Feliz Navidad

Dear Family,

I am doing a great big email this week for the extented family as well, so please let everyone see this. Sorry I want to send pictures to you guys as well, so it will be a Little short but hey we get to Skype in two days so its okay!!!

The Smuin family, I am sorry to hear, Matt cat got sick but glad to hear he is getting better espicailly before the holiday. Basketball already?!?! Wow I swear it was just football season jus the other day. No that is awesome!! Go tear it up it on the court though, please keep me updated on games and what not. Good Luck Boys!! Know that I am cheering for ya all the way down here, so score a basket for me!! Chad my dad says you shot a beautiful bird the other day, that is awesome!! Have a great week! I love you all so much!!

The Leatherows Josh and Jenn, I am happy to hear Disneyland went great!! I am jealous for your kids, but thanksa for the pictures as well, they are growing up way to fast!! Ms Hadlee is already 3?!?! What the heck that is crazy!!! Liam dude you are a complete stud!! Way to be such a good example to all those around ya buddy!! You are a lot braver tan I am!!! I love you guys have a great Christmas!!!

For my week was a pretty good one , we got to go to the temple this past Friday and it was amazing!! We are so lucky to have the opportunity to go and make those covenants with our Heavenly Father and live with Him and our familia for an eternity, is such a blessing and I am so thankful for that. Our área is doing good, we are up to 8 investigators that are progressing and we have a bautism date for the 4th of January so that I am so stoked for!! It is a new área so we are in the process in establsihing it all and really just trying to get it going. With us being two greengos we get a lot of attention and people talking to us cause we are White or the looks beacuse they can`t believe their eyes, you name it we probably have gotten it.

Our P-days consist of cleaning, laundry, grocery shopping, playing soccer. There really isn`t any sites to go look at or we would, we go check out the shops close by but that is about it.

Well Family I am so stoked to skype this Wednesday with you guys!! It will probably be at 9:30 or 10 I will call ya from skype just to give ya a heads up. Also I was thinking if you have questions maybe write them down and that way we use the time as wisely and smartly as possible, that is just a suggestion though you guys can do whatever you would like. 

I love you guys!! Especially you mom to the moon and back and then!! Feliz Navidad!!!!

Love your jungle missionary,

Elder Leatherow

I love to see the temple:

My casa

Christmas Party at the President's home

My heart is full as I look at the smiling faces of these missionaries.  The sacrifies they make to bring the world His truth.  From our family to yours Merry Christmas!
A friend of mine gave me this poem …. get a tissue….

I'm Giving Christ my Son for Christmas

This year I'm giving Christ my son, I've spent more time in the temple, my testimony stirred

I've re-read November's Ensign, felt strength come from His words

Our family prays more frequently, my tears are quick to run

Abraham seems closer because, This year I'm giving Christ my son.

I wonder how those Lamanite mothers gave their sons to war?

Or how the pioneers chose Zion, their sacrifice was so much more

My loss will be his presence, I'll miss his smile a ton

For two years we will pray for him, I'm giving Christ my son.

I stare at his face when he's not looking, I memorize his eyes, their shine

He's always hungered for the part of Him, that makes his soul divine

His stories and lessons he always heard, His choice and mine are one

I'll put my faith in God's hand, this year…I'm giving Christ my son.

Past gifts have lost their glitter, I think  I finally understand

Christ's birth should be celebrated by giving Him a hand

It's because I know Christ lives and reigns that all his packing's done

My gift has taken years to make, this year… I'm giving Christ my son.

I know there's One who understands the sacrifice I'm making

Who knows the gift I willingly give, the toll it will be taking

For He has done it all before, Greater love there could be none

For years ago God gave to me, His only Begotten Son.

The hands I washed, the hands I held, the hands I taught to pray

Now knock on doors to find the ones who will listen to what he'll say

Because I know Christ needs him until all the gatherings done

My gift has taken years to make…This year…I'm giving Christ my son.

Yeah for SKYPING!!

Dear Family,

First things first regarding our communicating for Christmas and what not, I will be SKYPING!! So I am excited to see all your smiling faces and get to hear your voices. I need you to please make me a skype account though and then send the username and password to me by next week so I can have that with me, along with the username that you guys will be using so I can connect with ya. They did not say a exact time so I would just have it open all day and wait for me to call. Sorry but thanks so much for doing that for me!! You guys are the best!

This week was beyond busy with meetings and work here and our Christmas Dinner with the Presidente. With being here and its a new area and its extremely small branch and stuff I have the opportunity to participate in a lot of the things, like teaching classes, blessing sacrament and working with the Branch Presidente a ton. We just got a new Presidency in this past week, and they are  excited to get the work moving here and they have some great ideas in mind, so I am way happy and look forward to helping that plan take effect. Yesterday my companion and I were able to have four investigators in church which was insane! Cause my companion has been here his whole mission and they haven´t had an investigator in church in over 2 months. So prayers are and can be answered! I was so happy when they showed up! It was also the Primary program as well so that was great, those Sundays are always my favorite watching all the little kids!!

Tell Nessa I said Hola!! 

That is my little bro!  I knew he was good at picking good ones! 

We are trying to gear up for Christmas its just hard when its complete opposite here and its only getting hotter! So please enjoy the snow  ~  it sounds great!! They all have their Christmas trees up here though and some have lights outside the house they all have Nativity sets too, so that is cool and it shows the real meaning for Christmas.

Mom thanks for always keeping me updated on the Sports!! I freaking love it, and oh boy do I miss watching the sport games with all you guys, so please keep the updates coming. 

Tell Chad that I am sorry I didn´t know I had that much of influence on that stuff..so I kinda feel bad now. So hopefully it all works out and what not.

Well Family that is about it for this week for me! Thanks for always writing and I love you all! Especially you mom to the moon and back and then some!! 

Have a great week!! Nosvamos!!!

Love your jungle Missionary,

Elder Leatherow

My area and Elders from my zone

This is at the Presidents house, the elder with santa hat, is an Elder I have gotten to know way good he is from Morgan Utah, name Elder Martin

I was lucky today and got to chat back and forth with Wes for about five minutes today; we haven't had time to do that for about 4 or 5 weeks.  He looks happy and healthy and I can't wait to hear his voice next week.  
Hey mom you there?? How is work??

I am doing so good.  You just made my day!

How are you???

I am doing great!! It is good to talk with ya! Tell everyone in the office I said hello! Is work busy or this is the slow months right?

They say hello back and Kyle says What Up? 

Work is slowing down. But we are staying just busy enough to make the day go by. 

Tell kyle Que Pasa Hombre?!?! Good I am glad to hear that then. Hows the weather???

 Cold and more cold.  You look Great and I LOVE the Santa hat.

Okay mom, I have to go cause Of my time is up was a good quick chat, I can´t wait to talk with ya on Christmas!! Have a great week, I love ya to the moon and back and then!!

Little conversations just make my heart melt.  I cherish them more than anyone could ever imagine and thank my lucky stars that I am able to enjoy them with Wes.  

Short and Sweet

Dear Family,

Well I am sorry to report nothing crazy, awesome or extradoniary this week. This week consisted of long hours spent in the street talking to people and visiting members to get refernces and then going to try and find these people to teach. So that's really all there was this week, its rough and trying to talk to people and learn the language but it is coming along and I am enjoying it. I have found that I am developing that crazy talent of being able to talk to anyone and start a conversation, like how dad does any where you go with him., I know it's the spirit talking though more than me cause I can´t speak the language to save my life so I have to rely on that to get me through conversations. 

Did you guys get the chance to see the Christmas Devotional last night?  I don't recall ever really watching it before and we were able to get two investigators to that, so that was super positive!!

Dad! That is freaking sweet about the new gun, I can´t wait to try it out on some rabbits when I get back! 

That is to bad to hear about Brother Perry I send my best to his wife and family. 

The Paul Walker thing  just down right..SUCKS!!! I freaking loved those movies!! So what the heck?!?!

I am so freaking stoked for the whole Dale opportunity though-!!! When I heard and read that from him, it brought me so much joy and peace to my heart. 'Cause I know that this will be a great position for him and it will bless not only him but his family as well!  When we put the gospel first we will be the most happy and things will always find a way of working out and going a lot easier. Please let him know that I am glad to hear from him and so happy with him accepting that call!!

Sorry it is short this week I don´t have a lot to say. 

Have a great week everyone!! 

I love you all so freaking much!! Especially you mom to the moon and back and then some!! 

Have a great spirit and Remember the True meaning of the holiday season,  it's because of Christ we can experience these feelings and great times!! Love you guys!!

Love your jungle Missionary,

Elder Leatherow

 Funny face ~ because I can and you know you miss it

 A family that I have grown to love and will miss.  They are to be married soon and be baptized within the next month.  Families like this make the mission worth it.

 Our tree

My new companion, Elder Lloyd from Arizona

This week my heart is full as I look at the photos of my boy who is quickly becoming a man.  I hear stories of what he did before he left and even question my ability to be a good mom but then I look at the photos and read his words and know Tom and I did something right.  Loving you Wesman.

First Transfer ~ feeling a bit chilly?

Dear Family,

I never thought that it would happen, but the past couple nights I have gotten a little bit chilly here, in my new area!  I am about 2 hours away from my old area by van. My new area is called Ilobasco, San Misente. It's way different than my other area, it is half city and half country. Like the city is full of little shops and the fast life, the country is like desert and cactuses and cowboys and what not so its way different but I am liking it slowly. Its way nice to get away from the heat and what not for a little bit too.The crazy part is I got another GRINGO!!!! What the heck?!?! what are the odds?  I mean really!! The even crazier part is he has had only one more change than I do, so we know spanish some what and when you combined our spanish it is almost whole! So they are really feeding us to the wolves!! He is from Mesa, Arizona, His name is Elder Lloyd.

My new ward or you can say branch because its not big enough to be a ward has about 50 members that showed up yesterday, and that is a normal amount. So there is a lot of work to be done here, from working these past couple days here I can see that its an extremely rough area and people just don´t want to listen, they are very well off here, so they are prideful and that is a really big issue when it comes to trying to teach someone the gospel. I know with faith and lot of prayer and work and work and more work we can start to get things going though!

How was everyones Thanksgiving? Did you eat enough for me too? We did not celebrate it here which makes sense of course, but boy did I miss it!!

Coltgirl, dude I am so freaking stoked you are going out on all these dates and what not! The movie thing you will have to remember it and we will watch it when I get home together!

I am really sorry to hear about the whole Amandi situation. Honestly, I am going to tell you what I would do and from learning this from working with people on a daily basis. I would give her three strikes sounds like she has used at least one possible two already. But keep up and doing all that you can and keep inviting and working but after three strikes you drop her and wish her the best and then you pray like crazy that she is safe and doing good. I know its really rough but honestly its not going to do any good to keep trying something that doesn´t work, not just for her but for the family as well. I wish you guys nothing but the best and I am praying for ya and her daily. I love you guys keep up the great work!!

How is work going for you guys?? Is there anything I can do for you guys?? How is my littlest bro doing these days?? How are you mom and dad???

I am so glad to hear from the relatives every week like the Smuins, Josh and Jenn, and Grandma Jo. Thank you guys for writing every week. How was Disney Leatherows?? 

How is the new truck Smuins?? Chad I am not sure where I went wrong with you and you bought a Dodge..good thing I am not there or we would be having a serious talk. I wish you nothing but the best with that one, call my dad when it breaks down on ya!! (;

Well family that is about it for this week! 

I love you all so much! Especially you mom to the moon and back and then some!! 

Keep on going and enjoying the cold weather and the snow if it has started yet!! 

Love you guys!!

Love,

Elder Leatherow