February 20th-27th, 2012

What's up fam!

First off thanks for the thoughts on lesson three, it was great insight I hope you learned at least one small thing that could help you out in your own lives as well. This week one of the things I'll be studying is commitments. It is one of the chapters at the end of PMG so look into that this week and give me some feedback. When I study, I like to answer the questions, what (doctrine) why (principle) and how (application) this helps me stay focused and apply it to my investigators. It sounds like the house renovation is going good so keep that up. That's a huge bummer about the concert, oh well it sounds like you had fun anyway.

You asked some really good questions so I'll try my best to answer some of them. But first Mom that was pretty classic about sending the cupcake mix, I thought you did it on purpose as a joke cause I'm so pudgy. I got a good laugh out of it. Maybe I'll just mix up the dough and lb it. But in answer to your question Mom I haven't spent any of my own money. They give you six dollars a week so that usually takes care of all the necessary expenses. I might buy some things before I head for Mex though. Also did you get the letter I sent for Dustin's b day? I didn't have his address so I sent it to you to forward to him. I only ask because apparently some of my mail hasn't been arriving. My friend Elder Curt told me that none of my friends have been getting my mail so it made me kind of mad. So if you see them tell them sorry, I've responded to all of their letters they just haven't recieved them, I'm not sure why. Tell them to send me their e-mail address in another letter and it will make things easier I think. Especially for Mexico. So if Dust didn't get my letter tell him I say Happy Birthday and was thinking of him. Anyway Dad in answer to your question about if they spend any time teaching us how to teach, the answer is yes. Besides studying spanish and the gospel that is all we do. We do it mostly through practice, then feedback. We teach about two or three lessons a day to different people. All in spanish of course. Yes pops I got your advice on being a good leader. Thank you for that. This week we got some new Elders in our zone, and one of them was Elder Trevor Beazer! It's been cool being able to kind of show him the ropes, I'm actually doing laundry with him right now.

The word on the visas is that missionaries are still getting temporarily reassigned. We have about another week and a half before we should get our travel plans. The good news is that if I get reassigned I'll be able to call you guys and tell you where I'm going. Also I get to call you at the airport, that was news to me. Either way, I'll get to Veracruz eventually. I'm so excited, our teacher tells us so many cool stories and the people down there are just awesome.

I had a really good week, I'm feeling a lot more prepared for things and starting to get antsy to get out in the field and start helping real people! Quick funny story, one of the companionships in my district was teaching a lesson, and they tried to have the investigator read the last two paragraphs of the introduction, but they accidently turned to the wrong page and they had him read a page about how there might be errors in the translation from english to spanish! haha so the investigator was way taken aback and like started asking all these doubtful questions haha. It was hillarious, they were sooo embarassed.

Well I'm still learning a lot, and my spanish is improving as well as my knowledge of the gospel. I love the personal study time where I have a chance to really recieve a lot of revelation. I've been sufficiently humbled realizing that I don't know a whole lot about my own church, so it's movitaving me to study pretty good. I love studying about the atonement and Christ. There is so much we don't even understand. There is a quote in the first few chapters of PMG I think that says, with a greater understanding of the atonement comes greater power. I have found this to be so true. I will go anywhere the Lord asks me to go and do anything He says. No questions asked. He knows best. This gospel is true I could never think otherwise. I am really excited to see it completely transform peoples lives. It's going to be incredible.

I love you guys and pray for you always. I hope all goes well this week!

-Love Elder Broadhead

Zone Leader

Elder Broadhead was called as a Zone Leader.

February 13th-20th, 2012

Que tal familia!

Hey guys it sounds like everything is going great at home and you guys are getting a lot done! I love hearing about what you do during the week, cause I can picture you guys doing these activities and for some reason it usually makes me laugh. Just cause you guys are so funny. But speak of the devil I have a funny story for you, but I think you might've had to be there. Anyways, so we were eating dinner sometime during this last week and as we went to leave we all started putting on our suit coats that hang on a big coat rack while we eat. Then all of a sudden E. Stevenson, in my district starts yelling and getting all mad. So we go over to him and he's holding this huge stack of cookies in his hand and he says, "Hey who the heck put these cookies in my pocket, it's really not funny?" We're all like, well we didn't do it. But he's getting really mad about it for some reason so he marches over to the garbage and spitefully throws the stack of cookies away. Then we all start cracking up, which makes him more mad, because we look at his name tag and he is wearing the wrong suit coat hahaha. It was sooo funny, and the best part is that some other pudgy Elder had stashed a bunch of cookies in his pocket for a snack later haha.

Well anyways I had a really great week, I don't have much new to tell you. I'm still working hard but I feel like my spanish has kind of plateued a little bit. So we've planned two days this upcoming week where all we are going to speak is spanish, so that should help me get out of this spanish rut. We're picking up two new "investigators" tomorrow, so we'll be teaching four now. But this time they are going to be another companionship in our district. We'll teach one of them while the other Elder acts like a member, and then switch off. It's helpful because we've all come up with an 'investigator' character, usually someone in our own lives that we think could use the gospel. It will be good because it will help us understand how an investigator must feel in order to be converted. Also we'll understand better the role members play in the conversion process. Also I have a bit of a favor to ask. I'll be studying and teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ this week (lesson 3, chap 3 in Predicad Mi Evangelio) and I was wondering if you guys wanted to study it with me this week, then send me your thoughts or teaching suggestions so I can get some different points of view (other than E. Wirthlin) and use them next time I teach it? It would be awesome and I think helpful to all of us. I'll keep telling you what I'll be focusing on each week so then we can study and learn together and we'll all be on the same page!

Well life is great on my end, I'm loving every minute! I'm sooooo excited to get to Mexico and I already am feeling something for the people there. One of the highlights of my week is after we attend the temple on P-day we have a few extra minutes so we help out in the luandry. One of the hermanas that works there is from Veracruz, and we love going and working and talking to her so we can find out about Veracruz and practice our spanish on a native. As soon as I found out that she was from where I am going, I automatically just genuinely loved this woman. It was a weird experience kind of, I can't really explain it. We are all can't wait to get to Mexico and we found out this week that they don't send American hermana missionaries to our mission cause it's too dangerous or terrible living conditions or whatever. Either way we were all feeling pretty manly when we found that out haha. One of my good friends Elder Curt arrived this week. It was really great to see him. He has this huge tongan companion haha it's so funny cause he's just a quiet skinny white redneck. It's pretty classic. I love the kid though.

I hope everyone has a fantastic week, I love you all so much and can't wait to spend eternity with you! Joseph Smith is a prophet and the restoration is real. The Book of Mormon is the word of God. I love Jesus Christ with all that I have and everything I do is based off of that love. I can't wait to share His gospel with people that have been needing it their whole lives. I love you guys and pray for you! Peace out till next week!

- Elder Grande Cabeza (Broadhead)

February 6th-13th, 2012

Que pasa familia!

It was really great to hear from everyone this week! Dad I did get your letter last week it just came after I sent my e-mail so there is no need to send duplicates unless you feel the need. Mom I was so glad to finally hear from you! I'll be honest I like the letters more than the packages and I think they are a bit cheaper to send! Also I'm not getting any slimmer with these packages haha and neither are all the Elders I share them with! Thanks though it's nice to know that you're thinking about me that much. It sounds like everything is going great at home, keep up the good work, I love hearing about it!

Well my spanish is really coming along. I finally feel like I can understand just about everything that is being said and I can communicate my feelings, and a lesson, a lot better now which in turn makes me a lot less frustrated and things just generally go better. One of our responsobilities in the zone is to take care of new elders when they arrive, and we got some this last week. It was pretty great to see how overwhelmed they were for the first couple of days and to think that that was me just a few weeks ago! Time is really going by sooo fast. I'm starting to wish it would slow down a little bit already. I had a close call where I thought I completely ripped by pants up the butt in front of a bunch of sisters. One of the things we do is slide down all the poles of the stairs to spice things up a little bit, and we have this weird technique where you put one leg on each side of the pole, lean back and squeeze your cheeks then slide down on your butt. It's a lot of fun but I went down an especially sticky/dirty pole and about halfway down I came to the conclusion that I had ripped my pants and when I got to the bottom all the elders said I did cause there was a line of dirt on my bum that looked like I tore the seam haha. So they all busted up (including the sisters) and I ran to the bathroom but discovered it was dirt and not a tear. Don't know why I told you this, just i think so you can know that we have a lot of fun and a lot of laughs here as well as working hard. This is just one of many hillarious stories. You might've had to be there though, idk.

I have really learned a lot this week so I'll just share a few of the things I think are most important. Last night for the devotional we watched Elder Bednar's address to the elders at the MTC just a few months ago on Christmas day. It was probably the most incredible talk I have ever heard. Do everything you can to get your hands on it, it is so amazing! The talk was on the character of Christ and how the atonement would not have even been possible if it weren't for the character of Christ. Elder Bednar summed up the His character basically by saying that at times during Christ's life when you and I would have turned inward and become self-centered and selfish, Christ turned outward in love, compassion, and service. He then gave several examples during Christ's life of how when Christ was at some of his lowest points He was still serving and loving others. This went along perfectly with another huge lesson that I learned this week which was that everything we do comes down to how much we love the Lord. Hermano Salisbury gave us this one and he said that anytime you are tempted, or want to make a bad decision, or be disobedient, just ask yourself if you love doing that more than you love the Lord. Hopefully we love the Lord more than we do the bad decisions. There is nothing that I wouldn't do for the Lord, and I try to think of this anytime I have a selfish thought or get bothered by another one of his servants. I'm really tring hard just to completely forget about my old self and let Christ shape, mold, and polish me into a completely new man. A representative of Jesus Christ. I have to try and be as Christ would be, and I'll tell ya it's not easy! I am trying my best though, and it is a life long process I'm just starting to constantly be improving my character to become more of the person He would want me to be. I'll hopefully never be the same. Studying OF Christ is more important than studying ABOUT Him.

Lo siento if this is boring but I'm just trying to tell you guys the most important things that I learn so we can all try and improve. It really doesn't matter what else I'm doing, just know that I'm fine and in the Lord's hands. I am learning so much from these great teachers and Elders. The Elders are great, I really love all of them especially my zone, district, roomates, and companion. By they way they all love your mustache dad haha. We can't wait to get to Mexico and we're donig everything we can to prepare for the people there. The restoration happened and the true gospel is on the earth. Tell everyone you can.

I love you all and hope you have a great week!

-Love, Elder Broadhead

January 30th - February 6th, 2012

Familia!

Hey how is everything going?? I didn't get an e-mail or letter back from you guys this week! Thanks for the package mom! My zone always likes it when you send packages haha. But anyways it has been an awesome week. Last Tuesday was the fiftieth anniversary of the MTC so we had two apostles come and speak to us for the devotional it was amazing. It was Elder Holland and Elder Nelson. They both have such a powerful spirit it is really amazing. Also by some miracle of obedience we got to sit at the very front like fifteen feet away from these men of God. It's cause instead of ditching class and dinner like two hours early (to go stand in line for the devotional) like a lot of other missionaries did just to make sure they got in. We went to all our classes then had to go to the overflow in another building to watch the devotional. Then all of a sudden an usher comes in and says come with me and he takes us into the devotional right up to the front haha! We could see all the members of our district and zone that had ditched class way up at the top, and then we were sitting right at the front it was sooo classic. It really did strengthen my testimony though. It helped me to see that if we are obedient and do the things God asks of us, then He will take care of us. The whole time I was just staring at these two apostles just thinking about how they've given a lifetime of service to the Lord and I got mad at myself for thinking two years was going to be hard. They are such great examples for all of us.

My spanish is coming along slowly but surely. It gets better every day. We're finished with all the grammar and what not so now we just have to practice for the next weeks till we leave. Our two teachers are truly amazing. I love them so much. They've taught me a ton with spanish and with the gospel, I really look forward to our class time with them every day. It's still way frustrating though to give lessons in spanish cause we have to stumble through everything like a bunch of idiots, but it aways works out. One thing I've learned, and I can't remember if I told you this already but regardless I'll say it again because I like it so much and cause it's true. It's that I've found out that the Lord does not make his servants look foolish. If we go into a lesson having prepared our best, and not knowing any spanish, try to give a lesson, the Lord never makes us look like fools. He always makes up the rest, even if it doesn't come by means of making us fluent in spanish.

This week two of the elders from my zone are leaving for the Peru MTC. I'm really kind of getting worked up about it cause I don't want them to leave. I've gotten so close to all these great Elders I already love them so much. It's amazing the unity that comes from spending every minute of every day together. As well as sharing tons of spiritual moments together. I love these two elders and I'm really going to miss them. Elder Wirthlin and I are excited this week thogh cause our zone gets new missionaries! It's our job to take care of them the first few nights and kind of give them the low down of how we do things here and what's expected of them. So we are excited to finally get to act like seasoned vets haha. But time is really flying I can't believe another week has gone, I'm already wishing that time would slow down! I keep meeting missionaries going to Mexico that have had their stay here at the MTC prolonged because of visa troubles, or they get sent to another mission for a bit. This really freaks me out cause I don't want to get sent anywhere else, even if it's just for a little bit. I just wanna go straight to my mission. So pray that my visa goes through with no problems!

All is well on my end though. I work hard every day and I try to not even waste a minute. Sometimes it's hard, I just wanna slack off but I know the Lord will/has blessed me for my efforts. Keep my zone and missionaries everywhere in your prayers! I hope you guys have a good week I love you so much and pray about you every day. The gospel is so simple and so true. We have such a great message and we are obligated to share it with everybody that we can because it will make them all the more happier! I truly do love the gospel and the lord with everything that I am!

 

-Love Elder Broadhead

 

P.S. I'm trying to send some pictures but I might just mail you the sd card before I go to Mexico, then you can mail it back real quick before I leave the country. Sorry but I think that's the only way!