Having Faith and a little Patience

Dear Family,

Well from the empty box of pictures of deer, I am asuming you guys weren´t able to get any deer!! Which is okay more more for me to choose from when I get back I guess(; So thanks!!

 Well for us here there seems to be always someone that listens to us, because here everyone literally believes in God!!! But the thing is getting to understand that there can only be one true church and getting them to do the things to know for themselves! I am not sure why but getting people to church truly kicks our butts!! I know I just need to be paciente and wait for the Lord´s blessings, it just gets hard some times!! When I feel I am doing everything, taking miembros to visit with us and just have lessons on the Dia de Reposo, and all that good stuff running around an hour before church looking for some to go with us! Yesterday was rough, and I feel horrible about it, because after looking for an hour for someone to take with us and no one could go not even Menos Activos, we headed to the church. I was upset and feeling bad and thinking what am I doing wrong?? I am being a horrible missionary and I must not be teaching these people right? Just all kinds of things, and then 10 minutes into the meeting we had one investigador show up by himself, and then four Menos Activos walked in right behind him. It was a true blessing! I have learned and still am trying to keep the faith and know that the Lord will provide a way, on his own time and in his own way! I just need to do my part and then leave it up to the Lord, which is always hard for me cause, I have always wanted to do it all by myself, without help and doing it until its finished and its done right, so its hard to just do something and then pray and know that it will all workout. I am getting better at it but I still could use a lot of work though thats for sure!!!

When is the Heil Halloween party??? I can´t wait to see those costums!!!! They don´t celebrate it here because of how dangerous it is and what not!!! So that kind of sucks!! So I can´t wait to hear from you guys how it goes!!! By the way did anyone draw a swan tag this year????? I thank you all so much for your love and support over the years and especially while I am out here serving! It truly does mean a lot to me!! So thank you guys!! The weather is getting hot and dry here so that kind of sucks and we again expereinced an earthquake, so the profecias are coming true we are in those days! So I truly hope you all are trying your best and doing what you can to be better, he is not asking us to be perfect, because if he did we would not need him and his help, is expecting us to fall, so that way we can see his hand as we are trying to get back up we just need to take ahold of his hand and use his help and his Atonement so that we get up and are on the right path again!! I love you all, Mother I love you to the moon and back and then some!!! Have a great week!! Con mucho amor,

Elder Leatherow

P.S. 2 nefi 33:15 his last words are great!!! ¨Se Debo al ser obendiente¨ How can we be more like this man? 

Dinner!

These are actually very good and if served with some off the wall salsa they are delicious.  They can be a bit greasy but they are good.

Feeling the Spirit

Dear family,

So this week was rather a rough rough start but then a again the best things never come easy and I am truly coming to find that out here, as I am working so hard to get a baptism but make it a baptism that Elder Marriott will never forget. He truly is a great elder and I love working with him, he truly does push me to be a better missionary and be the best trainer!! Which I fall short of a lot but I am trying so hopefully that counts for something...

So I want to share this experience I had yesterday in a lesson. We have this family who are so great but they weren`t turning out to be to positive the last time I went i gave them more than normal to do to see if they are here to find the truth or just be nice and listen to us. So yesterday was basically make or break moment for them for us and well they made alright!!!! They did all that we asked and more!!! They even truly took into their hearts and thought about they read from the book of mormon and the short version of the Restaruacion video. We then taught them about bautism and read from the book of mormon about it!! And the dad accepted to be baptized next month and the wife is a little harder and she had tons of questions but they were good questions and we answered them easily with the scriptures and she said she would pray about it and then give us answer. but they also asked us to come back during the week to teach them which was really cool, that they asked us to come back!!!!! We then asked the daughter at the close of the lesson to see what she thought about everything and then we asked the question if she believe that Jose Smith saw the father and the son and she answered yes when that moment happened you have no idea how strong the spirit was and it was awesome to be there and be part of it!!! We then even got the dad to give the closing prayer we had been asking for about three weeks for him to pray and he finally did!!! It truly was awesome!!!! So I truly believe we will have a family baptism at the end of next month!!! I am so excited and so blessed to be a part of this great and maravillos work!! 

Congrates to Blair on his elk that is freaking sweet!!! 

And that sunrise is way pretty!!!!! Man do I miss the marsh....only one more year fellas!!!!!!! 

(; How is everyone doing??? Have you been able to have a family over for a family home evening for the Elders???? If not keep praying I know He will answer your prayers just also ask with intent to act on whatever it is like jose Smith did!!! 

I love you all so much, I love you mother to the moon and back and then some!!! 

Have a great week!!! 

Thanks for all the pictures, I love seeing them so please keep sending them!!!!! 

con mucho amor,

Elder Leatherow

PS  by the way the earthquake was seriously the weirdest coolest thing ever!!!!! (: It lasted like 30 seconds nothing fell it was just crazy weird!!!!

PSS  no BRUTUS!!!!!! He can`t die!!!!! I have so many memories with him!!! I will for sure say a prayer!!! Cause he can`t die he has to last until I get back home!!!!!!! Please tell grandpa to do all that he can please to save him!!!! i know he is a great doctor I have trust that he will find the problem and be able to give the right cure to fix him!!!!! 

Look for the next hand hold and keep moving forward

Dear family,

Those are some monster deer,  am I right????(; 

This was a good week, we had interviews with presidente and so that is always a treat, but we are having some trouble here with the Ward and helping us in missionary work and the ward keeps declining in numbers it truly is sad!!! So that is rough and we are trying our best to help them out and get back on track so they can progress and recieve blessings as a ward. So please help missionaries out when you can, cause that is the only way the work will progress, always be looking and praying for missionary opportunities, I know there is no sweeter feeling than when you see the gospel change someones life!! 

I have a couple things or experiences I would like to share with you guys this week.

So this week we were contacting in the street, I was talking to this man who was reading the Bible and so we got into conversation, my companion is new so his spanish isn`t the best it's coming though and so fast! He is great, so he was just kind of standing there listening when a girl came up to him and starting talking, I couldn`t really listen though cause I was talking with this other gentlemen, I just trusted that he could answer her questiones and what not. After I finished, the lady had already left, but it turns out that she had listened to missionaries before and wants to learn more so she came looking for us and we went to her house the next day and taught her!!! It was incredible - the Lord is truly preparing people for us right before our very own eyes!! I know that there is someone out there waiting for YOU as well. Don`t be afraid if you get the chance share the gospel I promise you will never regret it what so ever!!!! 

So the second piece of news is horrible.  I just found out today and it's hard to fight back the tears as I type because what these people mean to me, but my last baptism this past June of the couple, the wife was killed in a tragic accident. She was shocked by a live wire and killed....I am not sure all details because I get them from other missionaries who are in the area..but it just really puts things in perspective when I heard that. That I am so happy I was able to help her be baptized so she could go and enter the kingdom of God now, but sad because now because a great man is wifeless and has two little kids to look after...I know that God has a plan for each of us and if we just trust in Him He will truly bless us and its all for own benefit! We are the luckiest people on earth to have this gospel that we can have the comfort of knowing that we will see loved ones again after this life, that God does have a plan for us!! That it's not over after this life! I bear testimony of this gospel and the plan that God has for each of us!! That through Him we can return to live with God and our families once again. Comparto en nombre Jesucristo. Amen.

Also I hope you all are doing better and have a great week!! I have a scripture in Mosiah 24:13-16 that I would like you guys to read and more importantly I need mother to read it! I know we all have our trials, but read it hopefully it will help ya out!!!! 

Well I will stop yacking your ears off, thanks everyone for your love and support, I love you mother to the moon and back and then some!!! I love you all, and miss ya but have a great week and keep smiling and stay positive!!!!! 

Con mucho Amor,

Elder Leatherow

Tom and I were both able to chat once or twice with Wes:

Wes:  so dad I was thinking for next year we should put in together!!! We both draw or we both don`t kind of a thing!!! I would truly be my honor to get to hunt with you, and put us in for whatever you want!!!! I will kill anything!! I just would really like to hunt with ya dad!! So please give it a thought and let me know!!!

Dad: Sounds like a great plan to me bud.

Wes: Sounds great!!!! Lets do it then, if you need money take it out of my account to put in for us please!!! Thanks, I have to go, until next week though for sure!!!!!!!! Love ya dad!!!!!

Mom:  Thank you for the scripture reference it was spot on for me today as well as the rest of the family.  You are truly a blessing!

I am so sorry to hear of the passing of the sweet sister.  I will be sure to say an extra prayer for her husband, kids and for the wonderful missionaries serving in El Salvi.  

Love,

Mom

Wes: Its  raining every day though getting into those days of rain season here, so it hasn`t been to bad luckily!!! How is your day off??? You seem a lot happier than the past couple weeks, which makes me a lot more relieved and happy!!!!! (: (:

Mom: you know I am ok.  I am truly loving have the day off.  I have a had a rough couple of weeks.  I felt myself getting sick, my mouth started to break out in sores and my eyes were continually swollen so I just said a prayer that I could be strong.  I have some amazing friends at work who listen and I am married to a true son of God.  He is my rock.  I know this hasn't been easy for him but his faith is amazing.  and Josh has really stepped up to help us with his sister.  I found myself always looking down but when I looked up and saw all that I have I knew I needed to walk taller and just have faith that we will get thru this.  One day at a time.  Thank you so much for caring and I don't want to burden you with my junk.  That is not what you went to El Salvi for.  :)

Wes: yeah but you are my mother and I love you, and I want to help you and do all I can so please talk to me if you need anything...cause I have gotten good at reading people and I know you and I know when things aren`t great so its even worse when you keep it from me and then I try and do what I can to help..even then its not enough...mom know that I love you and know that Heavenly Father loves you!!! You remember when we went to central Utah a few years back and I was helping you up those Rock walls..do remember the words I told you???? ¨I got you, I won`t let you fall¨ I haven`t went any where mother, I won`t let you fall nor will our Father in Heaven just put your trust in him and look up for the next hand hold to keep moving forward. I love ya mother!!!!!

Mom:I love you too.and thank you!

Wes:  I have to go though! So thanks for chatting mother, love ya to the moon and back and then some!!! Have a great week!!!!

Conference!

Dear Family,

This week was not too bad to us here in El Salvi I feel really bad for my companion though he got this new sickness that is going around here! It makes your whole body hurt and you have a fever, and you just don`t have energy to really do anything! He was a freaking trooper though and he worked when he could! It was a huge testimony builder for me, and he is such a blessing in my life to have him as a companion, he is doing a lot better now but still hurts he says!!! So hopefully we will reset today and head out tonight and he will be all good and we can hit this week hard.

Conferencia General was truly incredible and I loved it so much, I was able to recieve so much personal revelacion it was so awesome! The only hard part was that we only got one guy to go! But he went to the priesthood session and he went Sunday in the morning!! He is so freaking awesome!! I have been teaching him now for about a month, and he has accepted a date to be baptized so we are praying hard and working hard with him!! He told us the talk in priesthood session by Presidente Monson really hit home and he loved it!!! He is truly an amazing guy and I am so lucky to have this opportunity to get to teach him the gospel. Now lets just pray he can get rid of drinking coffee!! (; 

Conferencia was sweet cause since we all are American here we got to sit in the office and watch it in English together so that was really cool and enjoyed it so much!!! I will be sending a picture of us in the office watching it!!! 

It's starting to really warm up again here so that really sucks cause we are about to go into summer, so it's getting hotter and hotter every day and hasn`t rained in for three days now so that kinda of sucks!! 

How was conferencia for all of you??? I hope it went as good for you guys as it did me!! I would love to hear your thoughts, ideas, feelings about it when you get a chance to shoot me an email!!!

How is everyone doing health wise???? Are any of you sick???? What is the weather like back home??? 

Well I will stop talking your ears off, I love you all so much and I love mother to the moon and back and then some!!!

Have a great week!!! 

Con mucho amor

Elder Leatherow

Enjoying hot chocolate cuz my companion was freezing

We really wanted to enjoy a movie at the church but the projector wouldn't work so I had to be the brave one to climb the ladder  ( I don't know why this pic won't rotate for me?)

Check it out!  I found someone here who shot a deer!?!