You Ready for this overload?!?!?

Dear my favorite family,

I do apologize I have to talk about this week and I have a lot I want to explain so I do apologize if it is a little bit of a crazy mess this letter...so here we go.

Let's start from the beginning, Tuesday we had intercambios with my District Leader so he could interview the kid that we baptized this past week, so I went with his companion who had just arrived in the mission the Wednesday before. So he has almost a week under his belt. So we were out working and it started to seriosuly down pour like no ones business. So we went and took cover under a porch close by and asked for plastic bags to put our scriptures in and what not, because the water was so much that it would just go through our back backs. I couldn´t just turn in though and let this new missionary think that when it gets tough you turn in or take the easy route. So we went at it head on and yes you will see in the photos, I need my duck hunting waders here. I was walking in a river about up to my knees. No one was out so we went to knocking doors, and I was like let's knock this door, so I went to go knock and I fell into a huge hole, up to my waist in water so after we got the contact I ask if she would take a picture of us in the hole!! It was great, it was a great day, he is Black, yes I know he is from the Republica Dominicano. 

Wednesday we went and did service for one of my investigadores, named Hydro! He is great, he lived in the U.S. for 23 years so speaks english perfectly and he has a bautismal date. We went and helped him chop down trees, repant pineapple trees, pickup a ton of mangos! Whatever we could so that was great!!

This past Thursday was a really rough and sad day in the Rama I am in there is one missionary who is out in the mission field, who we found out died this past week. He was in the back of a pickup and they crashed and he was killed. So that was really tough and super sad cause his family  isn´t members. So hopefully this will be the gate though that they will accept it and find the truth so they can live with him for an eternity!!

Mormon missionary dies in Honduras
May 23, 2014

SALT LAKE CITY (AP) — A 27-year-old Mormon missionary is dead after a fatal car accident in Honduras.
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints says Jesus Martinez Campos of Usulutan, El Salvador died on Thursday.
Church officials say Martinez was in the car at the time of the accident with fellow missionary, George B. Lewis, of Francis, Utah. Lewis was injured but expected to survive.
Martinez was eight months into a 2-year mission in Tegucigalpa, Honduras.
The fatal accident marks the third missionary death of the year.
Last year, 12 missionaries died in what was an abnormally deadly year for proselyting members of the faith. There are usually only a few deaths each year.
The church has more missionaries than ever before with about 85,000 men and women serving around the world.

Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Saturday the big day!! We had our baptism!  It was so great, this guy is such a great example to me! I was visiting his neighbors about a month back and he was there and I started to talk and tease him and told him he should come to church with them. That following Sunday he went and hasn´t missed one sense! He lives about half an hour away in bus too! He comes from a broken life, that is crazy that he is such a good kid and choosing the right!! So it was great, I was able to get Elder Toro my new companion into the font for his first time too!! So that was such a great expereience all together! 

Today since we all had a baptism this past week, we decided to go and take the three missionary here, to the Surfer Lake that I sent pictures to ya a while back. So there will be a few or one pic of that and us in the mountains having a great time and me kicking back drinking a cold one, as I am on my day of cancel!!  (I think this means his P-Day?, crazy Wes) 

Well family that is about all I have for ya sorry to take so much of your time it was a crazy but good week! I love you all! 

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

Have a great week!

Con mucho amor,

Elder Leatherow 

I was able to chat with Wesman for just a bit today:

MOM:I was just getting ready to head to grandpas!  So glad I checked the email before I headed out the door.  

Sounds like an eventful week.  Was the missionary that was killed was he serving in Hondorus?  If so his companion was from Park City. ~ his companion is expected to be OK

WES:ya that is him. and wow really?!?!

MOM:When we saw where the missionary that lost his life was from we wondered if you knew of him or his family.  I pray his family will find comfort in knowing that their son was serving his Father in Heaven and that sometimes bad things happen to good people.  And thru our loving brother and Savior they can be with their son again for eternity.

WES:Ya we have a service project planned this week at the end of the week so hopefully they will get into and start to see the light!!

MOM:Now that is a hole!  ~ love the attitude of  'go get 'em' ~ you are such an amazing missionary.

WES:Not really just doing what I love! (:

WES:I am sorry I am not there to help with the roof for grandma and grandpa next time I will be there I promise!!! How did Ster´s talk go yesterday?

MOM: He gave a great shout out to the Leatherows for always feeding him and loving him.  You two are truly going to be the best of friends for years to come.  We were able to meet his cute girlfriend Sierra.  I approve.  :) Cristian O also says hello

WES: That is awesome! You will have to tell him I said hello back!! Tell him I am sorry then, (Granpa) Well I am out for the week. Have a great week and work hard with that Roof and know that I love you all so much and miss ya!!!

Dear Family

Dear Familia Leatherow,

Well this week I hope it went great for the four boys who got to go have fun for a whole week and see some freaking awesome sites!!! 

I hope Colt and Mom did not party to hard though with those two being gone! (; 

As for the jungle missionary I am doing great, I received a curve ball this past week though and I went to changes meeting again!!!!!

I was not planning that one at all ~ I figured Elder Can and I would be together for at least two changes but that's not what the Lord had in mind I guess for us. So I went to changes with Elder Can to bring back my new companion. So yes the Lord blessed me and I stayed in my area!!!!! (: I brought back to Usulutan (Where I am at) my new comp....he is from CHILE!!!!! That is pretty freaking sweet and rather interesting, cause he is super white so a lot of people think its two gringos together at first then they hear his accent. So this should be a good fun experience, he only has three months in the mission so he is super new, but he is so ready to work, which is good, cause I love to work! It was rather funny though when he asked when we would be eating dinner the first couple of days and I told him we don´t eat dinner we work through dinner time, at first he thought I was joking but now he is used to it...I think….It's all good though he will catch on fast he is a quick learner, and he has a ton of faith, which is good!!!

For our area it is good we have a baptism this Saturday so get ready for pictures this next week!! I am so excited for that, he such an awesome kid and for him to be going to church is awesome!! He lives more than half an hour away from the church on a bus, so he is truly an example to me!! So be looking out for those pics.

I am right now working with a man who lived in the states for more then 20 years so he speaks English super good, who truly found me not I found him. Which is seriously a blessing! He has a baptism date for the 21 of June after I get him and his girlfriend married, that literally will be one of my all time favorite stories and memories here in the mission, I will write ya more on him as it gets closer to his baptism date and what not. 

Well folks that is about it for this week, I love you all, especially you mom to the moon and back and then some!! 

Have a great week and let the Lord help guide you, as you do I promise there will be a greater difference of happiness in your life!!!

Con mucho amor,

Elder Leatherow

P.S. New Direction for my mission if I get lucky enough for you send me something!

Mission El Salvador San Salvador Este

Apartado Postal #3362

San Salvador, El Salvador

Centro America

I am sorry

Dear Family,

I am truly sorry about yesterday, it did not go exactly how we all probably expected it to go..with the sound not good, the picture slow, and of course my english is absolutly terrible!!! So I am truly sorry from the bottom of my heart, so I hope you can forgive me and I promise I will make sure for Christmas it will go a lot better!!! 

I don´t have a lot to write as well, with us talking just yesterday, so say a quick prayer if you would that I don´t have changes this Wednesday because I don´t want to go, I love it here and the people, and the Rama here is truly great!!! 

Today is pretty good with a ton of sunshine for all, and music blasting in every street, people coming and going, and me enjoying the mission life!

I want to wish Dad, G-ray, Kegan, and Dale a safe trip as they took off today! That they will enjoy themselves and take tons of photos, and live this experiences up, cause it is a great opportunity and one they will never forget!! 

Thanks to Grandma and Grandpa for stopping by as well to talk and chat sorry to them for not going the best! 

Well Folks that is about it for me here in El Salvi! Hope you have a great week, and let the Lord guide you in your pathway! I love you mom to the moon and back and then some! I love you all, please take care and be safe!! 

Con mucho amor,

Elder Leatherow

MOM:  Please don’t feel like you need to apologize for the connection ~ it was beyond anyone’s control and we were just excited as all get out to see your cute mug.  And your English, well it is supposed to be broken that means you are practicing what you preach and have lost yourself in the service and truly love the people you are serving.

Love you

WES:  I hope thats what it means, for the most part when I write my English is good right?? Or no???

MOM: Your written English is just fine.   I can always understand ya.

WES: okay good I am so glad!! (: 

Love one Another

Family,

First things first Kinley does look pretty darn cute with her new hair cut!! She is growing up way to fast! 

Congrats to Mr. Liam for getting into the Chinese program that will help him so much in the long run! 

Dad you should seriously go back to school, it would help you so much in the long run and you could get a job that you like, so you wouldn`t just be going to work every day you would be going to do something you actually enjoy!!! 

Yes, of course I am always playing soccer in one form another whether with kids in the street, or in my free time on Mondays.

Congrats to Kyle also for completing the Army and I can`t wait to hear about his new adventure in school and I wish him nothing but the best! So when is he going to get married?????? (; 

This past week for me was seriously absolutely crazy with everything, rain, changing areas a little bit, meetings like crazy, etc.  So I was insanely busy this past week but I loved every moment of it! 

This week I have been thinking a lot about loving people and how I can love people more or develop a love for these people here. One thing that I have had a hard time with was loving people that are outside of the family, and or loving them even after they did wrong to me, etc.  I have prayed and studied this a lot while I have been here on my mission. Because here I can`t tell you how many times a day I am rejected, mocked, outcasted, and told where to go, etc. One scripture I read was in 1 John 4:19. (Read porfavor) How do we know that he loved us or loves us? How can we feel his love? Its because He served and is serving us! Its the same with people in our lives! We need to serve them with all we have, no matter what they say or do to us we need to serve them! Because ¨That which we serve, we grow to love¨. I testify that if we do this you will grow to love that person or those people.  It is what I have done here and it seriously has made all the difference, I love these people with all my heart and it kills me to see them doing wrong and rejecting me when all I am doing is trying to help! I know that in time they will love me and the Lord. Because when someone serves you and does things for you, they can`t help but love you! Its a fact! If you don`t believe me put it in practice for three weeks and you will see the difference in your life and that person! I promise you that, if we serve people they will feel your love just like you feel the love of the Savior, because He loved us;  First we love him back, and then they will love you back! This I leave with you in the name of Jesucristo. Amen.

Well family that is about all I have for ya this week, I can`t wait to talk with ya this weekend! I only get 40 minutos, so lets live that time up together. What time is good for you guys? Please let me know I was thinking Saturday at around 10 in the morning if that works for you guys? Please let me know, mom I love you to the moon and back and then some! 

I love you all and I hope you have a great week!!!

Su Hijo, Amigo, Jungle Missionary,

Elder Leatherow

Tom got to chat a bit with Wes

Tom:Hey bud, sounds like you are great. So you want to talk on Saturday? Not Sunday? 10:00 works great for us
Wes: I can talk either day Saturday in the morning or Sunday in the afternoon, which works better for you guys?????
Tom: Garett and I just have to go down and load our packs Sunday evening at about 6:00 I think
Wes: I can`t Skype after 5 Sunday, that time Schedule is Saturday 10-12 or Sunday 1:30-5. So you guys choose the other parts of the day I have meetings or teaching appointments.
Tom:Can I have the whole 1:30 - 5 time slot? :)
Wes:Ya I wish!! No I only get 40 minutes to talk this time...):

Tom:Ok Sunday at 1:30 it is. I can't freakin wait. Get to see any new creatures this week?

Wes:Ya this giant spider or scorpion thing, it was in the shoe of my comp, I tried to take a pictures but every time I tried to get one it would run away so I had to just smash it so it didn`t get away for good!!!

Wes: Well mother I am out for the week, I can`t wait to talk this Sunday!! i love you to the moon and back and then some!!!! Have a great week, tell dad I love him and will see him on Sunday!  oops Wes thought he was chatting with his momma.  :)