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!

 

 

January 23-30th, 2012

Hey family!

Hey sorry about that I bet you were pretty dissapointed haha. I accidently hit send when I was typing the first half of my e-mail this morning. so here is the rest.

So it has been a really great week here at the MTC! Thanks everyone for all the letters and kind words it really means a lot to me and I still love getting mail it's awesome. Sorry about the questions Dad I like them I just don't have time to answer all of them but feel free to ask them I just can't gaurantee they will get answered haha. and I'll think about working on my capitalization ;) also thanks for the package mom that was really nice of you. I shared everything with the zone and they all loved it, especially your cookies. I'm definitely not starving here. It's good to hear everything is going well at home. Sorry about that transfer dad, I'm sure you'll do great at patrol. Change is usually good. It's also good to hear that you replaced the toilets haha. now maybe they can hold up to tara ;) Sorry about that chicken ash.

Time is really flying I can't believe another week has gone by. the quote around here is that the days feel like weeks and the weeks feel like days. It is so true. Also sorry I didn't explain the investigator thing. It is actually a paid teacher that we don't know that just makes up a story and acts like an investigator so we can practice. But we treat them like they are real. E. Wirthlin and I are actually picking up two new investigators this week.

E. Wirthlin and I got the chance to bless the sacrament yesterday, in spanish of course. It was weird but good practice and pretty cool. Oh yeah, I guess the big news of the week is that E. Wirthlin and I have been called to be the zone leaders. Pretty crazy I know. It feels weird to us because we feel like there are elders that have been here longer that are better suited for the job. but if there is one thing I have learned it's that the Lord doesn't call the qualified, He qualifies the ones he calls. This is true or I wouldn't be on a mission! I know He will help us out with this new calling as well. All it really means is that we have to do a little more work and be a little more obedient and be a little bit better of an example. So we'll do what's asked of us.

 We have two main instructors here, one of which actually started out as our investigator, then became our teacher so he could critique and help us. They are both really great and I am learning a ton from them. Elder Wirthlin and I got a really spiritual lesson from Hermano B. that he just gave to the two of us. It was really great and he pointed out a quote in PMG from Elder Holland that said if you truly love your investigators and listen to them, the spirit will tell you what to say. So me and Elder Wirthlin are trying hard to have enough faith in that promise. I know that if we really listend and care, the spirit will help us overcome any language barrier. I'm confident that I won't have any more problems with my lessons from here on out. Hermano B. showed us that everybody needs the gospel, they just don't know why. Our job is to show them why they need the gospel in their lives, and the spirit will do the rest.

The devotionals here are also amazing. they get hands down the best speakers to come to the MTC. One of my favorite parts of the devotionals though is the hymns we sing at the begining. This week we sang come thou fount of every blessing and it brought me to tears. It is my new favorite song, i felt the spirit so strong when all us elders sang that, it was really awesome.

Other than that it has been a really great week and I am loving life here! It's tough but sooo worth it. I really love my district/zone and I'm glad we'll get to serve them a little bit more now being the zone leaders. We're all just counting down the days till we get to go to Mexico. I also know that I still have a long way to go before I am ready for that though. I love the gospel and at this point I'm so thankful for the opportunity I have to share it. It will make people so much happier. I know that the atonement is the center of God's plan for us and that Jesus Christ can get us through anything we could ever imagine.

Well I gotta go lb some more food before class! Have a good week guys, I love you!

-Love Elder Broadhead

January 18-23rd, 2012

Hey family,

 Hi guys thanks so much for all of the letters and the package that you sent!! It means a lot to me that you are thinking about me and praying for me. I have gotten the most mail of my district so i'm feelin pretty confident right about now. Granted, all the elders think the mail is from girls but I don't have the heart to tell em its all from my family and guy friends haha. Pops i didn't know that bishop wanted updates, did he say that or are you just assuming? if it's the former, send me back his address.

 Well the first couple of days here at the MTC were pretty crazy! It is a great experience though and I am loving every second of it! Our nametags have a red dot on them the first day so everyone knows you are new and they go out of their way to help you and make you feel welcome. But i took it off as quick as I could cause I didn't wanna be labeled the 'new guy.' My companion is Elder Wirthlin and he is from Arizona. He is a really good guy and i'm so grateful I got him as my companion. He is the only one in my district that is willing to work hard with me and not waste one second. We are studying as much as we possibly can. I have learned so much already and it has only been like five days. Everyone keeps telling us that things get easier once you get into a routine, so i'm looking forward to this week when our schedule gets finalized and we can really get moving. I really love my roomates as well. they are E. Johnson and E. Davis (redhead) and we all get along really well. All four of us are going to Veracruz and then there are four in our district going to Oaxaca Mexico, and then two in our district that are going to Peru. The two that are going to Peru leave us in three weeks for the Peru MTC. I'm way jealous. But we have had some great times and I really love my district. we love to work but we also love to laugh. They had us start teaching an investigator who only speaks spanish, on Friday! It was really hard cause we knew no spanish and had to rely on the spirit. E. wirthlin and I prayed for the spirit to be there right before we went in, and the lesson didn't go too bad. We have been teaching him every day since then, except sunday, but it is really tough. Spanish is frustrating but I know the lord will help me so i'm confident that it'll come. We also say all our prayers in spanish. I guess this is the best way to learn but it is kinda tough.

We have really good instructors that care alot. we also have a great branch presidency. every week we have to write a talk in spanish then he randomly calls on two people from our zone to speak. So i wrote a talk for yesterday but luckily i didn't have to give it. the idea is that when we get to mexico we will have a whole slew of talks at our disposal. Probably the most important thing that I have learned since being here is that my mission has absolutely nothing to do with me. Everything that I do from now on is completely about the people in Mexico. all my studying and work is so that I can help invite others to come unto christ, which is our purpose as missionaries. they really pounded this into our heads and it has changed my focus a little bit. everything that I right now is for my lone investigator, David, who we're teaching right now. we actually are going to teach him in about an hour so wish me luck. our lesson this time will be about the first vision. all in spanish of course gosh dangit.

How are things at home? keep me updated with everything! oh also I can't really attach pictures to this thing so i'll print them out and send them to you and you can scan them into the computer or whatever. I know it's lame mom, but hopefully the prints will satisfy you. i'll keep them on the sd card and flash drive as well so I can keep em all.

I feel like there is a lot that I am forgetting to tell you and i'm sure i'll realize it later but they only give us a half hour to write these things. oh yeah i'm getting even pudgier cause all we do is eat, sit at class, study, eat, sleep, repeat. granted they do give us fifty minutes five days a week to work out. but it doesn't feel like enough and my belt notch is showing the consequences. the food isn't bad though. well speak of the devil i gotta get off to dinner, so thanks so much for the letters and kind words, I love you guys all sooo much. Keep the missionaries and investigators in your prayers. The gospel is true and the atonement works!

 Love Elder Broadhead