I love to see the temple

Dear mi Familia,

Well how did the deer hunt go my friends??? Were you able to get some good actions I take it that no one got anything because I don`t see pictures in my inbox, or are you guys hiding bambi from me? (; I hope it was a blast and if anything some good times out in nature with the guys!!! 

How was your week off mother? Were you able to do all that you wanted to do??? 

This was another hard working week for us here, we are trying to get more people prepared for this weekend which is coming!! I am so excited for conference -  like you have no idea!!! I can`t believe it is already here though time sure is flying!!!!!

We had the priviledge to go to the temple this past week, that was so freaking awesome, I love it!! The spirit, the peace, and time to just relax for a moment and be as close to God as we can be here on this earth. I will send ya some pics! I have my companero who is the tall one out of us all. Then the other Elder who is with me is my District Leader, I have known him since he got here and we have become great friends! He is a great Elder and I have learned so much from him! He is from Arizona, and he also is training a Greengo so it's four Greengos in one ward, and I have the most time, so I pray so hard that the Lord will help me with my Spanish cause if I don`t understand then the other three really don`t understand but its fun!! I am so blessed to be around these great men!

This week Elder Marriott has found a new way to teach which has helped us so much and it brings the spirit so much stronger  - I feel it helps the people understand!! Before we used pamplets but now we just draw pics, reads from the Book of Mormon and the Bible together now that I have a little better knowledge of the two, and then we just asked inspired questions! It has been so great and we have had way more success! Elder Marriott is such a great Elder, and he helps me so much! I am learning so much, more than him I feel! He pushes me to be better without even knowing it, he is truly great! A blessing for me to be his companion! 

Well family I hope you all have a great week, I love you all so much!! 

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

Have a great week, can`t wait to see some more dead animal pictures(; 

Con mucho amor,

Elder Leatherow

 Elder Marriott

 District Leader

The four Amigos ~ I mean Greengos

I was able to chat for a few minutes with Wes on this Monday ~

Mom:I noticed in the fotos that your belt looks a little hammered….do you want us to send you a new one?  Did you not like the “missionary” belts from Holmes?  ~ just let me know if you need a new one.   You look great!

Wes:my ones from holmes clothing broke.....): and this one is about to die here pretty quick...if you want if not I understand and I can find one around here to use.

Mom:I will get you one in the mail this week. 

I bought G a nice one so maybe I will try to find you one like his.  Do you want a one that reverse or do you want one black and one brown?  And your waist size is what about a 28/29?

Wes:whatever works I don`t have brown shoes, so I can`t wear brown belt(; least thats what Elders here told me(;  But whatever works. ya I between a 28 o 30 inch waist. (:  Thanks mom; you're the best!!!!

I sent Wes the photo of Shane and Kaelton together in Germany (Shane visited Germany for work and he and Kaelton were just too close not to have lunch this is Wes' reply:

what?!?!?! That is allowed?!?!?! That is freaking awesome for them!!!! When you guys coming down here??? (; Just kidding!!!! Its a little to dangerous for greengos(;

Man I miss my boy ~ just in case you didn't notice we are now out of the 300 hundreds.

Nuevo compañero

Bendito mi Familia,

Well this week was a good week a lot of things were thrown off with the holiday at the first of the week but that is okay, we just rolled with it and did what we could! Then we woke up early Wednesday morning so I could go get my new companion.

Okay so I have a pretty crazy story about my companion and a new Elder who came to the mission. So there is an elder here I am not sure what his name is I can`t remember sorry, but he came up to me and was like you look really familiar, and we got to talking and he graduated this year from Weber High school, so I told him I had friends from Weber and stuff and that I played soccer and then I told him I had family in North Ogden and he asked who, and then he said a lady named Barbra. And I was like that is my great grandmother!!!!! He told me that he would take the Sacrament to her like every week!! So that was so cool so he gave me an update on her, have you guys been up to see her??? If you do go please tell her that I said hello and that I love her!!! I wish I would of went to see her before I came out here so hopefully she can hold out just a little bit longer. But with my companion we had a meeting before to talk a little more about training and to help the new Elders who came in and they had us go pick a new Elder sit by to help them, because our Presidente can`t speak english and with some of them being white(11 out 13) were greengos!(; So I went and sat by one and helped him and what not and long story short he ended up being my companion!!!

Elder Marriott, he lived in Tacoma, Washington State his whole life and then three monthes before he came out on the mission his family moved to Beaver, Utah. He is great but of course like all normal white people they are tall, so I look like a little kid with him(; It is good though he is great, I don`t feel I am training him he came pre-trained!!! He is great, he is learning so fast! I am learning so much as welll! I am so blessed to have him as a companion and I am looking forward to the next coming weeks with him. 

We find some families yesterday that were awesome, and we had some of the most powerful lecciones it was truly great! The spirit was so strong! I am truly hoping that one of them will accept a fecha for Octubre and we can get them prepared for bautism!!! Well family that is all I have for ya this week! Good luck on Deer Hunt this week, can`t wait to see some monster Bucks!! 

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

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

con mucho amor,

Elder Leatherow

Meet Elder Marriott

Why can't I grow?

Dad: Man you're short. :) love ya bud

Wes: ya your telling me! Why did you give me these short genes?? (;

Dad:You get it from dale and josh

Wes: hahaha oh okay!!! (; Your not much taller than I am though(;  it is just funny the comments we get. Some times people can`t belive that I am a greengo cause I am short so sometimes I can tease them and say I am from Costa Rica, because they are super light skinned.

Independence Day = a day late ~ but it's only a day

Dear Family,

So  yesterday was Independence Day so they had us work instead of take it off because a lot of people had the day off so it was a good way to get to visit a lot of people and also keep us out of trouble and not be tempted by the advasary himself! Sorry I do apologize for that, but hey its only one day right???? 

first things first CONGRATS COLT on the antelope!!!!!!!! That is freaking awesome first one in the family to shoot one!!! That is freaking sweet and you must be getting better at shooting and better than me, cause I could never hit one to save my life!!!! (; I hope it was a blast and you are ready to go again when I get back! 

This week was kind of a crazy week, one because I am not sure what the Lord was thinking but I will be for sure going to changes to get a new companion but I will be here in the same area. How do I know already all this??? This past week I recieved a call and accepted the opportunity to be a trainer!! So that is pretty exciting, and nerve racking all at the same time! I feel a ton of pressure on my shoulders right now so my praying knees will be being used a lot more these coming months. So tomorrow I will be heading to changes meeting to bring him back here, so next week wait for pictures and info on the first week of that fun stuff!! 

This week I got to expiernce something like never before, so this past Saturday as I was saying my morning prayer, I was pleading for the help of the Lord to find a family because we just weren´t finding like I had hoped this week and with a new missionary coming I need to get him success so he can catch the spirit. But during my prayer, I could hear in the words, tenga paciencia me voy a bendicerle (have patience I will bless you) all day I kept thinking that. So when we went out to work that afternoon as we were walking we had the impression to go visit a reference that we had had for about a month now but when we went before he was never home. So we went anyways this time and he was standing the door way when we showed up. We presented ourselves and asked if we could share a message with him, we got to talking and he had a little girl who was one years old who died about 10 monthes ago in a car accidente with her uncle...he had so many questions where she was at? If they would ever see her again...so we had the great opportunity to teach the plan de salvacion to him and his wife. The spirit was so strong they both were in tears and we put another visit for this saturday!! It was incredible. So I can testify that Lord answers prayers, just have patience he does it on his time and in his own way!! En nombre de jesucristo amen.

Well family thanks for all that you all do for me and your love and support! 

I love you mom to the moon and back and then some!! I love you all so mucho, have a great week!!!! Thanks for pictures by the way you all look great!!!!! (: 

Con mucho amor.

Elder Leatherow

I was able to chat with Wes for a few minutes as did his dad.  It was nice and Wes is in great spirits and truly loves the people of El Salvi and his testimony grows stronger each and every day.  I am so very thankful for modern technology so that I chat with him.  Wes of course told his brothers to date around and have fun in high school because all they will be doing is spending their money on someone elses wife.  :)  I was quick to point out that he didn't feel that way not too long ago.  :)  love my boys!  

Trials and new neighbors

Dear family,

Well this was a long week for me here, I mean it went by way fast just work wise, because it seriously has rained non stop here all weekend and that kills the work! Because no one is out in the street to talk to and those that are, are running to their destination so that they don`t have time to talk. When it rains here also no one wants to leave the house for anything, one because they don`t have cars so they have to wait in the rain for a bus and get soaked and the other is they sick pretty fast here it seems like...so these past few days as I have been studying, I have studied trials and challenges and how to cope with them and understand better the plan that our Heavenly Father has for us. I would like to talk with you guys about it and share what I learned and understood, but I do apologize if it doesn`t make sense, one because my English is bad and two most of the times it make sense in my head but when I try and put words to it, it doesn`t come out how I had it planned in my head..so I do apologize ahead of time.

As the mission has it hard weeks I try and find the good in it all, or what I can change to make it better? or what can I learn from these trials? As we read in Ether 12:27  it says ¨he gives us weak things to make us stronger¨ So that we we will humble ourselves and ask for his help and succor to his will not ours. So that was rather interesting that we need to humbly ask for his help, so that he can make us stronger, but then how we ask also could make all the difference just like how Nephi when his brothers tied him up as they were coming back with their new wifes, he asked for ¨Strength that he could break the rope¨not that the Lord would do it for him. So sometimes we may need to just ask for patience, or strength to get through the trial to break the bands that Satan has on us when our faith is low or when we think why me? Why now? He gave us a plan so that we can learn and grow, so that some day we can be like him, just like it teaches in the Bible that we are to become and try be like our Master. If we didn`t have these trials we would never grow we could never return to live with him again. Of Course he knew we would fall and be weak but that is why he sent his Son to die on the cross and suffer for us so that way he can succor us and know what we feel and how he can help us. He has a plan for each one of us, it was created before we came to this earth. (Jeremiah 1:5) I bear my testimony that as we succor to His Will and use the Atonement to grow and humbly seek the help of the Lord in times of trial that our faith will grow, you will show your faith in Him and His plan that he has for us. Trust in the Lord, He will never let us down Philisones 4:13. ¨For all things through Christ will strength me¨ I love you all so much and you all have my word and promise that the Lord will always do his part if we first do ours DyC 82:10. Know that I love you guys and I thank my Heavenly Father ever day for the blessing I have to be apart of this family! I am truly blessed to call you family. I love you mom to the moon and back and then some, I love you all, have a great week, and I say these things in the name of our beloved Savior Jesus Christ. Amen.

Con todo el amor esta en mi corazon,

Elder Leatherow

P.S. I have had some new friends, that have made my home their home check them out(;

And one of the families we are teaching

Mi Familia

Dear family,

Well thank you for the pictures of those monsters!! I sure hope that the luck runs with you guys as well as you all are preparing to take some monsters this Fall. My challenge is that I don`t see any ¨Bambi¨ photos this Fall unless its a crazy weird never been seen one(; 

This week has been great, I was able to finish the Book of Mormon for the 5th time here on my mission and I know that without a doubt in my mind and heart that it was writing by God through man to help us in these Latter-days. So I have grown to love the scriptures a lot and I enjoy reading them so much.  

Since I have a year now in the mission and I hadn`t bought anything for myself besides food, cause I am fat boy and need to eat, I went and ordered me some custom scripture cases, and I got to pick the picture and everything for them. So i will send ya some pictures so please let me know what you think, I think they are sweet and I love them so much!!! 

This week now for 3 weeks in a row we have had a family with us in church, so that has been such a blessing to us here in my area, and I know that the Lord has people prepared for us, just need to search and ask with faith, for his help to find them and teach them what they need to hear and feel, so they to can come to the great knowlegde of this gospel. Not a whole lot has happened this past week, just teaching, walking, and talking so I do apologize this email isn`t the most exciting knock ya off your chair. 

I do have a question though, when will the Ogden temple be open to do temple work? and have you all as a family set a date to go do a session? I think that would be awesome if you guys did! The Lord has blessed us with His Kingdom here on earth, so might as well take advantage of it, right? We are going to get the opportunity to go to the temple 4 times a year now instead of just twice a year,so that is a huge blessing and I can`t wait I will be going at the end of this month!! 

My testimony has grown on temple ordiances a lot as I am studying and teaching families a lot more lately or helping the inactive get reactivated and progress to be able to enter the temple to be a family eternally! I know that is possible for every family to have that, an eternal family, if we live the gospel. 

I will have nothing but a temple marraige, so I hope you all can prepare to enter the temple that day with me! There is plenty of time don`t you worry so just please rememebr that and prepare now so its not a mad scrabble last minute thing! 

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

I love you all so much and thanks for all your love and support! Have a great week!! 

Con mucho amor.

Elder Leatherow

My new district

Real quick while you are still online:

It looks like a lot of these deer are taken down south more,or were some taken up North as well?? Just a real quick question just curious thats all. 

Also DyC 122:7 maybe this will help as you are going through a rough times, I know it helped me understand trials and why we have to have them in this life..also The way Jesus walked was never easy, I mean all that he did for us wasn`t easy I can`t imagine how he did it...so Why would the way of the Lord be easy for us??? Just a thought..know that everything is for a purpose. Keep going I know that you can do it! HE WON`T LET YOU FALL!! I testify of that! Have a great week guys! Love ya!