You Can Do Hard Things

Wow!! Lot has happened!! I don´t know where to start, I only get thirty minutes to write today because president said so...so I just obey his law..So I am just going to write one big letter home this week.
That is really positive for me and I hope that I can really reach my goal!! I told Wes that I spoke with an Elder serving in our area and he knew NO English and after about 6 months he speaks without any hesitation.
I like your short hair so definately keep it!!! Broke the news to him that I went back to short and spikey

The party looks way fun, Tell G he is a stud!! Wes loved Garett's costume

That is to bad about Rich. My prayers to that family. 

That is so exciting mom for your new position!!! You will do great and I know you will be perfect and do great things there!! 

This week was a bit different...I had one of my investigadors pass away..so that made for an interesting week..I had to speak at the funeral and what not. She passed away from illness. I know that she is in a better place like Rich and that this is exactly why God gave us this great plan to give us hope!!! 

Tell G and Colt hello for me and how are they doing this week??? How is dad doing??? That is good to hear you saw Brooke, she hasn´t wrote me in a while, so I am glad to hear she is making it to church and what not. 

I totally agree mom we can accomplish hard things!! It reminds me of a verse in 1 nephi 3:7 you should read it if you get the chance. My new companions are okay, I am starting to get a little comfortable and can relax a little bit with them. They are just so different from my last ones with things so it is taking me a little bit to get used to them and find a medium as to what needs to get done and how and what not. It is good though, only have 4 weeks more in the area so I am trying to make the most of it while I can and leave it better than when I arrived, my worst fear is failing and not being good enough and I have found that that is what I struggle with the most here..is I can always do better and or I feel what I do its not good enough..so I am trying to balance that out. I know that I accomplish things with the Lord's help it just is hard and I know I should and can do more. 

I wrote Shane back he didn´t get my email?? I will try again..i will write more next week sorry I wish I had more time, I love every single one of you guys to the moon and back and then some!!

Have a great week!!

Love your son or bro,

Elder Leatherow

 Garett ~ "Deer" Elder

 Garett and Landon at the ward Halloween Party ~ the two Elders in the middle are assigned to our area

Garett and Landon paying tributue to their Super Heroes, their older brothers

Elder Leatherow was able to send home a few photos.  I love getting them; they make my heart happy, happy, happy….yep a little Duck Dynasty humor for you all.

 Really?!?  

Til next week… Remember you can do hard things.

Weston Leatherow Reads?!?!

Hey Dad,
Well it finally happened.... I received my first Latino companions!! They are pretty good, it is a really big change from my last ones, in EVERY way, but I am just taking it and learning from it, going to create the best of it. I am in the same area, they are the zone leaders. So I have to show them the area & the people & what not. So this week has been busy for me with that 'cause I have to take charge and plan and stuff. I am glad though cause I feel my Spanish is really coming along faster! My goal is to be fluent no problem by Christmas; so we will see!!

That is awesome about work dad!! Congrats on moving up and taking that next step! That sounds way exciting and that you are being kept busy. 

I also found out within the next year or so we will be using facebook here to proselyte and what not so that is interesting!!

Tell Colt to go, it will be a blast! It will be as fun as he makes it! So tell him to live it up, cause those are some of my best times,  school dances and having fun with friends!! 

You will have to tell me about the rifle hunt!  Should be a good time, I sure do miss hunting like crazy! I can´t believe its almost November though where does the time go?? Time is a very precious thing and it is one of the greatest gifts especially when we use it right! 

Dad sounds like you are doing great! Is there anything I can do for you?? I hope you have a great week!! 

Love ya like crazy dad!!

Elder Leatherow

Hey Mom,

Yes, new companions! and they are Latino!! They are good -  a lot different than the first two.

 I am in the same area. The culture is good, just a lot of people lost and that need the truth. I walk about a block and a half to church so it is really close! We currently have 14 investigators we are teaching and 7 have baptism dates for November!! So I am so excited for that, and can´t wait to see those!! It will be an extremely busy month! I am still teaching that guy in English, his name is Robert, I haven´t in the past week due to schedules not matching up but we have an appointment tomorrow with him! He is coming along great! I see him getting baptized in the next little bit as well! I am learning lots, I have found my nose in books, talks by apostles or prophets none stop! CRAZY!?! Weston Leatherow reading on his own, right?!? Never thought that would happen but I found that I want to know everything but the more I learn the more I find I don´t know. So I am constantly searching and studying things!! I love every minute of it!!!! 

This week is has been a good one and we will see how the next 6 weeks go, I assume since I am with zone leaders now and am still doing my 3 month training program which ends next change, I will be moved to another area and get another companion, I have found that is the only thing that is constant out here on the mission is change! Every day something new happens or you have to change plans to get everything done! It has been fun and I enjoy it though! 

I threw up this week while trying to eat this fruit thing at a members house though, that was embarrassing but funny now that I think about it! That is about it for this week! 

I love ya to the moon and back and then some mom!! 

I was able to chat with Elder Leatherow for about 20 minutes at work ….emails back and forth….it was fantastic.  It was just small talk but it was heavenly.  He says that with his new companions speaking only Spanish he has been silenced unless they are talking about the Gospel so he has lots to chat about.  :)  I told him the Red Sox and the Cardinals will be going head to head in the World Series and his reply:

You know the Cards about to tear it up!! Madeline will be so mad that her team is going to have to lose!!!!

I asked him about his Patriarchal Blessing and if he received it upon arrival at the Mexico MTC and if he found himself trading ties (it seems everyone I talk to says that is what missionaries do)and his reply:

 I did not get my blessing because I don´t want it in Spanish. So I am waiting. I haven´t traded at all.

I told him I had mailed off a package but wasn't sure when it would reach him as I mailed to the mission home:

the President or the office elders give us the mail, I don´t know exact time or how fast it will reach me just depends on the week and what not. 

He also said that the email address he has for Kegan must be incorrect because it keeps getting bounced back ~ so Kegan Leatherow the following is for you:

How is it going?? How is school going for ya man?? How is Rifle hunt?? I hear you drew out on swan, huh?? That should be a blast!! Are you playing any sports right now?? How is your family doing??? Tell them all I said hello! Well that is all I have for ya buddy, thanks for the letter a little bit ago, sorry it took so long to respond! Have a great week, love ya man!!!

Elder Leatherow

While chatting with Weston I received a phone call from Colton and Colton asked that I tell Weston hello and that he was sorry he didn't get a chance to email this week ~ Colton this reply is for you:

Tell him I said hello back, and I miss him too, I sure could of used someone to talk to these past couple of days they have been rough since I can´t express myself in Spanish; it has been a lot of silence from me, only talk about the work, which is good though makes me stay focused and that is what really matters.

And just like that the hour was up.  I love MONDAYS!  I love being able to hear his chuckle and feel his sense of humor in the little time I get with my boy.  

Remember when life gets rough and you feel the load to heavy look heavenward and kneel in prayer and you will not only see the light you will feel lighter.  

….still waiting for more photos ~ crossing my fingers for next week.

Stray Dogs, Street Contacting, and Teaching in English

Hey Dad,
That sounds like it was a great time out riding and hunting! I sure do miss the mountains but all the time green-ness is growing on me. This week was a bit crazy with Conference and everything the week before we dropped investigators if they didn't come to conference. So this past week we just street contacted like crazy!!! Except the craziest thing happened we are teaching a guy right now in English!!! He lived in New York for like 14 years so he knows English really well. Lets just say that it is the weirdest thing Ever!!

Thanks dad for understanding about the truck and being so awesome about it! I am glad I have you for a dad and you understand..This week  another crazy thing that happened was I got attacked by three stray dogs in one day!! I don't know what it was but the dogs just didn't like me that day or something. It was so funny though we all had a great laugh and are still joking about it! This week was pretty boring nothing to exciting to write about. I am glad you are having a great week dad and have been able to get out into the nature! 

This week I have been studying the Atonement and oh man! It is incredible and the more I learn the more desire I have to serve and my love for this Gospel grows and I feel how much our Savior loves us! Well dad I hope you have a great week to come!! I love ya.

Love,

Elder Leatherow

Mom,

I would so have to agree with ya Mom Elder Dupe's talk hit me so hard and definetly was one of my favorites and one I needed to hear! They all are incredible men! I am so glad those two (Syd & Ster) stopped by and they are both doing good, tell them both I said hello and hope they are doing well! Please tell the Thompsons I give them my best wishes and they are in my prayers. That is good to hear about G and getting out of that straight leg contraption. Don't worry about Colt he is doing fine tell him he needs to write me and I will see if everything is good and what not. Tell Kyle I loved his picture and I will send some more home next week. 

This week has been a bit slow just street contacting like crazy cause we don't have very many investigators. So its been a lot of walking around and not letting one person go by without saying something. 

Thanks for everything mom, sorry its short I don't know what to really write about cause not much has happened. I can't believe I will be getting new companions again already on Wednesday! Time sure has flown! So we will see how this  turns out. With change comes growth! That is what I have found and is why we must change and continue to change! 

Thanks for little messages at the end of the emails mom, I feel great after and I love getting to do that! Well mom that is it, I love ya mom to the moon and back and then some!!

Elder Leatherow

"We send out Elders to preach the Gospel.  Who sends them?…The God of Israel sends them.  It is His work.  There is no mortal man that is so much interested in the success of an Elder when he is preaching the Gospel as the Lord that sent him to preach to the people who are the Lord's children.  He begot them in yonder world, and they came here because the Lord wanted them to come.  We feel that you missionaries will make a grand success, because we sense and know that you have been called of God.  The wisdom of man would never have thought of such a work as this.  I am suprirsed when I think of its greatness.  I can say that it is the very work that is necessary at this time: and I feel that you will enter upon it with your whole souls.  Cultivate the Spirit of Jesus when he said he could do nothing except that which his Father gave him to do (see John 5:30)."….Lorenzo Snow

This is an answer to my prayer as to why Wes was called to serve the people of El Salvador and not the people of Idaho.  :)  the Lord called him to serve His children because he knows his strengths.  ….a testimony builder for me; He does know us and he does answer our prayers on His own time and when we are ready to accept the answer.

Looking forward to more photos; hopefully next week…. 

Slowly Figuring it Out

HeyDad,

I really enjoyed Conference myself, all 10 hours of it! I took a different approach to it and that was I wrote down questions I had for myself that I would like to be answered. That truly made a huge difference! I loved President Eyring and President Uchtdorf's talks during the priesthood session, as well as the talk given by Edward Dube during the Saturday morning session. I found that I wrote the things that the spirit prompted me ~  I can always go back and re-read the talks but the things the Spirit prompts to me I can't get back or look up  so that was something I learned and will always do from now on! This week was a bit crazy - we had a meeting every day of some sort whether with president or stake leaders or zone meetings, so we had a crazy week! It was good though but boy is it good that I got today to rest, 'cause I was exhuasted going to bed last night! I am slowly figuring this mission thing out, I have a lot of things to learn and change, but I know it comes little by little! Thanks dad for your great example and sharing your thoughts on conference with me! I love ya! 

I am glad you guys got out and did some good hunting though! I miss that like crazy! I am glad someone is kiling something.  :)   The new suit sounds awesome, for sure send me pics! 

Well that is about it for this week dad, I hope you have a great week and know that I love and miss ya and am doing all that I can to make you proud out here!! 

Love ya!

Elder Leatherow

Hey Mom 

I told dad about Conference so this email to you I will tell about the culture and everything since I haven't really done that….

Down here is way different; it is very poor but the people are really nice for the most part and patient with me and my Spanish. We travel by bus a lot and we fit upwards of 80 to 90 people on these buses. They cost .20 to ride each time. 

They have little corner markets on every corner literally! Everything is cheap, chips are .10 Powerade .75 (750mL) or bag of water .15 (500mL), there are NO street signs - like stop lights and stop signs NO speed limits! I have became really good at playing live-size frogger game here as well! 

We teach with these little pamphletes I think thats what its called in English in Spanish its folleto. We go through the pages and ask inspired questions through the Spirit. We never knock doors, we just street contact every one , never letting a family walk by untalked to. We have been trying extremely hard to work with the members to be missionaries and do their part and recieiving references from them! Because memebrs play a key role in conversion, because after baptizad we aren't there and everyone needs a friend to keep them going so we are trying to get them doing that and having a member with us at every lesson. 

It is beyond humid and hot and I sweat like a pig. 

The food here is different everything is cooked in oil! We have pan(bread) at every meal, along with beans, rice or both. The only thing I hate is platinos and it makes me gag but I have found tricks to get it down. 

I pay 23 dollars for a lady to do my laundry each month. I pay 80 dollars a month and guy cooks us meals 5 days a week for 2 meals wich is 2 dollars a meal which is pretty good. Soda (1.25lt.) is .75 so it is crazy cheap! 

This country has a major issue with the gangs and I know why MS 13 originated here, because of all the lovely paintings on every building, literally EVERY building! The members are so nice and are willing to help me practice my Spanish so that is nice. That is about it! 

I love you mom! Thanks for everything!! 

I love you to the moon and back and then some!! have a great week!!

Love your son,

Elder Leatherow

Hey G ~ I would so have to agree with ya bro, Uchtdorf's talk was incredible and I loved it so much!! I am so happy to hear you watched conference and was able to take something from it. You are way better and wiser than I ever was so keep up the great work! You are right you just have to keep getting up and going the knee thing is only temperary and will go away soon just stay strong. Keep up the great work with your studies! I love ya little bro! I am happy you guys killed some more stuff! The only thing I kill around here is bugs and lizards! So you are very lucky to be killing things! Love ya bro, the language is coming slowly! Have a great week!!!

"Doubt your Doubts before you doubt your Faith"  Pres Uchtdorf: Gen Conference Oct 2013

can you see a resemblence?

11 weeks down.