Excerpt from Josh's email January 2, 2013: I'm glad we all made it through 2012 lol! It's been pretty good so far. I've learned from my mission already that I will be a missionary for the rest of my life. I think of so many people now that are back home that i wish i would have shared the gospel with more. I also know when i am home i want to help the missionaries and go teaching with them and things like that. I really enjoy it. The hardest part of being a missionary is knowing that the gospel can help someone but they deny it. If people would just soften their hearts and open their minds they would understand the importance of it and the blessings that they can receive. It truly does bring true happiness into people’s lives just by living the gospel. We can overcome anything with the gospel. It truly is amazing. I know it can help people feel more pure, true happiness in their lives, and I want to share that with others. The world is a scary messed up place. I can't even imagine what it would be like without the gospel. I Love the gospel and the blessings of happiness, joy, peace, and comfort I have felt from it. I finished the Book of Mormon the other day. It is an amazing book! It is amazing to know that through a 14 year old boy Jesus Christ restored it to the earth for us! It's awesome! I love finding scriptures that I can apply directly to situations I am facing. It's so cool! I have so much stuff I want to read and learn from! I understand things so much more when I Read Study and Mark them. I love learning about the gospel. I wish I had more time to study! I've been writing in my journal a lot! I think I only have missed like 2 days, and that was in the MTC. I can't even imagine what it's going to be like to see you guys all again. I'm super excited for that day. I am loving it here though. At times I get discouraged but I just have to build myself back up by studying and reading and praying. I know that if I can bring happiness to at least one person, I have done my job. The more the better but I know I will do whatever the lord wants. I hope everything there is good. The mission is the hardest thing I have ever done in my entire life so far. It is Exhausting! I am constantly tired! I am drained ALL the time! In our bathroom in the shower written on the wall we have written "it will never get easier, but it will always be worth it" I like that a lot because it's so true! I know it's hard but I can't imagine not doing this. I have learned so much it's crazy! And I'm still learning! I think in my next email I will try to send you some of my favorite scriptures. there are a few I really like. I really like Romans 8:18, 3 Nephi 11, 2 Nephi 31, Alma 36, and Moroni 10:3-5. Those are a couple right off the top of my head that I really like. Another funny one that I like which is funny because it's true/ words of advice is Proverbs 21:19 I wanna say and verse 9 I believe. If you look at the cross references in the foot notes they're pretty good. another one.. James 1:5-6 is good, Ephesians 6:12 is one I found today I really like. Those are just a couple off the top of my head that I either use a lot or that I really like. That's what I love about the scriptures is that there are so many different really good scriptures and we can apply them to ourselves. Especially from the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon was written specifically for us in these the latter days! How cool is that, that ancient people long ago were told by God to keep a record for us!? I think that is really cool! I hope The Kravers Krew is doing good! I hope Joyce is doing good.

District meeting.

From a letter Josh sent his Aunt Caroline dated December 10, 2012: "Thanks for the letter! I love getting mail. The mission is really good, of course, I miss home every now and then but mostly just the convenience in communication. I do know this church is true. I have had many spiritual experiences in my life some big and some small but no matter the size the source of them is always the same. I know God answers our prayers. I know he loves us and I know he knows the true desires of our hearts, there is no pretending. He is real! I am so very blessed and so very grateful for everything I have been given, especially the family I have been blessed with. I never realized the true importance of families until I left on my mission. I am so grateful our whole family is involved in the church and know the truthfulness of it. I'm so very grateful for my true friends also. They are like family to me. I am so grateful for everyone keeping me focused on preparing for my mission. I am so excited to be an example to everyone that looks up to me. I am grateful to be that example. Just as Christ was an example for the people, I can be an example also. Another thing I have found to know on my mission is how much I love learning about the scriptures. I wish I had more time to study them. I love learning about the gospel. I always want to learn more! A chapter I really like is Alma 36. I have felt that exact same war in my life and have felt the love of the savior. Another scripture I like is Romans 8:18. This scripture was shared with me by a teacher at the MTC. He walked by the classroom where I was and started down the stairs. A few seconds later he came back. I didn't know him. He wasn't my teacher but he said, "the spirit prompted me to come back here and share this scipture with you. I don't know why I was prompted but when the spirit tells me to do things I do it. I tell my students to do that so why shouldn't I? I am glad he did; whenever things get hard or stressful or when I begin to miss home I think of this scripture. I have already seen blessings come from my mission and they keep coming. I know this is where I am supposed to be serving the Lord. I'm not just doing this for myself I am doing it for the Lord. I am giving him my time and myself so that I may be a tool in the carpenter's hand. The blessings are a by product of all of this, I am doing this because I love my family and I know I can be with them forever, and I want everyone to know that as well. I want to get one of those fancy stone etched things in my house that says missionaries leave their families for 2 years so that other families can be together for eternity. Another thing I have learned on my mission is how badly I want to get married in the temple and start my own family. I am so excited for that day I can take a young daughter of God to the temple. That is my ultimate goal right now. Of course mission first, then that. I know the church is true, the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ, and that God lives and hears our prayers. I know Jesus Christ died and atoned for our sins so that we may return to live with him someday. I know families can and will be together forever."

Helping decorate a Christmas tree.