EL MEJOR FAMILIA EN MUNDO

Dear Family,

 

I am so happy and proud of you all, just from your emails and the stories I am seeing you all are changing and shaping into true disciples of Chirst and you didn´t even have to go to a third world country, like me to do it! That right there my family is amazing and I know with all my heart that the Lord will bless you as you choose to continue to followHim and His plan He has for each of you! Keep it up family I love you and beyond each of you 100%!

Tambien Felicidades a Familia Lundell for expecting a new baby that is so exciting for them and it will be a boy dont they worry!!! 

How was Sadies this past weekend for Colt? Did the dinner go over great? I am sure it went better than great with mom and dad as the Chefs!!! Colt by the way how is lifting class coming? You getting huge bro?!?! 

Buenes Suerte G-Ray for the soccer season and go tear it up and bring me home a championship sound good??? That sucks able the BL Boys soccer team, they will get it fixed though and tell them to never give up and keep fighting that they will find it. Give them some time, BL has always had a hard timing finding the back of the net! That sucks so bad for Ryan Ormand too, my prayers are with him that he will recover fast and be ready for fall sports!!

That is so great that those two special people stopped by to visit! You guys are so lucky to get to talk to them!! They both are amazing and I am so blessed to have them both in my life!! I am glad they are doing great next time give them a good huge for me please!!! 

I would agree with dad! Elder Hernandez has been a huge blessing in my life, and I thank my Heavenly Father every day with blessing me with the opportunity to work with him! We have changes next week though and I have a feeling one of us is gone, cause we will have three months together! So we will see what happens, but it has been great working with him and getting to know him and learn a ton from him!!!

The work here is moving along;  this Saturday we have our big activity we have planned as missionaries, so I am so stressed out about that, cause it has to go perfect or they will never let the missionaries here live it down! So I am trying so hard to get that all coordinated and still try to preach all at the same time so it gets kinda of crazy and I am sure this week will only be crazier!! So we will see how it goes, say a quick little prayer for me please that it will turn out right!!! 

Well family that is about all I have for this week! I love you all! 

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

Con mucho AMor, Tange buena Semana!

Su hijo, Amigo, Jungle Missionary

Elder Leatherow

I asked Elder Wes if this monkey was just hanging out or if he was at some sort of make shift petting zoo, he replied "it hangs out, the locals feed him.  he is just one of the many reasons you know I am truly your jungle missionary."

Just in case you wanted to see a pineapple plant.   I sure hope he gets to enjoy some, that is Wes' favorite fruit!

I was lucky again this week to chat with Wes

Wes:  How is work going??? Que Paso???

Mom: It is going good.  A lovely Monday.  How is El Salvador?

Wes: It's good, Hot but good the sun is shining and got no complentes! How are you?

Mom: I can’t begin to pretend to know how hot you are.  We watch the weather and just shake our heads and think of you.  I am doing really well.  I am finally coming to terms with my new calling and taking the positive approach and just being patient and know that Heavenly Father has a plan for me and I must have faith.

Wes: ESO!!!! This is what I like to hear! You are amaing mom and such a great example to me, you will do amazing I know it!!!!!!! 

Mom: Thank you for your confidence.  You my boy are an example to me! 

Wes: How is everyone at the bank?

Mom: We are all hanging in there.  Celeste surprised me with a cute wall hanger that says "I love you to the moon and back"  I love it.

Wes:Good to hear they are good and you all are geting long with things a bit uneasy with work! The wall hanger is awesome!!! Tell Kyle I said hi and all of them please!

Mom: Here is a quick look at Colton and Darbie at the dance

Wes: Is that my shirt?!??!?! 

Mom: Yep! Colt has lost about 35 pounds since you left.  He has really thinned out and grown about an inch.  Debbie says that Josh had to have the hem on his dress pants taken out by about 2 inches.  The boy is finally growing.  

Wes:Dang!! What the heck?!? Why haven´t I grown?!??1 I would love to grow another 2 inches!!!! that is so awesome about Colt though!! He looks great!!!

Wes: I am out for the day though mom and I will write you next week, I love you to the moon and back and then some! Have a great week, and keep smiling and I miss ya like crazy mom!!!!!

Feeling Blessed

Dear Family,

So I have to say this about the Patriarchal Blessings that Dad and Colt are going to get, is seriously something amazing and something I have been thinking about that for the past couple of weeks, I just kept forgeting to tell you guys!! You are going to be so blessed for it and it will help you both so much!! I wish so bad that I had mine at times, but thats what I get for being a slacker, but that will be for sure the first thing I do when I get back is recieve mine!! So please tell how it goes and the experience both of you have please!!! 

I am so proud of Colt and G-Ray!! They are growing up so freaking fast and turning into to amazing young men that the world needs to look out for, because they are going to be dangerous in the work of Lord!! They both will touch and change lifes right now and in the future!! I love you two so much and you are guys are my heroes, please keep up the great work bros!! I am beyond proud of both of  you 100%!!  You both are better than I ever was at your age, all I could think about hunting, soccer, gym, and of course girls, but you two have seriously seen the bigger picture and so amazing and incredible for that!! Keep it up, my brothers and continue to let the Lord guide you in your lives!!!!!

Third Chad is reading the Book of Mormon!?!? Another answer to my prayers!! That is freaking...Miracle and please continue Chad, but most of all in the Introduction of the Book of Mormon the second to last paragraph, I ask that you act upon all three of those invitations you have done the first now the last two brotha!!! If you have any questions we are all here waiting to help and listen in any way possible!! 

How about the Watkins family? How are they doing and considering to know the secrets to life as well??? 

 know this church to be true with all my heart and I would NEVER lie or lead you guys astray and go two years without you guys for something that wasn`t real, or something that a 14 yr. old wrote! Se que Jose Smith fue un profeta de Dios! El tranjo el ibro do Mormon por nosotros, que este iglesia es la iglesia de Jeucristo! Y El Vive, y nos escuche oracions, Digo estes cosas en nombre Jesucristo Amen.

Now for the package, a tie would be great for my comp! And the only thing I really need is face wash. I know I could really love to have you all sent but its not possible. I found the other thing I miss like crazy not as much as I miss you guys but is my second home...The GYM!!! I miss it like crazy so now I wake up a little before six every morning except Sundays of course to work out for a solid hour, its nothing like the gym but I am making due with what I have! So you need not worry about my health and I walk all day every day and every and any where!! So physically I am doing okay, still chubby, but hopefully with time I can chagne that! Oh ya also sent Floss!! For floss here its almost 4 dollars!!!!! Way expensive!! 

Well family that is all i have for ya this week!! I hope all is well and everyone is doing good! Oh ya!! Amber have her little girl yet?!?! 

I love you all so much!! 

Mom I love you to the moon and back and then some!! 

Tenga Buena Semana!!!! Uds. Amo mucho!!!

Su hijo, Amigo, Jungle Missionary,

Elder Leatherow

Tom asked Wes about the weather and Wes said it rains EVERY day for about 5 minutes which is just long enough to make the rest of the day miserably hot and humid.  He is happy healthy and smiling!  ~ no pictures again this week so I snapped a picture of our family countdown….

Words of advice to mom and dad

Dear Family,

I want to take some time to talk with you mom and dad, because it seems like these past month has been nothing but an emotional roller coaster ride for you both! I am so sorry for this but when you get a second I want you to read in Jeremiah 1:5. I want you both to know that the Lord knows each of you individually that He loves you so much, there is no words that can express His love for you! He knows what each of you can handle and what you can`t. He puts things in our way to help us and when we just can`t push on any more you can get on your knees and plead for help, plead with Him to give you the strength to push on, the ability to feel His love, the ability to know that He will lift the burden from your back. You guys are the most amazing and incredible people I have ever met and have known, I am so lucky and proud to call you mom and dad! I want you both to know that I love you with my whole heart and soul! That I am still and will always be here for and He is there for you! Sometimes we feel inadequate about the things He has called us to do, but He has called each of you, because you both have something special and talent that the Lord needs you to use for the calling! You raised my ugly mug which was not an easy task I know, so I know you can reach and accomplish whatever you put your hearts too! I am behind you 100% and will always be! I love you both so much and thank you for being my parents, my super heroes, my role models, my everything!! Keep it going and you will change and help so many!! I love you both!!

Okay so now for this week, I have found two families of five each that are so positive and so close to baptism its not even funny!! That I seriously am praying so hard and studying and sometimes even stressing over because, these two families are so great!! They just need that one thing that's going to push them over the edge. One of them has accepted a baptism date for end of the month, so we will see.  The other is debating because they have been baptized in other religions twice so it will be their third one. They will find it though, I know it!! I will continue to keep you updated on them, the one part that is hard is we can only visit them once a week each because only one or two possible days a week they are all in the house together! I have others as well that are close! I am also teaching a pastor right now, so will see how that goes, he accepted all we give him to read and study, so we will pray and work with him! We also have some great ideas that we have planned with our branch president to get members and investigadores working and really helping the work here. We have a big activity planned for the end of the month so we will see how it turns out, I am really excited for!! Well my family that is all I have for this week from the jungle!

Colt bro, I am sorry to hear about the election and what not, keep your head up bro! You are number one and G-Ray in my book!! 

Thank you Breeze for always writing and keeping me updated on the basketball! Go getèm Smuin boys!!! 

Jenn and Josh thanks for writing as well, the kids sound great and they are going to be all grown up by the time I get back, but they are great and amazing kids!!

I love you all so much!! 

I love you to the moon and back and the some mom!! 

I hope you all have a great week, and if you need anything let me know!! 

Su hijo, amigo, Jungle Misionero,

Elder Leatherow

He never said it would easy; only worth it

Dear Family,

I hope that this letter reaches all of you happy and feeling the spirit and enjoying this beautiful life that we all have been giving!!! What is everyone up to these days? How is the good old Rock Cliff 4th ward doing? its definetly a big difference here the wards and branches and what not, but that's okay its all good!! Nothing will beat the good old Rock Cliff 4th ward though! 

How was Fast Sunday? I bet all the little kids bore their testimony, that is one thing I sure do miss hearing is all the kids and their bravery to bear their testimony. A few kids here do it, but its very rare! So you guys are awesome keep up the great work and setting an example to us all!!!

This week for me was a rough one, beyond rough...it seemed like we couldn´t get into anyone's home..which makes it so tough for me! Cause I mean that it is my purpose to teach these people and help them recieve these great blessings we have but I can´t do that when I can't get into their home. But I guess like Nate Stringham told me once. ¨if it's easy your doing it wrong, its suppose to be hard if your doing something right..¨ or something along those lines. So hopefully in time it will pay off, and we can find some people who want to hear the words of God. One thing that doesn´t help things in this ne area..is the gangs..they have put out a thing (curfew) that they don´t want anyone in the street after eight at night. Or else there will be problems. Pretty much it's so they can see the other gangs crossing over into the others area more easy. They never bother us so its all good, it just hurts the work though. Because people practically start to shut their doors at seven or seven-thirty at night to anyone, which normally is prime time to teach. So that is our difficulty right now. We are going to work through it though and make it happen!!! We can do this, we were meant to do this!! It reminds of the scripiture in DyC 58:2-4, that if you have time read it. It deals with pushing through and we then can reap the rewards if we do as he has ask us to do!!

Tell Nate Stringham congrats on the wedding and where the heck is my wedding invitaion?!?! just kidding, but  that's awesome for him and I am happy he found someone! 

G-Ray have you decided on a sport this spring yet?? 

Uncle Josh thank you so much for the letter last week, it really meant a lot and it was so good to hear and have those words to read especially with how this past week went!! 

How is the weather?? Any more snow or rain? We experienced our first rain fall in months here, but it only lasted about ten minutes and it only made it more hot! We are in Summer here like middle of summer, this is the hottest month here so we will see how much fat I can lose before this mas fresco weather comes for the year!! 

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!!! 

Have a great week!! 

Su hijo, amigo, jungle Missionary,

Elder Leatherow