbelief" and how sometimes, perhaps we do doubt, not that the Lord can't do it, but that we just don't fully see how it will happen, and it's in those moments that we place our faith on our Loving Heavenly Father and our Savior and we say "Lord, I believe, help thou my unbelief."  Then at a baptism, I had to opportunity to share my testimony about the Plan of Salvation, I realized how I need to pray so much more to have the Lord guide my words, to have the Spirit with me, because I cannot do it alone.  Saturday, before the baptism, I had thought a lot about what I could say, what was important, and then when it came down to it, I was really nervous and submitted to the Lord.  I told Him how weak I felt, because I don't usually talk about the Plan of Salvation alone, and how I didn't know what to say, but that I wanted to say what He wanted me to, and I just prayed to have His guidance and the Spirit.  Heavenly Father does answer our prayers! As I stood up to talk, and as I talked, I just felt the guidance of the spirit.  I can honestly say that I haven't felt that much guidance from the Spirit at one time in a while, and I am so grateful for the feeling that filled my heart as I was able to briefly share my testimony, and while I do not know what others felt, the experience strengthened my testimony. 

Since President and Sister Carter are leaving this next week, President Carter did interviews with all of us and gave us all a blessing.  I love that man!  I wish a could describe to you all the feelings of love and respect that are in my heart for him.  I imagine that all of Steve and Julie's missionaries are feeling the same about them as well!  As President Carter said to me, the time the Lord gives us is enough to accomplish His will, and I know that now is the time to continue to go forward under the direction of President and Sister Carlson.  I know it'll be great! 

I'm so glad to hear that camp went well, inspite of the weather.  And I hope that all goes well with youth conference as well! I love you all! Have a fantastic week! Thank you so much for your support and prayers! You are the best! 

Metz sirov, 

Quyr Broadbent

D&C 6:33-37   

Mary's Mission 17 JUne 2013

This is such a wonderful letter that I had to get it sent off before I headed to girls camp.

Hope you all have a wonderful week!!

Hello Family jan!

We have great news in Armenia.  We had the priviledge of having Elder Russel M. Nelson come to the very first STAKE conference in Armenia.  We've been working to have a stake formed, and yesterday, during our district conference, we sustained our first Stake Presidency, as well as the first 5 bishops and our first patriarch.  Wow.  I can't begin to express the joy that is in my heart and I am positive my joy is so little compared to many others.  I feel so blessed to be here at such a time and to be a part of the Lord's work.  I know this is truly His.  And His work is ever hastening onward all throughout the world.  Wow. 

I feel that our week went well all around and ended on such a wonderful note! I'm nope sure I've ever been happier, for a number of reasons.  After the announcement of the stake and then seeing so many people that I love-both missionaries and members, and being in the presence of one of His special witnesses, I can't help but think about the great blessings the Lord has poured out upon us.  Sister Ledingham made a good comment yesterday, she said "I think this is what heaven may be like." I didn't even have to think for a moment before I agreed-and the thought of being able to spend eternity with all of these people that I love brings me so much peace and joy! How great will be our reunion on the other side of the veil? Wow.  I think one of my favorite parts of the conference was Sister Carter's testimony-she started our with a translator, and then the last few minutes she did in Armenian.  I love her so much!  As she testified I felt so strongly her love for the gospel, for our Savior, for each of us missionaries, and for these Armenian people.  I am sure going to miss the Carters.  I'm positive the Carlsons will be great, but the Carters are such special people and they will always hold a very special place in my heart.

We had the special opportunity to meet with Elder and Sister Nelson as well as our area president, President and Sister Malm (?) as a mission (including all of our Georgian missionaries).  It was amazing.  Sister Nelson talked a little bit about the administering of angels and how all those who have gone before and those who will come are angels administering to us.  She also talked about how we can ask to have angels with us.  So neat.  And Elder Nelson-I love him.  We just had a good question and answer time and learned from him and then he testified and promised us blessings.  So neat!

We have experienced a miracle with our investigator Anahit, we've been struggling to get her to read the Book of Mormon, for a variety of reasons, and in our last meeting at the church, our member ran into the other room and brought a children's Book of Mormon.  I have never seen so much excitement; Anahit readily agreed to read, and her heart has been more open and soft towards us.  During that same meeting, as we started, I was just frustrated, I kept feeling I just needed to love her and I silently began praying to feel a portion of our Heavenly Father's love for her.  As I opened my mouth to testify, my heart was filled with love, just indescribable love for her.  Heavenly Father really does hear and answer our prayers and He loves each of us so much! 

I hope camp goes well and that you all have a great week! Stay safe! I can't wait to hear where Josh will be going-who knows maybe he'll come here :) (I can hope right?) or perhaps here, but he'll be in Georgia :)  Wherever it is, I know it is where the Lord wants him.

I love you all! Thank you for your prayers and sacrifice for me to be here! Elder Nelson also said to thank you and said that you are being blessed for it.  

Have a wonderful week! I love you!

Metz sirov, 

Quyr Broadbent

Mary's Mission 10 June 2013

Barev barev Family!!!!

Oh, how I love you all! I can't begin to express it!  You are the best! I hope you know and feel how much I love you!   I am also SO excited for Kami-she is already such a wondeful missionary, so I can just imagine all the great things she'll do in Wisconsin, even as a "cheesehead" :)  I love camp! I can't believe that it is already that time of year! I hope that preparations and all goes well-I'm sure it will and I am positive there will be many tender mercies with each experience.  

We had our first taste of apricots this week-I think they are better than I remembered! There is nothing to compare it to! 

So Alvard is baptized.  It's a miracle, every step.  We met with her and her brother in law, who suggested that we move up the date of her baptism.  We decided to go through all of the baptismal interview questions and wow....she is the most prepared woman I have ever met! I am so grateful for the sisters who taught her in Russia that helped her prepare for this day! I am so grateful  to have this time with her!  Her baptism was beautiful.  Her nephew, who will be going on a mission to England in a little over a month, baptized her, he was so embarrassed because it took 4 attempts before everything was right, but our wonderful President Carter shared a story about another baptism that had us all laughing and remembering how important it is for the baptism to be  done correctly.  Then as Alvard shared her testimony, she began to cry as she expressed how she knows the church is true.  She is solid and is looking forward for the day she will be sealed in the temple to her husband.  We have a couple of new investigators that we just love-Susanna and Vigen-they came to church yesterday and seemed to really enjoy it.  Susanna has a beautiful voice and picked up so quickly on the hymns (she is going to be an excellent addition to the branch) and then during our special musical number, she began to cry.  I hope and pray that she'll hold onto those feelings!  Our investigator Narine just lost her job, and while we know how hard it is, we feel it is the best, so she can come to know the Lord more and come to trust Him.  We're praying this experience will open her heart and not close it.

Sister Henriquez is so inspired! I am constantly amazed at how well she follows the spirit; she is a constant example to me.  We felt this week the need to fast together as a companionship and as we discussed what to fast, she shared a verse from Alma 17, about fasting and praying to gain a portion of the spirit, so that they could be instruments in bringing the lamanites to the Lord.  As soon as she read the scripture, I felt that is what we needed and that it was also an answer to my prayers.  There is a part in my partriarchal blessing that talks about being able to teach and bear testimony in a way that will help others understand and desire to have the gospel in their lives.  For the last several months I have thought and prayed a lot about that.  About what I needed to do and be to make this promise come to pass in my missionary work-and while I feel like the Lord has directed me in the past months to become better, I feel that the decision to specifically fast and pray for a portion of the spirit so that we can be instruments in the Lord's hands in bring His children here in Armenia to Him, was a direct answer to my prayers.  The Lord is truly aware of us.  I know it.  And I know He has it in His designs for us to succeed, for us to improve, for us to bring His children to Him and for us to become like Him.

I love you family!! Thank you for being the best! I hope all goes well this week! Have a wonderful time! 

Metz sirov, 

Quyr Broadbent

A picture of Mary's Zone - it is half of the mission!!  Look at all those Sisters!!

Mary's Mission 3 June 2013

Barev im sireliner!

We had new missionaries come this week from the MTC-I love the fire and excitement they bring with them as they are ready to jump into the work! We have two new sisters here and two more that are opening an area in Georgia!

Wow! The work of the Lord is so grand! 

I feel like this week has been full of so many great tender mercies and miracles.  First, I must say, I love all of our sisters! As I've thought of each of them and talked with each, I think Heavenly Father has given me a silver of a glimpse of the great potential we each have, and of the unique gifts we've each been given.  After spending a couple of days with our wonderful Georgian sisters, I can honestly say that the Lord has prepared them for this time! Just as He has prepared each and every one of us! This is His work and I am grateful beyond words for the opportunity I have to be serving here at this special time.  There is so much potential and so much good to be done as we prepare for our Savior's second coming.

We had a unique experience this week-I can't remember if I told you about how Sister Ledingham and I went to the hospital to support one of our members and their family, but the man they were praying for and holding onto passed away on Monday.  One of the counselors of the mission presidency is the brother-in-law to this family and he suggested that they hold all the services in our church.  I just have to express again, how grateful I am to be a part of the gospel and to know that there is so much more than just his life.  I have never seen so much mourning and grieving, with so little hope and light.  We spent a few hours each day with the family and friends and  it was so neat to  hear people express how they felt express how much light and peace there is in our church.  

The Lord has also blessed us with a miracle.  We met Alvard yesterday, one of our members' sister.  She had been taking the lessons in Russia for the last 4 months, and has read over half way through the Book of Mormon.  She is so ready to enter the waters of baptism.  As Sister Henriquez and I talked about her and the family she comes from, we talked about how they are of the House of Israel-we are so blessed to be able to build relationships with them and to learn from them all.

Yesterday, we had a unique opportunity to fast as a mission.  We gathered with our districts and ended our fast in prayer and a testimony meeting.  I had a realization that I have never noticed before.  As I sat, listening to testimonies and in silent prayer, and then as I gauged the feelings of my heart, I felt how sweet and tender the voice of the spirit has become to me.  I don't know when it changed, but when I think of how the spirit had to speak with me before my mission to get me to notice it's promptings, it was definitely more harsh.  Harsh isn't the right word, but it just took so much more for me to pay attention to the prompting.  And now, it's just different.  I feel like the spirit is my friend.  I don't know how to explain it.  I know I have much room for improvement and I know there are times I still over look those promptings, but I am so grateful that the Lord has given His guidance through the Spirit.  That He has allowed me to learn.

Sister Henriquez is my new companion.  She is wonderful.  She's from Chile and just finished serving in Artashat (she was my replacement when I was transferred to Vanazdor)  She is so dedicated to the Lord and to the work and I am learning so much from her already as she has just thrown herself into the work.  She is so solid and humble and I just love her!

I can't wait to hear more about what's going on with Josh!  :)

I'm sure Vernal was wonderful! Especially to be all together!

Thank you for your prayers and support! I know you aren't the only ones praying for me-I feel your strength and prayers! Thank you!!  Be sure to share my love with everyone! 

I love you all!! You are the best! Have a great week!

Metz sirov, 

Quyr Broadbent

"Anything is possible with 3 people, if one of those people is God."

"We do not act for personal gain, but rather we seek to serve and to lift up others."

Mary's Mission 27 May 2013

Barev marev Family jan! 

I am so happy that you were all able to get together! Last week when you said you were going, I thought of some of the many memories we have in Vernal and with Uncle Don and Aunt Mima in Heber-playing with marbles in the basement, the time Kris sneezed all over Cari's cheek, Aunt Edna's chocolate popcorn, and so many more things! 

I can't believe school is out! That May is already ending.  Wow.  Time goes by so quickly! The kids here are out of school, too, and since the sun comes up so early and goes down so late, there is a group of kids that are always playing outside our windows.  I love it.  I love the long days of sunlight. We're also starting to get into fruit season....there is nothing better in the entire world than teaching the gospel and eating fresh Armenian fruit.  You all just don't know what you are missing!

I feel so good about this last week, I feel like there were a lot of good things that happened.  Robert was baptized and the baptism was beautiful! I know his back has been hurting him since, but he was so happy at church yesterday when he received the Holy Ghost and he bore a sweet simple testimony.  I can't wait for the day when Robert and Hasmik will be in the temple together! We also had a really neat miracle this week.  We've been working with the sister of one of our members, Narine.  She has expressed a lot of desire to be baptized and then always says she isn't ready or that she hasn't received her answer yet.  We've been trying to help her recognize her answer.  She came to the baptism with us on Saturday.  We were talking with the taxi driver on the way over and she explained so well what repentance is and bore a powerful witness.  Then before the baptism, our wonderful Elders, Elder Conway and Elder Olsen, were talking with her about her own baptismal date and about her knowledge of the gospel.  We had the opportunity after the baptism to sit with her and her family and have a little lesson.  As we talked, Narine told her member sister Nelly that she is getting baptized on June 28 and that she'll need her help to prepare.  Then she looked at us and just beamed.  The Lord truly does answer our prayers-and the prayers of all His children! I am beyond grateful for the influence of the Elders and the influence of the Holy Ghost in touching hearts.  I know this is the Lord's work and that no matter how we try to do it on our own, we can't.  

Manushak, one of the women I talked about last week, is so amazing! She is so willing to act! She keeps telling us how good she feels with us and talks about how God is answering her prayers.  With her work, she is allowed four days off a month and has already said she'll be coming to church on those days.  There is a chance that she may be going to Russia to work, so we'll keep going forward until we hear more.

Yesterday in church we had a couple of young dads sitting on the stand and their children kept coming up to sit with them.  I couldn't help but think about the countless times we did that as children with Dad and then I had to express gratitude that the Lord blesses us with such wonderful families and those sweet, tender moments and relationships with one another.  This truly is the church of Jesus Christ and it is the same all over the world! Phenomenal! 

Sister Ledingham and I have talked a lot about following the spirit this week, about the commitment we have to make to follow the promptings of the spirit, and how if we really commit and then give all we have to follow what the Lord asks, that is when we begin to turn ourselves over to the Lord.  I also read from D&C 58:27-28 and have thought about this and the connection between Moroni 7:13.  The Lord expects us to go forward, to act and think for ourselves-to use the spirit within  us to decide.  We know when something is good and we shouldn't have to wait for the Lord to tell us, "Yes, that is a good thing, do it"  We have a responsibility to be "anxiously engaged" and always looking to do good, to be better, and to reach out to those around us.  I know I have much room for improvement.  I want to be someone the Lord can rely on to accomplish His work, someone He can trust with His children.  Will you each be more "anxiously engaged"?  Will you seek to do good?  I know the Lord will use you to answer the prayers of others and you will begin to recognize the presence of the Holy Ghost more in your life.  

I love you!! Have an excellent week! Keep your smiles on and let your light shine! 

Metz sirov, 

Quyr Broadbent 

"No good thing comes without effort and sacrifice"

"Our personal testimony is a protective shield and like an iron rod, it is guiding us safely through darkness and confus

Mary's Mission 20 May 2013

Barev family jan! 

  I can't believe that school is almost out! Life sure is good, isn't it?! Our Heavenly Father has blessed us so much!  We're on exchanges again, this time Sister Wynn came to me and Sister Ledingham went to Artashat.  I love them both-I love seeing the different gifts the Lord has given each of us and how He uses each of us and our talents to help the work go forward.  

We have had so much rain the last few weeks.  So much.  I love it.  We'll have a half a day of sunshine and gorgeous weather and then in an instant it changes and is pours.  The rain always reminds me of that primary song that says "I like to look for rainbows whenever there is rain and ponder on the beauty of an earth made clean again.  I want my life to be as clean as earth right after rain, I want to be the best I can and live with God again."  I love that song.  

I feel like we had a pretty good week.  Robert (Hasmik's husband) passed his baptismal interview yesterday and will be baptized tomorrow.  He is so much more at peace and has so much joy in his eyes constantly.  He was a good man before, but the change the gospel has brought has made him so much better.  I know it will continue to change him.    One of our new investigators, Manushak, is a miracle and evidence of the subtle promptings and small workings of the Lord.  We talked with her over a month ago on the street but we haven't been able to contact her.  The last couple of weeks I've thought about her a few times, and even more this week.  I just kept remembering the conversation we had with her.  We called and were able to talk and able to get into her home.  As we talked, she expressed two things that amazed me.  First, she told us how she began smoking years ago, feels it isn't pleasing to the Lord, asked what we thought, and then asked if we could help her quit.  Wow.  Of course we can.  Then, she talked about some friends and relatives she has that are part of other faiths that have asked her to join them and she just hasn't been able to.  She told us that anytime anyone would try and talk to her on the street, especially about religion, that she would immediately tell them she wasn't interested and then continue on her way.  But with us, she said she felt a little prompting that made her want to talk with us and accept us into her home.  She expressed not knowing why before she had never been able to accept other religions, and then she said it must be because Heavenly Father wanted her to find us and accept our teachings.  Wow.  The Lord truly does prepare His children to hear His message!  Then this morning as I was studying, I came across a couple of things, one, a quote from President Monson that says "The more we act upon the inspiration and impressions which come to us, the more the Lord will entrust us with His errands."  I couldn't help but think about what would have happened if we hadn't listened to that small prompting to call Manushak.  The Lord truly works through small means to bring about His purposes.  The second quote I came across was from President Eyring that says "God will put prepared people in the way of His prepared servants who want to share the gospel....How often it happens depends on the preparation of your mind and your heart."  As I thought about those two quotes, I thought about the need to improve-the change and become, so that I can be prepared in my heart and mind and so that I can always follow the promptings of the Spirit.  What can each of you do to be the Lord's prepared servants?  As a missionary, I can honestly say that we need the help of the members so much-the example you set and inviting friends and family to learn does so much more for the work than we could ever do.  Will you pray for opportunities to share the gospel daily?  Sister Wynn and I were also talking about the Atonement and I have to express how grateful I am for our Savior; who suffered beyond all comprehension so that we can be cleansed from our sins and so that we can improve.  So that we can change from good to better and better to best.  And not just in spiritual ways, but in every aspect of our lives.  I know He is God's Son, our Savior and Redeemer, my Savior and Redeemer; He is our friend and comfortor.  He gives us strength to do and be so much more than we could ever be on our own.

I also want to express my thanks for teaching us to be worthy to enter the temple always.  And for setting the example by going to the temple.  We've been talking a lot about the importance of the temple lately and how really, baptism is necessary so that we can reach our goal of going to the temple.  Baptism is not enough.  Thank you, Mom and Dad, for taking us to do sealings so I could have that picture in my mind, so I could remember the real goal.  You are the greatest! 

I love you family!  You are the best! Have a great week! 

Metz sirov,

Quyr Broadb

Mary's Mission 6 May

Barev Family!!

It sounds like your week was good! I'm glad women's conference went well! You always come back raving about it! I honestly had forgotten that it is already that time of year!  Thanks for the pictures as well-they are beautiful! Be sure to tell Jon and Jess, and Melissa and Matt congratulations! 

Where to begin?  I'm not exactly sure.  We moved out of our apartment, were in between apartments and we are now living in one of the nicest apartments I have ever seen.  Even the senior couples were jealous of it.  It's funny, because it really is great, but there is always opposition, right?  We nearly got locked in our house and locked out of it.  The door is just a beast-I guess we'll be gaining some upper body strength while we're here :) Being out of our apartment and with the other sisters for a few days was good, I feel like I was reminded of the most important things and I was reminded of how important this work is! As we went back and forth to Arabkir, I couldn't help but be grateful that we usually live right in the center of our area, especially when at the end of the week I was feeling like we were losing so much time to traveling, but the Lord is still so good to us, despite our circumstances, our imperfections, and our weaknesses.  Hasmik's baptism was amazing.  President Carter invited all the rest of her family to work towards baptism before the end of the month so that in a year from now they can be ready to go to the temple with the group that will be going.  And she bore the sweetest testimony! I wish you all could meet these people!

I don't know how we've been so blessed lately! And it's not just us! The entire mission is just flourishing!  The Lord is just so good to us-we are truly nothing without Him.  As I watch the work go forward here, I am just amazed at the goodness and greatness of it all.  The Lord is truly apart of everything! Last week during our district meeting I was overwhelmed with gratitude for our other missionaries.  We've been working with some of our investigators, feeling at a loss for what to do, and then learning from our Elders and Sisters, feeling their strength, and being uplifted by their prayers was a huge blessing.  I am amazed at their great ability to embrace and live the Christlike attributes and am humbled by their example of Christlike service.  During our meeting someone made a comment about understanding the why of getting baptized, and feeling that perhaps I had lost sight of that, I determined to study it throughout the week.  Our Heavenly Father is truly so good to us! He's given us the opportunity to show Him our willingness to do as He asks, to promise to follow Him, and He promises so many blessings in return! Not just blessings for this life, but blessings for eternity.  All by accepting the invitation to follow the example of our Savior and enter the waters of baptism.  Why is baptism so important to you?

Yesterday, we had a really neat sacrament meeting.  We had an elder here that served here 20 years ago with his wife (when the church was new in Armenia), a man that was baptized as a young boy by that elder and the man's beautiful family.  They all live in Utah now, but they came to visit the wife's family.  The first time back here in over 10 years.  They each bore testimony of the gospel and as I listened to the testimonies of them, as well as our local members, all from different walks of life, my own testimony was strengthened.  This is the church of Jesus Christ and this is the only way back to our Father.  

I love you my dear Family! You are the best! I hope and pray that as we each go forward this week that we can remember all the wonderful blessings the Lord has given us and that each of us will give our best to Him, after all, He has given His best to us.

Have a great week! Can't wait to talk with you (it's hard to believe that it's that time already!!)

Metz sirov

Quyr Broadbent