9/21/15 Hello Elder Clegg

Hey Family,                           9/21/15

This week has been another exciting week, from changing companions to some absolute miracles. And it all begins with love. This week started off with some unexpected obstacles, on our way back from the mission office, our car's engine just gave up so we had to push it back about a kilometer back to the flat for the dealership to pick up. Then on Tuesday, I said goodbye to Elder Henderson who is entering into his final transfer and welcomed Elder Clegg as my new comp her in Springs. To give you an idea of Elder Clegg, picture your typical Cali surfer bro and shave his head a little and give him a nametag and there you go. He is one of the hardest working missionaries that I have worked with so Springs better to be ready. As for my week, I will share two sweet experiences that we had this week.

#1 On Saturday, we received permission to go to the temple with our ward. Our recent converts were going for the first time to do baptisms and we also took a few nonmembers to walk around the temple and go to the family history center. While we were there, Elder Clegg met one of the young men who he baptized while he was serving in Tzaneen. It is about 5 hours away from the Temple so it was a miracle that they ended up at the temple together at the same time! Nothing is better for missionaries than to see people they have taught still progressing in the gospel. It was just a wonderful place, we had a less-active member that we showed around and shared a lesson on eternal families. After our lesson he told us that we really need to share the message with his son so his son can be baptized. The temple is amazing!

#2  We had our most successful Sunday ever here in Springs. I don't know why, well I think I might. . . but everyone just seemed to show up. So many prayers are being answered. Interestingly, there was a random lady who walked in, stayed for the full three hour block, then decided to stay for the other wards three hour block, and then wanted to go to a stake fireside for another 2 hours in the evening........... How often does that happen usually they can’t make it three hours :) We just feel so blessed here.

As we learn to love the work we do, life seems to get a lot better. I love being a missionary here in sweet Mzansi.

John 14:15- As jullie My liefhet, bewaar my gebooie.(I’m working on my  Afrikaans)

Love Elder Broadhead

Love Elder Broadhead 

9/14/15 Good Bye Elder Henderson

Sept 14, 2015

Good morning everybody! Another Pday has come and gone and the work here in Springs continues to press forward. We received news on Friday night that Elder Henderson will be leaving Springs. It was a total surprise to both of us because he has 6 weeks left and we expected that he would finish here in springs. BUT, its the Lord needs him other places and it was a quick 6 weeks with him, but it is awesome that you learn something new from every comp that you have. So I will find out on Tuesday who the new companion is.

 Also in other amazing news, Rabie Ridge will be had 6 baptism on Sunday.Thats incredible!  It is so great to see the work is moving forward.  I'll make sure to have Elder Sibanda send pictures.

 This week has been solid. On Saturday we were tracting in some of the high-rises in downtown Springs and we walked up to the door of this building and introduced ourselves. He said, "my wife is a member, I want to know about your church." I don't think there are more magic words you want to hear as a missionary. There a miracles all around us.  So we talked to them and it turns out that she is a member and moved here and lost track of the church, and he wants to learn more about the church. Prayers are being answered.

 We are teaching this family of 4 that is coming along pretty well. Even in the 6 weeks that I have been here I have been able to see their progress in keeping commitments and they came to church for the first time yesterday! They have been to many churches but none of them have seemed right and have just reached the point of staying home and reading the bible. You learn how to really love the families that you see on a regular basis and the Minsi family has become one of my favorite families for sure. So keep praying for the Mnisi Family!

In sports news, Elder Henderson and I play basketball every morning for our exercise time. I took the series this week 5-0 and today I won by default. He sprained his ankle, but after applying some frozen vegetables to his ankle he is all good for our final game tomorrow. 

"Work, Work, Work, there is no satisfactory Substitute."

Love Elder Bhead

Mosiah 4:26

8/31/15 Things are warming up.

                                                                                                                          August 31^st, 2015

Hi Family,

With the weather heating up here in Springs, things are literally springing forward here in our area. Great things are happening. Sorry about the last two short emails, it has been incredibly busy so I’ll try to do a little better with a few details.

Tuesday- We had our zone conference with 4 different zones, It is a big meeting, but it was great to see all the familiar faces and check in on what is happening in the former areas. Elder Sibanda-  is doing great! It was great to see my little greenie "Simba" again lol. Also it was great to hear from Pres and Sister Dunn. Hats off to them, they are changing the mission culture here in our mission which is great. We spoke on commitments and becoming more purified people. It was an awesome learning opportunity! We got back a little bit late and had dinner with our bishop and his family (they have 4 boys) and their oldest  son is preparing for a mission. So it was just like being back at home. After that we had a great lesson with our most progressing investigator. She finally prayed out-loud for the first time!!!! Then as we closed her daughter wanted to pray out-loud and it was her first time as well. Prayer is so important!

Zone Conference

Wednesday started off the usual. We volunteer at a Methodist Soup Kitchen in handing out bread and serving soup. It is awesome to help people and especially to build relationships with people of other faiths. We then saw a couple of our "Elderly" members. We thought of sharing the same message as last week to see if they remembered.....hahahha. Then we finished the day at the Sibanda family (no relation to Elder Sibanda) Brother Sibanda is a non-member but loves having missionaries over. He took us through his "gym" which consisted of a vibrating stomach belt and an electrical shocking machine. I don’t always ask a lot of questions because it’s better not to know. . . . . Needless to say he is about as fit as Warren Sapp. 

Thursday- We planned, planned and planned some more. Every Thursday I introduce “ Planning like Manning.”  So we plan everything trying to be like Peyton and not miss a detail.

Fast forwarding to Sunday.  . . .We went to stake conference and it was a sight that I'll remember forever. We got there 1 1/2 hours early and the soft seats were already almost full. Then about 30 minutes before it started literally a flood of people came. I’ve never seen anything like it.  The stake center was max capacity in almost every room! The church in Africa is growing and it’s great to be part of this sacred work!

It’s not where you serve, but how. . . .  so get out there and serve!

Love,

Elder Bhead

8/17/15 Year 1 is in the Books!

August 17^th, 2015

Hey Family,

This week has been one where I have done a lot of reflecting. The year mark will come on Thursday and it’s really amazing at how fast time passes, especially when you immerse yourself in the work. If I'd make a list of things that I have learned so far on my mission, it would be about as long as Rachel Ray's ingredients list. I am so grateful, even for the hard ones!

So I'll share an experience that Elder Henderson and I had this week that has been the reason why I decided to serve a mission. Last week, we received a message from a member in our ward who was at the chapel cleaning. Supposedly, a lady was waiting at the gate and explained to him that she felt like she needed to come to church and learn more. So we were able to see her briefly on Tuesday, but I was on exchanges and so we saw her again on Saturday. The lesson on Saturday was one of those Golden lessons that rarely if ever happens on a mission. We taught here about the Restoration and needless to say and it was as I envisioned as a young boy dreaming about being a missionary, the spirit was there and incredibly strong bearing witness to her of the truthfulness of the things that were being taught. She acknowledged that this was something that she felt she had been searching for. She even read from the introduction to chapter 18 in 1 Nephi since Tuesday. The field is white and I am so grateful to be part of this work.

 I am so thankful to have the opportunity to serve as a missionary. I can't remember the quote exactly by President Hinkley  that says something like, “ You will come to know  what appears today to be a sacrifice will prove instead to be the greatest investment that you will ever make.”  That is how I feel about my mission. It really isn't  a sacrifice at all to bear the name of our Savior and his true church. It is an honor and a blessing.  It is calling for the rest of my life, not just for 2 years. In simple words, "I LOVE MY MISSION! "

In other news, we visited the same less-active guy and his wife who do fire dancing. . . . After a lesson about the Holy Spirit, they invited us outside and put on a mini fire dancing show as . . . Then he out of nowhere he  just starts literally spitting fire. Last week it was fire bombs this week spitting fire. . . . Only in South Africa, what fun experiences!!!  

Anyway  things are going great here in Springs!

Until next time, love you all!

Elder Bhead

8/10/15 Hello Springs!!

August 10^th, 2015

Hey Family,

Annnndddddddd the long wait is over and I finally found out where I was going on Tuesday. I am in the town of Springs, in the Benoni area. It is a little run down Afrikaan town that has a lot of older white members. I would compare it to downtown Mesquite, Nevada. (if there even is a downtown Mesquite).

      My comp is Elder Henderson from England. It’s great,  he reminds me of a mix between Preston Parmenter and Jake Wagner. That tells you we get along great. He has 3 months left, so I will be finishing him off.

The ward reminds me of a 55 or older branch, they are all pretty elderly and they all bring candy to give to the missionaries at church. So no doubt in the area, I'll find my "mission grandparents" that will take care of us and I will put on 10 pounds.

Anyway I'll share some funny stories that happened this week. First one is that we are teaching this less-active member and after we close I asked to see his wife. So we walked into her room and she was sewing "fireballs" that she does for her business. Interestingggggg. Sometimes the less you know the better.

 The other one was during church our pockets were getting full of all these sugar candies from the older people, then this old guy handed me a thing that looked like a Cadbury egg. So I ate it and it turns out that he pranks new missionaries by giving them a chocolte peanut thing that covered  horseradish. So I was coughing for about 5 minutes. My sinuses were cleared out completely. . . So I have learned . . . .Don't trust old guys. 

A sweet experience that we had this week was that Wednesday morning we got up and went and worked at a soup kitchen. Making soup and then handing it out and giving people french fries. There are so many people in this world who need kindness and compassion. It rang in my mind that serving people is not something I want to do for only these two years but to help and serve for the rest of my life.

Have a great week,

Love Elder Broadhead!!

8/3/15 So Long Rabie Ridge!

 August 3, 2015





Ola, Ola Fam. I'd officially like to extend a "Welkom" to our newest family member. Welcome Steve, I've always wanted another brother! Amidst the craziness of a wedding and proselyting, I got a call from President on Friday and I'll be leaving this land of Rabie Ridge. It was expected, because I've been here for a while, but it is still tough to say goodbye to everyone. I've grown so close to the people here and bearing my testimony yesterday was pretty tough. But, goodbyes are part of His plan. I'll share a sweet experience and a funny one from this week.

 Last Monday, we watched the Restoration Movie with our Recent Converts, Sam and his mother Joyce. When we arrived her sister was just about to leave so we invited them to stay. Needless to say we watched the DVD and here heart was touched. After we watched it, we had a mini-testimony meeting on "Why do we believe". These are people that are converted to the gospel! There is nothing greater than seeing someone become truly converted and obedient. 

on the flip side. We saw one of our less-active guys right after his soccer team won in penalty kicks. Needless, to say he had a little too much to drink and started blowing his vuvuzela while we were about to sit down and teach his kids. 

Vuvuzela 1  Word of Wisdom 0

Anyways I hope all is well at home and you are braving the warm weather. I love you all

Elder Broadhead

7/27/15 Kelsee's getting Married!!

Hi Fam, 
I still can't believe that kelsee is getting married, after years of searching and unsuccessful tries on Ldssingles.com it looks like she has found the one! And I am grateful that the family will add on another brother. (looks like family bball will just get better).
 It has been an amazing week here in Rabie Ridge and it goes straight in line with what is going on back home. How important familes are in the Plan of Salvation. As we were teaching a part-member family about it, I was overcome with love and joy for my family. I couldn't be more grateful and express more thanks to my Heavenly Father for the family that I have been blessed with. From Grandparents to nieces, I am absolutely spoiled with how blessed I am to have you all. 
As we were teaching, I bore simple testimony about how important they are and felt prompted to give them a picture of the temple. She took the picture looked at it, then looked at her new born baby and said, I think it is about time. Wow, what an amazing experience especially with the wedding tornado going on back home. Needless to say, I am so thankful for my family. Even though Dub and I acted like Laman and Lemuel :) 

Love Elder Broadhead